Author - boothby

Age of Wonders: Planetfall Star Kings Launch Trailer

Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios today announced that Star Kings, the third expansion for 4X strategy game Age of Wonders: Planetfall, is now available on PC (Paradox Plaza, Steam, GOG, Microsoft Store), Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 (Europe, Americas) for a suggested retail price of $19.99 / €19.99 / £15.49 .

Star Kings introduces a new playable faction, the Oathbound who, among many other things, can see into the future and command giant mechs. They’ll need both too. Did we mention they need to save the galaxy? No pressure. No pressure at all.

Additionally, there will be a free update available for all Planetfall players adding tons of new content including the ability to build your own custom galactic empire.

Star Kings’ Features include:

  • New playable faction – The Oathbound: The Oathbound are a group of noble Paladins who pilot giant mechs and tear their foes apart with massive arc weapons imbued with lightning. The mythical Seers are the benevolent yet cunning leaders of the Oathbound that support their Paladin brethren in battle through their ability to see into the future from their connection with a mysterious computer system.
  • New story campaign: Follow the Oathbound on their sworn quest to save mankind and plant the seeds of a new Empire! Lead a noble Paladin and discover the truth behind the dangers that face her world. Find the ancient Grail Configuration and save the galaxy, or witness the last sparks of humanity fade away
  • Grail Configurations: Powerful new landmark structures earned through multi-stage quests. These mysterious structures were created by an extinct race of crystal entities and are used for powerful long term bonuses that are integral in forging the biggest  empires possible.
  • Wildlife additions: Three new wildlife groups are joining the fray. The Psionica, vampire-like rock creatures that feed on psychic energy; the Apostates, former Oathbound that have given up their vows to embrace chaos; and the Mycelians, sentient mushrooms that have taken control of farming equipment to become cyborgs.

The benevolence of the Oathbound extends to all Planetfall players! Alongside the launch of Star Kings, a free patch will be added with new features that everyone can enjoy. Key features coming with the patch include:

  • Galactic Empire: Customize your own empire by conquering worlds with progress that carries over between play sessions. Combine technology from various races and carry over heroes between planets as you lay the foundation of an eternal empire!
  • New worlds to conquer: New worlds to wage war on! Each world will have different traits and bonus objectives adding a ton of gameplay variety and extra challenges as you take over new planets to expand a growing empire.
  • Tech requisition: Develop new strategies by adopting and combining secret tech from various Planetfall races. Wild combinations and unique tactics can be created that change up the battlefield in crazy new ways.
  • Residential Sectors: Create Super Colonies by building beyond the city sector limit and use a variety of racial upgrades to maximize economic variety.
  • Endless Research: Each tech tree now contains a ‘Future Tech’ skill that can be researched an unlimited number of times. Future Tech provides a random stacking bonus every time it is upgraded encouraging you to keep on researching forever!

Observer: System Redux Launch Trailer

Bloober Team has released the very first true next-gen horror game, Observer: System Redux on Xbox Series X and PC. Featuring 4K resolution, upgraded textures, new animations, models, and effects, all transformed with next-gen visual features, Observer: System Redux is now available on Xbox Series X and PC (Steam, Epic Game Store, GOG, Green Man Gaming), and is priced at €29.99 and $29.99 regionally.

Observer: System Redux releases on PlayStation 5 November 12, 2020 as a day 1 launch title on that platform.

“Our award-winning cyberpunk thriller, Observer, is back with augmented visuals, next-gen gameplay, and new story, all woven together as Observer: System Redux,” said Bloober Team CEO, Piotr Babieno. “Our cyberpunk psychological horror story takes full advantage of next-gen technology. Working together with the team at Anshar Studios, we’ve incorporated the power of next-gen at every opportunity—faster loading ssd drives virtually eliminate the need for loading screens and other breaks in immersion, and visual improvements let us bring this world to life in detail.”

“The poem used in our launch trailer was one of Rutger’s favorites and guided his work while in his role as Dan,” continued Babieno. “Including this line from The Time of Your Life was one last way for us to pay tribute to our friend.”

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition Launch Trailer

It’s time to fight like hell, as Devil May Cry™ 5 Special Edition has arrived with all-new features and the by-fan-demand playable Vergil. The digital version of Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition arrives today for Xbox Series X|S, and on November 12, 2020 for PlayStation® 5. The physical versions for all consoles will be available starting December 1, 2020 and both the digital and physical versions of the game will be available for MSRP $39.99.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition ups the ante on the award-winning stylish action with next-gen features that enhance visuals, audio and performance. Players can enable increased frame rates of up to 120 fps, play in stunning 4K fidelity on supporting consoles, and battle amid the life-like reflections, pooling shadows, and vivid lighting created using ray tracing* technology. Enhanced 3D audio helps players maintain their Smokin’ Sexy Style through the frenetic action and pulse-pounding score by allowing players to hear enemy movements above, below, and to any side of their character with pin-point precision. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition also includes all Deluxe Edition and EX Color Pack content from Devil May Cry 5.

* While ray tracing will be available as a downloadable title update on Xbox Series X, Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition will not support ray tracing on Xbox Series S.

The power of next-gen consoles allows players to experience the added challenge of the fan-favorite Legendary Dark Knight difficulty, which adds a Crazy amount of enemies to each encounter, and the increased speed of Turbo Mode for maximum stylish combos. Finally, Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition introduces playable Vergil to the latest installment in the Sons of Sparda saga, allowing players to tackle all Devil May Cry 5 missions in Vergil Mode, and the Bloody Palace challenge mode as the infamous Dark Slayer.

Starting December 15, 2020 all Vergil content will also be made available as DLC for current owners of Devil May Cry 5 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Steam for MSRP $4.99.

Enlisted Available Now on Xbox Series X

Gaijin Entertainment and Darkflow Software studio announce that their military online shooter Enlisted is available now on the Xbox Series X|S and PC. Enlisted allows players to control WWII infantry squads, tanks, or aircraft and is distributed as a Game Preview title. A closed Beta Test is also available for PC players registered on the official website – Enlisted.net.

Enlisted is divided into campaigns and the first one covers the fierce defense of Moscow at the end of 1941 and in the beginning of 1942.

Dozens of squads with different specializations participate in Enlisted battles simultaneously. Players control one soldier directly while other soldiers in the squad are controlled by AI that obeys a player’s orders. This ensures maximum density and spectacularity in a battle while maintaining high contribution from each participant. Infantry, armored vehicles, and aircraft battle together and each player can experience several roles in just one game session.

A “Founders packs” purchase is required to gain access to either the Enlisted Closed Beta Test on PC or Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S. Founders packs contain a premium squad and exclusive submachine guns for the corresponding nation that can be used in the “Battle for Moscow” campaign. The USSR pack grants access to soldiers of the 75th Infantry Regiment in the 5th Infantry Division of the Red Army for the Soviet Armed Forces and the PPK-41 submachine gun, while a Germany Founders pack allows participation as the 449th Infantry Regiment in the 144th Infantry Division for the Wehrmacht forces with use of the MP 41 submachine gun.

Closed beta test players can try various squads of assault troopers, snipers, machine gunners, flamethrowers, mortars, anti tank squads, engineers, radio operators, tankers, and pilots. Dozens of realistically modelled light and heavy firearms, as well as tanks, wheeled armored vehicles, fighters, and attack aircraft are already available in the game. All of which are historically accurate and were actually used in the relevant period of World War II.

Player feedback on the Closed Beta Test version will be used to help the development of the subsequent campaigns, “Normandy Invasion”, “Battle for Berlin”, and “Tunisia”.

More information on the game and player community features can be found on the official Enlisted website here: Enlisted.net

Die by the Blade Gameplay Explained Trailer

Publisher Grindstone and developers Triple Hill Interactive and Toko Midori have released a brand new gameplay walkthrough video of their upcoming one-hit-kill sword fighting game Die by the Blade. The ten minute video, hosted by Peter Adamondy, development lead at Triple Hill Interactive, provides fans with the opportunity to take a deeper look into the game and combat mechanics including stances, movement, attacks and blocking.

“During the Kickstarter campaign, we have had many questions from the backers and community about how the combat and one-hit-kill system will work.” Said Peter Adamondy, development lead at Triple Hill Interactive. “We wanted to give our community the opportunity to see how the game is progressing and to update them on our development plans. Instead of writing a blog we decided to record some gameplay directly from our recent pre-alpha build so they can actually visualise the combat mechanics for themselves”.

Following the announcement that the initial Kickstarter funding target has been reached, the team also announced that the stretch goals are now live on the Kickstarter page. The first goal activated will be the addition of deadly ranged weapons to add to the arsenal of swords available for players to choose. Each character will have a special ranged weapon that can be used once in each round. Players will be able to block this with their sword, but timing will be crucial. The Kickstarter campaign will finish on 13th November so there is still a chance for fans to back the game and help shape the future development of this long awaited homage to classic sword fighting games.

Drawing inspiration from legendary combat games like Bushido Blade and Way of the Samurai, Die by the Blade is a one-hit-kill sword fighting action game where players must take up their weapons and face off against deadly opponents. Choose your character, select your blade and engage in 1 vs 1 combat where the slightest mistake could seal your fate. Become a master of your craft and fight to the death with other players in tense, fast paced multiplayer matches or slash through tough AI enemies in the thrilling single player campaign.

Die by the Blade is being developed by developers Triple Hill Interactive and Toko Midori published by Grindstone and is scheduled for a 2021 release for PC and Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo consoles. Fans can wishlist the game on Steam by visiting the official page here

Marvel Republishing Original PREDATOR Comic Series

Just as the Predators make their Marvel debut, fans can experience their original comics legacy in PREDATOR: THE ORIGINAL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL. 1. Following the landmark 1987 film, the Predator franchise thrilled comic book readers with various series depicting terrifying encounters with the extraterrestrial hunters and exploring the dark history of their species. Both Predator aficionados and newcomers will be able enjoy these classic tales in hardcover format this July.

Nowhere is safe when the remorseless alien killers stalk the concrete jungle of New York City, leave a trail of death across the American Southwest and ignite the Cold War by landing in Siberia! Find out if the Predators came to Earth during Vietnam or World War I and see the hunters make a new enemy in Dutch’s brother, Detective John Schaefer. Read on as an Arizona prison becomes a slaughterhouse and witness a Predator vs. psychotic Predator showdown in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey! Finally, take a trip to 1950s Hollywood, where only a child with special glasses can see the monster in the midst of Tinseltown! It’s total carnage, Predator-style! This unprecedented collection includes: PREDATOR (1989) #1-4, PREDATOR 2 #1-2, PREDATOR: BIG GAME #1-4, PREDATOR: COLD WAR #1-4, PREDATOR: THE BLOODY SANDS OF TIME #1-2, PREDATOR: RACE WAR #1-4, PREDATOR: BAD BLOOD #1-4, PREDATOR: INVADERS FROM THE FOURTH DIMENSION, PREDATOR: DARK RIVER #1-4, PREDATOR: STRANGE ROUX and PREDATOR: KINDRED #1-4 — plus material from DARK HORSE PRESENTS (1986) #46, #67-69 and #119; DARK HORSE COMICS #1-2, #4-7, #10-14, #16-18 and #20-21; and A DECADE OF DARK HORSE #1.

Check out the cover by artist Iban Coello below, the direct market variant cover by artist Chris Warner, and stay alert for more news about future Predator collections and comic books coming your way! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale Fully Funded

NeocoreGames is happy to announce that its role-playing tactical game KING ARTHUR: KNIGHT’S TALE is 100% funded on Kickstarter with 6 days still left of the campaign, which ends on November 12, 2020.

With full funding reached, NeocoreGames will roll out Stretch Goals adding new features (a new playable class, the Sage, and a PvP mode) to the project to make sure KING ARTHUR: KNIGHT’S TALE reaches its full potential, as well as prepares to launch the game’s Early Access on Steam in the coming weeks.

Based on the Arthurian mythology, KING ARTHUR: KNIGHT’S TALE is a turn-based tactical role playing game – a unique hybrid between turn-based tactical games and traditional, character-centric RPGs. KING ARTHUR: KNIGHT’S TALE is a modern retelling of a classic Arthurian mythology story filtered through the dark fantasy tropes, a twist on the traditional tales of chivalry.

MAIN FEATURES

Your Fights – Control a small team of heroes and fight gruelling, but satisfying battles with a deeply engaging, tactical turn-based combat system. Choose from more than 30 heroes of 5 diverse classes and combine hundreds of skills and artefacts to assemble an efficient team.

Your Heroes – Gather your own Knights of the Round Table and send them on knightly quests. These heroes are the most important resources and the most complex gameplay elements at the same time. But beware! Death is always final! You must manage them at the Round Table accordingly, planning ahead before going into battles. The character progression system is designed to be as deep as in the traditional RPGs: heroes level up on unique skill trees and the complex loot system provides unique options to fine-tune their tactical capabilities. Each hero has a distinctive personality and their loyalty is constantly changing through the decisions made by the player – in certain cases they can ever leave the Round Table and turn against you.

Your Kingdom – See the entirety of Avalon presented on a the Adventure Map, observe all the territory, select your missions and explore various places. Management in KING ARTHUR: KNIGHT’S TALE focuses on rebuilding Camelot and expanding the mystical Stronghold with new buildings that each unlock various upgrades, and also offers different ways to heal up and manage the heroes of the Round Table.

Your Legend – Play as Sir Mordred, the former nemesis of King Arthur. Explore the mystical island of Avalon, venture on knightly quests and make decisions in various encounters where you’ll need to make moral choices, as in most RPGs, which all have impact on the story and your Morality. The end of the campaign opens up new endgame content for the bravest of all: tough new challenges appear on the map with challenging, mythic boss fights and random quests, loot, and character progression ultimately leading to the banishing of Balor, the monstrous god-king of the Fomorians himself.

Beyond the Legend – Complete more than 50 unique points of interest on the Adventure Map, including 20 story missions and various side quests, taking place on diverse terrains, from the dark castle dungeons to the forests of the Sídhe – built by using photoscanned environments and high-quality mocap animation, all rendered inside a modern PBR engine utilizing DirectX 12, supporting strong, atmospheric effects. Challenge 7 enemy factions, fight more than 50 types of enemy units, overcome 10 incredible boss fights throughout your quests.

Per Aspera Release Date Trailer

Raw Fury and the developers at Tlön Industries are ready to blast off with their new planet-sized city-builder Per Aspera, launching Dec. 3, 2020, on Steam and GOG.com.

Combining hard science fiction and base building, Per Aspera will challenge players on a scale never before seen in the genre, with an all-star cast of voice actors such as Troy Baker, Phil LaMarr and more. Check out Troy’s voiceover video to see how he brought his character to life!

The surface of Mars is littered with humanity’s failed attempts to colonize its harsh surface. As AMI, an artificial consciousness with the prime directive of terraforming Mars for human colonization, your job is to make sure this time will be different – there is no room for human error.

Explore a sprawling map based on real geographical data from NASA, harvest valuable resources from the surface, and experiment with various colonizing strategies as you transform a dead world into a new home for life in our solar system. City building has never been this astronomical!

Per Aspera is available to wishlist now on Steam and GOG.com! Players will also have a second opportunity to play the Steam Autumn Festival now by heading to Steam!

Bandai Namco Arcade Blast! is Back After Court Proceedings

AtGames is pleased to announce the upcoming return of the popular Bandai Namco Arcade Blast! This innovative product (WD3305/WD3305S) packs 10 classic arcade games, including Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaxian, Mappy, New Rally-X, Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Sky Kid, Tower of Druaga, and Xevious, into one patented HDMI-based micro-console, and is paired with a high-performance wireless gamepad. Like other Blast!-series products, the Bandai Namco Arcade Blast! also works via APL™ (Arcade Play Link) on the full-size Legends Ultimate home arcade series, making direct use of their arcade-quality controls and high definition display.

This announcement comes after a U.S. federal court dismissed Bandai Namco’s lawsuit against AtGames over IP rights in Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man games last week (Order of Dismissal by the Honorable Vince Chhabria of US District Court for the Northern District of California dated October 27, 2020, Case No. 19-cv-05898-VC).

Poker Club Pricing and Gameplay Video Released

Ripstone Games today announced that its brand new IP Poker Club, will retail at £19.99/$24.99/€24.99 across all platforms when it launches on November 19th. Poker Club is available for pre-order now on Xbox platforms, with Smart Delivery meaning players only have to buy Poker Club once to get the game on all Xbox One and Xbox Series platforms. Poker Club will also support free cross-gen purchases for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions. A Nintendo Switch version of Poker Club is planned for 2021.

On PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X Poker Club has been engineered to make the most of next-generation hardware and features. Poker Club boasts 4K visuals at 60fps, with advanced rendering techniques including hardware-accelerated ray tracing across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Ripstone have prepared a new video that showcases fresh Poker Club gameplay emulating the final visual target for the Xbox Series X hardware. This video takes players through an overview of the game including its features and mechanics. Game Director Phil Gaskell provides commentary and also plays a few hands, showing off the incredible visuals and immersive first-person viewpoint Ripstone are incorporating into Poker Club:

“On consoles we worked with Sony and Microsoft to ensure anyone buying Poker Club for their chosen platform will have access to the game across generations. This was very important to us as the game also supports cross-generation online multiplayer,” said Phil Gaskell of Ripstone Games. “This kind of convenience for our players is really important to us as a developer and publisher, particularly while we transition into a new console generation. Our fans can know that pre-ordering the game now will automatically entitle them to play Poker Club on all Xbox devices from the original Xbox One all the way up to the Xbox Series X. And once the game launches for PlayStation platforms, the same applies and one purchase of Poker Club will provide access to play on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with no additional charge.”