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Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition Out on iOS

Today video game developer Beamdog announces the release of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition for iPads and iPhones. The classic Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game is now available from the App Store for $9.99 USD.

“As the Project Director for the original Neverwinter Nights, I’m humbled to see how strong the community remains today,” said Trent Oster, Beamdog CEO. “It is the players who keep this classic fresh, so I’m thrilled to add a brand new platform for fans to experience the adventure and connect with each other— especially amidst the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing.”

The iOS release includes online multiplayer co-op with cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One versions of the game. Players will have access to community-run Persistent Worlds which can host up to 250 users at a time.

“Adapting an old school CRPG for use on iPads and iPhones was no easy task. The team did a fantastic job making gameplay feel natural— even for someone with hefty blacksmith hands, like me.” said Oster.

In lieu of mouse and keyboard UI, the app uses a virtual joystick and a context sensitive button, optimized for iOS phones and tablets. Automatic UI scaling and pixel shaders provide updated graphics, while players also have the option to adjust the app’s visual contrast, vibrance, depth of field, and UI scaling to their liking.

In addition to the classic Neverwinter Nights campaign, the iOS release includes six free DLC adventures: Shadows of Undrentide, Hordes of the Underdark, Kingmaker, ShadowGuard, Witch’s Wake, and the Adventure Pack.

Six classic premium modules are also available on iOS for the first time, as paid DLC. These include Tyrants of the Moonsea, Darkness over Daggerford, Infinite Dungeons, Pirates of the Sword Coast, Wyvern Crown of Cormyr, and Heroes of Neverwinter (portrait pack).

Twilight: 2000 RPG Kickstarter Funded in 7 Minutes

The Kickstarter for the edition of the classic roleplaying game Twilight: 2000 was launched today by Free League Publishing. The new retro-apocalyptic edition goes back to the roots of the franchise with a boxed set for sandbox roleplaying in the devastation of the World War III That Never Was. The Kickstarter reached its base funding goal in just seven minutes.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192053011/twilight-2000-roleplaying-in-the-wwiii-that-never-was

A classic roleplaying game returns. The new edition of Twilight: 2000, published in partnership with Game Designers’ Workshop (GDW) and Amargosa Press, will be the fourth in the series, the first being released by GDW in 1984. Just like the original version, the new edition is set in a year 2000 devastated by war – now in an alternate timeline where the Moscow Coup of 1991 succeeded and the Soviet Union never collapsed.

In the game, players take roles of survivors in the aftermath of World War III – soldiers or civilians. Their goal, beyond surviving for another day, can be to find a way back home, to carve out their own fiefdom where they are, to find out more about the mysterious Operation Reset, and maybe, just maybe, make the world a little bit better again.

The core gameplay uses a “hexcrawling” system established in the post-apocalyptic Mutant: Year Zero and survival fantasy Forbidden Lands RPGs (both Silver ENNIE winners for Best Rules, in 2015 and 2019), developing it further to fit the gritty world of Twilight: 2000. The core rules are built on the Year Zero Engine used in those games (as well as in the ALIEN RPG, winner of the Gold ENNIE for Best Game 2020), but heavily adapted to fit Twilight: 2000 and its focus on gear and gritty realism.

Bus Simulator 21 Coming to Consoles

True to the series’ trademark slogan “YOUR BUS. YOUR ROUTE. YOUR SCHEDULE.“ astragon Entertainment and stillalive Studios are happy to announce the successor of the popular Bus Simulator 18 for PC as well as Bus Simulator on consoles today. Bus Simulator 21 is coming to PC, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One in 2021. The possibilities to make the game compatible with the upcoming generation of consoles is currently still being explored.

With Bus Simulator 21 players can be looking forward to the most comprehensive part of the popular game series to date, with an impressive number of officially licensed and faithfully modelled buses by world-famous manufacturers such as Alexander Dennis as well as numerous additional globally renowned brands, which will be revealed at a later point of time. Bus Simulator 21 will not only offer the most modern vehicle fleet, but also introduce a double decker and electric buses for the first time in the history of the Bus Simulator game series!

With the help of this huge selection of buses players can then start driving on two huge maps: next to a reworked version of the predecessor’s European based city “Seaside Valley” (including its official map extension), Bus Simulator 21 will also offer a brand-new US-American setting – the city of “Angel Shores”, which finds its inspiration in the San Francisco Bay Area. Regardless if players will make their rounds within the industrial district, the peripheral areas, downtown or lively Chinatown, along the waterside promenade, through the surrounding hills or in the business park area – thanks to the new and even freer open-world approach of Bus Simulator 21, players can be looking forward to experience the exciting everyday life of a bus driver like never before!

Just like its predecessors, Bus Simulator 21 will once more offer a cooperative multiplayer mode, so that players will be able to drive the lines of their self-created route network together with friends and build-up their team’s joint public transport empire. The game’s sophisticated management systems will offer even more freedom, numerous new and expanded features and, for the first time, the option of setting up detailed timetables for your own bus fleet. If a player prefers to simply drive instead of taking care of the micromanagement of his local transport company down to the smallest detail, the intelligent AI will of course offer pure bus driving enthusiasts the option of having the planning tasks carried out automatically by the game.

The prospective bus driver in Bus Simulator 21 is again supported by Mira Tannhauser, the beloved virtual mentor first known from Bus Simulator 18. In her unique and charming way, Mira will not only gently introduce the players to the world of public transport, but will also guide them through the numerous exciting missions of the extensive campaigns on the Seaside Valley and Angel Shores maps of the game. Next to the campaigns, Bus Simulator 21 will come with numerous random events and side tasks as well as a sandbox mode where players are free to do what they want whenever they want and develop their individual bus empire completely according to their needs. Bus lovers and simulation enthusiasts can therefore be looking forward to the most extensive bus driving experience in the history of the popular game series!

Bus Simulator 21 will be released in 2021 on PC, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

Risk of Rain 2 Launch Trailer

Today Risk of Rain 2 officially releases out of Steam’s Early Access program, Hopoo Games and Gearbox Publishing announced. In celebration of the launch, Steam users can purchase Risk of Rain 2 for the discounted price of $15.99 from today until August 18. On August 19, Risk of Rain 2 will be priced at $24.99.

To view the latest trailers:

Risk of Rain 2 is a fast-paced, co-op roguelike shooter developed by Hopoo Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. Players can team with up to three other friends, play as 10 unique Survivors, and trek through more than a dozen stages to escape the alien planet. With unlockable alternate abilities, more than 110 items to discover on runs, and equippable Artifacts to shake up gameplay, no two runs are ever the same.

“We’re very excited to see players’ reception to this 1.0 update,” said Paul Morse and Duncan Drummond, co-founders of Hopoo Games. “Since March of 2019, the game doubled in size with new survivors, levels, and items; but more importantly, the passionate community guided us in implementing and finessing gameplay elements and systems that leave this final product feeling holistically improved upon.”

Within its first month in Steam Early Access, Risk of Rain 2 earned more than one million copies sold as well as a Steam Awards nomination in 2019.

“We can’t thank Hopoo enough for entrusting the team at Gearbox with their masterful new entry to the roguelike genre,” says Steve Gibson, president of Gearbox Publishing. “Every moment working with Hopoo and Risk of Rain 2 has been an absolute joy by helping them bring such an amazing game to millions around the world.”

Risk of Rain 2 is also available for Xbox One, PlayStation®4, and Nintendo Switch™ up to its Artifacts 2.0 update. Stay tuned to Risk of Rain 2 on Twitter for announcements for the upcoming Launch Update for console platforms.

The Apocalypse Games VR Competition Game Announced

Skybound and Skydance Interactive teamed up to create The Apocalypse Games, a virtual competition set in the VR first-person shooter game The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Sponsored by Nongshim, The Apocalypse Games will feature eight of Twitch and YouTube’s best influencers competing to become the apoc-olympian champion! The games kick off on August 12 and can be viewed on Skybound’s YouTube page and participating influencer’s individual channels.

The apoc-olympians competing are popular Let’s Play-ers Berleezy, Otterworldy, Poiised, and Nukemdukem, VR streamer CerberusArms, gaming hosts Trisha Hershberger and ParkerGames, and Kinda Funny Founder Greg Miller. The full matchup schedule will be unveiled tomorrow, August 11, at 9am PT.

An open entry community submissions and contest will also be run by the Virtual Athletics League. Players can send their best Archery, Walker Basketball, Marathon, and Figure Slaying videos after registering. An open sourced Twitter contest will be run with the hashtag #theapocalypsegames and participants can win votes for the best style, best costume and more! Each submission will have a chance to be highlighted on Twitch and YouTube along with their favorite influencers!

The Apocalypse Games consist of the below competitions:

  • ARCHERY: The most focused and precise apoc-olympians must survive armed with only a bow and arrows. The highest number of arrow kills takes the gold. A tiebreaker is determined by highest score.

  • WALKER BASKETBALL: The sport that’s one part decapathon and nothing is out of bounds! At the gymnasium, each competitor has 5 minutes to collect and throw as many walker heads through the basketball hoop as they can. 1 point per head.

  • MARATHON: Apoc-olympians will attempt to survive to wave 20 in the Trial. Whoever fights through the pain, sweat, and bladder control to cross the finish line at the highest wave takes home the gold. Highest score breaks the tie.

  • FIGURE SLAYING: Slayers will attempt to rack up the most points with stylish and difficult kills in the Trial before being chowed down in walker town. In the event of a tie, highest kill total wins the gold.

Developed by Skydance Interactive in partnership with Skybound Entertainment, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners drops players into an original new story in The Walking Dead universe, set in the unforgiving and infested remains of New Orleans. Players can embark on a gruesome adventure with gut-wrenching choices in the campaign or take on relentless waves of walkers in “The Trial” game mode. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Standard Edition is available for $39.99 via the Oculus Store, Steam, PlayStation Store and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners’ official website.

MARVEL Realm of Champions First Trailer

Today, Kabam unveiled the first-ever gameplay trailer for the upcoming real-time multiplayer mobile ARPG, MARVEL Realm of Champions, where Marvel fans and gamers get a sneak peek of a bold new imagining of the Marvel Universe and what to expect and experience in this upcoming and highly-anticipated Super Hero game. Check out the all-new gameplay trailer on YouTube here:

Long ago, Maestro, an evil version of the Hulk from an alternate future, forced shattered realities together to construct his own Battleworld and ruled these timelines filled with Gods and Warriors alike until he was secretly slain! With his iron grip no longer holding this world together, Barons from the Marvel-themed Houses like the House of Iron (Iron Man), Spider-Guild (Spider-Man), Patriot Garrison (Captain American), and more have risen to control their lands and turn the tide of war in their favor. As this Secret War begins, it is up to YOU brave Summoner to solve the mysteries of Battleworld and take your true place as a powerful Champion!

MARVEL Realm of Champions will release later this year on the App Store and Google Play. Please visit the official website for more information: http://www.playmroc.com/

Tropico 6 Lobbyistico DLC Console Launch Trailer

Kalypso Media has today released the politically-charged ‘Lobbyistico’ DLC for Tropico 6 on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

The Lobbyistico DLC brings the European Union and big league politics to the fair isles of Tropico, introducing a range of new features to the game like the new ‘Corruption’ gameplay mechanic, three new buildings, personality traits for your Presidente, new music tracks and extra customization options for your avatar and palace residence. A new trailer for the DLC is available below.

Tropico 6’s Lobbyistico DLC is available now on PS4 and Xbox One, and for PC via the Kalypso Store and Steam.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time State of Play Screenshots

Crash Bandicoot is back and going “all-new” in Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time™. Debuted today during PlayStation’s “State of Play” event is an all-new mode of play that’s being added to the platform adventure called: N. Verted mode – a Bumpa-berry fueled mirror mode which lets players traverse through neon wastelands, old timey film sets that crank up gameplay speed and other awe-inspiring new takes on Crash’s world. But that’s not all! More characters from the Crash Bandicoot™ multiverse are coming back, including Dingodile, tail-slapping his way through crates, now as a new playable character in the platform adventure games. Additionally, many zany unlockable skins will be available when the game launches on October 2, 2020. PlayStation players will also get to enjoy several additional time-shattering skins upon reaching the Dimensional Map.

To help create this mind-bending style of play for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, lead developer Toys for Bob collaborated with friends at Beenox to create the unique presentations in this mode. Properly named the “N. Verted mode” – this bizarre take on levels takes the concept of mirror mode and phase-shifts it into entirely new dimensions, giving players alternate perspectives, sound effects, music and in some dimensions, extra additional transformations to the gameplay experience. Players will be able to master every world all over again by replaying in N. Verted mode, earning Bumpa-berries instead of Wumpa fruit, with opportunities to rack up even more rewards.

“This is the first new game in the Crash Bandicoot series in more than a decade, so we felt it was important to introduce a brand-new style of play,” said Paul Yan, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Studio Head at Toys for Bob. “We teamed up with our good friends at Beenox to help us develop N. Verted mode, and they brought all of the same passion and expertise that went into the amazing Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.”

Crash and Coco will also be joined by new playable characters at key points on their journey to save the multiverse. In addition to already revealed Neo Cortex, enter fan-favorite Dingodile – half dingo, half crocodile – as a playable character for the first time in the platform adventure games! After Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Dingodile hung up his old flamethrower-rocket launcher combo and retired from a life of villainy. But now he’s back with unfinished business, falling through space and time into another dimension where his adventure to return home begins.

Further customizing the bandicoot experience, Toys for Bob is revealing unlockable skins for Crash and Coco that will be unlocked by players that earn gems and complete challenges throughout the game. These all-new skins are totally cosmetic, giving bandicoots dozens of costumes and wacky outfits to wear across levels while showing off their achievements, adding another level of zaniness to the N. Sane nature of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. From pirate garb, to space suits, to unicorn onesies, dinosaur scales and more – you’ll need serious skills to unlock every skin in the game! Arriving first on PlayStation are two additional sets of skins for Crash and Coco awarded automatically after players complete the second level of the game and access the Dimensional Map. These skins, dubbed “Marsupus Erectus” and “Serious Upgrade,” will be available on other platforms no earlier than December 31, 2021.

“Toys for Bob has pulled out all the stops modernizing this classic franchise, from bringing to life visually stunning worlds, to creating a wide breadth of content and new ways to play, like N. Verted mode and additional playable characters,” said Michelle Bresaw, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Activision. “We’re confident this is a sequel fans have been waiting for, staying true to the franchise, while also bringing a fresh, new experience.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be available for PlayStation® 4, PlayStation® 4 Pro, Xbox One and Xbox One X on Oct. 2, 2020. Pre-orders are live now for a suggested retail price of $59.99 in the U.S. For more information on the Crash Bandicoot franchise, please visit www.crashbandicoot.com and follow @CrashBandicoot on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Braid Anniversary Edition Announced

At Sony’s State of Play event today it was announced that Braid, Anniversary Edition will be coming early next year to a wide range of gaming platforms. The indie classic, originally released to critical acclaim in 2008 by Jonathan Blow, has been reimagined and updated for modern, high-resolution gaming hardware. Hailed at the time by Eurogamer as
“beautiful, entertaining and inspiring,” Braid went on to garner multiple year-end awards and accolades and in a 2018 retrospective was called “the definitive indie game” by The A.V. Club. Jonathan Blow and the team at Thekla Inc. most recently released The Witness in 2016, a sprawling exploration and puzzle-solving game that was similarly lauded by critics and fans.

To accompany the news today, Jonathan Blow penned a blog post detailing the Braid, Anniversary Edition development process and changes to the game, which can be found here.

Braid, Anniversary Edition features a variety of changes and updates to the original release including the following:

  • Improved sound and new mixes and variants of the soundtrack by Martin Stig Andersen (Control, Inside) and Hans Christian Kock

  • Hand-repainted graphics by David Hellman

  • All-new animations for smoother in-game motion

  • Ability to switch back and forth between the old and new Braid on the fly

  • Extensive developer commentary

The developer commentary, in particular, stands out as a major addition to the Braid experience. The goal of the Thekla Inc. team is to make it the most extensive and detailed commentary in any game, ever. Players can listen to the team offer commentary and insight on puzzle design, programming, visual art, math, history of independent games, and many other topics. Aspiring or interested game designers should find a lot to love in this particular feature and Thekla will be revealing it in more detail closer to launch.

World of Warships Gets German Aircraft Carriers

World of Warships today releases Update 0.9.7 introducing the highly-anticipated German aircraft carriers. The new German CVs are Tier IV Rhein, Tier VI Weser, Tier VIII August von Parseval and Tier X Manfred von Richthofen, and can now be researched by all players.

A new trailer celebrating the launch of the German aircraft carriers can be viewed here:

The German aircraft carriers branch features a series of capital ships that were either planned or partially constructed in the lead-up or during World War II, but never actually deployed. The German planes of these aircraft carriers have low HP pools but feature high speeds. The attack aircraft carry a new type of armor-penetrating rockets that are capable of inflicting heavy damage to enemy citadels with accurate shots. Torpedoes carried by the planes are fast, but short ranged. The dive bombers stationed on these aircraft carriers are armed with armor piercing bombs.

Update 0.9.7 also brings a new expansive in-game Collection called “Germany Navy”. This Collection includes unique collectibles such as emblems, ships, planes, uniforms, and historical personalities that pay homage to the history of German naval forces in the first half of the 20th century. The first elements will drop from new German Navy containers which can be obtained by completing Directives, combat missions and in the Armory. Players who completed the collection will receive the ability to feature a second flag and to use an alternative color scheme for their German ships.

In addition to the German aircraft carriers, three new ships will become available with the release of Update 0.9.7: Tier IX German battleship Pommern, ready to brawl with her torpedoes, effective secondaries and 12 380 mm guns; the Tier VI German carrier Erich Loewenhardt, whose dive bombers carry high-explosive bombs instead of armor piercing; and the Tier X Soviet battleship Slava, well suited for long-range firefights with her accurate guns but rather weak armor.

Update 0.9.7 also brings a new Ranked sprint with a 3vs3 format, playing Tier IX ships, new Unique Upgrades added to the Research Bureau in the Armory, as well as a renewed Hamburg port, and other technical improvements.

Further details on Update 0.9.7 can be found here.