Author - Jerry Paxton

RIDE 5 Official Announcement Trailer

Milestone is pleased to announce RIDE 5, the latest chapter of the two-wheel racing simulation franchise that has become a home for virtual bikers around the world. As the first current-gen-only Milestone title, RIDE 5 will be available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic starting August 24.

  • For the first time in the franchise, career mode features a narrator and 10 rivals to beat to become #1 in the rankings.
  • Several technological improvements will allow players to experience the most immersive and realistic rides ever.

Take what’s yours: A new career mode featuring a narrator and 10 rivals – For the first time in the series, virtual racing fans will enjoy a career mode featuring a narrator who will introduce events and guide players throughout their riding journey. A leaderboard will track progress through the career mode’s four main racing events, which will include various races to be completed before unlocking the next one. To spice up the competition, RIDE 5’s career mode will also feature 10 rivals with their own personalities, backgrounds, and distinctive looks. Players will have to beat these colorful opponents to reach the top of the leaderboard. A set of secondary challenges completes the career structure for a total of over 200 playable events.

Alongside career mode, players will find a more fleshed-out single races. Endurance races now support in-race save and rewind features to grant more control and flexibility over each session, while the single-race and time-trial game modes will be the perfect places to refine riding styles, get familiar with the different bike categories, and push performance to the limit.

High-end technology will blur the game with reality – Technological improvements will fully exploit the potential of current-gen consoles and top-range PC configurations ensuring a new, stunning level of realism and lifelike detail that results in an extremely lifelike, authentic riding experience.

For the first time in the franchise, the Milan-based development team has implemented a dynamic weather system which will calculate track and air temperature in real-time to generate a realistic weather change during races, adding a strategic dimension to the racing experience. The sky system has also been changed, moving from a 2D technology based on real photos to 3D volumetric clouds, ensuring a more immersive visual result; now players can see clouds changing shape and interacting with the lighting based on their density, creating breathtaking views. Technological improvements also affect motorbike physics, which has been improved in every aspect, from the interaction between the rider and the bike to different lean-angle speeds for each bike category.

Split-screen and cross-play: who will break last? – Bike culture knows no boundaries and with RIDE 5 bike lovers can unleash such passion through an enhanced multiplayer experience. Online, players will be able to join cross-play lobbies both on console (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S) and on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). World leaderboards will push players to become the best rider they can be. Finally, following requests from the RIDE community, for the first time since RIDE 2 local split-screen is back to let players challenge their friends, side by side on the couch.

Customization options for maximum longevity – Among the pillars in the design of RIDE 5 is the desire to allow players maximum freedom in living their own journey into the bike world. The race creator feeds directly into this, letting players direct the competition and create unlimited scenarios, customizing their races and championship experience by choosing which types of bike categories to allow in the competition, selecting AI opponents and tracks, creating new liveries from scratch, and even deciding the scoring and rule system.

Though RIDE 5‘s totally immersive experience will cater to experienced bikers, those new to two-wheel racing simulations will be able to tear up the track with ease. An enhanced set of riding aids will ease the learning curve and help less experienced players get full control of their bike. Tools such as assisted brakes, cornering, automatic steering and throttle, ideal trajectory, and many others will help players master even the most difficult tracks.

Finally, with RIDE 5 players can express their creativity with editors that can create customized bikes, suits, and helmets. Players will be able to share these creations online across platforms, giving everyone access to the RIDE 5 community’s creations.

To stay up to date on all the news about RIDE 5, visit www.ridevideogame.com

Blooming Business: Casino Launches May 23rd

Curve Games and French indie studio Homo Ludens are excited to announce that their casino-themed sim-management game, Blooming Business: Casino will be officially launching May 23rd on Steam. Blooming Business: Casino sees 1960’s Las Vegas-inspired aesthetics and animal inhabitants combine for a satirical take on the tycoon formula.

Homo Ludens also unveiled that there will be a customizable sandbox game mode available at launch. Unlike the campaign, players can customize casino types, items, decorations, and casino games when playing the sandbox mode one of two ways: creative mode and endless mode. In creative mode, players can play in any casino from the campaign, with everything unlocked, including all items, casino games, decorations themes and management research. In endless mode, players can choose their starting casino and game parameters but need to unlock all the bonuses and items from the research tree themselves.

Blooming Business: Casino is a unique sim-management game with a satirical narrative twist. Players must design, build and run their own retro casino in a bustling world full of drama and danger. Work alongside animals who are anything but cuddly and attempt to maximize client satisfaction while juggling customers’ complicated demands. The game offers an exploration into a fantasy world where players embody the role of a casino manager. Attract various types of customers with competitive tastes! Fill the casino with personality and carve out a place on the Strip. Players can grow a casino from a gambling den to the biggest name in town where the sky’s the limit in this electrifying new take on the sim-management genre.

F-15E Strike Eagle Trainer by Razbam and Vrgineers arriving 2023 for US Air Force

As a result of long-term cooperation between Vrgineers and Razbam Simulations, the new F-15E Strike Eagle trainer will be showcased for the first time at the IT2EC show in Rotterdam. The companies want to provide affordable reconfigurable COTS trainers to the U.S. Air Force, combining the Vrgineers’ Portable Trainer and XTAL 3 Virtual Headset with the F-15E Strike Eagle model by Razbam. The F-15E Strike Eagle model was released earlier this year and is available to everyone using Digital Combat Simulator at home.

This unique concept allows Air Forces to train cooperation and mission rehearsals using the most advanced and affordable solution currently on the market. Portable Trainers are easy to deploy (under 30 minutes, link to the video) and convenient to transport (by two people). The device offers the highest level of immersion thanks to the usage of XTAL, a 180 degrees field of view, and a 4k resolution headset.

“The fidelity of the RAZBAM F-15E Strike Eagle is incredible. The level of detail of the cockpit and scale of the functions available in combination with our trainers allows practically anyone to become a skilled F-15 pilot,” says Marek Polcak, CEO & co-founder of Vrgineers.

Growing demand for pilots, acceptance of virtual pilot training to ensure aviation safety, and the need to reduce the cost of pilot training are the major factors why we see a rapid increase in using these COTS trainers as a part of growing Pilot Next, RVCT, and other advanced training programs.

“We estimate that till 2030 every pilot will have one of these trainers at their disposal anytime and can use it from home, connecting to the centralized synthetic training environment using a secured VPN to continue exercise despite any restriction such as we saw during the COVID,” adds Marek Polcak, CEO of Vrgineers.

Vrgineers & RAZBAM F-15E Portable Trainer uses F-15E throttle and stick replicas. The rest of the instrumental panel and cockpit is virtual. All the switches and knobs manipulation are solved by hand tracking of the trackball allowing a pilot to access the full capabilities.

The current platform is not suitable for procedural training due to the lack of needed features for muscle memory training. However, Vrgineers is working on a mixed-reality version of the F-15E trainer, which aims to be presented for the first time at the I/ITSEC in Orlando this year. The mixed reality setup will allow full 1:1 training.

“The integration we did with Vrgineers simulators enables all the features of our model to become an ultimate training solution and offers a cost-efficient solution to all F-15E air forces and operators,” says Ronald Zambrano, CEO & founder of Razbam Simulations.

On top of all mentioned, the F-15E model integrates new TALON AI, a co-pilot AI handling tactical tasks such as locking the target and navigation. This advanced assistance is another step to increase the training curve and support the training of complex tasks before the mission.

Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood Early Access Launch Trailer Released

Skybound Entertainment, the creator-led, multi-platform entertainment company, in collaboration with Universal Games and Digital Platforms, today unveiled and released Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, a video game inspired by Universal Pictures’ new horror-comedy, Renfield (in theaters April 14), starring Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as his long-suffering servant, Renfield.

Renfield, a Skybound/Giant Wildcat production, is from a screen story by Skybound founder Robert Kirkman, who is also a producer of the film.

Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood is being developed by Skybound partner Mega Cat Studios and is available globally in Steam Early Access for PC starting today for $4.99 / €4.99 / £4.49. Skybound and Mega Cat will be delivering additional content and updates post-launch and throughout the summer.

In the game, inspired by the events of the movie, Dracula tasks players with a simple job – do everything he wants them to do for the rest of his immortal life. It’s a demanding gig, but the benefits are great – immortality, mystic powers and a high-fiber diet of mostly insects. Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood is a single-player adventure that combines the simplicity of one-touch gameplay with frenetic, room-based action for a new roguelite experience. With unique stages, dozens of enemies, diabolical bosses and enough weapons for a bug-powered bloody rampage, Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood shows players the ups and downs of serving the worst boss in history – Dracula.

“Our team is so excited to bring our expertise in fun, retro-style games that are filled with wild humor to the amazing world of Renfield,” said James Deighan, Founder of Mega Cat Studios. “It’s an incredible opportunity for us to be working on this with Skybound and Universal Games and Digital Platforms.”

Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood captures the Renfield film universe with one-touch gameplay that innovates on the familiar roguelite recipe and takes inspiration from extraction shooter games. The simple controls allow players to clear rooms filled with frenetic action while environmental objects and collectibles will create new split-decision moments as players pick their path through hordes of enemies. Players will also deal with Dracula’s constant and hilarious fetch quest demands that parallel the storyline from the movie.

For more information, visit the game’s Steam page.

PowerWash Simulator Getting a Boxed Release

Square Enix Collective® and FuturLab® announced today that the super soothing POWERWASH SIMULATOR will be released in a boxed edition, available to pre-order now with official release on June 13, 2023. This comes alongside the announcement of a FREE Muckingham expansion update, available to play on April 18. This marks the beginning of an exciting roadmap of content to come!

POWERWASH SIMULATOR lets players wash away their worries with the soothing sounds of high-pressure water. Players can build their very own power washing business and blast away every speck of dirt and grime that they can find. With a unique take on the simulation genre, POWERWASH SIMULATOR focuses on player relaxation and escapism.

POWERWASH SIMULATOR Physical Release – Coming June 13, 2023
Collectors and console players rejoice – POWERWASH SIMULATOR is now available to pre-order in physical format. Everything you need to start a successful power washing business in one small, convenient casing. Let it take pride of place on your shelf or give the gift of zen; sharpen up you and your loved ones’ power washing skills before summer garden party season!

This edition will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®4 (PS4™), PlayStation®5 (PS5™) and Nintendo Switch™ via download code.

The Muckingham Files (Update 1.2) – Coming April 18, 2023
Players may remember the mysterious Mauka Aitu Desert from jobs in the base game, where they were tasked with cleaning an ancient statue, an imposing monument and an old steam train. Well, it’s not just full of aged relics but also home to some more advanced technology – namely a Solar Water Plant and a huge Satellite Dish. It’s down to you to dust off all that sand, for a satisfyingly sparkly finish.

A short reprieve from the dry, dusty desert will transport players back to the lush green of Muckingham’s recreation ground, where a filthy food truck is spoiling the view. Once you’ve finished, it’ll be the shimmering centrepiece of the park.
For those looking to brush up on local lore, the pre-existing bonus jobs have had new stories added that supplement (whilst not continuing) the main story – bringing them in line with this update and any future updates in the Muckingham universe. Replay them for more tales and trivia from your favorite filthy town.

Roadmap
Hop in the van, we’re going on a road trip! Throughout 2023, we’ll be taking you to places near and far in a range of Special Packs and updates that traverse Muckingham and beyond. Check out the roadmap below for some hints of what’s ahead, which will be updated with each announcement.


For more information, visit: www.powerwashsimulator.com

LEGO Bricktales Mobile Launch Date

Get ready to encounter an adventure described by Gamespot as “remarkably impressive”. Praised brick-building adventure LEGO® Bricktales launches on iOS and Android devices for $4.99 / €5.59 / £4.99 on April 27th. The unique brick-by-brick building mechanic in LEGO Bricktales is perfect for a touchscreen on mobile so you can take this colourful world with you while you’re on the go.

LEGO Bricktales sees you journeying across 5 beautiful LEGO brick-themed biomes, taking you to the green foliage of the deepest jungles, the scorching sand of sun-drenched deserts, the hustle and bustle of a city corner, the epic sight of a towering medieval castle and the paradise of tropical Caribbean islands. An intuitive new brick-by-brick building mechanic will help you solve the many fun puzzles you encounter on this adventure and bring your creative solutions to life.

As you search for inspiration to help your grandfather reinvigorate his rundown amusement park and meet a host of colourful characters that you can help with your LEGO-building skills, you’ll be tasked with putting together cool aesthetic creations, such as market stands and music boxes, and have your building skills tested with functional physics-based puzzles like building cranes and gyrocopters, delivered by the team behind the Bridge Constructor series.

Every location in the game offers a variety of construction spots with their own sets of LEGO bricks. Each of these challenges is designed to unlock the power of your imagination, leaving it up to the player to figure out a unique build that will work, created via a brick-by-brick building mechanic that replicates the real experience of building with LEGO bricks. Whether you’re being asked to put on your designer hat and build a throne fit for a king or testing your engineering skills to build a bridge that will get heavy machinery across a river, how you construct your builds and meet the challenges you’re being offered is up to you!

“We’re so excited to announce that our brick-building adventure LEGO Bricktales will launch on April 27 for iOS and Android users,” said Agostino Simonetta, Chief Games Officer at Thunderful. “The brick-by-brick building mechanic in LEGO Bricktales is a match made in heaven for touchscreens and we can’t wait to see your creations, when it launches on April 27 for mobile.”

LEGO Bricktales website: bricktal.es

ARK: EXTINCTION EXPANSION MAP AVAILABLE TODAY ON NINTENDO SWITCH

ARK Survivors can return to Earth today as the game’s third expansion map “Extinction” is available now on Nintendo Switch! With a new territory and storyline to explore, the land of ARK: Extinction finds gigantic roaming Titans dominating the Element-infested, ravaged planet. ARK: Extinction joins the desert-themed Scorched Earth and the underground, derelict biome Aberration, in continuing to unravel the mysteries of ARK’s story.

Pick up either ARK: Ultimate Survivor Edition or Ultimate Survivor Upgrade for 20% off now through April 17th. Also happening right now is the Eggcellent Adventure event! During this limited-time, in-game event Switch Survivors can collect special Bunny Eggs scattered across the ARK, increased harvesting/breeding/taming rates, special Skins and Chibi — but beware the ferocious Bunny-DodoRex that will roam the ARK throughout the week!

ARK: Extinction comes as a free download for owners of ARK: Ultimate Survivor Edition, which includes all the original ARK: Survival Evolved content and its huge Expansion Packs Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, and Genesis Parts 1 & 2, or available within the ARK Season Pass and the ARK: Ultimate Survivor Edition Upgrade.

ARK: Survival Evolved is now available on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. In ARK, players are stranded naked, freezing and starving on a mysterious island where they must hunt, harvest, craft items, grow crops, and build shelters to survive. Use skill and cunning to kill, tame, breed, and ride dinosaurs and primeval creatures. Team up with hundreds of players online or try solo survival in offline play.

ARK: Survival Evolved is rated “T” for Teen (Violence, Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol) by the ESRB.

For the latest updates, join the ARK Survivor’s conversation on Discord, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit our website at playark.com and watch us tame ‘n train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.

Amnesia: The Bunker Delayed Until May 23rd

Frictional Games, the renowned developer behind the groundbreaking Amnesia series, announces the strategic rescheduling of its highly anticipated title, Amnesia: The Bunker, now set to launch on May 23rd across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms. This decision is based on two key factors: to allow the team extra time to polish the game to perfection and to strategically avoid releasing during a busy week when multiple other games are hitting the market.

Frictional Games understands the importance of providing players with a high-quality gaming experience and believes that the additional time will ensure the game meets their high standards. Additionally, the revised release date allows players to fully immerse themselves in the Amnesia universe without being overwhelmed by competing game releases.

Amnesia: The Bunker will transform the horror survival genre with an all-new emphasis on player freedom and exploration in a semi-open world – more than a decade after it was redefined by Amnesia: The Dark Descent. During the First World War, Players will explore a French bunker as Henri, a sole-surviving soldier, and attempt to escape the otherwordly Beast that prowls its tunnels and corridors.

Alone with your courage, wits, and the deadly burden of your decisions, carve a path through the Bunker to collect resources and keep the lights on.
Features:

  • Player choice – emergent gameplay in a sandbox horror survival experience
  • Unscripted environment – objects, threats, and resources, change in every playthrough
  • Adaptive horrid threats – an ever-present gruesome creature that stalks the player.  
  • Tactile immersion – all-new levels of interaction with the world through puzzle solving and tool handling
  • Absorbing yet terrifying tale – experience hell on earth in a fictional appalling story
  • Engrossing atmosphere and tension – enhanced lighting effects and carefully designed sound effects for a real horror experience.

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy Announcement Trailer

THQ Nordic GmbH and Frozenbyte are ready to send players on a new adventure: The Trine series is back and coming to PC, PS4™, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo® Switch!

Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy will take Amadeus the Wizard, Zoya the Thief, and Pontius the Knight on their most action-packed journey in their fifth outing – and seems promising to become the best Trine game of the series! Puzzles will change difficulty according to the number of players, the game also offers a skill quest system, and new tactical multi-phase boss fights!

This 2.5D puzzle-platforming game full of adventures is set in a fantastical fairytale world, offering players twenty beautifully designed levels to explore. From glistening gemstone caverns to perilous underwater passageways – but be aware, the three Heroes are pitted against dastardly and duplicitous villains, who will stop at nothing to seize control of the kingdom. Whether by yourself or playing with up to three friends in online and local co-op, the Heroes of Trine must reunite to push back a fearsome Clockwork army and bring peace and justice to the land. The clock is ticking to save the world of Trine!

Watch the announcement trailer here: https://youtu.be/Zr2dQ7bziok
Download the assets: https://thqn.net/t5cc-media

Trine 5 is developed by Frozenbyte in Helsinki, Finland and is coming to PC, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One™, Xbox Series S/X™, and Nintendo Switch™.

Showgunners Gameplay Trailer Released

Good Shepherd Entertainment and Artificer have released a new gameplay overview trailer for Showgunners, the turn-based strategy game set on a blockbuster reality TV show in a dystopian future. You’ll get the full breakdown on what it takes to survive hellish obstacle courses, ambushes and challenges to the delight of the fans in this over-the-top tribute to action classics like American Gladiators, RoboCop and The Running Man.

Whether you’re competing for money, fame or revenge, you’ll need every advantage to win against Showgunners’ fierce opponents. Use your squad’s unique abilities to gain an edge: swap places with enemies as Tybalt, overwhelm foes with Warden’s robotic strength, and find the perfect sniping position with Phantom’s cloak. But combat’s not the only thing that matters – the best champs know how to win the love of the fans with exceptional plays, earning better rewards to use in the heat of the action.

You’ll need both brawn and brains, too, thanks to dynamic puzzles and lethal traps in each unique level. And remember to watch out for surprise twists from the show’s director, who’s more than willing to throw out the rules to boost ratings for his corporate overlords!

Showgunners will debut on May 2, 2023, on PC via Steam and GOG.com and is available to wishlist now. For more on the game, visit www.showgunners.com, and follow the latest updates on Discord.