Author - Jerry Paxton

The Mortuary Assistant and SPOOKWARE Out On Nintendo Switch

Independent horror games publisher DreadXP is back with its ongoing mission to bring its library of unique and spooky PC games to consoles with today’s release of The Mortuary Assistant and SPOOKWARE on the Nintendo Switch!

Viral gaming sensation The Mortuary Assistant took the horror world by storm after its release in 2022 on PC, garnering an overnight cult following, a “very positive” review rating on Steam, a feature film adaptation announcement, and the honor of the*gameHERs Indie Game of the Year award for 2022. Now, Nintendo Switch owners can pursue their degree in mortuary sciences and begin an apprenticeship at the notoriously unnerving River Fields Mortuary. As the titular mortuary assistant Rebecca Owens, players will discover that the dead don’t stay dead at this mortuary… demonic forces are at play.

The Mortuary Assistant features demonic banishments, creepy puzzles, realistic mortician tasks, and multiple endings. Each playthrough of the game is unique, featuring different demons, bodies, and scares. Rebecca must balance her mortuary tasks while hunting for clues as to what’s behind these paranormal occurrences. All past content updates for The Mortuary Assistant on PC are packed in for the Nintendo Switch release.

The Mortuary Assistant launches today on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch for $24.99, and is available for purchase here: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-mortuary-assistant-switch/.

SPOOKWARE rattles players’ skulls with over 200 handcrafted, fast-paced horror-themed microgames starring a trio of skelebros (Lefti, Midi, and Righti) who are on a killer road trip. Each of these macabre microgames is carefully interwoven within the spine-tingling story that evokes classic adventure games. SPOOKWARE’s gruesomely varied gameplay tickles the bones and is a natural fit for play on the Nintendo Switch.

SPOOKWARE and its post-launch update on PC come bundled together for the Nintendo Switch release. Following the skelebros’ initial adventure, Episode 2 continues the trios’ story by catching up with them after the scariest possible scenario: being arrested for tax evasion. These horror-obsessed bros get into heaps of trouble, and it’s up to players to toss them a bone by mastering SPOOKWARE’s fun collection of microgames.

SPOOKWARE launches today on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch for $9.99, and is available for purchase here: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/spookware-switch/.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly Launch Trailer

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly, the sequel to the 2020 heart-to-heart talking sim played by millions from developer Toge Productions and publisher Chorus Worldwide, opens its doors once again on Steam for Windows and PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One, also available via Game Pass for Xbox and PC.

Detect narrative notes of heartfelt emotions strewn between every conversation taking place in a present-day Seattle steeped in urban fantasy. Meet artistic elves, smoking mermaids, quirky humans, and more as they wander into the coffee shop looking for a pick-me-up. Hear the stories of strangers from across the bar and transform patrons into friends with a little cozy conversation. Help a diverse community of fantasy-inspired city dwellers to come to terms with the all-too-real drama occurring in their lives.

Warm the hearts of customers with caffeinated combinations of ingredients like ginger, mint, chocolate, and more, as conversations inform each patron’s personal flavor palate. Infuse each drink with all the love of a sincere barista by designing creative latte art with an in-game fluid simulation. Dissolve into a cozy atmosphere couched in lo-fi chillhop beats while the door’s bell rings with each character’s developing narrative as they come and go.

Become the barista the city needs. Offer a friendly ear while brewing up their favorite concoction of caffeine and conversation. Collect lost and forgotten items as they’re found, provide relief to those looking for emotional assistance through troubling times, and bond together under the roof of an unforgettable, storied establishment.

“Working with Toge for Coffee Talk Episode 2 has been a delight,” said Shintaro Kanaoya, founder and CEO of Chorus Worldwide. “The first Coffee Talk established such a convincing sense of space reflective of the times when it launched — together, we think we’ve rekindled that magic and look forward to fans seeing how the coffee shop and its patrons have changed over the years.”

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is available today on Steam for Windows and Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One, also available via Game Pass for Xbox and PC. For more information, follow Toge Productions and Chorus Worldwide on Twitter, and visit the official Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly page on Chorus Worldwide’s website.

Park Beyond Closed Beta Test Gameplay Trailer

With the Park Beyond Closed Beta Test approaching and the release of the game on June 16th, it’s time for players to get to know more about how to create and manage the theme park of their dreams.

After discovering the campaign of the game, its colorful cast, and the mind-boggling concept of impossification, this new trailer will dive into all the possibilities and resources at players’ disposal to make their business a success. How do shops and their inventory work? What are the visitor’s needs? How about staff? All in-depth management functions are open to the player to create, edit and perfect their safe, fun and profitable park!

Players can harness their creativity and pick from thousands of in-game assets to make their inspiration come to life using the Sandbox mode to create a custom game and get to work with building and decorating. Each creation can be saved and reused in future parks and contributes to the atmosphere with customized colors, light and even music! The layout of the land is also under the players’ control with terraforming and tunnelling giving an extra dimension to the parks and even rides.

Management magnates, creative visioneers or a bit of both, all playstyles can thrive in Park Beyond.

Park Beyond will release on June 16th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Register now for the Closed Beta Test starting May 9th: bandainamcoent.com/promotions/park-beyond-closed-beta-test

For more information on Park Beyond visit the official webpage. For information on other products from Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., please visit www.bandainamcoent.com. Join the conversation on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoUS, check us out live on Twitch at https://twitch.tv/bandainamcous, or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS

Disney Speedstorm Out Now in Early Access

Today Gameloft, a leader in the development and publishing of games, announced Disney Speedstorm, the cross-platform combat racing experience developed by Gameloft Barcelona in collaboration with Disney and Pixar Games, is now available in Early Access with the purchase of a Founder’s Pack. Combat racing fans can “clash and crash” with Disney and Pixar racers across challenging tracks inspired by their unique film worlds beginning today on Nintendo Switch™, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation®4 (PS4™), PlayStation®5 (PS5™) and PC.

Disney Speedstorm Founder’s Packs – available in Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate tiers – are now available worldwide on the PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store, and Steam. In addition to Early Access to Disney Speedstorm, Founder’s Pack owners will also receive exclusive bonus items to offer players a fresh and exciting experience geared specifically for racing.

Starting today, Founder’s Pack owners can race into single-player and multiplayer local and online modes, claim their spot on the leaderboards, kit out their racers with gear from the in-game shop and much more. In single-player mode, players can participate through the Season Tour narrative, which also serves as a jumping-off point to progress through each Season’s story. Each season offers new Disney and Pixar characters, karts, tracks, and more through local and online gameplay, giving racers plenty to be excited for when new seasons are introduced every 6-8 weeks. More competitive players can jump into Disney Speedstorm’s multiplayer modes, which include Local Freeplay, Private Track, Ranked Multiplayer, and Regulated Multiplayer – a race mode that allows players to compete head-to-head on an even playing field. In the Local Freeplay mode, players can jump into single player or local multiplayer races with access to every launch racer (Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Megara, Hercules, Belle, the Beast, Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, Mowgli, Baloo, Mulan, Shang, Celia Mae, Mike Wazowski, Sulley, Randall Boggs, and Figment) without needing to unlock them first!

The launch of Early Access also kicks off the game’s very first Golden Pass Season, which offers season-based challenges players can progress through to earn free- and premium-tier seasonal rewards every 6-8 weeks. Season 1 introduces the Monsters, Inc. crew – including Sulley, Mike Wazowski, Randall Boggs, and Celia Mae – as unlockable Racers along with a track inspired by the Monsters, Inc. films called “The Factory.” There is a lot of content to unlock by playing the different Disney Speedstorm game modes, and Golden Pass Season owners are given extra opportunities to earn fragments for Racers and Crew Members, items to improve the stats of a racer’s collection, and options to customize their roster including outfits, vehicle liveries, wheels, victory poses, and much more.

“We couldn’t be more excited for the launch of Disney Speedstorm and appreciate all of the positive messages we received from the community since its unveiling,” said Alexandru Adam, VP & Studio Manager, Gameloft Barcelona. “We spent the past months putting the final touches to one of the most exciting titles in our studio’s history. Moreover, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We have plenty of new content revving up that will hit the track in the coming weeks!”

“Our goal is to create fantastic games for our fans by working with experts across genres, and we’ve been working closely with the teams at Gameloft to craft an exceptionally fun, accessible and deep racing experience,” said Luigi Priore, VP, Disney, Pixar & 20th Century Games. “Seeing Disney and Pixar characters locked in high-speed competitive racing combat sets a new stage for Disney and Pixar fans and our games with the launch of the highly anticipated Disney Speedstorm.”

Disney Speedstorm Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate Founder’s Pack Editions are now available for purchase, starting at $29.99/€29.99. Each pack includes access to the base game, immediate tiered racer unlocks, an additional racer of their choosing unlocked, in-game currency, exclusive in-game cosmetic items, exclusive Player Profile Avatar and a Motto for customization, and Golden Pass Credits that can be used by players to unlock the premium tier of the Golden Pass.

Steam users that purchase Disney Speedstorm during its launch week will receive a First Week Bonus of the Early Bird kart livery and racing suit for Donald Duck. This launch week bonus gives Steam users the opportunity to gain these items that were made available during the console versions’ pre-order phase.

Visit Disney Speedstorm at disneyspeedstorm.com to learn more about the game’s Early Access content, tokens, and more.

88 Films Releases Line of Duty I – IV 4-Disc Deluxe Collector’s Edition on May 16th

On May 16th, 88 Films releases In the Line of Duty I – IV (4-Disc Deluxe Collector’s Edition) with stunning new 2K restorations of all four films.

Royal Warriors stars Academy Award Winner Michelle Yeoh as Inspector Yip. While returning from a holiday in Japan, she stops the mid-air rescue of a mobster headed to Hong Kong for trial. This seeming heroic act comes to haunt Yip as the mobster’s family sets out for revenge. The Blu-ray features newly translated English subtitles; Audio Commentary by Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng; Missing Aeroplane Inserts; Cantonese and English Trailers; and the English In the Line of Duty titles.

In Yes, Madam!, Michelle Yeoh stars as Inspector Ng, who teams up with Cynthia Rothrock’s tough-as-nails Scottish Investigator Carrie Morris to retrieve microfilm that has unknowingly been stolen by two low-level thieves. The Blu-ray features both the Hong Kong Cut and Export Version with classic English Dub; Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng (HK Version); Select Scene Commentary with Cynthia Rothrock and Frank Djeng; Interviews with Cynthia Rothrock, Men Hoi and Michelle Yeoh; Archive Battling Babes Featurette; and the Hong Kong Trailer.

In the Line of Duty III stars Cynthia Khan as Detective Rachel Yeung, who’s tracking down a pair of terrorists who, after a bloody Tokyo heist, have fled to Hong Kong. The Blu-ray features Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng and Michael Worth; an Interview with John Sham by Frederic Ambroisine; Hong Kong and English Trailers; and English Credits.

In the Line of Duty IV stars Cynthia Kahn as Detective Yeung, who’s hot on the trail on a drug dealer, with the help of Inspectors Yan (Donnie Yen) and Inspector Wong (Michael Wong). The Blu-ray features both the Hong Kong Cut and Export Version with classic English Dub; Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (HK Cut); an Interview with Donnie Yen; Hong Kong and English Trailers.

The box set includes brand new artwork by Sean Longmore, reversible sleeves featuring original artwork; a double-sided foldout poster; and a 100-page book by Matthew Edwards featuring interviews with Shan Tam, Michael Parker, Stephan Berwick & Michael Woods, plus archive stills, production imagery, posters & more.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum: Precious Edition Announcement Trailer

Today Daedalic Entertainment and NACON revealed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™: Precious Edition, which includes some premium perks for fans of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Players can join Gollum’s unshakeable quest for the One Ring on May 25th, 2023; pre-orders for both Standard and Precious Editions of the story-driven adventure game are available now on Steam and Epic Games Store for PCs, the Microsoft Store for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation™Store for PlayStation 4 and 5. Physical editions of the console releases have been forged in the fires of Mount Doom and will be available at launch. The game will arrive on Nintendo Switch later this year.

The Precious Edition was put together with Tolkien fans in mind. Daedalic Entertainment and NACON have gone above and beyond to curate a captivating package that includes over 100 stunning art pieces, a lore compendium to deepen your Middle-earth knowledge, additional Sindarin lines for the game’s Elves, which will make you feel like you are properly east of the Misty Mountains, and more! With a focus on immersing players in the world of Middle-earth, this edition is sure to delight fans and gamers alike.

PRECIOUS EDITION | The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Contents:

  • The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™ | Core adventure
  • Exclusive Concept Art | Over 100 original sketches and development secrets
  • Lore Compendium | Learn more about the untold history of Middle-earth
  • Original Soundtrack | Epic orchestral 17-track Album
  • Sindarin VO Expansion | Additional voice-acting in the Elvish tongue of Sindarin, done by professionals and made for Middle-earth die-hard fans who want to immerse themselves even more while exploring the world of Tolkien

STANDARD EDITION | The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Contents:

  • The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™ | Core adventure

Company of Heroes 3 Coming to Consoles

Relic Entertainment™, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Limited are excited to reveal that Company of Heroes™ 3, the critically acclaimed real-time strategy game, is coming to PlayStation® 5 and Xbox® Series X|S on May 30th, 2023. Players will be able to pre-order the Company of Heroes 3 Console Edition both physically and digitally on April 25th.

For the very first time, Relic Entertainment is bringing its universally lauded Company of Heroes franchise to console players, offering fans around the world the deepest strategic experience yet. Console players can expect a custom UI, full controller support, and special features that allow them to play at their own pace. Furthermore, the user interface has been adapted for gamepads to ensure a fun and immersive experience for all.

New features like Full Tactical Pause offer gamepad players a level of tactical control over the pacing on the battlefield. By freezing the action, players who choose to employ Full Tactical Pause will be able to coordinate all their actions at once, thinking through every move in detail without the pressure of doing it all in real-time.

Company of Heroes’ renowned boots-on-the-ground storytelling will bring players to a brand-new theatre of war, unlocking authentic new tactics, four distinct factions, and a wealth of untold stories from World War II. In single-player modes, the turn-based Italian Dynamic Campaign offers a sandbox-style gameplay experience with new levels of strategic choice, whereas the sweeping deserts of North Africa allow for a classic, narrative-led single-player experience. For players that enjoy their competitive action, CoH3 has a huge online multiplayer and co-op vs AI offer, with more factions, mechanics and units than ever before.

Players can pre-purchase their digital copy of Company of Heroes 3 Console Edition directly via the Microsoft Store on Xbox and the PlayStation store front from April 25th, 2023, or pre-order a physical copy via www.companyofheroes.com. Physical pre-order start dates may vary by territory. For more information about CoH3, head over to www.companyofheroes.com, where players can also sign up for Relic’s community feedback platform. You can follow the game on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Total War: WARHAMMER III – Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs Launch Trailer

Available now, The Forge of The Chaos Dwarfs Campaign Pack introduces the industriously cruel Chaos Dwarfs to the pantheon of races that you can command in Total War: WARHAMMER III. Expand, exploit, and dominate the WARHAMMER World as Astragoth Ironhand, Drazhoath the Ashen, and Zhatan the Black, collectively boasting unique campaign mechanics, objectives, and units that only the corrupted minds of the Chaos Dwarfs could forge.

Three Foul Legendary Lords: 
The Chaos Dwarfs are an industrious, dark-souled and merciless warrior race of Dwarf Daemonsmiths, subjugators and brutal killers. Three of their most brutal Legendary Lords will be yours to command:

  • Astragoth Ironhand, High Priest of Hashut, is the most potent Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer-Prophet. However, his body has begun to petrify, confining him to near-living entombment within a powerful mech-suit.
  • Drazhoath the Ashen, Sorcerer Prophet of Hashut, is the Lord of the Black Fortress and commander of the fell Legion of Azgorh. Exiled by Astragoth, Drazhoath’s mastery of magic and engineering has only grown stronger, as has his thirst for revenge.
  • Zhatan the Black is the commander of the Tower of Zharr. His unmatched battle prowess has left the hell forges struggling to keep up with his insatiable demand for weapons and munitions.

A Blood-Fuelled Ancestral Feud:
The Chaos Dwarfs seek an unimaginable power to conquer the known world, the Blood of Hashut – a powerful being emblematic of fire, greed, and tyranny. To gain this, they must construct the Great Drill of Hashut to burrow through the very fabric of reality to breach its domain. This can only be done by corrupting precious relics from their ancestral enemies, the Dwarfs. But the Dwarfs hold grudges, seeking revenge for the tainting of their ancient heirlooms.

A Legion Of Infernal Warriors:
The Chaos Dwarfs ranks are a diverse mix of iron clad warriors and hellish beasts from the Infernal Guard and Bull Centaurs to daemon-infused monsters such as K’daai Fireborn. Yet the true might of the Chaos Dwarfs comes from their diabolical war machines which range from Magma Cannons and Skullcrackers to the hellish Dreadquake Mortar and the colossal K’daai Destroyer.

Alongside these, the Hobgoblin Chieftain turned Chaos Dwarf enforcer, Gorduz Backstabber will be a recruitable Legendary Hero. Having outlived most of his fellow tribal leaders, his naturally distrustful disposition and lashings of cunning make him an enduring talent for survival. Watch your back.

Merciless Campaign Mechanics: 
To maximize the potential of your Chaos Dwarf empire you must mercilessly exploit four unique campaign mechanics:

  • The Hell Forge allows the infernal Chaos Dwarf legions to grow mightier by developing special schematics forged in fire, each of which grants hellish battle bonuses.
  • The Tower of Zharr sees the Chaos Dwarfs (un)diplomatically vie for ownership of special Seats within this mighty council, granting unique faction rewards upon promotion.
  • Convoys allow the trading of war tools in return for a variety of resources, whilst engaging in battles and exchanging labourers along the way, ensuring the rewards keep flowing.
  • The Economy requires a multi-layered approach to the subjugation and management of labourers to keep the forges fuelled, construct advanced buildings, and expand the empire

Free Content: 
The Tzeentchian Mirror of Madness DLC is the latest collaboration between the Lords of Change at Intel® and Creative Assembly. It features two new game modes:

  • The Trials of Fate are a series of intense survival challenges where players assume the role of a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch. Reaching through time itself, players will fight through four infamous battles, before taking the fight to Kairos Fateweaver in an intense final showdown.
  • The Infinite Portal grants access to reality-bending features and settings, allowing you dramatically tweak many aspects of battle, including; gravity, collision impact, explosion radius, blood quantity and much more. Indulge in the chaos of being a servant of Tzeentch!

Also available to all owners of Total War: WARHAMMER III is the Legendary Hero Ulrika Magdova. Unique amongst her brethren, Magdova can be recruited by both Kislev and the Empire, and is a vampire who excels at melee and ranged combat, as well as spellcasting from the Lore of Shadows.

To unlock Ulrika, players must sign-up for a CA Account, link it to their platform of choice, and complete her in-game mission chain: https://account.creative-assembly.com/en/register

Farming Simulator 23 Nintendo Switch Edition Cinematic Trailer

GIANTS Software unveils an exciting CGI trailer for Farming Simulator 23, which will be released May 23 for Nintendo Switch™. More than 3 years after its predecessor Farming Simulator 20, the latest title in the globally successful Farming Simulator franchise is introduced in an elaborate cinematic trailer.

15 Years of Farming Simulator
In Farming Simulator, players choose what kind of farmer they want to be: They can build an agricultural empire from scratch through cultivating fields, logging with forestry equipment, or tending to farm animals such as the newly added chickens.

“The Farming Simulator series has been around since 2008, the first mobile version was released in 2012” explains Thomas Frey, Creative Director at GIANTS Software. “We’ve been steadily adding new features, and today I’m very excited to celebrate the next release with an intense and fun cinematic trailer!”

Entertaining Trailer for a Relaxing Experience
GIANTS Software has once again teamed up with Capsule Studio, who have already delivered an award-winning CGI trailer for the latest main line game, Farming Simulator 22. The new cinematic trailer again features the same protagonists, father and daughter, now in a unique juxtaposition of intense soundtrack, gaming fun and chicken chasing.

Farming Simulator 23 is a family-friendly, relaxed game with lots of activities and a huge machinery selection with more than 100 vehicles and tools. Players can look forward to new crops such as grapes and olives, new gameplay mechanics like production chains and activities such as plowing and weeding – all on two entertaining maps.

Farming Simulator 23 will be released on May 23, 2023. Pre-orders for Farming Simulator 23: Nintendo Switch Edition are available at selected retail stores and the Nintendo eShop. Visit the official Farming Simulator website and the GIANTS Software press area for more information.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Gets Second Free DLC on April 20th

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, a 4v1 hunt or haunt action-packed video game from the asymmetrical multiplayer experts at IllFonic, is set to release the game’s second DLC on April 20, 2023. This FREE DLC accompanies the purchase of the game, which is rated E10+ and available on PC/Epic Games Store, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One for $39.99.

Have you ever dreamt about taking on a Class VII other-dimensional entity that drools? This is your chance! On the flip side, have you ever wanted to be the one to have the power to summon ultimate fury…This DLC gives fans a chance to do both, along with experiencing new minions, AI, and a brand-new map. This packed DLC is sure to have fans playing well past the witching hour.
DLC Highlights:

  • New Map, The Courthouse  Strange activity is reported at the courthouse, which has made it challenging to conduct legal proceedings. Decades of dark practices and paranormal contact have made the courthouse a hotbed for ghost activity. Halls, offices, and courtrooms all connect to form a uniquely entwined gameplay space.
  • New Ghost Type – Possessor Ghost Type + 3 Variants – Scuttle, Hellion, and the famous Terror Sentinel provide the Possessor Ghost type with a unique playstyle. Use unique abilities and the Ultimate Possession to take over Civilians and even Busters!
  •  New AI type: Drudges – From the depths of the Ghost Realm, come the drudges to help! Summoned by Tobin, these helpful little entities help the ghost haunt the building and scare humans. Busters would be wise to focus on eliminating these spectral aides, and the Ghost can use the rifts to spawn more!
  • New Minion Ability: Trap Minions – A singular minion that the ghost plants hidden on the ground or inside of objects will spring to un-life when its stasis field is tripped and latch onto the unsuspecting victim!
  • Extreme Ghostbusters cosmetics, gear shells, and other customizations – Buster cosmetics and gear shells that harken back to the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon series that are unlockable through various Side Hustles and Research Contracts. The team also has new footwear, skirts, kilt bottoms, and several makeup styles to choose from. Shirt logos can now be used on appropriate tops.
  • General Improvements – Gear Upgrade Menu Overhaul, Ghost/Buster Bot Improvements, bug fixes, balance, QOL fixes, etc. to further improve the overall experience!

Remember, IllFonic plans to release similar DLC Drops each quarter of 2023 for free, in addition to the continued Quality of Life patches supporting Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed.