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Star Trek: Infinite Out Now

Paradox Interactive and Nimble Giant Entertainment today launched the sci-fi grand strategy game Star Trek: Infinite, under license from Paramount Consumer Products, on PC and Mac. In this Star Trek grand strategy game, players are empowered to lead one of four major factions in the galaxy, navigating complex choices through emergent gameplay. Fans can purchase the interstellar adventure for $29.99/£29.99/€29.99 or the Deluxe Edition—featuring a digital artbook, the game soundtrack, and an in-game music pack featuring fresh compositions from Star Trek’s original soundtrack composers—for $39.99/£39.99/€39.99 on Steam.

Star Trek: Infinite delivers dynamic gameplay and opportunities for intricate decision-making, plunging players into the heart of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Set about two decades prior to the era of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Infinite lets players shape the fate of the galaxy by leading one of four formidable Quadrant Powers: the United Federation of Planets, Romulan Star Empire, Cardassian Union, or Klingon Empire. With utmost fidelity to Star Trek lore, the game introduces fresh avenues for exploration as players navigate the complexities of empire management, handle intricate economic systems, and interact with enigmatic civilizations.

Star Trek: Infinite represents a monumental achievement for our team at Nimble Giant Entertainment. We’ve poured our passion for the Star Trek universe into every aspect of the game, striving to create an experience that captivates both long-time fans and newcomers alike,” said Martin Cao, CEO of Nimble Giant Entertainment. “With its rich storytelling and deep strategic gameplay, we hope that Star Trek: Infinite will become a beloved addition to the Star Trek gaming legacy.”

“We’ve been working closely with Paramount Consumer Products to ensure that this game faithfully captures the intricate lore of Star Trek,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “It’s a true voyage into the heart of the Star Trek universe, allowing players to shape the galaxy’s destiny through grand strategy.”

Star Trek: Infinite Key Features:

  • Your Star Trek Story: With Star Trek: Infinite there is no singular way to play. Whether you wish to take the route of diplomacy, espionage, warfare, or a mix of all of these, there are multiple paths to victory. You are in command, and the fate of the galaxy is in your hands! *** Choose Your Faction: Choose between the United Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, or Cardassian Union. You will take on the role of the leader in charge of all the major decisions of your faction as the game unfolds. With each faction having their own unique styles of play, your decisions determine how successful you are in reaching your goals.

  • Iconic Characters: Star Trek: Infinite has been meticulously created to provide an immersive Star Trek experience while allowing you to shape the story of your playthrough according to the choices you make as the leader of your chosen faction. As you take on the role of the Federation, you’ll have the opportunity to recruit iconic captains and officers, including Picard, Janeway, Sisko, and Data to name a few. Meanwhile, other factions offer their own set of iconic characters to enlist, such as Gowron, Makbar, Garak, and many more.

  • Diverse Starships: Beyond the potential cast of characters you recruit to your faction, the game grants you access to a range of starships from the Star Trek universe, tailored to each faction’s arsenal. From the Federation’s reliable Intrepid– and Defiant-_class ships, the menacing Cardassian _Galor-class vessels, the sleek Romulan D’deridex, or even the formidable Klingon Negh’Var battleships.

    • Of course, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D can be developed and added to the Federation fleet through the bespoke storytelling system developed for Star Trek: Infinite.

  • Deep & Complex Strategy: Star Trek: Infinite is built upon the core systems of Stellaris, leveraging the deep and complex system and making them its own. Aspects of these systems have been streamlined and simplified to better resonate with the Star Trek franchise.**

Company of Heroes Collection Out Now on Nintendo Switch

Feral Interactive are pleased to announce that Company of Heroes™ Collection is now available on Nintendo Switch.

Company of Heroes Collection comprises the celebrated WW2 real-time strategy classic and both its expansions, Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor, in one battle-hardened bundle. Using a bespoke control scheme designed for Nintendo Switch, tactics and orders are easily conveyed, and facilitate the fast-paced squad-based combat in fierce battles from the D-Day landings through to the liberation of Normandy.

Company of Heroes Collection is available now on the Nintendo eShop for $29.99 / €24,99 / £19.99.

Note: Company of Heroes Collection is single-player only at launch, with multiplayer planned for a post-release update.

House Flipper 2: the Sandbox Mode Announced

Frozen District, creators of the critically acclaimed House Flipper series, are ecstatic to shed light on the highly anticipated feature set to debut in House Flipper 2: the Sandbox Mode. This all-new sandbox experience elevates the home renovation gaming experience to new heights. Players are no longer limited to merely flipping existing homes; the Sandbox Mode empowers them to craft houses from the ground up, answering years of dedicated fan feedback from forums and beyond. Prepare to swap your mop for a brick hammer as House Flipper 2 releases on December 14 on Steam.

While Story Mode remains a beloved feature from House Flipper 1, now Sandbox mode promises to give fans what they were missing – and more. Such is the vastness of this sandbox — or perhaps “arena box” would be more apt — that Frozen District’s level designers constructed every house in House Flipper 2’s Story Mode using the Sandbox Mode. This grants players access to the same sophisticated tools wielded by the game developers, essentially transforming this mode into an advanced level editor.

Key Highlights of the Sandbox mode:

  • New Sandbox Mode: Build from scratch with unparalleled creative freedom.
  • Advanced Building Tools: Use grid snapping or free placement for meticulous design.
  • Customization & Flexibility: Clone styles, alter wall heights, or relocate entire houses.
  • Landscaping: Shape and mold the environment, from rolling hills or deep basements.
  • Material Customization: Dynamic options to change wall patterns, colors, and more.
  • Floor Plan View: Top-down planning mode for detailed design and layout.
  • Expanding Furniture Library: Over 1,500 items, and growing, for detailed interior designs.
  • Undo & Redo at Will: Simply undo or redo steps, offering players unmatched flexibility.
  • Endless Design Customization: From adjustable walls to a vast color spectrum for painting.
  • Creations & Community Sharing: share your house creations with the broader community.
  • Seamless & Dynamic: Insert windows without prior cut-outs, construct basements, and alter landscapes in real time.

Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop – Official School Bus Extension Review

Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop – Official School Bus Extension is a DLC for the popular bus simulation game Bus Simulator 21. This new extension was released on September 7, 2022, and adds three new school buses, new missions, and new plenty of new features to the game. The new school buses are all officially licensed from the American manufacturer Blue Bird. They include the All American FE, the All American RE, and the Vision. These buses are all well-designed and accurately modeled, and they provide a realistic driving experience. Each of the buses handles how they seem to in real life. They are realistically sluggish and have a feeling of weight and mass to them.

The new missions are all centered around school trips. Players must pick up children at various stops around the city, transport them safely and punctually to their schools, and then pick them up again at the end of the day. These missions can be challenging, but they are also a lot of fun. They are short enough to keep things moving but long enough to be worth the money of the extension. While the overall experience is a lot of fun, it is not without bugs. The most frustrating thing I encountered was that the awarding of points for use of the stop arm and lights is very buggy and I’ve only got them to trigger properly once. In addition to the new missions, the DLC also adds a number of new features to the game. These include new bus stops, new school buildings, and new NPCs. The new bus stops are located near schools and other important landmarks, and they make it easier for players to pick up and drop off passengers. The new school buildings are also well-designed and accurately modeled. The new NPCs are children, and they add a new level of realism to the game.

The Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop – Official School Bus Extension is one of those gaming experiences that allows you to pass the time with a zen-like driving experience. The game is compatible with most of the big driving peripherals and I loved using my Logitech wheel and pedals while driving my routes. The only thing that would make the game better would be for it to have full VR support.

Overall, Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop – Official School Bus Extension is a great DLC that adds a lot of new content to the game. The new school buses are well-designed and accurately modeled, the new missions are challenging and fun, and the new features make the game more realistic and immersive.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Hearts of Iron IV Arms Against Tyranny Launch Trailer

Hearts of Iron IV expands the range of new histories you can write in Arms Against Tyranny, a new addition to the best-selling grand strategy wargame from Paradox Interactive. The northernmost countries of Europe take center stage as they resist, unite against or collaborate with more powerful and aggressive neighbors. Sometimes, winter is your only ally.

Relive the dramatic Finnish struggle against Soviet invasion, plot a neutral course powered by arms trading or explore alternate histories for Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Arms Against Tyranny also adds more decisions about the production of weapons, giving players newer tools to test their mastery of modern warfare.

Features of Hearts of Iron IV: Arms Against Tyranny include:

  • New Finnish National Focus Tree: Walk the diplomatic tightrope of a democratic nation trapped between threats, develop a capable defensive army, or pursue alternate historical paths of collaboration with the neighboring tyrants.
  • New Swedish National Focus Tree: Resource rich and fiercely independent, Sweden can be the center of a unified Scandinavian resistance, or a game-changing ally in the ongoing battle of ideologies.
  • New Danish and Norwegian Focus Trees: With the benefit of hindsight, can you prepare these small nations for the storm of war that is about to wash upon their shores?
  • Military Industrial Organizations: Customize your armaments industry by encouraging national corporations to specialize in the types of weapons and technology you desire for your armed forces.
  • International Arms Market: Become the quartermaster of the world by selling arms and equipment to the warring nations, receiving civilian factory capacity in return.
  • And more: New unit art, 10 new songs, customization of Special Forces units and greater divisional specialization.

Hearts of Iron VI: Arms Against Tyranny will be accompanied by a major free update available to all Hearts of Iron IV players. Arms Against Tyranny is available now for the suggested retail price of $19.99/£16.75/€19.99.

Last Train Home Release Date Announcement

Get on board the Last Train Home, a Survival RTS set in grim World War 1, inspired by real events of the Czechoslovak Legion trapped in the chaos of civil war in the heart of Russia. Aboard an armored train, you must venture into the unforgiving landscape of Siberia and safely bring your soldiers back home. Play the freshly released demo at Steam Next Fest now, before Last Train Home arrives on PC on November 28!

About Last Train Home

The Great War is over – but the fight continues. Command a legion of soldiers desperately trying to make their way home amidst the chaos of civil war. Lead them through the unforgiving wilderness onboard an armored train. Manage your crew and resources and try to survive.

Last Train Home is developed by Ashborne Games in Brno, Czech Republic, and is coming to PC on November 28, 2023. You can add the game to your Wishlist here: thqn.net/lth-steam

If you want to learn more about the game, make sure to visit the website, follow us on social media, or discuss with other fans on Discord

UNITED 1944 – Survivor Mode Gameplay Overview

After a very successful beta playtest that kicked off in late September, developer Novarama is once again opening the doors to its crafting and building-oriented WWII shooter for an even longer time. Steam Next Fest kicks off today, and with it, we call everyone to the fight starting now and lasting until the celebrations end on October 16. The new Survivors mode, just introduced last month but quickly loved by players, makes a return, and we have an overview video if you haven’t watched it yet:

The classic domination matches are here. Squad up in 16v16 battles in the WWII theaters of France, where the push inward of the Allies was at its peak after D-Day, and of North Africa, where battles for control of large regions had an important effect in changing the tide of war. You’ll be scavenging for resources, fortifying bases, defending outposts, crafting your gear and fighting the enemy in WWII battles that aim to be realistic yet rooted in fun gameplay.

The recently introduced Survivors mode, which brings an extraction experience to the game, also makes a return after a very positive reception from players. This mode takes the scavenging and open construction approach to a whole new level of tension. It’s a dog-eat-dog world: everyone is an enemy, and your only means of staying alive is what you can find around you. Look for resources, explore the city, and set up improvised bases anywhere as you fight for survival. Build, raid, kill, steal, scavenge, and destroy as you need for survival. Play for as long as you want, do your best to stay standing, and extract with as much loot as you’re capable of. Will you become a survivor of World War II… or will your bones be buried forever in this city?

The online demo runs for a full week during the entirety of Steam Next Fest, starting now and ending on Monday October 16 at 10 am PDT. Servers will be located in Europe, North America, and Asia to ensure that all players in these regions get a smooth experience in the battle trenches. This time, you won’t need to request access if you’re new to UNITED 1944, as you can simply download the demo from the game’s Steam page and go straight into battle after a short bootcamp session to teach you the basics.

Twitch drops make a return this time, and everyone watching creators streaming the game during Steam Next Fest will be able to get a weapon charm and a character outfit.

Stray Souls Official Launch Trailer

Independent game studio Jukai Studio and Versus Evil, one of the leading independent video game publishers, announced that its mystery-driven psychological horror game Stray Souls will launch October 25th on PC, PlayStation 4|5 and Xbox Series S|X for $29.99. Pre-orders are currently live on Xbox.

PC players will be able to purchase the Stray Souls: Cult Classic Edition for $39.99, which includes the official soundtrack and Sacred Tome artbook. The soundtrack features legendary guest composer Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) and veteran indie composer Pete Wicher. The Stray Souls OST contains a total of 60 tracks and over 3 hours of music, including exclusive bonus tracks not featured in the game. The Sacred Tome is an unholy compendium that includes a gorgeous collection of gothic watercolor illustrations from the vault of artist Phil Worobey, plus a complete digital lore library encompassing all the discoverable notes, letters, and various documentation found throughout the game.

To commemorate this launch, Watcher’s popular YouTube paranormal investigation series Ghost Files is getting its own Stray Souls-inspired episode on October 20th, in which hosts Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej conduct their first private home investigation for the show. Utilizing some of the same tactics Daniel uses in the game, the Ghoul Boys attempt to make contact with the spirits who haunt both the home and the Duyck family.

Horror Tycoon Update Two Release Trailer

Smidge Games LLC, an independent game development company led by solo developer Casey Clark, is thrilled to announce the release of MAJOR UPDATE TWO for their popular PC video game, Horror Tycoon. This significant update introduces an array of enhancements, bug fixes, and exciting new content that promises to take players on an even more chilling journey within their haunted house.

Horror Tycoon, a spine-tingling simulation game, currently in early access on Steam, allows players to construct and manage their very own haunted house, and has garnered a passionate following since its initial launch. With MAJOR UPDATE TWO, Smidge Games LLC is set to deliver an even more immersive and engaging experience.

Key Features of MAJOR UPDATE TWO:

New Location: The Lake: Prepare to be spooked by the hauntingly beautiful new location, “The Lake.” Players can explore this eerie locale and uncover its dark secrets, adding a new layer of depth to their haunted house.

Over 60+ Bug Fixes: Smidge Games LLC has been hard at work addressing player feedback and fine-tuning the game to ensure a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

Quality of Life Changes: This update introduces various quality of life enhancements, making it easier than ever for players to customize their haunted house, manage resources, and interact with the game world.

Fresh Content for Haunted Houses: MAJOR UPDATE TWO offers a treasure trove of new content, including spine-tingling decorations, construction items, scare traps and other additions for players to use in designing their haunted houses. Create more terrifying and unique experiences for your visitors.

Players can expect significant improvements in gameplay stability and overall performance.

Casey Clark, the mastermind behind Horror Tycoon and the driving force behind Smidge Games LLC, expresses his enthusiasm for the update: “I’m incredibly grateful for the dedicated community that has supported Horror Tycoon since its launch. MAJOR UPDATE TWO is a testament to our commitment to delivering a top-notch experience for our players. With new content, improved gameplay, and the addition of ‘The Lake,’ I can’t wait for players to dive back into the world of Horror Tycoon.”

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope Available Now on Switch

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. today announced THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: LITTLE HOPE is available now on Nintendo Switch™. The game brings the popular horror game, the second standalone title in THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY, to new players on the Switch just in time for Halloween. The title is also currently available for PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam®. For more information on the Switch version, please visit www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-dark-pictures-anthology-little-hope-switch/.

Featuring a classic ghost story, THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: LITTLE HOPE puts players in the role of multiple members of a college class stranded in a cursed New England town. Lost and seemingly alone, and enveloped by a mysterious impenetrable fog, they have to make difficult choices as they try to escape the demons that haunt them from the shadows. As they uncover the past of Little Hope, a terrifying reality takes shape as the source of the supernatural terror enveloping the town. Little Hope’s colonial roots include its terrible history as the site the Andover Witch Trials.

The pulse-pounding experience in the game is highlighted by novel interactive storytelling with a branching storyline, an engaging cast of characters, and game play that combines real-time action with puzzle solving, features that have made THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY a unique horror experience. THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: LITTLE HOPE is the second title in the anthology, a series of stand-alone branching cinematic horror games, each presenting a new terrifying storyline.