SQUARE ENIX® today announced the launch of the Life is Strange™ Remastered Collection, enhanced versions of the first two games in the award-winning series. Featuring updated character models, improved motion capture and more, players will be able to experience legendary leads, Max and Chloe, like never before on Google Stadia, Xbox One, PlayStation®4, and PC Steam.
Jon Brooke, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios states: “Firstly I wanted to recognise DONTNOD for creating the incredible original Life is Strange game and now offer thanks to Deck Nine Games for improving the emotional on-screen performance of these beloved characters. The result of both teams hard work is that the Life is Strange Remastered Collection can be the beginning of an exciting and emotional journey for many new players for years to come.”
At the centre of Life is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm are the magnetic and relatable friends, Max and Chloe. Players will harness Max’s supernatural rewind ability and Chloe’s quick-witted attitude to unravel and affect the events surrounding two astounding mysteries in the Oregon town of Arcadia Bay.
The Life is Strange Remastered Collection features:
Updated character models and environment visuals
Improved motion captured lip sync and facial animation
All-new engine and lighting upgrades
Updates to some puzzle gameplay
Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered includes previously released deluxe content (bonus outfits and the ‘Farewell’ bonus episode)
All licensed tracks & original scores from the original games
The Life is Strange Remastered Collection is available on Google Stadia, PlayStation 4®, Xbox One, GeForce Now, PC Steam on February 1, 2022. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will also be compatible with the next-gen PlayStation 5, and XBOX SERIES X|S. The Nintendo Switch version will be available at a later date.
Purchasers of the Life is Strange: True Colors Ultimate Edition will also receive the Life is Strange Remastered Collection.
Video game publisher All in! Games and development studio The Farm 51, are pleased to announce that the highly anticipated next-gen console version of Chernobylite will be released on April 21. Additionally, the date marks the release of the PC Enhanced Edition, the Blue Flames DLC, and a physical edition of Chernobylite for PS5 published by Perp Games. The game won Indie DB’s ‘Indie of the Year’ Player’s Choice Award, was featured in Steam’s ‘Best of 2021’ list, and has no intention of slowing down in 2022. Based on Chernobylite’s content roadmap, players can expect continuous game enhancements and more content updates throughout the year.
“If last year is any indication, Chernobylite has taken a worthy place among the best indie games of 2021. The next-gen release is the natural next step that fans of the game have been eagerly awaiting,” said Piotr Żygadło, CEO at All in! Games. “We’re proud to say that it will be the biggest visual revamp of the game so far, and that due to the simultaneous release of the PC Enhanced Edition, players across all platforms will undoubtedly benefit.”
The upgrade to the next-gen version of Chernobylite and the PC Enhanced Edition will be available for owners of the game through a free update. Both updates will introduce ray tracing and will greatly improve the game’s already hyper-realistic visuals. The next-gen versions specifically will also add two new graphic profiles: 4K (Dynamic) 30 FPS and 1080p (Ultra Details) 60 FPS and the PS5 update will additionally add features for DualSense Controllers such as advanced vibrations and adaptive triggers as well as compatibility with PlayStation’s Activity Card feature.
To make the day even more eventful, Blue Flames, the first of four scheduled content drops for 2022, will be released for all platforms. Blue Flames will offer a free content update, ‘Memories of You’; a new weapon, the Silent Assassin crossbow (pictured below); and a paid content pack. With ‘Memories of You’, players will learn more about Tatyana and Igor’s fateful backstory through new events and collectibles.
When pressed to think of Italian horror your mind likely immediately lands on giallo, the forebearer to the slasher flick. You may jump straight to the wave of zombie cash-ins of the 70s and 80s. What you probably don’t picture is Hammer-esque gothic dramas. Arrow Films is out to change that with their release of Giorgio Ferroni’s 1960 classic, Mill of the Stone Women, Italy’s first color horror film! Read on to find out if this release is rock solid or merely dust in the wind.
Feature
As Mill of the Stone Women opens, writer Hans finds himself in picturesque Holland to work on a story about the… well, the titular Mill of the Stone Women. It’s literally right there, just downriver from where Hans makes landfall and name checked within sixty seconds. Hans sets off for the mill where sculptor Professor Wahl lives and works, creating a carousel of sculptures that wouldn’t be out of place in a carnival dark ride.
Allowed to board in the Mill’s attic, Hans promptly falls in love with the professor’s daughter, Elfie. Hans and Elfie’s love is not meant to be, however, as Hans’ girlfriend, art student Liselotte, arrives at the mill. Further complicating the Hans-Elfie-Liselotte triangle is Elfie’s fatal blood disease, missing locals, and the paranoid machinations of Professor Wahl. Where does the story go from there? Some truly bonkers places that I won’t spoil in this review. Suffice to say, if you’re planning a trip to Holland go ahead and uncheck the “Creepy Art Instillation Windmill” box in your AirBnB filters.
Mill of the Stone Women is an effective horror film from a time when the genre was just beginning to blossom in Italy. Setting itself apart from its contemporaries in 1960s Italian neorealist cinema, the film is beautiful to look at with its use of location shooting in the quiet marshlands of Holland and stunning set design of the mill itself. While the special effects definitely show their age, the clockwork parade of sculptures has a unique charm befitting what is essentially a mid-century European roadside attraction. While the film can feel a bit slow paced at times, it wraps up right at the hour and a half mark making for a short, sweet slice of Italian horror history.
Picture and Audio
Mill of the Stone Women is presented in its original 1:66 aspect ratio from a brand new 2k scan of the original 35mm negative by Arrow Video. The restoration is clean with few remaining imperfections outside of some visible dirt and scratches in the opening titles. The color grading looks good with a consistently cool tone that matches the foggy Holland marshland the film takes place in without interfering with skin tones. The audio mixes were restored from their original mono tracks and hold up as well as any Italian films of the time could be expected to as it was commonplace for sound and dialogue to be recorded entirely in post. That being the case, it’s not abnormal that sound can slip out of sync.
Extras and Packaging
Leading the extras is an audio commentary by horror and fantasy historian Tim Lucas. Lucas offers an insightful academic track that touches upon everything from production anecdotes to putting the film in context against its contemporaries in Italian cinema and predecessors in gothic horror. Lucas begins the track by speaking to his personal history with the film going back to his own childhood and its clear that he has a deep love and intimate understanding of the film that makes the commentary a must listen.
Next up is Mill of the Stone Women and the Gothic Body, a visual essay by Arrow stalwart Kat Ellinger. In her essay, Ellinger spends twenty minutes speaking to the trope of wax figures in horror, its history throughout horror of the early 20th century, and its origin in Victorian cabinets of curiosity.
On the archival front, Turned to Stone and A Little Chat with Dr Mabuse are lengthy features that center on interviews with actress Liana Orfei (Annelore, one of the missing townsfolk) and actor Wolfgang Preiss (Dr Bohlem, Wahl’s assistant) respectively. Backing these up are trailers, image galleries, and alternate opening title sequences. The real stand out feature of this release are the multiple cuts of the film. From the director’s cut of RoboCop to the censored television version of Mallrats and the fan edit of Phantom of the Mall, Arrow has proven themselves to have a talent for digging up these alternate cuts and they’ve outdone themselves on Mill of the Stone Women. Up first on disc one you’ll find two versions of the film- The original Italian version and the dubbed English export version, both running at 96 minutes with the only difference being localized titles and different audio. Move on to disc two, exclusively in this first limited edition run of the film, and you’ll find two more cuts- the French version and re-cut American version. While the French edit comes in a bit shorter than the original release, the American cut has the most striking changes. A voiceover narration, newly shot inserts, rearranged scenes and added visual effects, the film is punched up a bit to satisfy contemporary American audiences.
Mill of the Stone Women is packaged in Arrow’s standard hard slip case used for all of their limited edition releases. Inside the case you’ll find a reversible slip cover featuring original and
all new cover art, a fold out poster and a sixty page booklet featuring essays covering the making of the film and the differences between the different cuts of the film, excerpts from contemporary reviews of the film, production stills and information on the restoration.
Overall
Arrow Video has long been the premiere label for boutique horror releases. After a long run of giallo films, it’s refreshing to see them turn their attention to a different corner of Italian gore with Mill of the Stone Women. While not as packed with supplements as other releases, a celebratory commentary track and the inclusion of four different cuts of the film help Mill of the Stone Women earn its spot on the shelf of any horror collector.
Independent games development studio 3DIVISION has today released Content Update #9 – Crime and Justice – for the Early Access version of Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic, the real-time soviet-themed city builder tycoon game set in an imaginary communist country in Eastern Europe.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic is the ultimate real-time soviet-themed city builder tycoon game. Construct your own republic and transform a poor country into a rich industrial superpower!
Content Update #9 introduces a new Crime and Justice system along with three new buildings – Police Station, Regional Court and Prison. Players can decide if they wish to play this new system, disable it or lower the difficulty level, similar to the fires and seasons features. Crime and Justice will have an impact on the overall happiness and health of your citizens and will be affected by the overall government loyalty and unemployment.
Every citizen will have a hidden Criminality preference which will be randomly generated and if crimes are not solved, it will cause a growth in crime rates across the Republic. Low government loyalty and high unemployment will also have an impact on the overall crime rate. Crime will be categorised in three groups; Mild, Medium and Serious and if a crime is committed, all the people in that area will be affected depending on the seriousness. Citizens’ happiness will slowly decrease and their health may also diminish if the crime causes harm to them or other people.
When a crime is committed the police will attend the crime scene. The sooner the police vehicle arrives, the better the chance to successfully investigate the crime. Once the police process the evidence the investigation will continue and only when fully investigated and the perpetrators arrested will it proceed to the Regional Court where the trial begins. If the trial is successful, the criminal will be sent to prison.
The prison will need the highest possible security level in place so if there are not enough workers, the security level will go down. The more loyal the prison workers, the more secure the prison will be. Resources such as food and clothes will need to be delivered into the prison, and as it will not have a factory connection due to security risks, these items will need to be delivered by trucks. Inmates can be used as a workforce with prison buses transporting them to factories or other industrial facilities directly. Players must choose which in industries to bring prisoners to ensure the long term security of the production line.
The Crime and Justice update will add a new layer of complexity to the overall game experience, should players wish to take on the challenge. It also provides more reasons to keep the unemployment rate low and the citizen loyalty high.
Aside from the new Crime and Justice mechanics, the new update also adds the long awaited railway distribution office. Unlike classic rail schedules and lines, all the player needs to do is connect the source and destination buildings and the railway distribution office automatically decides when and where to deploy the trains and how many cars they should have for the job at hand.
Content Update #9 features:
Three new buildings available – Police Station, Regional Court and Prison.
Criminality added to citizen behaviour adding a new layer of complexity and challenges for players to manage.
Criminality feature difficulty levels can be managed or even switched off by the player.
Additional duty vehicles such as police cars are now available.
Long-awaited railway distribution office has been added.
Many other gameplay and mechanics improvements.
Workers & Republic: Soviet Republic game features:
Manage all aspects of your own republic with a planned economy, including mining resources, manufacturing goods, construction, investments, and citizens too.
Create your own industrial complexes with loading and unloading stations, storage, warehouses, and factories.
Build the infrastructure and manage its traffic, including roads, railways, sidewalks, conveyors, wiring, and pipelines. Wisely place and connect factories, houses and warehouses, and make the most efficient connections.
Plan and build the living areas with everything your citizens may need to live their happy life, such as playgrounds, cinemas, taverns, and shops.
Send your citizens to the mine to get coal, iron and other natural resources; or send them to the fields to pick up the crops; or take them to factories to produce manufactured goods.
Sell and purchase resources and goods from western countries or other soviet countries to get dollars or rubles and buy the products or resources you need … or invest in new infrastructure or buildings.
Enjoy authentic soviet buildings and vehicles, as well as realistic landscapes of the 60’s to the 90’s.
Play the way you want! You can focus on getting natural resources or products and trade them for money; or you can build a self-sufficient republic; or you can just use the easy sandbox mode with unlimited money/resources and just enjoy building something live.
Prices of resources on the global market are changing over time as you play –one day you can sell or purchase steel for $100 per ton, but in a few months the cost can rise to $200 or decrease to $50. The price of everything is connected to the cost of work and resources.
2K today unveiled an exciting, early look at WWE® 2K22 gameplay with the action-packed WWE 2K22: Booyaka Gameplay Trailer featuring a slew of WWE Superstars and Legends laying the smack down on their opponents. The trailer showcases stunning visuals made possible by the redesigned gameplay engine, crisp new animations, new game modes including MyGM, and much more.
Stay tuned for more details to be released later this week. WWE 2K22 will be available March 11, 2022*. For more information on WWE 2K22, visit the game’s official website, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WWE2K22 or subscribe on YouTube.
Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
After nearly 50 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town. From a filmmaking team that includes Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) and co-writer of the 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Kim Henkel, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE arrives on Netflix on February 18, 2022!
With Dying Light 2 Stay Human just 4 days away, Techland invites survivors to dive deep into this world one more time before release. This time, Tymon Smektała, Lead Game Designer, tells viewers more about the night in-game.
How has the night changed since the first installment? What was added and expanded by Techland? This time, night isn’t only an obstacle, a fearful moment to survive and hide. Night is now a chance for players to explore new areas, encounter new objectives and quests, and obtain valuable loot in Dark Zones where infected hide during the day. But night isn’t easier or less adrenaline pumping! When the infected start their chase, you have two options: run and hide, or… well, maybe you can discover for yourself.
The latest episode of Dying 2 Know More is already available on YouTube, and check out the final episode of Dying 2 Know alongside new gameplay footage called “The Reason.”
The world premiere of Dying Light 2 Stay Human is just around the corner, so don’t miss any episode of the Dying 2 Know web series (all available here) and if you’re Dying 2 Know More, go further behind the scenes with more episodes of exclusive interviews.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human, published by Techland, launches on February 4, 2022 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S.
Pre-orders are available via dyinglightgame.com/preorder. All pre-orders will come with the exclusive digital Reload Pack and Reach for the Sky Pack, featuring unique outfits, weapons, backpack and paraglider skins. Reach for the Sky Pack, was created in collaboration with Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian, Sin City), who plays Lawan, a key character whose fate connects with main protagonist Aiden during his journey.
Band together with fellow survivors on Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
NACON and Eko Software are pleased to unveil the launch trailer for Rugby 22, the new opus of the reference franchise of ovalie, to celebrate its release today on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC (Steam). All the ingredients that make up the identity of the sport are brought together for a total immersion of the oval ball fans!
New major national teams are entering the RUGBY license for the first time, including the Wallabies, the official Australian team, and the New Zealand All Blacks, famous both for their competitive record and for the aura that accompanies them! The latter, in addition to the French team, have been selected by the studio for a first step towards photogrammetry technology, allowing the players’ faces to be represented as faithfully as possible in the game.
A true simulation, Rugby 22 offers players all the elements that make up modern rugby: recognized official teams, tactical changes before and during the match, pod play options, post-contact passing and combinations. All rugby fans will find the fundamentals of the sport in the game.
Good news for PlayStation and Xbox players: to ease the transition to the next generation consoles, a special offer has been put in place. Until April 28, 2022, purchasing and activating the PS4 version of the game will also unlock the PS5 version for free. The same goes for the Xbox One version if you get it on the Microsoft Store, which will unlock the Xbox Series X|S version for free.
Reminder of RUGBY 22 features:
Play with your favorite team – Rugby 22 features the vast majority of the major national teams, with their players and official jerseys: New Zealand, Australia, France, Fiji, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, Japan and Georgia.
Take the field, alone or with others – Play alone or in multiplayer, locally and online, through different modes to play with friends or let matchmaking find you an opponent!
Discover Career Mode – Create your own club in Career Mode, climb the ranks, build your dream team and compete with the best teams in the world!
Play like the pros – Enjoy an increasingly realistic rugby simulation with real tactical depth. Play as a pod, set your wing positions, define your defense, and make clever combinations to get the better of your opponent.
Authentic experience – Rugby 22 offers a real rugby experience with photogrammetry to represent the star players and animations that are as close as possible to the real players’ movements thanks to motion capture technology, all in the rugby style for an intense experience.
Practice – With new in-game tutorials, learn the basics of the sport and practice to become the best player!
Rugby 22 is now available on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
SQUARE ENIX® Ltd., and Original Fire Games today announced that the top-down racing game CIRCUIT SUPERSTARS, is now available on PlayStation®4 consoles. The charming game built by racing fans, for racing fans – CIRCUIT SUPERSTARS is available for purchase on PC (via Steam®), Xbox One and now PS4®. To mark today’s release Square Enix Collective also shared a new trailer on their YouTube channel.
PS4® racers will have the opportunity to cross-play with their friends playing on PC (via Steam®) or Xbox and will have access to the garage of their dreams, packed with 12 vehicles ready to compete on any of the 19 different tracks available, set in 13 vibrant locations. Players can also enjoy a range of customisable liveries for both driver and cars, in addition to helmets and victory celebrations which can be unlocked by levelling up. There’s a racing style for everyone, with multiple motorsport disciplines represented in the game including Rallycross, Open Wheel Single-Seaters, Trucks, GT racing and plenty more free content to come in the future. Join the race on your preferred platform today!
CIRCUIT SUPERSTARS is available now on PS4®, PC (via Steam®) and Xbox One, also planned for release on the Nintendo Switch™ system in the second quarter of 2022.
Recruit a friend to explore the secrets within The Dark Pictures Anthology today, all existing owners of any of the three entries in the series, Man of Medan, Little Hope or House of Ashes, will gain access to a free Friend’s Pass – enabling players to experience one full playthrough of that game via Multiplayer Shared Story mode with a friend who does not own the game.
Unveil the horrific discoveries of House of Ashes, Little Hope or Man of Medan together! The offer is open until February 28 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PCs via STEAM® – and the friend must be playing on the same platform. To access the game, your friend must download the Trial version of Man of Medan, Little Hope or House of Ashes first.
The House of Ashes Curator’s Cut is now free for everyone! Originally released as a pre-order DLC bonus, the Curator’s Cut can now be unlocked for all players once they have completed a playthrough of the game in theatrical (normal) mode. The mode allows players to replay the game from a different perspective, with different playable characters in certain scenes, new choices, new outcomes and frightening new deaths.
The following YouTube link (ready for embedding) will showcase the terrifying threat with The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes – Friend’s Pass & Curator’s Cut Trailer:
