Expeditions: Rome will release in less than a week – time to show off the companions of your Legatus! During your adventures in Greece, Africa, Gaul, and Rome you will meet five different party members that you will be able to add to your band of heroes, called the “Speculatores”. There is the wise servant Syneros, who is a healer on the battlefield as well as the voice of reason in dialogues. Former Gladiator “Bestia” Tabat is a lightly armored, very agile, and ferocious melee fighter who uses two weapons to overcome his enemies. Julia Calida is the person to ask when it comes to stealth maneuvers or covert operations, while Centurio Caeso is the prototype of a heavy roman infantry soldier.
Each of the Speculatores will be introduced with a short trailer, and on top of that, we also have the Extension Trailer ready to be shown off. It presents the special Twitch-Extension made for Expeditions: Rome and how a gang of well-known content creators made use of it. When Expeditions: Rome launches on January 20th, the extension, as well as the Twitch-drop campaign, will be available again.
Want to try the game for yourself? Download the Expeditions: Rome demo now on Steam.
You can even continue playing from your save game when the game launches: https://thqn.net/rome-steam
Expeditions: Rome will launch on January 20th, 2022 on PC at an SRP of $ 44.99 | € 44.99 | £ 36.99.
You can pre-order now on Steam to get a 20% discount: https://thqn.net/rome-steam
Today, Ubisoft announced the much-anticipated return of The Settlers®, the build-up real-time strategy (RTS) game where players must settle onto a new land, gather resources to build their communities, recruit fellow civilians (or engineers) and form military units to protect and defend their new settlement.
The Settlers will release on Windows PC on March 17 and is available for pre-order now on Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store. Additionally, players can participate in the upcoming closed beta, which begins January 20.
Developed by Ubisoft Düsseldorf, The Settlers returns as a reboot mostly inspired by The Settlers III and The Settlers IV, two of the most popular games in the franchise. Players can expect a fresh take on the new The Settlers. Built from the ground up using Ubisoft’s proprietary Snowdrop Engine, The Settlers sets a new visual benchmark in the RTS game genre. Traditional and new players will experience lush and colorful environmental biomes, as well as modernized gameplay. Players can enjoy The Settlers in one of three game modes: single-player campaign, Skirmish (solo vs. AI, co-op vs. AI or PvP featuring up to eight players) and Onslaught, where players can experience Skirmish maps solo, but with challenging conditions.
In The Settlers, the Elari (one of the factions in the game) are forced to flee from their homeland and must settle on new and unknown lands. Adventure awaits as The Settlers come across other citizens and face tough challenges on their journey. There are a total of three playable factions in The Settlers, each with a unique look, playstyle and respective background story.
At release, The Settlers will be available in the following editions:
Standard Edition: Base game Deluxe Edition: Base game and deluxe pack featuring unlocked digital items
Players participating in the upcoming closed beta can expect to experience: Tutorial, two playable factions and two Skirmish modes, 1v1 and 2v2. Players will be able to play the closed beta for an unlimited time between January 20-24 on both Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store. The closed beta pre-load will be available on January 18.
Join the swashbuckling Tilia on her quest to defeat the evil pirate Blackbeard as sea-braving adventure RPG, Ocean’s Heart, launches on Nintendo Switch for $14.99/€14.99/£13.49. Brought to life by the creator of Yarntown, Max Mraz, and publisher Nordcurrent, Ocean’s Heart pays homage to the genre classics, enriching tried and true roleplaying concepts with a modern flair.
Ocean’s Heart is a charming pixel-art action RPG set in a spirited world brimming with secrets, magic, and perilous affairs. As Tilia, a young girl who’s father has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Blackbeard, you must set off on a treacherous journey through a vast and dangerous wilderness to rescue him, unraveling a web of pirate conspiracies on the way. Gather items along your journey to craft potions as well as expand and upgrade your ever-growing arsenal of weapons, constantly increasing your skills to fight boss adversaries and survive deadly dungeons.
“Ocean’s Heart wears its influences on its sleeve, so of course I am ecstatic to see the game come to Nintendo Switch. Ocean’s Heart is a love letter to the Legend of Zelda but it also has its own uniqueness that sets it apart. It’s about exploring, and the sense of satisfaction of finding a mystery out there, and trying to figure out what it means,” said Max Mraz, the developer of Ocean’s Heart. “So it lures you off the path by being full of hidden areas that hint at stories and hide new monsters and treasure. After building my vision for Ocean’s Heart from the ground up, it’s satisfying to see my game on the platform of its greatest inspiration.
“It is exciting to work with Max again to release Ocean’s Heart on Nintendo Switch. The system perfectly suits this kind of game and players will soon be able to see that for themselves,” said Andrius Mackevičius, Publishing Team Lead at Nordcurrent. “We love his vision and inspiration from the classic RPGs of the 80s and 90s, and we think that Ocean’s Heart delivers when it comes to nostalgia by offering hours of exciting top-down roleplaying action, an engaging story crafted with clever humor, and a beautiful pixel art aesthetic.”
Blade Assault, an action-packed roguelite platformer being published by NEOWIZ and developed by Team Suneat, is officially launching on Steam with its 1.0 version on January 17th, 2022. Packed to the brim with content, including the exciting final act, never before seen in Early Access, Blade Assault is the next great action roguelite from the publisher of Skul: The Hero Slayer.
The full version launches with three playable characters – Kil, Jenny, and Darcy, each with their own unique playstyle and signature weapons. There are over 200 different items from Cores to Gears, and Enhanced Weapons to equip your characters with in order to take on the monsters flooding the world of Blade Assault. With 3 new bosses (bringing the total to 7) and the “Ending” of the game now added, as well as the Friendship System which allows you to make friends and earn rewards from the game’s NPCs – there’s a whole lot to explore in this cyberpunk-fueled pixel world.
And if you manage to take down the big baddies, and beat the game? The Assault Level will test your might with its endless hard mode waves of enemies designed to challenge even the most seasoned players.
All this, and yes – new characters, bosses, and weapons are going to be added in the future with more details to follow.
Bring your powerbombs, fireballs, and steel chairs to the wrestling ring! VICO Game Studio, in partnership with Reverb Triple XP, has announced today that Action Arcade Wrestling will launch on Nintendo Switch this February. In a few short weeks, ‘90s arcade wrestling fans everywhere will be able to pass around a Joy-Con and land the ultimate finisher at home and on the go.
Choose from over 30 mighty characters and brawl across over 25 playable game modes, including 5-on-5 tag team, Elimination matches, Battle Royale, and more. Perform moonsaults, grab power-ups, unleash laser beams, and pummel the opposition with giant squeaky hammers! After sending rivals to dream land, head to the extensive Wrestle Lab to create the world’s greatest wrestling star, legendary superhero, or even recreate your friends! From old school rasslin’ fans to newcomers and everyone in between, Action Arcade Wrestling on Nintendo Switch can be enjoyed by anyone – anytime and anywhere!
Action Arcade Wrestling is a fast-paced, arcade wrestling extravaganza that superkicks overly simulated wrestling games out of the ring! Master powerful attacks and superhero-like abilities in the most over-the-top wrestling game ever conceived.
Action Arcade Wrestling will launch on Nintendo Switch this February and is currently available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Stay up to date on Action Arcade Wrestling by following the game on Twitter, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and visiting its official website at ActionArcadeWrestling.com.
XSEED Games, the independent-minded publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., released a new trailer that shares more information about some of the activities Earthmates can look forward to in Rune Factory 5, a brand-new fully 3D entry in the farming/life sim RPG franchise, when it launches in North America for the Nintendo Switch™ system on Mar. 22. From enjoying seasonal town festivals to taming wolves and battling dangerous foes that threaten the locals, the town of Rigbarth is ripe with opportunities for up-and-coming heroes to explore, socialize, and settle down with a partner.
The title is currently available for physical pre-order with a limited retail ‘Earthmate Edition’ and standard edition available for an MSRP of $79.99 and $59.99 respectively on the XSEED Games Store and participating retailers. The ‘Earthmate Edition’ includes a custom outer box with artwork from series illustrator Minako Iwasaki, an exclusive SteelBook® case, artbook with over 70 pages of character profiles and concept art, and more. All physical pre-orders through the XSEED Games Store include the option to bundle the game with an adorable Wooly keychain, modeled after the in-game sheep monster, while supplies last.
Developed by Marvelous Inc. and published in North America by XSEED Games, Rune Factory 5 will launch Mar. 22, 2022 on Nintendo Switch™ in North America. This game has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB.
For more information about Rune Factory 5, Earthmates can follow the Rune Factory social media account on Twitter @RuneFactory_NA or visit the official site at www.RuneFactory-5.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, get in depth info from their developer blog, and join the discussion on their Discord server at: http://discord.gg/XSEEDGames.
Astroneer, the award-winning space sandbox adventure with over eight million players to date, is out now on Nintendo Switch! To help celebrate, Astroneer players on all platforms can enjoy the new Xenobiology content update, available today on PC, Xbox, PlayStation®4 and Switch.
Now in its fifth year of active development, Astroneer arrives on Nintendo Switch including all 40+ content updates to date and four-player online drop-in/drop-out co-op, as well as a new adventure where you’ll embark on a mission across the solar system with your brand-new Galastropod friends. Snap together components to build bases and vehicles as you explore fantastic planets that can be entirely deformed and traversed.
Astroneer is available now on the Nintendo eShop for $29.99 For a limited time, players who purchase Astroneer on Switch can unlock the in-game “Power” bundle, featuring a palette and visor customization set!
For more information, visit the official website, and follow Astroneer on Twitter and Instagram.
Mattel, Inc. and Milestone, a leading global racing game developer, announced today the Hot Wheels Unleashed™ Design Battle, an exclusive contest for the global community of the fast-paced arcade racing game of the same name which sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
For over five decades, Hot Wheels has pushed the limits of automotive performance and design – celebrating the designers & builders whose relentless passion, unlimited vision, and endless hours of elbow grease fuel the creation of the beloved toy cars. Today, Hot Wheels honors this same garage spirit, now in digital form, through the launch of the Design Battle contest. The contest runs between Jan. 14, 2022 and Feb. 14, 2022.
Participants will design a livery for the Hot Wheels Rodger Dodger™ die-cast model using the in-game Livery Editor. The winning Rodger Dodger will be transformed into a real, physical Hot Wheels toy (scale 1:64) available for purchase globally in December 2022.
The winner will be chosen by a special judging panel of Mattel’s world-class designers:
Ted Wu – Vice President and Global Head of Vehicle Design, Mattel
Bryan Benedict – Director of Product Design, Mattel
Dmitriy Shakhmatov – Manager of Product Design, Mattel
Jerry Thienprasiddhi – Principal Graphic Designer, Mattel
To inspire the community’s creativity, international artists Van Orton Design and Oskunk designed their own unique Rodger Dodger vehicles using the in-game livery editor.
Van Orton Design, a special twin-duo from Italy, reimagine pop culture brands and icons in a unique, colorful and geometric way. Their art is famous all over the world thanks to amazing collaborations and prestigious exhibitions.
Oskunk is a French pop artist who has a distinctive style. His creations are well known by the gaming and pop culture community and his technique is full of creativity and uniqueness.
The Hot Wheels Unleashed Design Battle is available starting from today on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Steam.
The award winning and top-selling Monster Hunter™ series brings the critically acclaimed Monster Hunter Rise™ to PC today with a global launch on Steam for MSRP $59.99. The PC release of Monster Hunter Rise offers features including 4K resolution support, advanced graphics options, voice chat, ultra-wide monitor support, and more. Following its highly regarded Nintendo Switch™ release earlier this year, Monster Hunter Rise transports players to the colorful Kamura Village as it prepares to defend against the looming Rampage. At launch, hunters can tackle all previously released post-launch and collaboration content up to the Nintendo Switch 3.6.1 update solo, or with up to three other players in cooperative online play!
To overcome the looming Rampage, the hunters of Kamura must make use of the new Palamute hunting companions and “Wirebug” grappling mechanic as they engage in the series’ trademark action-packed combat. The “Canyne” Palamute companions join the series favorite “Felyne” Palicoes in assisting players while out on a hunt. In addition to lending their considerable offensive capabilities to any fight, Palamutes can also carry hunters on their back to swiftly chase any fleeing monsters and traverse the open maps. Wirebugs, on the other hand, allow hunters to nimbly grapple in any direction during a hunt, and can be paired with each of the 14 weapon types to create unique “Silkbind Attacks.” Damaging monsters with these new attacks will make them susceptible to the new “Wyvern riding” technique, which allows players to temporarily take control of a monster and yields spectacular battle sequences during a hunt.
When players aren’t exploring the five expansive locales, such as the Shrine Ruins, Flooded Forest, and Sandy Plains, they can also battle hordes of massive monsters in the new Rampage quest type introduced in Monster Hunter Rise. In these quests, hunters must work with the citizens of Kamura Village to prepare their defensive installations and guard the Stronghold barricades against waves of invading monsters, including any powerful Apex monsters that may arrive during the siege. In addition to the new game mode, Monster Hunter Rise also introduces new “Switch Skills” for each weapon as hunters progress through the game. By swapping out these new skills with existing Silkbind or regular attacks, players can create all new combos and strategies that match their preferred playstyle.
Monster Hunter Rise will also include new features to improve joining up with others for hunts. Dynamic difficulty scaling for multiplayer automatically adjusts as new players enter and exit a hub quest. The new “Hunter Connect” feature will allow players to create tags with their objectives and playstyle, search for other players with the same tags or invite friends to any tags they have joined. Upon completing a quest in multiplayer, players will also be able to like the other hunters in their party, and increase the likelihood of finding each other in matchmaking.
The PC release of Monster Hunter Rise includes a robust roster of monsters to overcome, including all content up to the Nintendo Switch 3.6.1 update. These free title updates featured multiple additional monsters including the returning fan-favorites Chameleos and Valstrax, in addition to collaboration content with iconic games such as Okami, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and more. Future post-launch contents will be synched with the Nintendo Switch version at the end of February 2022. Additionally, the massive Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak™ paid expansion will be arriving for players on both Nintendo Switch and PC in Summer 2022. More information regarding Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak will be available at a later date.
In addition to the MSRP $59.99 Standard Edition of Monster Hunter Rise, a special MSRP $69.99 Deluxe Edition will include the Standard Edition of the game, as well as a digital DLC pack voucher that can be redeemed for bonus in-game content such as a “Kamurai” full layered armor set, exclusive gestures, cosmetic items and more. PC players will receive a free celebratory item pack filled with useful items at launch, alongside access to the Guild Cross armor set, which offers high defense to get through the early-game quests and reach high rank in no time.
Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of online games, and Cryptic Studios announced that Neverwinter’s 22nd module, Dragonbone Vale, is now available on PC (Arc Games, Epic Games Store and Steam), and will launch on PlayStation and Xbox consoles on February 8. The latest module for the free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons® MMORPG marks the return of the game’s main antagonist, Valindra Shadowmantle, as she’s joined forces with the Cult of the Dragon in the Sword Mountains to bring undeath to dragons across Faerûn. In addition to familiar foes coming back to Neverwinter, the module introduces plenty of new content for adventurers, including a new adventure zone that brings brand-new grappling hook traversal mechanics and a new faction reputation system to earn rewards, a new 10-player trial featuring Valindra, new heroic encounters, and more.
Adventurers can expect even more content to enjoy in Neverwinter, as an additional content update bringing a new Epic Adventure, Scaleblight Mythal, will soon be available for players to experience the ending of the Dragonbone Vale story, and it will offer a new region in the Sword Mountains to explore. Adventurers will have access to this content on PC beginning February 8 and on consoles starting March 8.
About Dragonbone Vale
In Dragonbone Vale, the evil lich Valindra Shadowmantle has returned to threaten the Sword Coast alongside the Cult of the Dragon, who have come to possess an ancient artifact with the potential to amplify their foul rituals of undeath. Under the leadership of famed wizard Elminster Aumar, the brave Heroes of Neverwinter will need to work with the allied factions of Protector’s Enclave, to reclaim the Dragonbone Vale and put a stop to the Cult’s plans.
Dragonbone Vale introduces plenty of playable content and exciting updates for PC players to explore:
Dragonbone Vale Adventure Zone & Campaign – In this new adventure zone, Heroes of Neverwinter set out from the encampment of the four allied factions and work their way through four distinct regions of the Sword Mountains: Whetstone Thicket, Quellwater Tarn, Wyrmbone Marrows, and Scaleblight Summit. The adventure zone includes the following unique features:
Grappling Hook Mechanics – For the first time ever in Neverwinter you can grapple around specific, designated spots of the Dragonbone Vale adventure zone with a grappling hook, allowing vertical exploration and new ways to travel the zone. These mechanics won’t be available in other zones outside of Dragonbone Vale at this time.
Faction Reputation System: By completing faction-specific quests, such as heroic encounters, defending supply lines, gathering dragonsight treasures and more, players can build reputation with each of the four factions,which they can use to unlock various rewards and features, including faction cosmetics, companion gear, and more.
The Crown of Keldegonn Trial – A new 10-player trial where heroes confront Valindra and the dracolich Palhavorithyn atop the dwarven ruins of Keldegonn. Players can begin to unlock the trial on January 18.
Scaleblight Mythal (Epic Adventure) – The story’s culmination in Sword Mountain’s Scaleblight Summit region. Members of the Shield of the North Alliance assault the location of the great ritual and fight to stop Valindra and the Cult of the Dragon from invoking Rite of the Dracolich to bring undeath to all dragons. Adventurers will have access to this content on PC beginning February 8 and on consoles starting March 8.
Enchantment and Refinement Overhaul – This update brings quality of life improvements to the refinement system and all-new enchantments.
Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG featuring fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding lands, learning the vivid history of the iconic city in the Forgotten Realms and battling its many enemies. Neverwinter is available on PC and is free to play digitally on Xbox One (Xbox Live Gold membership not required) and PlayStation®4 (PlayStation®Plus not required).
