Annapurna Interactive’s upcoming puzzle game Maquette will launch onto PlayStation Plus on March 2. Maquette takes place in a recursive world where players experience the life cycle of a loving relationship and features Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards nominee Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World,” “The Help,” “As You Like It,” “The Village”) and Saturn Awards nominee Seth Gabel (“Fringe,” “Salem,” “Genius”, “Nip/Tuck”) as lead characters Kenzie and Michael. The game will also launch on March 2, 2021 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 for $19.99.
Developed by Graceful Decay and published by Annapurna Interactive, Maquette is a first person recursive puzzle game filled with stunning environments and eye-opening moments, as well as an adventure of love, loss, and acceptance. Each chapter in this modern-day love story features unique interactive puzzles and invites players to navigate memories by exploring worlds-within-worlds filled with awe-inspiring architecture, influenced by the studio’s original home in San Francisco. The game’s unique use of a recursive environment and object size manipulation challenges players to use creative thinking in order to solve each MC Escher-esque puzzle. Watch Maquette’s latest trailer here.
Hanford Lemoore, Graceful Decay’s founder, first introduced Maquette’s original prototype at the 2011 Game Developers Conference and Experimental Gameplay Workshop, where it gained immediate praise and intrigue from developers and media.
To stay up to date on Maquette news, please visit maquettegame.com.
As seen today on The Pinball Show, Zen Studios has announced that Star Wars™ Pinball tables are finally coming to virtual reality for the first time ever. Star Wars™ Pinball VR will release on the original Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2, Steam VR, and PlayStation® VR on April 29, 2021. The game’s reveal trailer is a heartfelt homage to the classic theatrical preview for the 1997 Star Wars Special Editions.
Star Wars Pinball VR will launch with eight amazing tables. The Mandalorian and Star Wars Classic Collectibles – two tables never before released – will be joined by six remastered favorites, including Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars Rebels, and Masters of the Force.
Beyond the incredible realism added by VR, Star Wars Pinball VR upgrades the core Star Wars Pinball experience with new features exclusive to this release. The “Fan Cave” is the new home for both your pinball table and the customizable array of Star Wars lightsabers, blasters, helmets and more you’ll earn while playing. Place an action figure on the pinball table and the room comes to life – not only with a new table to play, but with life-sized characters and vehicles joining you on either side. Total Immersion mode lets you experience everything at table level, standing you side-by-side with your favorite characters. And full 360-degree mini-games surround you with iconic Star Wars set pieces like the speeder bike chase on Endor, the Bespin carbon-freezing chamber duel, and more.
In addition, players will have access to classic Star Wars Pinball features like Career mode, Force powers, competitive game modes, haptic controller feedback, your own personal cantina jukebox and more.
“Zen Studios has had great success bringing Pinball FX digital tables to VR, and we couldn’t be happier to finally have Star Wars enter the mix,” says Mel Kirk, Chief Operating Officer at Zen Studios. “It really does feel like you’re playing an actual pinball machine right in front of you! Star Wars Pinball VR is built to be expanded upon, too – no announcements just yet, but we’re hoping to keep the blast doors open for new DLC in the future.”
Star Wars Pinball VR was revealed on The Pinball Show – Zen Studios’ new monthly YouTube program featuring news, interviews and more. For more information on Star Wars Pinball VR, as well as the rest of Zen’s library of digital titles, visit StarWarsPinball.com and ZenStudios.com.
Today, independent developer and publisher Unknown Worlds Entertainment announced that Subnautica: Below Zero will launch on May 14, 2021 for PC and Mac via STEAMⓇ and Epic Game Store, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in both physical and digital editions for $29.99. Unknown Worlds Entertainment has also partnered with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. to distribute physical editions in the Americas, EMEA, and Japan.
The sequel to the critically acclaimed Subnautica, Subnautica: Below Zero invites players to explore the treacherous waters below the icy surface of Planet 4546B, an alien world where mysterious aquatic creatures and other watery wonders test the limits of how far they’re willing to go to survive. With an all-new story, a massive open world to explore, new technology to craft, and strange mysteries to uncover; Subnautica: Below Zero promises an adventure that’s out of this world.
The Subnautica series tests the limits of how far players are willing to go in wonder and peril of its alien ocean worlds. Since its full release in 2018, Subnautica has captivated both press and players for its massive open world and immersive gameplay, winning multiple industry awards and nominations.
For the first time, Subnautica will be available on the Nintendo Switch on May 14 with a physical bundle offering both Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero for $59.99.
“Subnautica: Below Zero has grown and evolved based on community feedback in Early Access and we’re excited to finally launch the full-blown sequel to Subnautica,” says Ted Gill, President of Unknown Worlds. “After two years of implementing player feedback and adding new features and content, we’re excited to welcome players back to the depths of Planet 4546B to find an all new experience on PC and console.”
Imagine living a life controlled by constant fear. Imagine being enslaved by phobias dictating what you can and cannot do. Picture yourself developing countless rituals intended to help you keep your fear under control, but which instead further enslaved you and only added to your burden. Imagine going to bed and waking up with mental pain that seems to grow and become more unbearable every day. Are you able to picture these things? Can you at least try to visualize what kind of a living hell this life must be? Rest assured that whatever you envision won’t come close to reality. Only then will you understand that you’d do anything and everything to make it all stop.
A brand new, feature-complete demo of Nightdive Studios’ upcoming FPS/RPG hybrid, the System Shock remake, will be available for download today via the major digital services, offering players the most complete look yet of the opening chapter to Nightdive’s highly anticipated title. Nightdive Studios is also pleased to announce that pre-orders will go live today ahead of the game’s global Windows PC release in summer of 2021 on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Game Store. When System Shock launches later this year, it will also be available on Amazon Luna, the new cloud gaming service from Amazon.
As a System Shock pre-order incentive, Nightdive Studios’ upcoming updated classic System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition will be free for all early buyers.
To celebrate this momentous event, in cooperation with Alienware, the Nightdive team will also show off the latest System Shock remake build in an exclusive developer playthrough on Alienware Arena today at 11am EST.
Be among the first to glimpse at what awaits you in the enhanced cyber-horror remake. Make sure to tune in as Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick and Lead Artist Evelyn Mansell showcase the remake’s stunning new visuals and modernized gameplay, as well as go behind-the-scenes on the game’s development. Starting later today, Nightdive and Alienware will also offer Alienware Arena members a chance to obtain one of 10,000 Steam keys of System Shock: Enhanced Edition — the classic game that launched the sci-fi horror series, expertly refreshed by Nightdive to take advantage of today’s gaming hardware.
The new System Shock is a complete remake of the groundbreaking immersive sim, first released in 1994. Players, in the space-boots of an unnamed hacker who awakes after a six-month snooze, finds Citadel Station in quite the state. Murderous robots, killer cyborgs, and malicious mutants have run amok. And the station’s AI, SHODAN, seems to have developed quite the God complex.
Nightdive has given the entirely remade System Shock the full treatment, recreating the fan-favorite title for modern players with all-new HD visuals, updated controls, revamped hacking, and a renovated Citadel Station with all sorts of new areas and secrets to uncover.
System Shock features include:
The Return of SHODAN: The talented Terri Brosius returns to bring her unique vocal venom to the villainous AI SHODAN
Hackers Gonna Hack: System Shock features a totally revamped hacking system featuring new 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) gameplay, providing new enemies and challenges
Familiar but… Different: Citadel Station is bigger and more terrifying than ever with all-new areas, traps, puzzles, and of course, plenty of secrets to uncover
The Sound of Terror: Re-recorded audio logs provide players with a drip-feed of horrifying lore as they piece together exactly what went wrong for the dwellers of Citadel Station
Robots and Zombies and Lasers… Oh My: Blast, smash, and occasionally flee from re-imagined enemies like angry Repair-Bots, “Hopper” Mobile Lasers, mutants, cyborgs, and all kinds of bloodthirsty monsters and aggressive automatons
System Shock is available to pre-order today for PC and Linux via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Game Store for $44.95. The new playable demo can also be found on each of the respective storefronts.
1C Entertainment is proud to announce Horror Story: Hallowseed, their new addition to the company’s line-up! Horror Story: Hallowseed is a story-driven psychological horror game currently available via Steam Early Access. The full release of the game is planned for this Summer for PC via Steam and other digital stores.
The Early Access version that is currently available to the players is an introduction to the game’s story. While the full version that is planned to launch this Summer, will include a bigger map, more levels to explore, plenty of new in-game events / micro-scares and puzzles to solve, and overall will provide around 6 hours of gameplay.
Horror Story: Hallowseed is a single-player story-driven psychological horror game that takes place in a fictional location, forgotten by time, all wrapped in a mysterious demonic terror! Three friends were camping in the woods, when an obscure event takes them away, causing two of them to disappear. Left alone in an unknown place, Michael seeks answers about what happened, while trying to find his friends.
Key Features:
Story-rich – The player is driven by the story of a village that used to follow God’s way, but an obscure power seduced some of them and condemned them to the darkness. While seeking to save his friends, Michael will uncover what role he plays in all this tragedy.
Micro-scares system – a random system of… scary events that are activated based on how the player interacts with the environment and will make you jump from your chair (or couch)!
Atmospheric – Immersive sounding and stunning visuals
Inspired by Horror Movie Classics: Insidious, The Conjuring and The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Hallowseed is the first chapter in the Horror Story series by Jeff Winner
Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted. Here’s the official teaser trailer for Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.
Starring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Raúl Castillo, Michael Cassidy, and Garret Dillahunt.
Story by Zack Snyder
Screenplay by Zack Snyder & Shay Hatten and Joby Harold
Directed by Zack Snyder
KOEI TECMO America and developer Omega Force are excited to teleport gamers into an epic historical drama thanks to the return of one of its most iconic franchises, as SAMURAI WARRIORS 5 introduces a re-imagined experience – from the visuals to the storyline – to open the curtain on an all-new SAMURAI WARRIORS series. The electrifying 1 vs. 1,000 tactical action game is currently under development for the Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System (playable on PlayStation®5 via Backward Compatibility), the Xbox One consoles (playable on Xbox Series X|S via Backward Compatibility), and Windows PC via Steam®, and is set to launch across North America on July 27, 2021.
SAMURAI WARRIORS 5 takes place after the end of the Ōnin War, during the Sengoku period, and tells the story of two of the most preeminent military commanders of this period – Nobunaga Oda, and Mitsuhide Akechi. This title includes various eras from this period, including the younger years of Nobunaga, when he was known as “Owari’s Great Fool,” and the period of turmoil and upheaval leading to the Honnō-ji Incident.
All of the game’s character designs have been completely redesigned and re-imagined to help fit the storyline’s Sengoku time period. In total, SAMURAI WARRIORS 5 features 27 playable characters, including both new and returning warriors, from Ieyasu Tokugawa and Hideyoshi Hashiba to Nō, and Yoshimoto Imagawa. Original character Mitsuki – a Kōga Ninja, has also been added, with other new characters to be announced at a later date.
In addition, all-new Musou actions have been added to the series – including newly designed Musou Frenzy Attacks – elevating the thrill of blowing away hordes of enemy soldiers in exhilarating fashion. These actions are displayed in a vibrant new Japanese ink painting art style, elegantly evolving the SAMURAI WARRIORS series to showcase the Sengoku period in stunning fashion as the intertwining stories of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide unravel on screen like a Sengoku period picture scroll.
For more information on SAMURAI WARRIORS 5, please visit the official site, Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/koeitecmous and Follow us on Twitter @koeitecmoUS.
After a ten-month Early Access phase, Toplitz Productions is off to a strong start in the spring with the full release of Lumberjack’s Dynasty!
Cut down trees, plant trees – but STOP – this colourful genre mix offers so much more than pure forestry work! Lumberjack’s Dynasty is a unique mixture of life, economy and lumberjack simulation including the founding of your very own dynasty.
Toplitz Productions brings an extensive update to Lumberjack Dynasty with the release of the master version 1.0.
This final release version is set to inspire new lumberjacks while increasing the fun for all those who faithfully supported the Development Team during the Early Access phase, again and again!
Now it’s time to flirt and date – if you are successful you may end up getting married and starting your own virtual family. Besides the potential for home happiness, don’t get too distracted as you have a sawmill, woods, your farm with plenty of livestock to look after.
The role as lumberjack and landowner has now grown because there is the possibility to tackle large projects such as bridge-building. The graphical representations of the characters and environments have all been given an excellent polish to compliment the full game release.
The normal everyday madness of a lumberjack awaits you, where there is far too much to do for boredom to ever have a chance!
Find even more Lumberjack’s Dynasty in the Digital Supporter Pack! The Lumberjack’s Dynasty digital supporter pack grants access to various digital goodies with exclusive content such as the comprehensive “Getting Started Guide”, wallpapers, the original soundtrack, six Ponsse Feature Videos and a detailed World Map.
War is an inescapable part of human history. And when you’re trying to build an empire, the day may come when you’ll want to lead troops into battle yourself, much like Caesar or Napoleon. In HUMANKIND™, our upcoming historical strategy title, you will not only be the ruler and decision maker for your empire, but also be the one to give the battle orders directly. Prepare to master the art of war!
Feature focus #10 “Art of War” dives into some of the basics of Battles in HUMANKIND™. Units are grouped into armies, allowing players to efficiently control many units which then deploy to fight directly on the map. You’ll have full control of exactly where each unit is placed, where they move, and what they attack – meaning that you’ll be able to take full advantage of the terrain.
That’s if you choose to engage of course! An auto-resolve button has been included for those less interested in the details of war. This was just one of many requests we received as feedback during our previous OpenDev gameplay slices, where we invited the community to help us improve the game.
Check out the full video here to learn more about combat, as well as the changes being integrated thanks to community feedback.
