Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for November, 2019

Krakow, Poland – November 7th – Launching today, Ritual: Crown of Horns fires out a volley of tactically weird western action on both PC and Switch after spending the last few months in Early Access on Steam. With the help of some wonderful user feedback, the team has managed to get the guns oiled, the incantations perfected, and the dusters laundered, meaning the game is finally ready to head out on that full release trail. Early players of Ritual: Crown of Horns have been praising its dark and dusty atmospheric presentation and focus on gut instinct and careful play over simple spraying and praying.

Working with Draw Distance was pure pleasure and so is releasing Ritual: Crown of Horns to the public. The game has underwent huge improvements from the latest Steam Early Access build thanks to the tireless work of the developer who strived for anything but perfection. I feel they nailed the feeling of being a bad-ass gunslinger in the Weird West and I hope people who love action games will fall in love with the game as we did. – Rafal Basaj, CEO, Feardemic

Ritual: Crown of Horns releases today on on both the Nintendo Switch and on Windows via Steam for $19.99 USD, though the game is currently 20% off until November 11th on Switch and November 15th on Steam.

Players on Nintendo Switch can also expect a patch very soon, which will add the support for French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian languages to the game.

About Ritual: Crown of Horns

Ritual: Crown of Horns is a slaughterhouse: a fast-paced action game set in an alternate Wild West, a demonic version of a hellish frontier. This arcade-inspired title unravels a tale about an unlikely duo: a bounty hunter who comes back from beyond the grave, yearning to exact revenge on his killers and a witch who aids him with a series of powerful rituals to further her own agenda.

Push back hordes of enemies, while the witch performs her ritual. Work a varied arsenal of firearms to your advantage: mindfully swapping between weapons and spells. Unlock new tools and powerful items which boost your gunslingers stats and changes their look. Travel throughout the Weird West picking your missions and planning future unlocks to finally exact your revenge!

Ritual: Crown of Horns is a skill based game, where split-second decisions and planning on the go are more powerful than button mashing and throwing yourself mindlessly at enemies.

Features:

• Unique auto-aiming system
• A satisfying arsenal at your disposal such as shotguns, six-shooters, rifles, crossbows, and a few surprises that are a little less era-appropriate.
• Outrageous enemies to fight including brainwashed cultists, supernatural legendary creatures, bizarre murderous contraptions
• Creative spells and power-ups that can violently alter the way you approach each combat encounter.
• Unique Gothic Horror meets Weird Western artstyle.

Source: PR Email

Paris – November 7, 2019 – Today, Microids and Paws, Inc. are delighted to announce the European release of Garfield Kart Furious Racing on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch. The game is also available worldwide today on Steam!

Garfield Kart Furious Racing will launch November 19 in North America on all consoles.

Bring your family and friends together for up to 8 players online craziness and up to 4 players split screen action on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The Nintendo Switch version will allow 2 players to play in split screen mode, but players can take advantage of local, wireless connection to connect up to 8 consoles!

Three game modes will be available to please even the toughest of drivers: Grand Prix, Single Race and Time Trial.

Source: PR Email

Manchester, UK – Nov 7th, 2019 — Merge are delighted to announce that Sparklite is now available to pre-order on Nintendo Switch & Xbox One. Ahead of the November 14th launch on Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC, Merge Games will also be giving players a taste of what to expect in the top-down action adventure with the Sparklite Steam demo early next week!

The upcoming demo was the first unlock in the Steam Wishlist promotion, where Red Blue Games and Merge reward excited fans with content as more add Sparklite to their wishlists. Fans of Sparklite will also soon have access to a Hi-Res Wallpaper.

Sparklite will be available to purchase on the Nintendo eShop, PSN store, Xbox Games Store and Steam on November 14th, and is now available to pre-order from the Nintendo eShop and the Xbox Games Store. Sparklite will be priced at £19.99 & $/€24.99 and have an introductory 15% discount on platforms during the following periods:

• Nintendo eShop 15% November 7th to November 20th
• PSN store 15% November 14th to November 20th
• Xbox Games Store 15% November 7th to November 20th
• Steam 15% November 14th to November 20th.

About Sparklite

Sparklite is an action-adventure set in a whimsical, ever-changing land and is inspired by classic titles like The Legend of Zelda. As Ada, players will solve puzzles and battle foes in top-down action using an arsenal of gadgets, guns, and gear. Explore dangerous corners of the procedurally generated world, take down titans of the mining industry, and harness the power of Sparklite! As featured in Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase alongside unveilings across PAX events such as ID@Xbox, ‘The Mix Seattle’, ‘Kinda Funny’ Showcase, as well as the ‘Monsters of Indie’ Superstar Dev Panel, Sparklite continues to make an impact as a must-play indie game in 2019.

Source: PR Email

PHILADELPHIA — Nov. 7, 2019 — Jamestown+, the beloved top-down four-player retro shooter set on British Colonial Mars from Final Form Games, enters the atmosphere on Nintendo Switch™ and PC via Steam December 12. All updates and improvements debuting in the plus edition will also come as a free update to the PlayStation®4 version.

Jamestown+ adds to the original classic with new content including two levels on Mars’ moons, starring dangerous alien insectoids and pirate cyber-crabs led by a Human Queen, and four new ships allowing for 36 unique weapon configurations. Countless improvements including new background and enemy artwork, level layout and bullet pattern tweaks, and remastered 5.1 surround sound music and effects make this the definitive version of everyone’s favorite futuristic Alt-History shmup.

Strap in for a rocket-fueled, bewilderingly imaginative adventure across 17th-Century Mars and her moons. Escaping a death sentence on Earth, Sir Walter Raleigh sets a course for Mars, home to his only refuge: Jamestown. Absolve Sir Walter by uncovering the truth behind the disappearance of Roanoke and defending the good peoples of the New World from a Conquistador hellbent on conquering the colonies using an ancient, terrible power.

Soar through the skies aboard one of twelve Conveyances, rocket-sleds with mighty weapons. Tear through oncoming enemies with the simple but reliable Beam ship. Experiment with the Ghost ship, capable of summoning a duplicate ship to maintain support fire while daring pilots get up close and personal with the legendary sword Excalibur. Roll the dice with the Fortune ship, which mimics other ships after death and requires a high degree of adaptability.

Rise up and rebel against the malevolent Conquistador and his army of robots and Martian Warriors by weaving through streams of bullets. Dodge, dip and dive out of the way while fighting to end tyranny on Mars. Every aspect of Jamestown+ — from lush pixel landscapes to enemy design to gameplay mechanics— was hand-designed with an emphasis on presenting something fresh every 10-15 seconds. An emotionally-stirring orchestral score raises the stakes and makes victory all the sweeter.

This adventure need not be faced alone. Join forces with up to three other players of any skill level – Jamestown+ is always better with a friend. Final Form Games specifically focused on making co-op harmonious, so Jamestown+ can be as beginner-friendly or tough-as-nails as a group prefers, but always requires only three buttons. Fire, Special Attack, and Vaunt, a shield capable of emergency protection and score amplification. Ascend the leaderboards and try Judgement difficulty for the pinnacle challenge.

“Jamestown is best when played with a full squad, so we designed it to be approachable to anyone,” said Tim Ambrogi co-founder of Final Form Games. “Our game has something for everyone, so why not call up some friends or family and have a wonderful night on Mars?”

Jamestown+ comes to Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam December 12 for $17.99. The game will be available for pre-order on the Nintendo Switch eShop on November 28 for just under $15, at a 17% discount. The PlayStation 4 version will receive the same updates when the Switch and PC versions launch.

Source: PR Email

TOKYO – Nov. 7, 2019 – Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) publishing label UNTIES today releases Tokyo Dark -Remembrance-, the anime-style murder mystery merging visual novel and adventure features, on Nintendo Switch™. PlayStation 4™ sleuths will join the macabre investigation at a date to be announced.

The plot thickens with the release of -Remembrance-, which developers Cherrymochi and mebius. have rebuilt entirely in a new engine. Colorful animated sequences by Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Hellsing Ultimate animation studio Graphinica bring to life the dark horror scenery of a crime-riddled Tokyo. Additional content and more endings for the branching narrative round out this ultimate edition of Tokyo Dark.

The disappearance of Detective Ito Ayami’s partner isn’t the only unsettling occurrence plaguing Japan’s capital city. Strange symbols and a mysterious masked figure have popped up all over its many districts. Ito must delve into the city’s seedy underbelly to uncover the truth behind the supernatural occurrences and find her friend before it is too late.

Ito’s actions and decisions are tracked by the S.P.I.N (Sanity, Professionalism, Investigation, Neurosis) system, which affects character interactions and available story paths. Playing by the rules might keep her in good standing with her fellow police officers and open up favors to aid the investigation, while often resorting to violence could irreparably turn citizens against her, closing paths further down the line.

“Tokyo Dark -Remembrance- emphasizes balancing opposing forces mechanically, visually and thematically,” said Mao Mitani, G&R Representative, UNTIES. “The developers have perfected the core ideas with the Switch and upcoming PlayStation 4 releases, taking Ito’s journey to even more chilling places with innovative systems tracking every in-game action.”

Tokyo Dark -Remembrance- is available now on Nintendo Switch for 20% off the regular price of $19.99 USD/€17.99 until Nov. 13. English and German are supported in text only, with voice acting also available in Japanese.

Source: PR Email

We’re happy to finally be able to announce our entirely new game Alwa’s Legacy. It’s a passion project that we’ve been working on for more than a year and a half and it feels great to be able to share more details about the game and how it plays.

Alwa’s Legacy is a modern retro game full of dangerous dungeons, magical items and ancient secrets. By upgrading your magic, any way forward is right in this non-linear adventure game full of exploration.

Our Kickstarter is live now and we need all the help we can get!

Our first game was a small hobby game that turned into an indie success and Alwa’s Legacy is being made by the same core team. But in order to finish a bigger game, we needed a bigger team so we had to hire three more artists to come work with us. There’s no need to have played Alwa’s Awakening in order to enjoy Alwa’s Legacy. They are both standalone experiences and can be enjoyed separately.

Source: PR Email

TORONTO – November 6, 2019 – Riverbond, the shoot-and-slash dungeon crawler with solo and couch co-op play from Cococucumber, sets out for adventure on Nintendo Switch Dec. 10, 2019 with a new world and Spelunky crossover skin, simultaneously coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam for PC as a free update.

The cute characters, vibrant worlds, and streamlined action of Riverbond are perfect for all ages, at home or on-the-go. Bust up enemy creatures and whimsical bosses on a solo or co-op quest for up to four players. Master quirky melee and ranged weapons like giant sticks of ham or powerful ray guns. Delve deeper into a world of colorful cubes just waiting to be smashed. Each area boasts a new objective and ever-better loot awaits those brave enough to face the challenge.

An ethereal adventure awaits on Switch, as the new Crystalwatch levels add a brilliant fantasy world of fearsome lizard foes and peaceful badger monks. Explore nine worlds as dozens of charming character skins, including indie crossovers like Spelunky Guy from Spelunky, who joins Raz Aquato from Psychonauts, The Kid from Bastion, Shovel Knight, and more.

From mysterious airborne castles to haunting underground caverns, Riverbond’s eclectic world welcomes would-be adventurers with diverse environments to explore. Composers Mike Rocha and Ryan Roth (Void Bastards, The Beginner’s Guide, Starseed Pilgrim) punctuates the proceedings with a dramatic, synthesized score elevating the action to thrilling heights.

“We’re inspired by cooperative RPGs and classic action games of yesteryears and look forward to welcoming players with a wonderful and spirited adventure,” said Vanessa Chia, Co-Founder and Art Director, Cococucumber. “Riverbond marries the fast-paced action we’re so nostalgic for with modern gameplay and drop-in-drop-out co-op and, giving friends and families dazzling new worlds to explore together on Nintendo Switch.”

Riverbond will release Dec. 10, 2019 for $24.99 USD/€ 21.99 on Nintendo Switch, joining the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam for PC platforms with game updates and the Spelunky Guy crossover skin debuting on all systems. A 20% discount will also be available on all platforms at launch. Riverbond is available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Spanish (Latin America), Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Source: PR Email

Baltimore, MD – November 6th 2019 –  Gambrinous, an award-winning independent game studio, and Versus Evil, one of the leading independent game publishers, today announced that their role-playing game Cardpocalypse will be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on December 12th.

From the award-winning indie game studio, Gambrinous, creators of Guild of Dungeoneering, comes an RPG where battles are played with an epic collectible card game. Cardpocalypse takes you back to the 1990’s, a time when computers used floppy disks, and people read magazines for video game cheat codes. You will explore Dudsdale Elementary on a mission to build killer card decks in an effort to defeat the mutants. You will have to trade, earn, wager, change rules and permanently alter cards on your way to victory.

“Gambrinous is an innovative and imaginative developer and Cardpocalypse is a testament to that. The games unique blend of RPG and card game mechanics, not to mention its killer wit, positions Cardpocalypse as one of the standout card based battlers on console,” said Steve Escalante, General Manager of Versus Evil.

About Cardpocalypse:

Make friends, play cards, twist the rules, become a Mega Mutant Power Pets master, and try to save the world in this single-player RPG about being a 90’s kid. On her first day at Dudsdale Elementary, 10-year old Jess accidentally gets everybody’s favorite collectible card game banned, forcing the kids to take their card battles underground. Troubles arise when mutants from the game invade the real world, and it’s up to Jess and friends to stop them.

BE A CHAMPION: Build your decks around the ultra rare Champion cards you earn. Each Champion comes with unique abilities to tailor your deck around. First player to get their opponent’s Champion card’s health to zero wins the match.

GO MEGA: Champion cards evolve to their MEGA forms when their health halves, doing more attack damage and gaining new powers.

CHANGE THE GAME: The kids sometimes use house rules and who knows what the Mutants will change. Throughout the game you will choose the new rules and conditions as well as renaming your favorite cards and giving them upgrades using stickers. Create entirely new cards using the Mega Mutant Power Magazine. But be careful, these decisions are permanent.

GET SCRAPPY: Adventure throughout the school to unravel the strange occurrences at Dudsdale Elementary. Take on quests to earn cards, stickers, and candy which you can collect and trade with your classmates. Careful, there’s no backsies!

YOU CAN’T COLLECT ‘EM ALL: In the end, your decks and rules will be unique to you. Stickers are rare, choices matter, and sometimes you’ll have to make a tough decision to get the best cards.

THE 1990’s: Through its totally rad, choice-driven, interactive narrative, Cardpocalypse delivers the experience of being a 90’s kid. Boo-ya!

You can also find Cardpocalypse on the Apple Arcade and Epic Games Store now!

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif. – November 5, 2019 – Bowser rides a horse and Dr. Eggman jumps off the high dive. Luigi and Tails go on a quest to free Mario and Sonic from the Tokyo ’64 video game console, where they’ve been trapped as retro 8-bit and 16-bit versions of themselves.

Where else could that happen? Nowhere. And just in time for the holidays, you can experience these fun, entertaining adventures for yourselves with family and friends. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is ready for you to join the party starting today, only on Nintendo Switch!

Get everyone together and go for the gold with Mario & Sonic!

Here are three quirky ideas to create your own fun mem(e)ories this holiday season:

1. Take a Leap of Fun: Jump off the high board, tap some buttons, and nail a splash-free execution in the 10m Platform Diving event with retro-style gameplay. Peach always keeps her crown on too, somehow.
2. Paddle, Paddle Mario: In all his 2D, sprite-filled glory, show off Mario’s strong arms as he paddles his way to victory in Kayak!
3. Luigi’s On Vacation from Chasing Ghosts: The plumber in green needs a break from all his frightening adventures – for some sharp turns and carving waves in Surfing!

Share your shots with us on Twitter with @SEGA and @sonic_hedgehog for a chance to be featured!

Source: PR Email

Manchester, United Kingdom, November 4^th, 2019 – Tri-Heart Interactive are excited to announce that their action-packed local multiplayer, The Otterman Empire will be firing onto Steam, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One early 2020. Grab a friend or three and take to the skies for co-op and versus modes in this friendship making – or breaking – party game!

Choose your otter, customize your jetpack, add a weapon of spectacular power and leap into an otterly epic local multiplayer blast-fest with rapidly switching objectives and aerial antics, set across a sprawling universe where otters reign supreme.

The Otterman Empire features intense split-screen multiplayer action, blurring the lines between shooters and party games. Players are propelled by jetpacks, adding a captivating new twist to shoot ‘em up versus gameplay whilst intensifying the frenzied fun tenfold. Each two minute round demands a new objective with its own unique rules and gameplay dynamics. Randomly generated objectives and supply drops keep players on their toes and guarantees that no two games of The Otterman Empire are ever the same.

Compelling single player and co-op progressive campaigns also invite players to work together or to fly solo in the face of evil, as all that stands between deranged scientist, Tiko, and his destruction of the empire. Featuring a huge variety of challenges across an entire galaxy, intense and immersive campaign modes put the fate of the world in the players’ paws!

Since its inception, The Otterman Empire has been a community-driven project, extensively playtested and refined with the help of a thriving and dedicated fan base providing feedback at every stage. “Working with the community hands-on has been a big eye-opener for us as developers,” said Tri-Heart Interactive Managing Director, Kieran Rogers. “Coming out the gate as a ‘community-driven game developer’ has impacted the choices we’ve made every step of the way. Having a tight-knit community that is as invested in the game as much as we are, gives us a broader perspective on a project that we are so close to and it has helped us to create a party game we’re really proud of.”

Game Features

• Eight dynamic local multiplayer modes including the fast-paced, Squiditch, explosive Detonator and sharp-shooting Target Practice.
• Compelling campaign mode with a huge variety of challenges across an entire galaxy.
• Ten completely customizable characters with a range of unlockable helmets, jetpacks and antenna to truly make your otter your own.
• Eight lush and detailed planets including the huge volcanic base station, Fishmonger Base, the technological playground, Ottopolis and the beautiful overgrown temples of Lontra.
• A unique combination of competition and collaboration which delivers a range of challenges with unpredictable outcomes.

The Otterman Empire is coming early 2020 to Steam, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Source: PR Email