Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for February, 2020

WARSAW, 07 February 2020 – Originally created for VR devices by indie Parallel Studio, founded by ex members of Ubisoft, DontNod Entertainment and Quantic Dream, the game EQQO is now coming to Nintendo Switch to put the players at the heart of a playful and emotional journey.

Inspired by ancient Ethiopian legends, EQQO is an initiatory adventure, and a love song to nature. It’s the improbable tale of two foreign creatures one to the other… A child who can’t see, and an Egg, as fragile as it is vital.

Using the the powers of the Egg,the players will need to advance through sacred lands and mysterious rooms, awaken the Temple’s sleeping mechanisms, foil ancient traps, and repel the dark forces that want to seize the Egg!

KEY FEATURES

STORY
A multi-layered story full of symbols and metaphors about hope, love, nature and everything that connects us. Voiced in English an French. Captioned in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

ADVENTURE
Four to five hours of exploration and puzzle solving in sacred lands and monumental temple rooms.  25 hidden parchment scrolls to find and reveal new parts of the legend.

ART
Music composed by Nicolas Bredin and played by the world-renowned Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Spectacular sceneries and an immersive “360-degree cinematic” experience supporting the use of the gyroscope.

CULTURE
Items and architecture inspired by Ethiopian mythology and traditions such as the pilgrimage to the Rock-Hewn churches of Lalibela.

ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
The possibility to plant your own tree, both in-game and in real life, with the 1 EUR/USD DLC #EqqoDonation.

Source: PR Email

Warsaw, Poland – February 6, 2020 — New challenges await in Children of Morta as Dead Mage and 11 bit studios release the first content update in the game’s extensive 2020 roadmap! The successful indie, action-RPG featuring elements of rogue-lite and hack n’ slash gameplay has wowed players and critics alike since its release and its first free content update, Shrine of Challenge, is now live and available on PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.

The Bergson family fought the Corruption without a glimpse of respite, but their journey is far from over. Shrine of Challenge marks the first stop on the 2020 roadmap of free updates and brings with it a wealth of fresh content. The addition of Hard Mode provides an even greater challenge and gives players the experience rewards to match it. Battle-hardened players will find themselves challenged at every turn. Along with new fight rules and enemies, all-new items are available to help the fearless Bergsons purge their homeland of evil. Are you up for the challenge?

Shrine of Challenge update contains:

• Hard Mode – Increased enemy damage and health, bigger XP rewards
• New Enemies – Dark Blade and Mech Constructor
• 18 New Items – Granite boulders falling from the sky, bolts of electricity lighting up your enemies, and so many more to discover
• New UI with larger HUD option
• Balance Tweaks for Normal Mode and other fixes

Source: PR Email

Today is the big day! Our rather chunky, Outlaw-flavoured content update for the award-winning strategy game, Wargroove, is available to download for free right now.

Co-op Campaign!

Designed with co-op play in mind, this expansion adds a new story campaign that introduces the new playable Outlaw faction.

After an unexpected kidnapping and some severe ransom demands, your group of rogues have no choice but to perform the biggest heist that Aurania has ever seen…

But do you have the strategic chops to get the job done?

New Commanders join the Battle!

Meet 3 new roguish Commanders, each with unique ‘groove’ abilities – the mighty Wulfar, troublemaker twins Errol and Orla, as well as the maleficent Vesper.

Thieves & Riflemen!

Life as a rogue isn’t always easy, but at least you’ll have two new units at your command! Take tactical advantage of these new recruits, sending forth your Thief to ransack enemy gold and carefully positioning your Rifleman to take out enemy troops.

& Lots More!

There’s so much more to explore in this free update, from new Arcade missions to competitive online Quick Play maps.

If you’re feeling creative, we’ve now added a super hot new Volcano map theme as well as other additions to the custom Map, Campaign and Cutscene Editor tools – Unit Modifiers, Metalocations, Gizmos, Counters and more.

There’s also now Public and Private Multiplayer Lobbies to make online matchmaking a piece of cake, and you can even now play custom maps online!

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif. – February 6, 2020 – What’s better than having one of the greatest video games of all time joining the SEGA AGES collection on Nintendo Switch? How about TWO of the greatest video games of all time? SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Puyo Puyo 2 head to the Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020!

For so many, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was the reason players spin-dashed their way to the local game store to pick up a Genesis. Aside from the return of the competitive two-player mode, newly-added features include the “drop dash” (introduced in Sonic Mania) that lets players spin dash in mid-air to quickly gain speed; Super Sonic Mode, which lets you play as the overpowered hedgehog right from the start; a Time Trial mode with online rankings; and perhaps most exciting of all, Knuckles the Echidna! Yes, you won’t need to bust out your copy of Sonic & Knuckles to play as the grape-loving knucklehead.

Also, no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – after 25 long years, Puyo Puyo 2 will finally receive an official English localization for Western fans! This release of the arcade version goes above and beyond expectations. SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo 2 adds two-player online battles, online rankings, a quick rewind function, and a much-requested colorblind mode. This fan-favorite entry is now more accessible than ever before!

About Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Hailed as one of the most successful games for the Genesis (Mega Drive), Sonic The Hedgehog 2 garnered critical acclaim swiftly after its 1992 release. Follow Sonic and Tails (in his series debut!) as they team up against the nefarious Dr. Eggman in order to save the Chaos Emeralds from the clutches of evil.

About Puyo Puyo 2

Puyo Puyo 2 (also known as Puyo Puyo Tsu) is considered one of the biggest arcade games of all time in Japan. This sequel introduced an improved ruleset along with the ability to offset Garbage Puyo sent by your opponent by creating Puyo chains of your own. Swap between Single Puyo Puyo, Double Puyo Puyo, and Endless Puyo Puyo game modes for even more Puyo fun in this classic puzzle experience.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Puyo Puyo 2 will be available individually on the Nintendo Switch eShop in the Americas and Europe on February 20, 2020, for $7.99 (with commensurate European pricing).

Source: PR Email

Staffordshire, UK – Lightwood Games is thrilled to announce the release of their latest word puzzle game, Just a Phrase by POWGI.

The game is already available on the PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS Vita and will launch on the Nintendo eShop for Switch later today.

Just a Phrase is a deduction game based on the classic pen-and-paper game, hangman, but this variation has a twist inspired by the pun-oriented wordplay that is typically found in the POWGI series of games.

One word in each phrase has been changed to a homophone – a word that sounds the same, but is spelled differently. For example, when the phrase “right on the money” becomes “write on the money”, it takes on a totally new meaning.

While the phrase will still sound familiar when read aloud, this simple change makes it much more challenging to deduce when choosing only one letter at a time. The puzzles usually produce a moment of revelation, when you solve a phrase by revealing both something familiar, and something unexpected!

Phrases range from the surreal (like ”making both ends meat”) to those that invite you to imagine the setup for the punchline to a terrible dad joke (like “holy owned subsidiary”).

Source: PR Email

5 February, 2020 – Valfaris developer Steel Mantis has released a free ‘Full Metal Mode’ update for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of its heavy metal action-platformer. A New Game+ variant, Full Metal Mode provides players who complete Valfaris with a more formidable challenge by remixing various aspects of gameplay, as detailed in the list below:

• All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items carry over between runs
• Enemies have increased health, attack, and aggression
• Bosses receive the same buffs – with additional attack patterns
• Therion takes more damage
• New Destroyer Class Weapon

Full Metal Mode unlocks after completing the game, so if you’ve already got a ‘Game Clear’ save file, you’ll be able to jump into the – even deadlier – action as soon as the update has installed.

NOTE: This Full Metal Mode update is only for the digital version of Valfaris. A patch to update physical versions will be released in the coming weeks.

The release of Full Metal Mode on consoles coincides with Valfaris being one of this week’s Deals With Gold on Xbox One – Valfaris is discounted by 30% until 11 Feb.

Since its release at the end of 2019, Valfaris has won praise from players for its old-school inspired action, heavy metal aesthetic, and forceful soundtrack.

About the game

Set in a far corner of space, Valfaris is a heavy metal infused 2D action-platformer and the next game from the team behind Slain: Back From Hell.

After mysteriously vanishing from galactic charts, the fortress of Valfaris has suddenly reappeared in the orbit of a dying sun. Once a self-contained paradise, the grandiose citadel now plays host to an ever-growing darkness. Therion, a fearless and proud son of Valfaris, returns to his home to uncover the truth of its doomed fate and to challenge the arcane evil at its very heart.

Brutal combat. Deadly enemies. Stunning pixel art. Savage soundtrack.

Get ready to rip the galaxy a new wormhole.

Key features

• Skulls in space! Gore in space! Metal in space!
• Savagely reduce foes to piles of gibs with an array of brutal weaponry
• Explore a diverse range of tainted environments as you venture ever deeper into the dark world of Valfaris
• Dominate ranks of deadly enemies and bosses, from the weird to the grotesque (and some that are just grotesquely weird)
• Gorge your eyes on devastatingly awesome pixel art hand-crafted by Andrew Gilmour
• Feel the power of a seismic soundtrack by extreme metaller and former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant
• Forged from the ground-up by the team behind cult hit Slain: Back From Hell

Source: PR Email

February 5th, 2020 – Sergey Noskov’s awarding winning cyberpunk puzzle adventure, 7th Sector, is now available on consoles courtesy of indie publisher Sometimes You.

Take control of all manner of machinery as you strive to solve puzzles that will help you understand an atmospheric and cold future; be the spark that drives change in 7th Sector’s unyielding dystopia.

7th Sector is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 for $19.99 USD as well on PC via Steam.

About 7th Sector:

Welcome to the 7th Sector, set in a mysterious cyberpunk world. Immerse yourself on this intricate path, solving different puzzles, facing its dangers, and collecting scattered information to discover the story of this world.

Gain control over several different characters, each with their own abilities that can help you navigate the world’s devices and machinery. Some of your choices and actions will determine the ending of the game.

Features:

• Atmospheric dystopian world
• Lots of varied and unique puzzles
• Control several characters
• Immersive soundtrack by “Nobody’s Nail Machine”
• Branching system with 4 different endings

Source: PR Email

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – Feb. 5, 2020 – Baron: Fur is Gonna Fly, the high-flying party showdown from Dogmelon Games, barrel rolls onto Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Steam on March 4, 2020.

Fight for the skies against up to seven other players using gatling guns, freeze rays and anvils to take out rival pilots, all while the wind blows through your fur, feathers or scales. Spin, dive and loop through cascades of bullets and avoid perilously crashing to the ground below to become ruler of the skies.

Responding to the call to arms, animals have taken to the skies in cutting-edge early 20th century aviation technology – biplanes. Fulfil their solemn duty by taking each other down in wacky combat and bringing glory to their species in literal aerial dogfights. Choose between eight cartoony critters such as Baron von Fluffe-Botte, a high-flying sausage dog or Colonel Hock, a motherly pig following her dreams of flight. These heroes each come with their own style, voice and old-timey victory theme.

Looking fly in styles of the period choose from four, semi-historically accurate aircraft. Each has its own stats balancing weight, handling, speed and armor, empowering ace-pilots or budding flyers to select the perfect plane for their aerial antics. Further customization comes from upgrading the biplanes stats between rounds, and changing up equipped special weapons.

While the aircraft may be historically accurate, animal pilots excluded, the weapons are hilariously not. If the basic barrage of bullets isn’t enough, equip one of more than 13 outlandish weapons to blow other critters out of the sky. Get explosive with the colourful Balloon Bomb, spew forth hot victory with the Flamethrower or simply repulse away the competition with the Stinky Fish. Crashing is only a minor setback as pilots return to the sky mere moments after their defeat to continue the aerial hijinks.

The variety of multiplayer and singleplayer modes might call for a bigger couch. Create an alliance to take down agile foes in team co-op, or embrace aerial chaos with in free-for-all. Solo ace-pilots can hone their skills in training mode or compete to get the highest score in Sheep Attack by rounding up flying sheep, putting an end to their aerial menace.

“In between crafting all the animal puns we can handle we’ve focused on capturing that chaotic couch multiplayer feeling,” said Anthony Wiese, Lead Developer of Dogmelon Games. “Our aim from the start was to make Baron as much ludicrous fun as possible and from players reactions so far we’ve done just that.”

Baron: Fur is Gonna Fly will be available for $20 USD on Steam for PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Languages include English, Chinese and Japanese for Steam, with more to be added post-launch.

Source: PR Email

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC – Feb. 5, 2020 – Infini, the psychedelic puzzle-adventure from developer Barnaque and publisher Nakana.io, will launch on PC on March 4, 2020. PC players can experience this IGF finalist with the free demo, Glimpse of Infini, today. A Nintendo Switch release will follow shortly after, launching in Q2 2020.

In Glimpse of Infini, players will encounter a variety of puzzles, characters, and abilities that Hope will learn on his odd adventure, including the innovative camera manipulation mechanic. Combine his diverse abilities to avoid obstacles, manipulate the environment, and bend your mind to escape Infinity and return Hope to the real world.

The world of Infini is brimming with ambient music, psychedelic imagery, and an outlandish narrative that personifies the concepts of our daily lives. Hope’s adventure is experimental through its gameplay, visuals, and audio design, creating a delicate balance between obscurity and familiarity. While in Infinity, Hope will face more than 100 mind-bending challenges through 10 worlds filled with bizarre personalities and chances to explore the multiverse.

Infini Key Features:

• Solve puzzles, meet unforgettable allies, and make your escape from a beautifully odd alternate dimension
• Discover new abilities that can be used together to reach new areas
• Master the innovative camera manipulation mechanic to unlock 100+ levels through 10 diverse worlds
• Traverse a realm layered with allegory, symbolism, and complex characters
• Standout visuals and an ambient soundtrack with 20+ original songs
• Mind-bending gameplay that sways between meditative and chaotic

“We’re thrilled to invite everyone to get a special look at the strange void of Infinity and the creative minds of Barnaque. Glimpse of Infini leads players through 25 challenges across 4 worlds and is just a fraction of the content that will be available in our full launch next month.” – David Martin, Co-founder of Barnaque

Infini will be available for $11.99 USD when it launches on March 4, 2020 and is fully translated in English and French. The Glimpse of Infini demo is available now as a free download on itch.io and will be available later this week on Steam.

Source: PR Email

February 4th, 2020 – Manchester, NH – Skymap Games is proud announce that they’ll be bringing Rude Ghost’s Thief Town to the Nintendo Switch next week. This malevolent multiplayer mayhem is a perfect fit for the Switch, letting you take your betrayal on the go. Practice your guile as you and up to four (soon to be former) friends hide amongst a crowd of NPCs and try to stealthily ferret each other out so you can run each other through.

Thief Town will be available on the Nintendo Switch on February 11th for $7.99 USD, and is still available now on Steam and PS4.

About Thief Town

Thief Town is a local multiplayer-only stealth action game set in a pixel-perfect rendition of the Wild West. Lurk in the crowd, emulate non-player characters, and achieve backstabbing victory. Up to 4 players control identical avatars (the “Thieves”) in a single-screen arena (the “Town”), also filled with other identical NPCs. Players must identify which NPCs are secretly other players and stab them for points, before being discovered and stabbed themselves!

Thief Town comes to the Nintendo Switch and includes the “SPOOKY TOWN” update! With portable local multiplayer fun, Thief Town finally finds its true calling on a hybrid handheld-console system.

Features

• Competitive 2-4 player battles – Blend in with thieves while you search for and stab your opponents
• Multiple modes and items – Guns, smoke bombs, drunks, TNT, sheriffs, sandstorms, and killer tumbleweeds
• Multiple arenas – Sneak around the Wild West and Spooky Town, with unique showdowns and field effects depending on night and day cycles
• Stabbing friends on the go – Bring your Switch anywhere and have a showdown in the Wild West

Source: PR Email