Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for April, 2020

London, UK – Wednesday 22nd April, 2020: Curve Digital is both excited and proud to cast more light on its plans to bring the first game based on the award-winning Peaky Blinders, one of the most popular dramas on global TV in recent years, to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in summer 2020.

Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle-adventure game based on the multi-award-winning TV show where players will pull the strings, as Tommy Shelby and his gang seek to take control of the streets of Birmingham in the early 20th century.

Set right before the events of the first season, players will join the Shelby family’s criminal organisation as they discover a sinister plot to put Tommy out of business. The game taps directly into Tommy’s talent for planning complex scenarios in his head, with players forming strategies by taking control of key members of the Shelby family down on the ground.

It’s a crafty, credible, and most importantly creative take on the world of Peaky Blinders that,  as James Marsden, Game Director at FuturLab explains, saw the development team use a key juncture in the series as the inspiration for the core mechanic employed in play:

“There’s a point in the show where Tommy Shelby explains he has no concern for the past, nor the future; all he cares about is a crucial moment he recalls the soldier’s minute,” details Marsden. “We designed our game around that idea, allowing the player to plan actions backward and forward in time, choreographing an ensemble cast of characters to synchronise their actions during these crucial moments. The player gets to feel like the smart and sophisticated leader that Tommy is, so we think becoming the mastermind will resonate with fans of the show and gamers alike.”

As Marsden describes, In Peaky Blinders: Mastermind, players will be able to freely set and rewind each character’s path in order to tune all of their actions for perfect coordination, tactically utilising characters and stealth to solve increasingly complex puzzles. It’s an inventive take on the series that suitably impressed publisher Curve Digital.

“We were floored by James and Kirsty’s original idea for a Peaky Blinders game,” says Simon Byron, Publishing Director, Curve Digital. “At its heart, Peaky Blinders is a story about a family, and capturing the ability to control the Shelbys simultaneously across the game’s narrative is such a smart way to bring the show to life. The mechanic they’ve created to allow players to directly control Tommy, Arthur, Polly, John, Ada and Finn across one looping timeline opens up unique gameplay possibilities, stylishly brought to life in FuturLab’s trademark gorgeous art style. It’s a game that almost defies categorization – part action, part puzzle, part adventure, but all inventive.

“There’s often skepticism about licensed titles, so we’ve worked really hard to ensure this is a game which stands within the Peaky Blinders universe, whilst bringing something completely fresh and original. We’ve lived with the secret for a while now. It’s such a relief to be finally able to unveil Peaky Blinders: Mastermind.”

Key to the game’s development has been the involvement of those behind the source material, with Steven Knight – Peaky Blinders creator and writer – commenting: “Peaky Blinders has become more than a TV show, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. With the launch of the Peaky Blinders: Mastermind game we are inviting you to enter that world and take part in it, live in it and take your place beside the Shelby family as they fight for their very survival.  You’re going to have to be as smart as Tommy, as tough as Arthur, as ruthless as Polly.  Good luck and remember, you really are a Peaky Blinder now.”

Jamie Glazebrook, Executive Producer at Caryn Mandabach Productions adds, “As the TV show continues to find new audiences around the world, it’s a real thrill to see Peaky Blinders brought to life as a video game, especially in a way that properly understands that the Shelbys are about brains just as much as they are about brawn. I’ve no doubt that Peaky Blinders: Mastermind will prove every bit as addictive and immersive as the series that inspired it.”

In Peaky Blinders: Mastermind players will:

• Witness the rise of Tommy Shelby as the true leader of the Peaky Blinders in early 20th century Birmingham
• Utilize Tommy’s prowess for planning to set up complex scenarios
• Control Tommy, Arthur, Polly and more on the ground as they pull off mission after mission

FuturLab has collaborated with Feverist, the U.K. art-rock band who were involved in the soundtrack to Peaky Blinders Series 1, to create an original bespoke soundtrack for the game. They are revealing tomorrow the single Reveller from the upcoming soundtrack album, as well as The Secret featured in the reveal trailer.

Peaky Blinders Season 5 is available from today on Netflix in the UK. The season launched on BBC One in autumn 2019 to its highest ratings yet.

Created and written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises and Locke), the multi-award-winning BBC One and Netflix series is produced by Peaky Blinders official brand owner Caryn Mandabach Productions and by Endemol Shine Group’s Tiger Aspect Productions.

Endemol Shine Group represents a range of global ancillary rights for Peaky Blinders which is distributed by Endemol Shine across more than 180 countries.

Peaky Blinders: Mastermind will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC later in 2020.

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif., – April 20, 2020 – Get ready to Catch the Wave, because Hatsune Miku’s Nintendo Switch debut is just around the corner! Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix launches exclusively in digital format on Nintendo Switch on May 15, 2020.

Check out a new trailer featuring just some of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix’s new songs, modules, gameplay modes, and more! A full website is now available at https://miku.sega.com/megamix/ featuring the full 100-song list, additional gameplay and customization details, and screenshots!

A Mega Mix of Pre-Order Options:

Digital pre-orders are available now on the Nintendo Switch eShop for both a base version ($39.39 – pronounced ‘Miku Miku’ in Japanese) and ‘Mega Pack’ ($59.99). The ‘Mega Pack’ comes with 6 DLC song packs, each containing 6 songs, for a total of 36 additional songs!

After the game launches, the 6 DLC packs in the ‘Mega Pack’ will also be available individually ($6.99 each) or in a bundle containing all 6 packs ($29.99).

All pre-orders come with a 4-song ‘Theme Song DLC Pack’ containing playable versions of theme songs from previous Project DIVA titles. For anyone who misses out on pre-ordering, the ‘Theme Song DLC Pack’ will be available free for all players beginning on 6/12:

• The secret garden by Kosaki Satoru
• Look This Way, Baby by ryo
• Sekiranun Graffiti by ryo
• Yumeyume by DECO*27

Mix It Up Today in a Free Demo!

A demo of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is now available on the Nintendo Switch eShop. In this demo, you can try out two songs, Arifureta Sekai Seifuku and Romeo and Cinderella in either the traditional button-based ‘Arcade Mode’ or the all-new motion-based ‘Mix Mode.’ You’ll also have a chance to play with the game’s customization options before the full launch on 5/15 – choose between three modules for Hatsune Miku, or change your character skin to one of your other favorite Vocaloids, including Rin, Len, Luka, KAITO, or MEIKO. Please note, these skins are a visual change only and do not change the performer for the song.

‘Mix Mode’ requires the Joy-Con controllers to be detached, and is incompatible with the Nintendo Switch’s handheld mode or the Nintendo Switch Lite console. ‘Arcade Mode’ is compatible with both handheld mode and the Nintendo Switch Lite.

About Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix:

Based on the popular Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix takes the series to a new dimension on the Nintendo Switch, giving both new fans and Project DIVA veterans ways to play at home or on the go. Rhythm game modes features both traditional button controls, as well as a new game mode exclusive to the unique functions of the Nintendo Switch!

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix isn’t just Miku’s Nintendo Switch debut, it’s also a major milestone for the Project DIVA series, introducing a redesigned graphical style. Fan-favorite songs like Senbonzakura and over 100 others have been reinvigorated with anime-style graphics. On top of that, a selection of songs never-before-seen in the Project DIVA series have also been added for Mega Mix, so fans can enjoy playing along with even more of their favorite tracks!

Source: PR Email

Enter the “Can I Really Be The Voice Of Prinny?” contest for Prinny 1•2: Exploded and Reloaded, coming to Nintendo Switch™ in Fall 2020, to have your voice be on rotation for the playable Prinny and your name included in the Special Thanks of the end credits, along with winning some awesome merch!

For rules and more details, visit the contest page.
Entries close on April 26 at 6pm PT, so give it all you’ve got, dood!

Don’t forget about the Just Desserts Edition! Preorder on the NISA Online Store.

Source: PR Email

16 April, 2020 – Indie publisher Big Sugar is delighted to present the Valfaris & Slain: Back From Hell Double Pack, which is available to download now for Nintendo Switch in North America, and arrives tomorrow, 17 April, for Xbox One in all regions. The bundle arrives in the European eShop next Thursday, 23 April. A launch discount will be available for all versions for a limited time.

Developed by two-man team Steel Mantis, and featuring original soundtracks by former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant, Valfaris and Slain: Back From Hell are inspired by old-school gaming sensibilities, and heavy metal music and culture.

After a disastrous launch due to various design and technical issues, the original Slain! was withdrawn and taken back into development for several months. Repaired and polished by the newly formed Steel Mantis, the game was rebranded as Slain: Back From Hell and re-released in the summer of 2016.

It has since built a fan-base of players who appreciate its hardcore challenge, gory-but-gorgeous visuals, and relentless guitar riffs. Despite getting off to such an inauspicious start, and still being a game that consistently divides opinion, Slain: Back From Hell has clocked up almost 300K downloads.

Valfaris – the spiritual successor to Slain: Back From Hell – launched at the end of 2019 and, just like its predecessor, has been praised by players for its retro-inspired action, heavy metal aesthetic, and forceful soundtrack.

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif. – April 16, 2020 – Climb into the cockpit and take control of one the most exciting combat flight simulators of all time in G-LOC Air Battle when it joins the SEGA AGES lineup for Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2020!

There’s never been a better time to try out this high-octane arcade title thanks to the all-new features introduced in this enhanced release. Shoot your competition down the leaderboards with online rankings, recreate that feeling of the original hydraulic-powered arcade cabinet with a moving cabinet display (among other screen options), or increase those g-forces to the max with AGES Mode, which adds more enemies, more missiles, and a more powerful lock-on system. Finally, the rookies out there can make the skies a little friendlier (or scarier) with multiple difficulty options.

About G-LOC Air Battle

Dodge and weave your way through the treacherous skies as you take on a dangerous mission against an entire squadron of enemy pilots. Created by acclaimed designer Yu Suzuki, G-LOC Air Battle has you taking control of an experimental aircraft as you soar through the blue skies on a series of timed missions, sure to get the blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing.

SEGA AGES G-LOC Air Battle is ready to fire away for Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2020!

Source: PR Email

LOS ANGELES – April 16, 2020 – Signs of the Sojourner, an introspective narrative from Echodog Games about learning the art of human connection through an emotive deck of cards, hits the road bound for PC and Mac via Steam on Thursday, May 14 2020, with Nintendo Switch arriving later in the year.

A coming-of-age tale in a near-future world ravaged by climate change, Signs of the Sojourner explores how relationships form, break, and mend. Left in charge of your mother’s shop after her passing, venture out into an eccentric land, seeking treasures to sell in her store and keeping your town afloat. Join and grow a caravan by playing cards with charming characters or venture off on your own, forging bonds and changing the story to come.

These card encounters, where the objective is to try and match symbols for empathy, logic, and other approaches, can create friendships, build alliances, or introduce new antagonists. Every conversation bestows a new experience—the true-to-life gift of having spoken to someone new or considered a different perspective. These encounters change your deck, asking you to leave something behind while moving on with something new from your exchange.

Along the way, conversations shape your journey by unlocking special paths forward or new items to bring home to the shop. Experience optimism, compassion, and delight amidst hardship and adversity in a challenging but hopeful world. An array of possible endings await, reflecting every card played, choice made, and friendship saved or left behind.

Bask in beautiful, hand-drawn environments evoking a ravaged world still gripping tightly to its color and vibrant life. Follow the thread of conversations to a tranquil, mellow soundtrack while deciding what cards to play. The caravan’s journey feels serene, with a spirited message about playing the hand we’re dealt.

“We each embark on a journey of life, forever changed by the people we meet and the choices we make,” said Dyala Kattan-Wright, lead designer. “Signs of the Sojourner uses cards to explore communication, personal growth, and how relationships change us in a friendly, accessible way. We can’t wait to see what decks players build from their experiences on this adventure.”

Signs of the Sojourner begins its journey May 14 on Steam for PC and Mac for $19.99 USD.

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – April 15th, 2020 – Indie Developer Elden Pixels is happy to announce that Alwa’s Legacy, the successor to the critically acclaimed 8-bit inspired platformer Alwa’s Awakening, is coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch this summer. Alwa’s Legacy closed beta sign-ups have gone live for players wanting to test the game early and feedback to the team: https://eldenpixels.com/beta/.

Alwa’s Legacy honours the past with it’s 16-bit inspired visuals, whilst offering a thoroughly contemporary take on the metroidvania genre – full of puzzles to solve, dungeons to explore, magical items to acquire and ancient secrets to discover. As players make their way through the adventure, new items and a character upgrade system allow them to craft their own playstyle, centred on an offensive, defensive or explorative character build. The world design is open-ended too, offering players multiple paths to explore at any one time. By mixing beautifully classical pixel art aesthetics with some new visual flourishes such as a realistic lighting system and modern game design principles, Alwa’s Legacy offers a timeless play experience.

After saving Alwa following the events of the first game, Zoe embarks on a quest back home. However, upon waking up it seems she is back at the beginning of her adventure and the world is familiar yet different at the same time. In order to make it back home, she will need to help the inhabitants of this mysterious land and save it yet again from whatever mysterious curse it appears to be under. Zoe must navigate the land of Alwa using her magic staff to solve perilous puzzles and fend off monsters. By upgrading her magic, multiple pathways can be found as you explore the nonlinear interconnected world by summoning blocks to climb on, bubbles to bounce off of, and lightning bolts to attack with. Quick reflexes are needed to traverse challenging rooms while avoiding booby traps and pitfalls. Along her adventure, Zoe will meet all manner of interesting characters, comb through dangerous dungeons, and uncover incredible secrets as she attempts to save the land from extinction.

This is Elden Pixel’s second game after their homage to classic 8-bit platforming adventures, Alwa’s Awakening, which received rave reviews from the likes of Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Nintendo World Report, and Nintendo Enthusiast. Fans were so enthused by it that Alwa’s Legacy was funded on Kickstarter with 924 backers offering SEK 250,000 to see its production come to fruition. Though set in the same world with the same protagonist, Alwa’s Legacy is not a direct sequel to Alwa’s Legacy, but rather a standalone experience which can be enjoyed separately.

“After one-and-a-half years since the success of Alwa’s Awakening, when we decided to quit our day jobs and go into game development full-time, we’re delighted to finally present Alwa’s Legacy,” said Mikael Forslind, Game Designer for Elden Pixels. “Alwa’s Legacy is the game we’ve always wanted to make, with an expansive game world to explore full of bosses, secrets and amazing platforming challenges. It’s been a tough journey but thanks to the pledges and support of our fans it has now been made possible.”

Source: PR Email

Ontario, Canada – April 9, 2020 – Lightning Rod Games announced today that their paper-folding puzzle game A Fold Apart will release next week, April 17, 2020 on Apple Arcade for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV, and Mac alongside Nintendo Switch and Windows via Steam.

An interactive, narrative-driven puzzle displaying the emotional ups and downs of a couple’s long-distance relationship, A Fold Apart offers a beautiful acknowledgment of both the challenges and wonder that come from how we communicate with loved ones while living apart. The launch trailer reveals a familiar yet unique gameplay mechanic — flipping and folding paper — to bring the couple closer together over the course of their everyday lives.

“When we first started developing A Fold Apart in 2015, my goal was to tell a touching story about the romantic, sentimental, but fundamentally lonely feelings that my significant other and I experienced while living apart,” explains Lightning Rod Games Co-founder Mark Laframboise.

“We never would have imagined that we’d be releasing the game in an environment where nearly all of us around the world are physically separated from loved ones and experiencing that loneliness firsthand. Whether you are self-isolating, distance learning, telecommuting, or keeping in touch online, we are all in one form of long-distance relationship or another. Creating A Fold Apart was a way for me to navigate those difficult emotions and I hope that the game can help others find some hope and comfort (and, most importantly, fun!) in these challenging times as well.”

A Fold Apart features over fifty handcrafted paper-folding puzzles — in fact, the very first versions of these puzzles were made with simple grid paper and stored in a binder — in a colourful, tactile paper aesthetic. Choose which couple to play as, and unfold both sides of their story as they navigate the complexities of (mis)communication and the emotional rollercoaster that separation brings.

In a world of folding paper, there are two sides to every story. Discover yours on April 17.

Source: PR Email

9 April, 2020 – Indie publisher Digerati and developer Failbetter Games are delighted to announce that Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition will be available to download for Nintendo Switch on 23 April, and 24 April on Xbox One (Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition is already available on PS4). The Switch and Xbox ports are developed Nephilim Game Studios.

Failbetter Games is currently developing Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition for PC, Switch, PS4 and Xbox. An exact release date is still TBC, although the studio is aiming for an August/September launch across all platforms.

First released in 2015 for PC and Mac following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Sunless Sea is Failbetter Games’ second title after the British studio made its debut with the cult browser game, Fallen London, which launched in 2009 and is still free to play at www.fallenlondon.com.

When it launched, Sunless Sea received perfect 10/10 scores from Eurogamer and PCGamesN, and has a Metacritic score of 81. The game’s storytelling received particular acclaim, winning Rock Paper Shotgun’s ‘Best Words’ award, and receiving nominations at the Golden Joystick Awards (Best Storytelling), Develop Awards (Best Use of Narrative), and Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (Best Writing in a Video Game).

About the game

LOSE YOUR MIND. EAT YOUR CREW. DIE.

Take the helm of your steamship in a Victorian Gothic roleplaying game of discovery, loneliness and frequent death.

Key features

• Find your father’s bones. Determine London’s destiny. Defy the gods of the deep sea
• Build up your story across generations of zailors who braved the sea and lost
• Real-time combat against ships and Zee-beasts, spider-crewed dreadnoughts and sentient icebergs
• Stray too far from civilization and your crew will grow fearful and eventually lose their sanity
• Upgrade your steamship with powerful engines, cannons and pneumatic torpedo guns
• Hire unique officers, each with their own story
• Discover the treasures the zee has claimed
• Choose a ship’s mascot
• Trade or smuggle silk and souls

Sunless Sea: Zubmariner Edition includes the base game and the extensive underwater expansion.

Source: PR Email

Giraffe and Annika, coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, will launch August 25 in North America, August 28 in Europe, and September 4 in Oceania! This charming adventure follows Annika, who awakens on an island with no recollection of her past. With the help of the witch Lily and the mysterious boy Giraffe, she must find star fragments to regain her memories.

The Giraffe and Annika Musical Mayhem Edition is now available for preorder at the NISA Online Store!

Source: PR Email