Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for June, 2020

This IGF Finalist and A MAZE. Honorable Mention is both a surreal story-driven adventure and a puzzle game with mind-bending / perspective-shifting mechanics, made by Barnaque (Montreal, Canada) & published by Nakana.io (Switch publisher of EQQO, Soul Searching, Lydia).

Tagline:

Lose yourself in Infinity… but never lose Hope. Think outside the box in a multiverse of perspective-shifting puzzles.

As Hope drifts deeper into Infinity, Reality begins to suffer. There doesn’t seem to be any way out, and Hope is by nature doomed to carry on. Challenge your mind to help him out.

Master the innovative camera manipulation mechanic to change your perspective and discover new mazes, abilities and characters such as Time, War, Fatality or Technology – who can be helpful allies or deceitful foes in this 8-hour long story-driven puzzle adventure.

Infini Key Features:

• Discover a unique, mind-bending and varied gameplay
• Immerse yourself in a rich emotional story
• Easy to learn but increasingly challenging
• At least 8 hours of gameplay across 100+ levels and 10 diverse worlds
• Ideal for quick play sessions
• Experience original imagery and a soundtrack of over 20 songs
• Feel the void of Infinity!
• Independent Games Festival Finalist + A MAZE. Honorable Mention

Infini drifts into Nintendo Switch on 03 July. The eShop game page and a Demo are now available.

Source: PR Email

Manchester, UK, June 17th, 2020 — The perfect way to settle a score is with good old fashioned fisticuffs… and energy beams, swords and undead minions! Merge Games, along with France-based developers Dark Screen Games, are delighted to announce that Bounty Battle, the 1-4 player beat-’em-up with characters from all over the Indie World, is coming to consoles and PC July 16th!

Bounty Battle is the ultimate indie fighting game: a new 2D fighter, where you can pit your favourite Indie heroes against one another! Indie heroes from games like Guacamelee! Dead Cells, Darkest Dungeon, Owlboy & more battle it out in this fighter frenzy. Bounty Battle features 30 fighters from over 20 different Indie games! Fighters come with their own Minion companion and unique abilities. Battle across levels inspired from the fighters’ native game worlds with up to 3 other players.

Characters:

Characters – Bounty Battle showcases your favorite characters from these beloved indie games – Guacamelee!, Darkest Dungeon, Dead Cells, Awesomenauts, Nuclear Throne, Owlboy, Axiom Verge, SteamWorld Dig, Oddmar, Jotun, Battle Chasers Nightwar, Death’s Gambit, EITR, Super Comboman, Pankapu, Flinthook, Doko Roko, Tower of Samsara, Blubber Busters, Ruin of the Reckless, The Bug Butcher, and Blocks that Matter

Key Features

• A host of game modes including a Tournament, Versus, Challenge Mode, Tutorial and Training Room to perfect your style
• 30 characters from your favourite Indie titles each with their own move set and special attacks
• Each fighter has their very own minion to summon and join the fight
• 16 different arenas to battle on – some plucked from the worlds of their fighters
• Multiple colour and palette swap options to fight in style!

Bounty Battle is also getting the Signature Edition treatment! This edition is currently only available from the Signature Edition website.

Bounty Battle will release digitally July 16th on PC and consoles. Retail and the limited Signature Edition versions will release in August.

Source: PR Email

Manchester, United Kingdom, June 16^th, 2020 – Today Tri-Heart Interactive are excited to announce that their action-packed multiplayer, The Otterman Empire, will be flying onto Steam, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One July 2^nd, 2020 and is available to pre-order now.  Players on Steam will be able to enjoy online multiplayer action with Steam Remote Play from July 2nd, with console compatibility coming soon.

The Otterman Empire offers a truly unique blend of campaign, collaboration and competition for one to four players, and with rapidly-switching objectives and multiple game modes – no two games are ever the same!

Select your otter, choose your jetpack, prepare your water gun, and then customize it all! Challenge your friends in explosive and frenzied two-minute rounds, each with randomly-generated objectives and supply drops to keep you on your toes. Team up or fly solo to stop the otterly evil, Tiko from destroying the entire empire. Jet-off across the galaxy and stop his deranged experiments from wreaking havoc in otterspace!

Proud to be a community-driven game, developers, Tri-Heart Interactive have worked closely with a thriving community from the outset. Their close work with players helped polish a well-rounded, family-friendly multiplayer with a nostalgic twist – affirming their vision that The Otterman Empire would feature intense split-screen action:

“Community development and the decision to include split-screen, local multiplayer came hand in hand. Our events, our community, and our development process has always encouraged interaction between players and we wanted to reflect this in our game,” said Tri-Heart Interactive Managing Director, Kieran Rogers. “Bringing back split-screen played a major part in that. We also grew up in a time that split-screen gaming was the only way to play games together, and we all have a fondness for the experiences we got from gaming at the time, we wanted to offer the same to a new generation of players.”

Game Features

1. Unique combination of competition and collaboration which delivers a range of challenges with unpredictable outcomes.
2. Team up with up to four players in a chaotic, couch co-op campaign or test your friendship and go ‘t.o.e to t.o.e’ in our competitive, versus mode!
3. Rapidly changing game modes, two- minute rounds and environmental hazards designed to create otter chaos.
4. Eight dynamic local multiplayer modes including the fast-paced, Squiditch, explosive Detonator and sharp-shooting Target Practice.
5. Eight lush and detailed planets including the huge volcanic base station, Fishmonger Base, the technological playground, Ottopolis and the beautiful overgrown temples of Lontra

The Otterman Empire is available to pre-order now on Steam, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch and will be launching on all platforms on July 2^nd, 2020.

Source: PR Email

Valencia, Spain – June 16th, 2020 – The sunny adventure of Summer in Mara is out today! Chibig Studio is excited to share their farming sim meets archipelago adventure, available now on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and GOG for $24.99 USD with a weeklong launch discount.

Summer in Mara is part farming simulation meets story-based adventure, as players visit new islands, make friends, and learn more about the evil corporation Elit, which wants to conquer Mara. As Koa, Chibig Studio showcases a story about growth and empathy as players explore the world of Mara to make it a better place. Character development is a huge focus for the team, and this is reflected in the care put into the friends met, and the anecdotes of their travels.

Summer In Mara features over 30 hours of playtime with 250+ missions to set off on and 20+ characters to meet and befriend. Along with a host of upgrades, secrets, and treasure to find, Summer in Mara is set to deliver a wholesome and fun experience for all ages!

Players who want to try Summer in Mara can experience the prologue on Steam before purchasing. The prologue will also be added to Nintendo Switch at a later date. PS4 and Xbox One launches of Summer in Mara are planned for later this year.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, June 16th – ININ Games and Taito are pleased to announce that the localised, digital versions of two Collections of classic Darus Shoot ‘Em Up titles are out today. Nintendo eShop and PSN store will be releasing the Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade and Darius Cozmic Collection Console.

Iconic bosses, fast-paced action, mesmeric battles and giant robotic sea creatures – The Darius series pioneered horizontal Shoot ‘Em Up games and was developed by the legendary TAITO Corporation. The first Darius game wowed arcade fans in 1986 with its dedicated dual-display cabinet and its revolutionary enemy and sound design.

Numerous sequels and ports followed over the years, setting new standards for Shoot ‘Em Up excellence each time.

All games have been faithfully ported to modern consoles by M2 in Japan, so gamers can rest assured that these are absolutely high-quality ports with perfect performance.

Darius Cozmic Collection Console – Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4

This download collection includes 6 titles (9 versions) from the Darius home console series:

• Darius II (Mega Drive, JP version)
• SAGAIA (Genesis, US version)
• SAGAIA (Master System, EU version)
• Darius Twin (Super Famicom, JP version)
• Darius Twin (Super NES, US version)
• Darius Force (Super Famicom, JP version)
• Super Nova (Super NES, US version)
• Darius Alpha (PC Engine, JP version)
• Darius Plus (PC Engine, JP version)

Price: 54.99€ / 44.99 GBP / 59.99 USD

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade – Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4

This download collection includes 4 titles (7 versions) from the Darius arcade series:

• Darius (Arcade, original version)
• Darius (Arcade, new version)
• Darius (Arcade, extra version)
• Darius II (Arcade, Dual Screen version)
• SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.1)
• SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.2)
• Darius Gaiden (Arcade)

Price: 39.99€ / 34,99 GBP/ 44,99 USD

Bombs Away!

Source: PR Email

RASÍLIA, BRAZIL – JUNE 13, 2020 – No Place For Bravery, a top-down action-RPG that explores the lengths a parent would go to find their child in a war torn world, will release in Q1 2021 on Nintendo Switch and Steam for Windows PC with the help of publisher Ysbryd Games.

Developer Glitch Factory will leverage Ysbryd Games’ years of experience on beloved narrative-driven experiences like cyberpunk bartending sim VA-11 HALL-A and cosmic horror roguelike WORLD OF HORROR to help bring the gripping story and pixel art landscapes of No Place for Bravery to immersive life.

An old soldier dedicated to the advancement of his people, Thorn reassesses his priorities and prepares to lay down his sword, until discovering his long-lost daughter Leaf still lives.In a bid to expunge the nightmares which plague him, Thorn sets out with his disabled foster son Phid to find Leaf, and endures a painful quest that forces him to confront the decisions made in his ambitious past.

No Place For Bravery places equal emphasis on narrative and action, with fast-paced movement paired with swift strikes and tactical parries during combat encounters. Progression is not about leveling up and increasing stat numbers, but earning upgrades discovered from significant encounters and uncovering the secrets laying in wait within the beautiful world of Dewr.

No Place For Bravery’s art conveys the goals of its gameplay by featuring an incredibly detailed pixel world, a stirring soundtrack and hand-painted textures. Characters feature fluid animation, all created in a style drawing inspiration from medieval, high fantasy and apocalyptic fiction.

Originally conceived of as a roguelike in 2016, Glitch Factory overhauled No Place For Bravery in the years since to deliver an experience that more closely follows their vision and inspirations, with a narrative-driven campaign influenced by the difficult experiences of its creators.

“Multiple members of the team had to deal with toxic relationships and absent parents,” said Matheus Queiroz, developer at Glitch Factory. “Through the trials and tribulations of our lives, including the long road of development, we have persevered, and we hope our shared experiences will be heartfelt by the PC and Nintendo Switch communities in 2021.”

No Place For Bravery releases in Q1 2021 for $19.99 for Nintendo Switch and Steam for Windows PC, with support for English and Brazilian Portuguese language text at launch and more languages to follow.

Source: PR Email

London, UK – Monday 15th June – It’s time to trade in that bomber jacket and suit up for some snug red velour as the multi-million selling, critically acclaimed strategic simulation game Bomber Crew is getting a long-awaited sequel.

UK publisher Curve Digital and Brighton-based independent studio Runner Duck are delighted to announce Space Crew – the next instalment in the massively successful Crew series. In this brand new entry, players are tasked with defending Earth against a mysterious new alien menace by carefully recruiting crew members, designing their own spaceship and venturing across the cosmos.

“We at Runner Duck have always been huge fans of sci-fi movies like Alien, Star Trek, Interstellar, and Star Wars,” said Runner Duck co-founder Dave Wingrove. “We had so much fun crafting Bomber Crew, we just couldn’t wait to explore all the possibilities a far future setting would offer. Recruiting your crew for typical space sci-fi positions and then sending them out on missions into the perilous depths of space is an ideal theme for the ‘Crew’ series.”

Space Crew will feature the same compelling gameplay loop as its beloved predecessor with players controlling the actions of their crew moment-to-moment in the minutiae of navigation, scanning and combat. The new space setting allows much more player freedom and campaign unpredictability with much greater mission variety and deeper strategic gameplay.

Players will have to be more alert than ever when venturing through space and are challenged to protect their vulnerable crew from alien boardings, getting sucked out into space, running out of oxygen, system failures, ship fires and whatever else the campaign AI can throw at them from mission to mission. It is these moments of seeing your crew triumph over adversity time and time again, albeit with a few casualties along the way, which made the original Bomber Crew such a runaway hit and Runner Duck is aiming for similarly thrilling emergent storytelling in the sequel.

And the really great news is that fans of the original Bomber Crew and aspiring space adventurers won’t have long to wait to try Space Crew. Runner Duck and Curve Digital’s sequel has been selected by Valve to be part of the Steam Summer Games Festival, with everyone able to try out an early slice of the game for free from Wednesday 10th June to Sunday 14th June.

Space Crew will launch simultaneously across PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 this September.

Source: PR Email

QUEBEC CITY, June 15th, 2020 – Beyond Fun Studio announces the release date of its first game Aeolis Tournament with a trailer. The frantic 8 player party game will launch on Nintendo Switch and Steam (PC, MacOs, Linux) on July 16^th 2020 with a 15% discount for a week, then the game will come back to it full price of $14.99, €12,49 and £11.49.

Aeolis Tournament is a Nintendo-inspired party game where up to 8 players compete in various game modes based on a simple one-button mechanic. Characters use an air cannon to control the power of the wind and affect their surroundings. It’s a high-tempo game in the vein of Fuzion Frenzy with a cartoony and colorful art direction. Aeolis Tournament features physics-based gameplay, a tournament mode and local & online multiplayer play.

Key Features:

• Up to 8 players Multiplayer Offline/Online cross-platform
• Simple controls/mechanic: accessible and fun for all type of players
• 6 game modes and 6 characters!
• Achievements and progression system with unlockable items
• Customization: fashion items & character skins
• Will be supported with new content post launch (game modes, characters, items..)

Source: PR Email