Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for February, 2021

Boulder, Colorado, February 25, 2021—Today, Publisher Serenity Forge, alongside developers Skeleton Crew Studios and Explosm Games have announced that Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalyse — the first point-and-click-adventure game in a “tragilogy” (trilogy of tragedy) filled with dark comedy, drama, and weirdness — will launch on Nintendo Switch and Steam on March 11, 2021, for $19.99, with a 10% for the first week. Preorders will be available starting March 4, 2021, through Nintendo eShop.

In Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalyse, players follow the adventures of Cooper “Coop” McCarthy, as he does normal high school things, like trying to find a prom date and doing his best to avoid getting killed by bullies all while trying not to trigger an apocalyptic event.

First announced in 2017 and brought to life through Kickstarter, Freakpocalyse is the first chance for fans to experience and interact with the universe from the much-loved Cyanide & Happiness animated shorts, webcomics, and card games.

Key Features:

• All the fun of a Cyanide & Happiness animated short, all packed into a video game!
• Fully voiced dialogue featuring special guest voice actors including Arin Hanson (Game Grumps), Jessica Calvello, YMS Adum, Rice Pirate Mick, and more.
• The first-ever chance to interact with fan favorites from the Cyanide & Happiness universe, including Ted Bear, Shark Dad, Señor Cleanfist, and more.
• The first installment in the Freakpocalypse “tragilogy” – a trilogy of games telling the complete tragic & chaotic story.
• An incredibly interactive world with more than 100 bizarre characters and countless objects to look at, touch, and talk to, along with unlockable costumes to find and wear.
• No need to know the back story— Freakpocalyse gives long-time fans a lot to look forward to, but is also the perfect introduction for anyone new to the franchise.
• Cinematic cutscenes and a completely original soundtrack.

Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalyse will be available in French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and English on Nintendo eShop for Switch and on Steam for $19.99, with a 10% for the first week, and is rated M by ESRB.

Source: PR Email

TOKYO – February 25, 2021 – After receiving spectacular reviews in Japan, Gnosia, the critically acclaimed sci-fi social deduction RPG from developer Petit Depotto and publisher PLAYISM, is sneaking its way into the West on Nintendo Switch, launching on March 4. Pre-orders for this visual novel adventure start on February 25 on the Nintendo eShop, available in North America, Europe and Australia.

Gnosia is a thrilling and unique single-player social deduction game combined with visual novel, RPG, and mystery elements. Set on a drifting spaceship, the player faces a mysterious and deadly threat known as the “Gnosia”. Each night on the spaceship someone is put into a cold sleep in an effort to eliminate the Gnosia. Players must use their best judgement while choosing between 30 different commands to figure out which crew member – or crew members – could be Gnosia in disguise.

Gameplay consists of mostly visual novel-like commands, featuring a unique art style. Each round – or “Loop” – brings new characters, dialogues, and scenes, allowing the player to build 6 traits (sense, charisma, logic, charm, stealth, and performance). As the player meets new characters, new skills are learned and carried over to subsequent game loops. The real Gnosia changes in every playthrough, and as an exciting twist, sometimes the player will find themselves cast as the Gnosia.

Key Features:

• Repeatedly play through loops of up to 15 minutes long, triggering special events to unravel plot mysteries in its particularly galactic narrative
• Engage with interesting and eclectic characters with unique personalities, experience randomly triggered events that are unique to each person and develop strong relationships
• Players can customize their game to add up to 14 additional characters to make the game more intense
• Beautiful and unique art style, featuring 2D illustrations of anime-type characters

“We are so excited to get to collaborate with Petit Depotto to bring this long-awaited English adaptation of Gnosia to Switch,” explains Shunji Mizutani, Executive Producer at Playism. “The reviews the game received were overwhelmingly positive in Japan, and we can’t wait for players in the West to experience the thrill of finding – or failing to find – the Gnosia.”

Originally released in June 2019 for the PS Vita, Gnosia was initially available only in Japan. On March 4, 2021, Gnosia will be made available as a digital download from the Nintendo Switch eShop in North America, Europe and Australia for $24.99USD. Pre-orders start on February 25, 2021.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – February 25th 2021 – Strictly Limited Games is pleased to announce that Darius Cozmic Revelation for Nintendo Switch will include the very unique Nintendo GameBoy-version of SAGAIA as the third entry in the collection!

The Darius brand is synonymous with some of the most acclaimed and iconic shoot-em-ups ever created. Darius is a series of horizontally scrolling shooting games which began with the original arcade release in 1986. TAITO’s Darius Cozmic Revelation features in addition to SAGAIA the legendary G-DARIUS HD and the brand new DARIUSBURST: Another Chronicle EX+ that will delight fans of this genre and capture the hearts of those new to the Darius experience.

Having previously been released on Nintendo’s Game Boy in Japan 1991, SAGAIA is a Switch exclusive and will be a physical on-card version that will only be available through the Strictly Limited Games Darius Cozmic Revelation editions for Nintendo Switch. This title contains features and elements from both, DARIUS and DARIUS II, whilst adding its own additions into the mix. Eight levels of pure pixelated beauty in this handheld version of one of the greatest shoot ‘em up series ever created.

Featuring remodelled and improved editions of iconic shmups, G-DARIUS HD is a remastered port of the original release G-Darius (1997) which paved the way from the transition between 2D to 3D with great success. Superb boss battles, along with a brilliant soundtrack, recreated an unsurpassed arcade experience with even an option to play the game in low-resolution just like the original arcade version.

A new revision of  Dariusburst AC entitled DARIUSBURST: Another Chronicle EX+ makes an appearance – it’s now 10 years since the original version and the original team, who are highly motivated, are still proudly working together on this version. The DARIUSBURST series started in 2009 on PSP, with gorgeous 3D graphics and additional features to expand the arcade version from 2010. The game is developed by Pyramid and will not only include features of the arcade version of “Another Chronicle EX”, but there will also be new features like a replay mode and new levels.

Darius Cozmic Revelation for Nintendo Switch is only available for preorder at the Strictly Limited Games store and comes in two editions: The Collector’s Edition and the Limited Edition.

Source: PR Email

NIS America is excited to announce The Caligula Effect 2 will be coming to PS4 and Nintendo Switch in Fall 2021! Dive into a reality-warping adventure from scenario-writer Tadashi Satomi and director Takuya Yamanaka in this upcoming RPG title.

The Limited Edition, available for preorder on the NISA Online Store, contains:

• The Caligula Effect 2 for PS4™ or Nintendo Switch™
• “The Artwork of The Caligula Effect 2” Hardcover Art Book
• “Regret and χ Vocal Collection” 2-Disc Soundtrack
• Tatefushi Academy School Bag
• “Regret and χ Vocal Collection” Digital Download + 3 Bonus Limited Edition-Exclusive Tracks
• Tatefushi Academy Student ID
• Collector’s Box

About The Caligula Effect 2:

A virtuadoll named Regret has created the world of Redo in order to save people from their past regrets by unknowingly imprisoning them in a simulation. However, this “paradise” is shaken to the core when a virtual idol named χ breaks into Regret’s virtual reality and restores a high school student’s memories of the real world. In order to escape Redo, they re-establish the Go-Home Club, a resistance group that seeks to fight against Regret and her enforcers, the Obbligato Musicians.

Source: PR Email

Drowning Monkey Games has anticipated this day for two years and today is the day! Castle Kong puts the Retro into Retro gaming… A true homage to the good ole days. Castle Kong is out today on Nintendo Switch for $6.99 / £5.99 GBP / €6.99. ‘You’ may not get it, but many have already!

Put simply, Castle Kong is a celebration of the classic Nintendo arcade game, Donkey Kong, recreating the same kind of looks, retro graphical world and stages, while presenting completely new addictive challenges that were presented in bygone times. 22 levels traversing four different stages, with just 3 lives to complete your epic quest. Oh yes, and there’s prizes.

But there is more………… A game with fringe bonuses!

Give it a go….. Why not?

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – February 24th, 2021 – Strictly Limited Games are pleased to announce their collaboration with Tanuki Creative Studio, a Netherlands based developer, on their forthcoming title Jitsu Squad. Gamers can pledge on Kickstarter to secure a digital or physical copy of the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC or Xbox One. The campaign was fully funded in only 24 hours and is now bringing an even bigger Jitsu Squad experience to the backers with Stretch Goals.

In addition and independently from the mentioned Kickstarter campaign, Strictly Limited Games will create some awesome Limited Editions of Jitsu Squad down the road and is really looking forward to doing so! Maybe a collaboration with ININ Games will be on the cards too. So please stay tuned as this awesome game comes to life.

Fast-paced brawler action and wacky battles
Jitsu Squad is a fast-paced cartoony action brawler where players will experience the ultimate wacky chaotic battles! It has the freedom & accessibility of games like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, but with the speed, intensity and frenetic energy of games such as Guilty Gear, Marvel vs Capcom II & Super Smash Brothers, Jitsu Squad has to be seen to be believed!

Free PC demo available
For those who are very curious about the game, Tanuki Creative Studio have released a playable demo that’s available for download, so that everyone can experience the action before pledging!

Awesome assist characters
Did we mention that there’s some crossover assists from some well-known characters? During battles an assist icon might spawn from an enemy or treasure chest. An assist character will appear for a short period of time and will help the player to defeat his enemies:

• Maximilian Dood: The godfather of the fighting game community and his dog Benny jump right into the action to unleash their crushing ‘Hype Beam’.
• Yooka-Laylee: The protagonists from the Yooka-Laylee series developed by Playtonic Games are here to help the player with their ‘Reptile Rush’.
• Look Mom, I’m in the game: Backers who pledge this tier will become an assist character in Jitsu Squad!

Special Features:

• Epic Super Specials!
• 100+ chain-combos!
• Powerful in-game character transformations!
• Awesome crossover assist characters!
• Run or Dash! No walking allowed in this game!
• A wide variety of unique enemies and stages!
• Up to 4-player co-op fun!
• Unique secondary weapons for each playable character!
• Upgrade system to level up your character!

Source: PR Email

Luxembourg, February 24th, 2021 – Pixel Games has returned with some more heartwarming news: True love is the sweetest thing, but the exclusive 20% pre-order discounts coming to the Microsoft Store and Nintendo Switch eShop might be even sweeter.

It’s an absolutely heartbreaking hairy-tale if ever there was one…

Sir Lovelot is on a quest to find the love of his life, and only you can help him avoid the cold sting of loneliness (but let’s be real: solitude is great!). Join him in a wacky precision platformer in which he’ll realize that finding love isn’t as easy as he thinks! Collects gifts, avoiding treacherous hazards and fight off weird creatures, all in the best possible time! It’s an absolutely heartbreaking hairy-tale if ever there was one…

What’s not to love about the platformer of your dreams…

• Love is a battlefield, and you’re about to find out why, as you take on devious challenges, in over 40 handcrafted levels
• Take on rivals to your affections as you face unsavory nasties who roam the land looking to end your journey in heartbreak
• The road to romance is rarely straightforward; discover secrets and special treasure that will surely surprise your future paramour
• Serenade your player 2 with a beautiful soundtrack by Alexander Falinski, known for his talent on Cut the Rope, LightSlinger Heroes, Tap the Frog…
• Sir Lovelot is fluent in 14 love languages: English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese – Traditional, Luxembourgish

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif. – Feb. 23, 2021 – Strike back with the Phantom Thieves! Persona 5 Strikers is available now for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

As the Phantom Thieves investigate a series of strange cases occurring across Japan, they discover another realm where innocent people are being jailed and forced to forfeit their hearts’ desires by the whims of its ruler. In typical Phantom Thieves style, they’re going to use everything they’ve got to liberate the imprisoned, return their hearts, and strike back against the corruption in their most explosive fight yet!

Persona 5 Strikers takes players on an epic road trip with the Phantom Thieves, where they strike back against the corruption overwhelming cities across Japan. A summer vacation with close friends takes a sudden turn as a distorted reality emerges; reveal the truth and redeem the hearts of those imprisoned at the center of the crisis!

New story and sights – Persona 5 Strikers features a deep story campaign and thrilling combat that makes for a true Persona experience. Visit 6 different cities across Japan, cook tantalizing regional recipes, and lend a helping hand to those in need; then fight against the Shadows to uncover the source of the corruption within the Metaverse dungeons. Jump into the story whether you are a newcomer to the series or a longtime fan!

Fight with Style – Attack enemies in the hybrid battle system that fuses explosive action-combat with pause-and-plan sequences to decide your next strategic move. Gain an advantage over your enemies by ambushing them, striking their elemental weaknesses to knock them down, and deal the finishing blow with an All-Out Attack!

Harness the Phantom Thieves’ full strength – All Phantom Thieves are fully playable, so utilize each character’s specific skills and summon their Personas for smooth, elegant combat! Strengthen their skills and abilities and fight with your own style. Each character has their own unique suite of wide-ranging, flashy spells and magic to clear out big hordes. Have you ever wanted to fight as a giant cat bus? Well, look no further. Persona 5 Strikers is purrfect for you.

Source: PR Email

SAN DIEGO, CA – February 22, 2021 | Antonball Deluxe, the revolutionary breakout puzzle platformer from Summitsphere and published by Proponent Games, is dropping its balls this spring on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Featuring three games in one, a dazzling retro aesthetic, and some of the tightest platforming ever seen in a game of its type, Antonball Deluxe is a high-octane smorgasbord of brickbreaking, molemashing, ballbusting action.

The first game in the collection, Antonball Arcade, follows the misadventures of Anton Ball as he stumbles into the Boiler City sewer system after a hard night on the town and must make his way home. One problem: there’s thousands of bricks blocking his way across five distinct worlds. The solution: Using his trusty Antonball to jump, backflip, and clutch every last brick into dust!

The second game in the set, Punch Ball Antonball, stars Anton’s co-worker, Annie Bell, as she vies to win the Punch Ball Championship and its grand prize: a lifetime supply of Ballble Tea. Armed with nothing but her Punch Ball, Annie must clear five worlds teeming with vicious ballbusting moles, oozing snails, and sentient baseball mitts.

The third game, VS. Antonball, is a multiplayer exclusive, turning Antonball Arcade into a high-octane competitive brickbreaking and ballbusting showdown across nine different unlockable stages. Two teams compete to destroy the other’s brick wall first as power-ups, obstacles and foes rain chaos down on up to 4 players.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be launching Antonball Deluxe on Steam this March, particularly after the overwhelming reception our community’s given to the content we’ve released so far,” said Tony Grayson, Studio Head at Summitsphere. “But we’re also very passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to play with their balls whether they’re at home or out in public, which is why we’re working hard to push out a release on the Nintendo Switch later this year.”

Source: PR Email

Friday the 19th of February, 2021, Angoulême, France – Today Headbang Club and Hound Picked Games are pleased to reveal that Double Kick Heroes be released physically on Nintendo Switch, limited to 900 standard edition and 1900 Steelbook edition, by Red Art Games. To accompany this release, the game’s incredible OST will also be released featuring all of the game’s tracks on a triple vinyl set through G4F-Records!

Being the hope of the last bastion of humanity, it’s time to jump into your Gundillac, Sheila and grab hold of the wheel – take on everything a post-apocalyptic, metal inspired rhythm shooter can throw at you, whilst moshing to the sickest heavy metal soundtrack in a game to date.

Key Facts:

• More than 150,000 players across all versions
• Double Kick Heroes was just nominated in the Best Audio category at the Pegases Awards.
• Double Kick Heroes won “Best Indie” Gamescom 2017 and tons of other awards for gameplay and soundtrack.
• 50 track with international bands like Gojira, Ultra Vomit, Jinjer, Carpenter Brut, Psykup, Sidilarsen and featuring artists like Patrick Rondat, Bumblefoot, Volkor X, orchestrated by el famoso Elmobo.

Game Features:

• A full story mode that’s accompanied by 50 kerranging songs, including the OST Volume 2 Update, by top artists such as Ultra Vomit, Volkorx, Gorod, Jinjer, Carpenter Brut and Gojira!
• Unique Rhythm shooter mashup with incredibly detailed pixel art
• 5 difficulty settings to test even the most metal of metal head’s skills
• Tons of accessibility options
• Nintendo Switch Joy Con Alternative Motion Control Methods
• Air drumming – Joy Con used as drumsticks, keeping in rhythm of game
• Air beat – Can’t drum? No Problem! Stomp to the beat with your Joy Con
• Want the all out motion controlled experience and really put that double kick pedal to the metal? Then it’s time to use two sets of Joy Con and play Double Air Kick style, one in your socks and one in your hands and drum and stomp your way through the apocalypse

Source: PR Email