Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for April, 2022

Stuttgart, Germany – 28 April, 2022 – ININ Games are proud to announce their partnership with Rogueside for the physical release of the upcoming 2D run & gun adventure Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef and the charming point & click puzzle game Hidden Through Time: Definitive Edition.

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef, set in the legendary Warhammer 40,000 universe and under licence from Games Workshop is coming in fall 2022. The game will be available for pre-order at select retailers for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PlayStation 5 (PS5) soon, powered by ININ Games. Even more exclusive editions with special collectible items will be available at Strictly Limited Games and Gamesrocket, with more details following very soon.

About the game:

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is a hand-drawn 2D action-adventure taking you on a wild ride full of intense action, funny one-liners and tons of explosions! Fight your way through the hive city of Luteus Prime in single-player mode or as a party of up to 4 battle-hardened Orks in online or local co-op. Pick your class, grab your weapons and get ready to battle Humans, Orks and Genestealer cultists, to ultimately retrieve your luscious hair squig from the hands of the Warboss Gutrekka! Who’s ready for Waaagh!?

Hidden Through Time: Definitive Edition

Quite opposed to the grimdark Warhammer universe, Hidden Through Time promises light-hearted puzzling fun for all ages and even the entire family. ININ Games is arranging the retail release on Nintendo Switch and PS4 for the 16th of September 2022. The Definitive Edition marks the first complete release of Hidden Through Time to date, including all five DLCs directly on the CD/cartridge, two of which are currently in development and will be brand-new. Pre-orders can be placed at a selection of retailers worldwide soon!

About the game:

Hidden Through Time is a cute hide-and-seek game with objects taken from different wonderful eras of our world’s history. From missing dinosaur eggs in the stone age, to a king’s crown in medieval times – can you find them all? Uncover each secret with puzzling clues as you explore the colorful, hand-drawn levels.

Want to get creative yourself? The editor is available to everyone, so you can create your own levels and share them in the cloud, which works across all platforms! Here you can also discover, play and rate levels created by other hobby developers around the world!

Source: PR Email

25th April 2022 – Indie publisher Ratalaika Games, together with Brazil indie developer Asterstic Game Studio, today announced the digital release of Dandy & Randy DX for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Steam PC and Nintendo Switch set for April 29th 2022.

A real cutesy action adventure puzzler that draws inspiration from old fashioned gaming fun and a challenge with Dandy and Randy, the main cast, can be played alone or with a friend to double the excitement in co-op mode!

Don’t Get Fooled Again

Don’t be fooled by its simplistic look and design, for humour, interaction and a host of puzzle solving and collecting of goodies heads the list of intrigue, all encased within a very colourful world.

Dandy and Randy are two archeologists who owe a ton of money to a huge bank. They’re on the brink of bankruptcy, until one day they get a promotional flyer mentioning riches in a faraway island. They have no other option but to check it out!

The Perfect Duo

Dandy Duck- The main character is a pink duck who loves archeology and discovering new things. He also loves not being in debt, which hasn’t happened in a while. Randy Rabbit – the blue bunny, is Dandy’s partner. He loves technology and flying his plane. He also loves adventure!

Boo for the Baddies

A host of enemies will confront our duo including : Otto the Octopus – The first boss of the game, Otto is part of the NoGood pirates – who are also on the island, wreaking havoc.

Bruno the Bear – is another pirate from the NoGood gang. Natalia NoGood – Boss of the NoGood pirates. She’s also on the island searching for riches, and will allow nothing to stand in her way.

Grab goodies like a boomerang that allows the players to stun enemies and can also be used to grab health pickups and coins from afar. Find a hammer to break stones, allowing the players to find more money and open up paths. Hookshot – With a hookshot the players are able to cross dangerous swamp areas. Best of all running shoes makes the players run faster, helping avoid dangerous situations and solve quick puzzles. So much to do so look out!

Lots of Features:

• Lots of Routes
• Lots of Equipment
• Lots of Enemies
• Lots of Goodies
• Lots of Unlockable Characters
• Lots of Puzzles

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – April 21st, 2022 – Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with QUByte Interactive & Piko Interactive are excited to announce that the iconic ‘90s 16-bit shooter Zero Tolerance will receive an exclusive, limited physical release. This 2.5D first person shooter set in a distant alien-infiltrated future celebrates its comeback with some very special editions including not only awesome never before published game content but also exclusive physical collectibles.

Retro cartridges of Zero Tolerance Origins, compatible with Sega® Mega Drive / Sega Genesis and also the Zero Tolerance Collection for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, as a boxed Limited Edition and Special Limited Edition, will be available for pre-order starting on Sunday, April 24th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight), only at Strictly Limited Games.

Never before published sequel

Zero Tolerance Origins on retro cartridges will come with the original game Zero Tolerance and the never released sequel Zero Tolerance Underground, which starts right where the first part ends. The Zero Tolerance Collection for modern consoles combines Zero Tolerance, Zero Tolerance Underground and the unlockable prototype of Beyond Zero Tolerance to an ultimate compilation of 16-bit shooter action!

About the game:

First released in 1994 for Sega Mega Drive / Sega Genesis, Zero Tolerance sets players in a distant future where the universe has to face an alien invasion. That’s when the Zero Tolerance team is being called to protect mankind from the enemy!

• Fight back the aliens’ attack on the spaceship Europe-1 and repel their invasion on earth in Zero Tolerance.
• Hunt down the invaders on a subway mission in the never before released sequel Zero Tolerance Underground.
• Play through Zero Tolerance or Zero Tolerance Underground to unlock the prototype of Beyond Zero Tolerance where you defeat the alien enemies on their home planet (only in Zero Tolerance Collection)

Features:

• Start Zero Tolerance with one of five characters to choose from – each with own individual attributes
• Collect laser guns, mines, a flamethrower and more to complete your versatile weapon arsenal
• Master several colourful and complex levels spanning over different main areas
• Choose your way to play! Kill all the enemies to enable checkpoints or rush through the levels if you want the thrill
• Including the never before released sequel Zero Tolerance Underground
• Including an unlockable prototype of Beyond Zero Tolerance (only in Zero Tolerance Collection)

Strictly Limited Editions:

Strictly Limited Games is giving Zero Tolerance the boxed legacy it deserves, with unique limited editions, available for pre-order exclusively via the Strictly Limited Games online shop.

The Zero Tolerance Collection – Limited Edition is limited to 3,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,200 for PlayStation 4, at a price of 29.99€ / $34.99, including a colourful game manual.

The Zero Tolerance Collection – Special Limited Edition is limited to 2,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 800 for PlayStation 4, for 49.99€ / $55.99, including lots of additional collectibles:

• Special Limited Edition Box
• Game for Nintendo Switch or PS4
• Colourful Game Manual
• 2 reversible Posters (DIN A3)
• 3 Logo Stickers
• Postcard Set
• Cardboard Standee
• Soundtrack CD
• Game Flyer (DIN A6)

The retro cartridges of Zero Tolerance Origins will be limited to 1,500 cartridges compatible with Sega® Mega Drive and 1,500 cartridges compatible with Sega® Genesis, each available for 49.99€ / $55.99 including a colourful game manual.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, April 20th, 2022 – ININ Games is proud to announce that Cotton Fantasy is launching in one month, on May 20th, for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4), both digitally and via retailers worldwide.

After the critically acclaimed remaster Cotton Reboot! delighted fans in 2021, Cotton Fantasy now marks the full rebirth of the series, with a brand-new entry. Only one more month to go until fans around the world can get their hands on this modern and high-octane “Cute ‘em up” shooter! To play the game on launch, fans can already pre-order from a variety of local retailers for $/€39.99, a full list is available on the ININ Games website.

Eager collectors also have the chance to secure a limited boxed edition from Strictly Limited Games or Gamesrocket. The Limited Edition comes at the same price as the retail edition but with alternative cover artwork and a game manual not included in the retail edition and will start shipping in May. Also available is a highly limited Collector’s Edition with exclusive, magical collectibles, including the official Cotton Nendoroid figure. This edition will start shipping a little later though.

About the game:

Something sinister is in the making – the willows are vanishing from Fairyland and the Fairy Queen entrusts Silk with solving the case. Who could be behind this devious ploy? For a promised lifetime all-you-can-eat supply of tasty willows, the little witch Nata de Cotton is willing to help her old friend out and embark on another adventure together, to save the Fairyland.

Cotton Fantasy sets the stage for another fantastic adventure, 30 years after the Cotton series initially premiered, with lots of features to offer:

• HD graphics & brand-new shoot ’em up game mechanics
• 6 iconic, playable characters to choose from, each with different mechanics and attacks, even including guest characters like Umihara Kawase (from the equally named series) and Luffee from Doki Doki Poyacchio
• Easily accessible Shoot ‘em up gameplay, perfect for newcomers, but with enough depth for veterans
• 16 colourful and varied scrolling stages to unlock, with vertical, horizontal, and 3D movement
• Light-hearted story with fun and charming cutscenes voiced entirely in Japanese (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish subtitles included)
• Exhilarating soundtrack featuring iconic remastered tracks from past games
• Unlockable content and different characters offer high replayability
• Aim for the high score in your nation and globally with the featured ranking boards

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, April 14th, 2022 – Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with Crackshell and the acclaimed indie publisher and porting experts BlitWorks, is proud to announce the upcoming limited boxed release of Epics of Hammerwatch: Heroes’ Edition. Both critically acclaimed Hammerwatch games and everything you could wish for from the Hammerwatch universe will finally be available in a single, physical collection (of course including all previously released DLC) for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4). Pre-orders for the Limited Edition and Special Limited Edition will kick off on Sunday, April 17th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight), only at Strictly Limited Games.

The Heroes’ Edition includes the praised indie hack and slash hit Hammerwatch, and its popular rogue-lite sequel Heroes of Hammerwatch – Ultimate Edition.

Hammerwatch:

A hack and slash action-adventure, set in a unique fantasy pixel art environment. Play solo or gather your friends for a memorable online or couch co-op session, in this adventure from the bottom to the very top of Castle Hammerwatch. Then, crawl around the desert in the Temple of the Sun Expansion and try to survive in the two extra modes. Pick your class and kill hordes of diverse enemies throughout unique environments, riddled with traps, hidden secrets and puzzles.

Features:

• 7 classes to master, each with unique features and skills to unlock to develop your character
• Multiplayer co-op fun for up to 4 players, online and local
• How tough are you? Pick your difficulty and further customize it with several modifiers
• 2 campaigns: Castle Hammerwatch & Temple of the Sun
• 2 extra modes: Hero defense & Survival

Heroes of Hammerwatch – Ultimate Edition:

Heroes of Hammerwatch is a rogue-lite action-adventure game set in the same universe as Hammerwatch. Encounter endless hordes of enemies, traps, puzzles, secrets, unforgiving bosses and lots of loot, as you battle your way through procedurally generated levels to reach the top of the Forsaken Spire. Then, dive into the 3 additional DLCs included: Witch Hunter, Pyramid of Prophecy and Moon Temple!

Features:

• Choose your own style: 9 classes available, all with unique stats, abilities and playstyles.
• Procedurally generated levels offer a high replay value and pose a new challenge with each run.
• Persistent progression: Your heroes retain the experience and upgrades gained from each run, becoming more powerful as they level up.
• Online Co-op: Play with up to 3 friends in online co-op, you can even bring your own heroes to your friend’s game!
• Includes all 3 DLCs: Witch Hunter, Pyramid of Prophecy and Moon Temple. With many additional skills, items, areas to explore, 2 new game modes, 2 new classes and much more!
• New Game+: Even if you beat the game, the challenge never ends!

Strictly Limited Editions:

Strictly Limited Games is putting together the exclusive Epics of Hammerwatch: Heroes’ Edition, giving the Hammerwatch universe the boxed legacy it deserves, with two unique limited editions, available for pre-order via the Strictly Limited Games online shop.

The Limited Edition is limited to 3,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,100 for PS4, at a price of 29.99€, including a colourful game manual.

The Special Limited Edition is limited to 1,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 600 for PS4, for 49.99€, including lots of exclusive collectibles from the Hammerwatch universe:

• Special Limited Edition Box
• Colourful Game Manual
• Original Soundtrack
• A3 Double-sided Poster
• 7 Character Die Cut Stickers
• Game Logo Patch
• 4 Background Art Post Cards
• Character Group Shot Magnet

Both editions will be available for pre-order on Sunday, April 17th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight) and shipping is expected for Q3 2022.

Source: PR Email

Denver, CO – April 14th, 2022 – Independent games publisher Versus Evil and developer Nighthouse Games today announced that their 2D platform action game Sockventure is now available on Nintendo Switch.

Sockventure brings super fast, eye catching gameplay with its stunningly colorful graphics and frenetic 2D platform action over 200 handcrafted levels across 7 chapters. Developed by Nighthouse Games players take on the role of Supersock, a superhero tasked with finding all the missing socks inside a cursed washing machine.

Precision-based gameplay and split second timing are essential to navigate the intricately designed levels filled with deadly hazards such as fire, lasers, circular saws and other dangerous threats.

Sockhero can acquire new skills during his deadly sock retrieval mission, wall jumping, double jumping, dashing and stomping help him navigate the myriad of colorful levels and devious hazards in the search for lost socks. Sockhero can also collect coins scattered throughout the levels which unlock dark chapters, presenting a whole new platforming challenge without auto-run.

“Sockventure brings a fantastic mix of difficulty, depth, vibrant level design and rapid fun gameplay.” said Steve Escalante General Manager of Versus Evil. “We are excited to bring Sockventure to Nintendo Switch and know that fans of this genre are getting one of the best platformers to grace our lineup of releases in 2022”

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, April 15th, 2022: ININ Games and TAITO are happy to release the TAITO MILESTONES collection for Nintendo Switch in Europe and North America! Retro fans can get the special compilation of ten classic games spanning different genres through selected retailers and the Nintendo eShop.

Celebrating TAITO’s legacy!

To celebrate the milestones in their company’s rich history, TAITO combined ten groundbreaking classics from the ‘80s in one amazing collection, including games from several genres – platformer, sports, shooting, puzzle and more:

1981 – QIX

1983 – Chack’n Pop

1981 – SPACE SEEKER

1983 – ELEVATOR ACTION

1982 – ALPINE SKI

1985 – The FairyLand Story

1982 – FRONT LINE

1986 – HALLEY’S COMET

1982 – WILD WESTERN

1987 – THE NINJAWARRIORS

Avoid the enemies while filling in the territories on the playfield in QIX – the game that spawned a genre of action-puzzle painting games. Become a skilled ninja and defeat the evil Banglar’s hordes in THE NINJAWARRIORS – one of the games that established TAITO’s in-house sound team Zuntata in gaming music.

The collection represents the innovative ideas that led to TAITO’s arcade dominance at the  time. So get ready for a true retro flashback – heading straight to your home screens!

The boxed edition and the digital download version of TAITO MILESTONES for Nintendo Switch launches today.

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – April 13th, 2022 – Thunderful and Space Lizard Studio are pleased to unveil Paper Cut Mansion, a roguelite horror set in a unique handcrafted world made of cardboard coming to PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in 2022. Explore the titular mansion floor by floor, solving puzzles, battling enemies and completing quests as you unlock new abilities to aid you on each run and seek to solve the mystery behind the mansion.

In Paper Cut Mansion you play as Toby, a police detective arriving at the road leading to the eponymous old mansion. You will put those detective skills to the test as you seek to unravel the story behind this bizarre place, with each run giving you the opportunity to collect another piece of evidence to be tacked on the Evidence Board. The intriguing cast of characters you will meet as you explore may help or hinder you: some will offer quests that can earn you helpful rewards, some will try to hide and some are out to get you.

Run by run, Paper Cut Mansion will offer you the opportunity of defining your playstyle as you unlock new abilities and discover new equipment that will give you a better chance of overcoming the challenges each procedurally generated run throws at you. Intrigue is further added through a dimension-hopping mechanic that lets you leap between alternate versions of the same location that switch up the aesthetics and gameplay.

With a variety of enemies, clues, quests, secrets, loot and compelling logic puzzles scattered throughout the mansion, there is always something intriguing to discover on each run, as well as a variety of things for you to do – from upgrading your kit, to solving puzzles, to delving into Paper Cut Mansion’s twisting story. The game’s incredible aesthetics are rendered using traditional and digital means. Each texture is hand-drawn on paper, then scanned into a computer, to be modeled into 3D paper crafts. The combination of unique visuals, multi-layered gameplay and musical story interludes make Paper Cut Mansion a roguelite horror experience you won’t want to miss!

“I’m really excited to give people a first look at this intricate paper world we’ve been crafting. We wanted to create something unique, but that draws inspiration from the classic 80s and 90s works of Tim Burton and Jim Henson,” said Space Lizard Studios’ Gabriele Caruso. “The team has worked really hard to create a mysterious and visually appealing world that’s going to draw players in, and provide them with a compelling roguelite loop that’s going to keep them coming back. I can’t wait to tell you more about the game as we get closer to release!”

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – April 6th, 2022 – Thunderful and Digital Kingdom are pleased to announce that their anticipated dodge’em up, Swordship, will be winging its way onto PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC this September. A new release window trailer for the thrilling action title offers players a look at Swordship’s innovative dodge-based gameplay hook.

Swordship asks the question: what would a shoot’em up look like if you removed the shooting? The answer is an intense dodging game where placement is everything. As you speed through a post-apocalyptic flooded Earth pursued by hostile forces, you must weave your way between enemies and their attacks, tricking them into taking each other out with slick and skillful movement.

Swordship is set in a world where the consequences of global warming have forced the vast majority of humanity to take refuge in three gigantic underwater cities. Those who are expelled from the cities barely survive on the burned lands. Meanwhile, the megacities exchange millions of containers loaded with goods every day. You play as one of the small number of inhabitants prepared to steal those precious containers and deliver vital supplies to the banished.

Having an ultra fast boat stripped of bulky and heavy weapons is an asset for a smuggler trying to get their stolen goods from one place to another as quickly as possible, but leaves you vulnerable to attack. That’s why only the most skilled pilots can survive. Using your movement speed, turning the attacks of enemies against them and mastering the different weather conditions offered by procedurally generated levels is the only way to survive.

Players have the option of selecting from a number of different Swordship variants that each come with their own unique active power, offering the opportunity to experiment with a variety of approaches to overcoming the game’s challenging levels. Players can further tweak their playstyle by spending some of their stolen spoils on passive upgrades that can be accumulated throughout a run to boost their ships abilities and give them a better chance of making it through in one piece.

“We’ve been thrilled by the positive response we’ve had to Swordship since we first unveiled it last year,” said Game Designer Sandro Dall’Aglio. “People really seemed to have grasped the intriguing gameplay potentials our unique ‘dodge’em up’ hook offers right off the bat! I can’t wait for everyone to finally be able to play the game when it launches on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC this September.”

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – April 6th, 2022 – Thunderful & Carry Castle have revealed that Source of Madness, their side-scrolling roguelite action-RPG, is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch on May 11th, alongside the full launch of the Steam version, after its successful run in Early Access. With ever-changing landscapes to explore and new monstrosities to face on every run, this Lovecraftian odyssey offers a truly unique spin on the genre. Upon the 1.0 launch, Source of Madness will increase in price to $19.99 / €19.99 / £16.99 on Steam and the launch price on console will be the same. Any Steam players wanting to secure Source of Madness at its current Early Access price can still purchase the game before May 11th.

Source of Madness puts players in the role of an acolyte in an alternate reality controlled by cosmic entities. These worlds warp and distort each day, leaving the Loam Lands unpredictably terraformed and inhabited by grotesque beings of celestial origins. To get to the source of this unknowable evil, your voyage will take you across nine biomes, from the depths of Dungeon of Forgotten Knowledge, the eerie landscape of the Forest of Lies, to the grand non-euclidean citadel R’Lyeh, all the way up to celestial bodies on the rims of the universe.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, Source of Madness runs with up to 4K resolution at 60fps, keeping the action fluid and responsive. On PS4 and Xbox One, players can enjoy a native 1080p resolution at 60fps. On Nintendo Switch, Source of Madness runs at 1080p docked and 720p in handheld/tabletop mode, targeting 60fps.

Each playthrough will feature not only unpredictable terrain, but up to billions of permutations of procedurally-generated beasts born of a neural network that concocts creatures from a seemingly endless abyss. These physics-rigged monstrosities climb and stretch in billions of different ways as they’re brought to life by a powerful machine-learning AI that will do anything to make your life a living hell!

Face off against these abominations using a wide variety of spells. Choose between five classes, upgrade your skills, and unlock all manner of magic abilities as you collect equipment and items left behind by those who came before you. Build your arsenal as you go by infusing the blood of your enemies into magical altars to unlock new spells. But beware: every time you perish the world will be reborn and all your equipment will be lost.

“With Source of Madness we wanted to make a roguelite that does more than simply rearrange level layouts and enemy combinations, but rather creates all new unholy beasts to face off against in each playthrough,” said Per Fornander, CEO at Carry Castle. “We knew we were opening Pandora’s box by unleashing so many permutations of machine learning AI monstrosities, but thanks to our audience of Early Access players, we were able to ensure that this multi platform launch is as polished as can be.”

Source: PR Email