Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for June, 2022

27th June, 2022, Indie publisher Ratalaika Games, along with Scotland developer Lowtek Games Studio, is looking forward to presenting  the Parasite  Pack – two titles, Flea and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle, to  gamers which is due for release on July 1st, 2022.

Released on all console platforms, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One,  Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch priced at a remarkable $7.99 / €7.99 / £5.99, this delightful retro inspired twin set will traverse gamers back to the heyday, when games offered  real nail biting challenges, focus and joystick shenanigans!

Although Lowtek may be tagged as a Scotland developer they interact with many developers around the world pulling in expertise from as far away as Brazil. An experienced team has gone into the creation of the Parasite Pack that will have gamers gravitating from one game to another and both can be enjoyed by all ages.

Tapeworm Disco Puzzle (PS4/5/XB1/Switch)

Inspiration and obvious retro homage goes to Snake and lolo with a few extra ingredients added to give it its own originality, Tapeworm Disco Puzzle… offers a little bit more to keep the player entertained. It’s a mix somewhere between snake, lolo and lemmings but has enough unique elements to set it apart from all of those. Best described as a more casual puzzle game with occasional ‘thinky’ moments.

Gamers will help uncover the mystery of the fleas acting strangely. Puzzles will become increasingly harder at times but are never too long with fresh challenges and new mechanics every 20 levels or so. Gamers can also team up with a friend in tapeworm for 25 co-op levels.

Each level has an objectives and obstacles like:

• Avoid enemies
• Don’t kill the fleas
• Collect all the notes
• Help the fleas collect the blood
• Open Doors with switches
• Help Fleada get to the gig on time

Flea (PS4/5/XB1/Switch)

Flea is a challenging 2D platformer with an intriguing back story. Play as Henry the Hyperactive Flea who just can’t stop jumping! Navigate the beasts and collect blood to get to the heart of the problems. These fleas are intelligent and have created a network of bendy straws to help navigate.

Henry must come to terms with his hyperactivity while avoiding thumb tacks and collecting blood for the refu-fleas. In flea you are constantly jumping. You must avoid tacks, pits and other less friendly parasites.

• Explore 80 levels
• Meet weird characters
• Discover secrets

Every dog has a different theme and soundtrack, more abilities and enemies make appearances in later levels. There are a bunch of other parasites you will meet on your journey from friendly fleas, to ticks, mosquitos and tapeworms.

LowTek quotes “It’s about the gameplay. Games really don’t need to have cutting edge graphics to be fun to play. The graphics were also originally built for 8-bit hardware so have the authentic feel. The idea of bringing the games to modern consoles was so that many more people could play and experience the game in its original setting. Flea and tapeworm take place in the same universe with characters appearing in both games.”

It’s cute and fun and we know you’re all itching to give it a go!

Source: PR Email

Staffordshire, UK – Lightwood Games is thrilled to announce details of their latest word game, Sixty Words by POWGI.

It’s a much-requested (and slightly larger) follow-up to 2019’s Fifty Words by POWGI.

This is a unique type of word search puzzle: there’s no grid, no wrong letters and no list of words to find. Each puzzle just contains 60 intertwined words, connected by a theme.

As players discover the words, they paint them with a rainbow of vibrant highlights to create a unique, often stunning, result.

It’s less challenging than many of our word puzzles, designed to aid mindfulness and spark creativity, through a relaxing experience of word exploration in a sea of colour.

Some puzzles are shaped and some simply sprawl, but the end result each time is a piece of colour-blended art, created individually by the player.

The game will be released on Tuesday 28th June on PlayStation, Thursday 30th June on Switch and Friday 1st July on Xbox.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – 24 June, 2022: Grab your Gohei and ready your Tanuki magic because Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is now available boxed and digital on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4)! ININ Games, together with Natsume Inc., under license from TAITO, are happy to bring a brand-new adventure of this classic franchise to all the fans and newcomers alike.

Features:

• Classic 16-bit style graphic & sound for a nostalgic retro feeling
• Five adventurous characters to choose from! Besides the beloved duo Pocky and Rocky, you can also play as: Ame no Uzume, Ikazuchi and Hotaru Gozen
• Master the stages in the single-player Story Mode or battle your enemies together with a friend in the local 2-player co-op Free Mode
• Collect coins to unlock the Easy Mode to reduce the difficulty and play more smoothly to the end
• Challenge yourself and master various unique stages with lots of different enemies
• Compare your scores with others and climb to the top of the Online Leaderboard

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (Nintendo Switch/PS4) is now available at selected stores. An overview of all participating retailers can be found at iningames.com.

In need of some special Tanuki Attention? ININ Games got you!

As a special way of appreciation for the awesome Pocky & Rocky series, ININ Games also created special editions for the game, which are extremely limited. Those Limited and Collector’s Editions, also available bundled with an awesome Rocky plushie, can be ordered via Gamesrocket – only while stock lasts.

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – June 22nd, 2022 – Thunderful & Dejima are excited to announce the deluxe version of roguelite indie firefighter Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue. Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX is out now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch, with the PC version of the game also updated to the DX version.

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX is an overhauled and rebalanced version of the game that hit PC late last year. It offers new enemies, reworked environments, a rebalanced difficulty curve, a streamlined upgrade tree, improved level design and much more. Thanks to these tweaks, a play style focused on extinguishing enemies is now more viable, with players now receiving more additional time for extinguishing fiery foes. Players will find that exits are now easier to discover, water refills will be more readily available when they are running low and the income system has been rebuilt from the ground up.

Firegirl: Hack ’n Splash Rescue DX is a roguelite platformer where you take on the role of a young fire rescue officer breathing new life into her rundown local fire station. Armed with your trusty axe and high-pressure fire hose that also doubles as a jetpack, respond to emergency calls that bring you to dangerous procedurally generated blazes across the city. When Firegirl arrives on the scene, she has 3 minutes to save all the civilians caught in the blaze! Extinguish fire monsters to buy more time in these tricky missions where you will feel the heat as you battle to get the job done. Uncover the truth of why these fires have engulfed the city, in a mystery that goes all the way to the top!

Between high-octane missions where you will be boosting your jumps with your hose, extinguishing dastardly pyro-monsters, and rescuing trapped civilians (and cats!), you can hang out at the Firehouse. Here, you can upgrade your equipment and hire new staff to make you more effective in tackling the challenging blazes to come. You’ll need all the help you can get to survive in this fun, thrilling and tricky roguelite!

“With the launch of Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX, we are excited to release the definitive edition on console with a simultaneous update on PC,” said Julien Ribassin, founder of Dejima. ”We always envisaged that Firegirl would find its way to a console audience and with Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX, we are excited to launch today with a frantic, polished title that runs fantastically on consoles and PC”.

Source: PR Email

At the edge of town sits a deserted mansion, central residence to a manorial estate which hides many wonders…including the entrance to the mysterious Labyrinth of Galleria. Madame Marta, master witch, has tasked you to assemble a loyal brigade of animated puppet warriors and venture into its uncharted depths to retrieve enchanted artifacts known as Curios…

Watch the announcement trailer, and check out the official website for more information.

Be sure to preorder your Limited Edition copy today!

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC in early 2023.

Source: PR Email

SANTA ANA, California, June 15, 2022 — Nicalis, Inc. officially announces that The Legend of Bum-bo will be available June 29 as a digital download on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.

With elements of the puzzle, deckbuilding and roguelike game genres, The Legend of Bum-bo is framed by the story of Bum-bo, a mushmouthed vagrant who loses his precious coin to an unknown thief. To advance through a series of underground rooms and retrieve his treasure, Bum-bo must defeat enemies and bosses in turn-based tile-matching combat, all the while discovering special spells and trinkets that increase his chances of success.

Considered a prequel to The Binding of Isaac series, The Legend of Bum-bo was designed by Isaac’s creator Edmund McMillen and intersects with Isaac’s world in many different and unexpected ways. Like the Isaac games, it features unlockable playable characters, many useful item pickups and procedurally generated levels that guarantee a different experience each time you play.

The Legend of Bum-bo will be available digitally on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on June 29, 2022 for $19.99. The game is currently available on PC from GOG.com and at the Epic Games Store.

Source: PR Email

Hamburg, Germany, June 15th, 2022 – Daedalic Entertainment is happy to announce that Blackguards 2 is releasing on Nintendo Switch today at 8 AM PT. The turn-based strategy-RPG originally launched on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, when it was praised for a superb job building over its 2014 predecessor. Filling the gap for dark and mature epic fantasy RPGs on Nintendo Switch, Blackguards 2 features a gritty storyline, alongside deep lore and strategy mechanics while pitting players against challenging enemies.

Deep in the dungeons of Aventuria, Cassia waits for her chance to break out and claim what is rightfully hers: the Shark Throne. To achieve her goal and overthrow the man that took everything from her, the young noble will have to recruit the Vanquishers of the Nine Hordes and other mercenaries. Every choice matters in this dark tale and Cassia needs all her wits about her to control the army of criminals – and lead her squad to victory or to certain death.

In Blackguards 2, the player chooses the playstyle. Front line combatants, ranged fighters or dangerous mages – up to 20 characters can join the party and head into battle. Every challenging hexfield battle needs a new strategy and the wrong spell might result in death. When every action during battle has consequences, each move has to be carefully considered. Not only do the player’s choices matter on the battlefield, but throughout the entire game. Cassia’s story is not set in stone and fateful decisions can influence the ending of the game and the fate of the squad.

Main features:

• Recruit mercenaries, find upgrades and build an indomitable army
• Find the Vanquishers of the Nine Hordes and see what has become of Takate, Naurim and Zurbaran
• ​​​​A story with many twists and turns, fateful decisions and more than 20 challenging hours of playtime awaits you
• Command up to 20 characters in your party and lead them to death or glory
• Master and finish the game on many different non-linear paths
• Make decisions influencing your squad and the ending of the game
• Choose your spells, talents and skills wisely, since they dictate your strategy on the battlefield. Give priority to offensive or tactic in challenging battles
• Interact with your environment and let walls collapse or even discover new routes on your journey through Aventuria
• Lay waste to your enemies with powerful spells and abilities. But be on your guard: your foes may wield them as well

Blackguards 2 launches today on Nintendo Switch. More information is available on the Nintendo eShop.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – 14 June, 2022 – The wait is almost over! ININ Games together with Natsume Inc., under license from TAITO are excited to launch Pocky & Rocky Reshrined boxed and digital on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation® 4 (PS4) – on June 24th, 2022!

Looking forward to the new shrine maiden shooter with classic 16-bit style, single- and 2-player mode and various stages to master? ININ Games is happy to give some more insights into mid-battle gameplay, different enemies and unique characters with further gameplay scenes and additional screenshots.

To join the iconic heroine and her Tanuki companion in a brand-new adventure, fans can check iningames.com to pre-order Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (Nintendo Switch/PS4) for a suggested retail price of $29.99/ €29.99 via selected stores.

Special limited editions – still available for pre-order!

To honour the legacy of legendary Pocky & Rocky, ININ Games also created some strictly limited special editions. Limited and Collector’s Editions, also available bundled with an awesome Rocky plushie, can be pre-ordered via Gamesrocket – only while stock lasts. The special editions are expected to ship September/October.

Source: PR Email

Denver, CO – June 14th, 2022 – Independent developer Room C Games in co-production with Croteam and in partnership with indie publisher Versus Evil are excited to announce that their rogue-lite RPG game The Hand of Merlin has left Steam Early Access today on PC, and is available to play on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The console versions launch with all eight major updates from the PC version included.

The Hand of Merlin is a turn-based rogue-lite RPG in which Arthurian legend clashes with dark and foreboding sci-fi horror. This unusual merging of genres introduces a wholly unique sci fi element to its storytelling. Utilizing both squad-based and turn-based combat, players can employ tactical cunning to use cover, set up ambushes and coordinate attacks with ranged, melee and spellcasting combat to conquer both human and unworldly abhorrent creatures and other enemy characters they encounter on their quest.

The Hand of Merlin will take players on a journey from Albion to Jerusalem to explore richly-imagined medieval lands on the brink of apocalypse – assaulted by an otherworldly evil from a story crafted by Jonas Kyratzes (The Talos Principle, Serious Sam 4) and Verena Kyratzes (The Lands of Dream, Serious Sam 4).

The Hand of Merlin is a game where choices are permanent depending on the decisions players make as they carve a path across the lands of Albion, Marca Hispanica and al-Andalus. Adventurers will also need to find a keen balance as they weigh the risk and reward for the paths they choose.

What players take with them on this journey will be essential since combat is inevitable, trading in nearby towns can improve arms and armor, or they can continue to roam and trade with hermit artisans in the wild. Renown is the backbone of progression in The Hand of Merlin and can be used to level up party heroes, and players can choose between a randomized set of new skills or improved attributes to balance out the combat prowess of their party.

Since entering Early Access in May 2021, The Hand of Merlin has had eight major updates on its path to version 1.0, which have added a variety of gameplay options for players, including randomized party creation, new epic questlines, meta progression, passive skills, alternate maps and varied difficulty modes. One of these latest updates includes ‘Endless Mode’, a brand new way to play the game with a new biome, complete with 20 unique new combat maps and an opportunity for players to learn Spells, and for fueling up Hard Mode+ run modifiers. Combined, these eight updates provide a comprehensive set of features designed to enhance the overall player experience for RPG fans.

“Throughout Early Access we’ve committed a lot of time and energy into community feedback with a series of updates that have really embellished the games features and replayability based upon what the community was telling us, we’re extremely pleased with the results and the work the team has done to make The Hand of Merlin a truly competitive rogue-lite RPG.“ Said Robert Sajko Creative Director at Room C Games.

With a large focus on exploration and encounter, mortality is the consequence of existence in human form, but even in defeat, players retain collected arcane knowledge as they jump from one parallel dimension to the next. No two worlds are ever quite the same, and each journey will be unique. Defeat is not the end in this realm, only a new beginning. For a full list of updates and features added to the game head over to The Hand of Merlin Steam page here.

The Hand of Merlin is available now on PC via Steam, Epic Game Store and GOG. Priced $24.99 / £18.99 / €22.49 for the Standard Edition with a Deluxe Edition priced at $29.99 / £22.49 / €26.99. A soundtrack of the game is also available for $7.99 / £5.99 / €6.99. Console versions are priced $29.99 / €29.99.

Source: PR Email

Think you have what it takes to filch the streets of Mikado?  Check out the gameplay trailer for Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief and see how your skills stack up to those of amateur thief Ebizo.

For more details on Kamiwaza, visit the official website, and be sure to preorder your Limited Edition copy today!

Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC on October 11, 2022 in North America and October 14, 2022 in Europe!

Source: PR Email