Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for November, 2022

Gothenburg, Sweden – November 22nd, 2022 – Thunderful & Space Lizard Studios are pleased to announce that their spooky cardboard cut-out thriller, Paper Cut Mansion, will launch December 5th on PlayStation and Switch for a price of $19.99 / €19.99 / £16.99. Unfold a unique handcrafted world, a mansion filled with strange characters and a wealth of fun roguelite mechanics as you investigate what’s been going on in this bizarre place.

In Paper Cut Mansion, you will solve puzzles, battle enemies and complete quests to unlock new abilities and discover new equipment. Each unique run you undertake opens up the opportunity to define your own playstyle, in addition to giving you a greater chance of overcoming the challenges that each attempt throws in your path.

In Paper Cut Mansion, you play as Toby, a police detective arriving at the road leading to the enigmatic old mansion. As you seek to unfold the truth behind the ominous place, you will need to use a keen eye and your sharp detective skills, with each run giving you the opportunity to collect another piece of evidence to be tacked on the Evidence Board. Intrigue is further added to the mysterious vibe of the mansion through a dimension-hopping mechanic that lets you leap between alternate versions of the same location, adding a different perspective to the gameplay and atmosphere as you uncover new secrets.

An intriguing cast of characters will be met as you explore in Paper Cut Mansion. You will find those that may help or hinder you: some will offer quests that can earn you valuable rewards, some will try to hide and some may even have a more malicious intent toward you.

“After launching on PC and Xbox, our small team has been working hard to get the game ready for PlayStation and Switch players,” said Gabriele Caruso, Lead Designer at Space Lizard Studio. “I’m delighted that we’re drawing close to finally letting players on those platforms loose in the mansion on December 5th!”

Source: PR Email

The newest shoot ‘em up to sear its way into the forefront, DRAINUS, is ready to make an impact. DRAINUS is from Ladybug, a small independent and acclaimed Japan developer. DRAINUS is their first game based on an original IP and will be published by Strictly Limited Games in cooperation with WSS Playground and PLAYISM. Release will be digital and the physical boxed on Nintendo Switch will be published by Strictly Limited Games.

Gameplay is key and DRAINUS’ main draw is the mechanic of the titular spaceship ‘Drainus’, which allows it to absorb light energy attacks and then use the energy harvested for devastating counterattacks. Using these mechanics strategically is the key to clearing the game and performing well.

DRAINUS is clearly aiming to bring the Shoot ‘em Up genre to the next level with unusual twists to a classic space shooter to offer players a whole new shooter experience.

Three balanced difficulty settings allow both beginners to enjoy casual play and hardcore veterans to fight for the next high score. Additionally, two new game modes will be unlocked once you’ve finished the game for the first time.

The ship’s energy stored, for example, can be reused to activate and expand on its weapon systems. Using this system, the player can evolve the “DRAINUS” however they prefer to basically create their own space ship. The options of weapons and features on board are huge, with target-seeking missiles, reflecting lasers or spherical defence shields.

Accompanied by masterfully crafted and animated pixel and sprite art, featuring multi-layered backgrounds, huge bosses with multiple moving parts and references to the classics of this genre. It is truly an interactive work of Shoot ‘Em Up art. The DRAINUS’ Original Soundtrack really completes the overall package, again reflecting the classics and aiming for new trends. The sound perfectly transfuses the game, it pays homage to the greats, while featuring its own unique electronic style.

DRAINUS conveys an intriguing story which keeps players engaged until the end. Entertaining with no lengths due to the profound character design, which unfolds with detailed portraits in story sequences during and between stages. The option to collect recordings during the game flesh out the world even more.

About SLG Boxed Versions

DRAINUS Collector’s Edition, officially licensed Nintendo Switch game and includes a colorful game manual and many additional collectibles. Strictly Limited Games exclusive for 69.99€/$69.99 each. Limited to 1500 copies worldwide. All of our games are individually numbered. We ship internationally.

Features

• Game for Nintendo Switch
• Collector’s Edition Box with magnetic latch
• Colorful Game Manual
• Material Collection Book with an exclusive manga in both English and Japanese, exclusive interview with the developer and behind-the-scenes material about the development
• Drainus Hanging Decoration
• DRAINUS Original Soundtrack, 1 CD
• Textile Patch with the emblem of the Kharlarl Empire
• DRAINUS Enamel Logo Pin
• Double-sided Poster

DRAINUS released on PC has been heralded as one of the brightest shining stars of modern side-scrolling Shoot ‘Em Ups. The game is already a true shooting star in the Shoot ‘Em Up genre, highly praised by reviewers and players within the global Shoot ‘Em Up community alike. The engagement of the community shortly turned into materializing a Nintendo Switch port with a physical Limited Edition and even a Collector’s Edition published by limited print publisher Strictly Limited Games, well known for having a knack for outstanding Shoot ‘em Up games.

DRAINUS is planned to release this Winter 2022/23. Pre-Orders for the physical editions can be placed from 20th of November 2022 exclusively on StrictlyLimitedGames.com.

Source: PR Email

Paris, November 16^th, 2022 – Publisher Microids and IMPS, the Smurfs license holder, are thrilled to celebrate the release of Smurfs Kart with an explosive launch trailer. Developed by Eden Games and well-known for their iconic racing games (Gear.Club Unlimited, Test Drive Unlimited, V-Rally), Smurfs Kart is available today on Nintendo Switch.

It’s time to make engines roar. Choose a Smurf with their individual kart and unique super power, and get ready for some frantic races with the whole family!

Want to be the fastest Smurf in the village?

Get a head start, take shortcuts, master the Smurf’s super powers and use bonuses to rise in the rankings. Alone or with others, new beginner, or experienced driver… Everyone can win the Smurf place and drive wild races with friends and family!

Check out what’s included in the retail Turbo Edition!

• The game
• An embroidered Papa Smurf patch
• 2 sticker sheets

Key features:

• 12 tracks set in the Smurfs’ universe: The village, the forest, the dam, the swamps… even Gargamel’s house!

• 12 iconic playable Smurfs: Handy, Hefty, Smurfette, Papa Smurf, Jokey… choose your favorite Smurf and get ready for the race! Each Smurf has its own kart and a very handy special item to help you breeze past your opponents.

• Reach 1st place by using the environment around you: Bonus items, boosts, ramps, destructible boxes, shortcuts and more!

• Smurf together: Play solo or with family and friends, with support for up to 4 players in split-screen local multiplayer!

• “Time Challenge” mode: Try to beat every Smurf at their own racetrack and reach the top of the online leaderboard with your best time!

• Unlock original bonuses as you play and try to Smurf them all in your personal album!

Source: PR Email

Paris – November 15^th, 2022 – Microids, in partnership with Paramount Consumer Products, is thrilled to reveal the launch trailer for the delicious party games found in Garfield Lasagna Party, developed by Balio Studio, and available today in North America on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One consoles, Xbox Series X|S and PC/Mac!

Garfield, Odie, Arlene and Nermal have imagined the funniest mini games for their huge Lasagna Party, which you are invited to! Be ready to give your best to finish ahead of your opponents by winning as many of the 32 mini-games as possible. Summon all your luck when throwing the dice and use special items to gain an advantage on your friends. Garfield Lasagna Party is THE game to share with friends and family, in the company of your favorite characters!

Game features:

• 30+ mini games in famous Garfield environments such as Jon’s house, the pizzeria or Dr. Liz’s pet clinic.
• Play as one of the 4 iconic characters from Jim Davis’ iconic comic: Garfield, Nermal, Arlene & Odie!
• Up to 4 players locally! Enjoy a classic board game experience with the Lasagna Race mode, practice your favorite mini-games without the board game mechanics with the Lasagna Challenge mode or set up a tournament to play quickly with a predefined number of mini games with the Lasagna World Tour mode!
• Fun for all, whether you like party games, lasagna, laughter or simply have a good time with friends and family.

Source: PR Email

Indie publisher Ratalaika Games, today,11th November 2022, along with Brazilian Studio Fractal Project, celebrate the release of Save Room on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, priced at $4.99 EU 4.99.

This Puzzle Inventory Management challenge has been acclaimed by a number of media and fanatical gamers for its simplicity, inventiveness, addictive nature and, above all, fun! PC GAMER commented- Finally, someone turned ‘inventory Tetris’ into an entire video game.

When you enter a ‘save room’ you know you are safe, no danger can come to you, you can relax. Take advantage of this short period of time to organise your inventory, heal your wounds and reload your weapons. Can you make all the items fit in your inventory?

The simple premise of the game is cleverly presented and what seems, looks like, a challenge without too much complication, which gets progressively tougher will soon have you engrossed wanting to get to the end.

Source: PR Email

Lunistice, a 3D platformer created with simple & fun gameplay in mind, inspired by the PSX/SEGA Saturn era, developed by A Grumpy Fox, just landed on PC and Nintendo Switch after an interesting development phase. Prepare yourself to go on a journey with Hana in a good ‘ol 3D-Platformer with a true banger soundtrack.

Lunistice originally started as a challenge for developer A Grumpy Fox, who was, at that time, stuck in a creative crisis. The idea was to create a small game within the timeframe of 30 days – resulting in a complete escalation where development took more than one year. One year which not only helped overcoming the crisis but also one year which shaped an amazing experience.

Follow Hana on her journey through seven different dreams and explore a multitude of different dreamscapes created from her memories. Jump and run through an old shrine, a fancy water park, a world made out of food and more all while you try to beat your fastest times on your way to achieve the S-Rank on every stage.

Lunistice is available now on PC via Steam and GOG and on Nintendo Switch via the eShop. For a limited time a launch discount is available on Steam & GOG.

Source: PR Email

Chained Echoes, the long awaited pixel-perfect JRPG developed by Matthias Linda and published by Deck13 Spotlight, finally receives a release date. Perfectly blending fantasy with Mechs and Airships, its arrival on December 8th on PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and PC will immerse gamers into a story-driven epic!

A Magnum Opus 7 Years in the Making

After seven years of development, the Magnum Opus from solo developer Matthias Linda, Chained Echoes, a traditional, all encompassing JRPG, inspired by classics of the SNES and PSX era, is finally finished. Gamers from all around the world can now engage in an outstanding JRPG fantasy that is full of exciting challenges and appeal.

Players will find themselves within the continent of Valandis, which, after centuries of war, is finally at peace. However, this world they are in is marked by possible conflict, and rumors that a weapon of mass destruction is an imminent danger. Peace is fragile, conflicts lasting for centuries just won’t disappear, a new war could break loose anytime soon… Can a group of strangers restore peace? Can the weapon be destroyed?

Welcome to the Overdrive

Chained Echoes is packed; featuring magic, mechs, swords, boss fights, turn-based combat, a complex story and roughly 40 hours of content. While being a turn-based game, the Overdrive Combat System ensures that the fights are fast-paced while still offering massive tactical depth. Creatively tune the skillset of your party and slay even the most vicious foes like a whirlwind!

In Chained Echoes, medieval Fantasy meets modern Steampunk, so get ready for both sword duels and mech fights! An incredible, carefully crafted world awaits, filled with otherworldly creatures, multiple nations of humans and humanoid races, brimming with individual lore and culture for the player to dig into. In the wild, Valandis’ varied environments are a true paradise for adventurers, each with their unique look and special challenges, menacing bosses and exciting secrets!

The new trailer reveals a few more gameplay scenes, showing off the combat system, some mecha fights and some of the stunning pixel visuals Matthias created.

Chained Echoes will also be available through Xbox Game Pass on PC, consoles and via the Cloud on Day One.

Chained Echoes will also receive a physical release in Summer 2023 and is now available for pre-order.

Exclusively distributed by First Press Games, it will receive premium physical editions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC DVD, with different variants that vary in terms of included goodies and merch. Esoundsignal’s Original Soundtrack as a 2CD release is also on offer separately.

For all details, visit First Press Games’ web store.

Source: PR Email

Indie publisher Ratalaika Games, joins together with Brazilian Studio Fractal Projects, in announcing Save Room out on the 11th November 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, priced at $4.99 EU 4.99. This Puzzle Inventory Management challenge has drawn inspiration from a giant of a game and has been acclaimed by a number of media for its simplicity, inventiveness, addictabilty and above all fun!

A touch of Evil to inspire

Fractal Projects, who have released a number of puzzle games, explained that this was created by their programmer who focused on the Resident Evil 4’s inventory system as his main inspiration. ‘Everyone that played RE4 remembers how fun it was to organise your items to fit in your suitcase. So I imagined that a short game with that mechanic could be a good project. What makes the game unique is this nostalgic feeling. The goal/aim is to make all the items fit in your inventory, while your guns are loaded and your life is not too low.’

Organization

When you enter a ‘save room’ you know you are safe, no danger can come to you, you can relax. Take advantage of this short period of time to organize your inventory, heal your wounds and reload your weapons. Can you make all the items fit in your inventory?

40 levels make up the game and the objective is really simple, you just need to arrange the items you are presented with and then fit them into your inventory space. You can move, rotate and combine the items. Also, all your weapons need to be reloaded and your life can be in a dangerous state so keep your eye on the screen!

The difficult curve is progressive, so in the first ten levels the player only needs to fit the items and reload their weapons. At levels 11 to 25 the player will have to use and combine healing items to keep the health metre away from the danger state. After that, a mechanism of combining gunpowder to create ammunition is presented. In the final levels………… (surprises!)

As the developer explained, ‘The gameplay mechanics are introduced at a pace that is easy for everyone and players who are familiar with RE4 find them very intuitive. When someone gets stuck on a level he just needs to restart and try to organize the items in a different way.’

Relax and Progress

There is no timer at all, and as many gamers have found out from the successful PC release, Save Room has a relaxing approach that is very calming, so the player can just relax and solve the puzzle at his own pace. Each level must be completed to unlock the next one, and the game has many achievements that encourage the player to complete levels and try new things.

Crafty idea!

Save Room blends puzzles within its puzzles, like when you begin crafting: using different vials of gunpowder to fashion specific ammo types, combining herbs to make healing items. The developer expanded on this, ‘As in Resident Evil games it’s common to combine herbs and gunpowder, I figured having some mechanics like that would bring back a lot of nostalgic memories. So, in Save Room, the player will need to combine herbs to create potent healing items and mix the right gunpowders to create specific ammunition. And when you combine items, you create more free space in your inventory, which is the key to solving some levels.

Source: PR Email

Paris, November 3rd, 2022 – Microids is delighted to confirm the launch of the Steam and Nintendo Switch version of Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch in North America.

Developed by the studio Aesir Interactive, the game invites players to saddle up in a full-on equestrian open world adventure. Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch is out now in Europe on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch and PC. In North America, the game is already available on Nintendo Switch & Steam and will launch on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5 the 15th of November.

About Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch

In Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch, players will be tasked with restoring their family’s run-down estate back to its former glory. This quest will set them on a delightful open world adventure where they’ll explore the peninsula’s gorgeous and varied landscapes, from the colorful seashore of Coral Lagoon to the lush forest of Birchwoods.

They will make many friends along the way, including the nearby residents and of course… horses! Tame, breed, and establish a strong bond with your equine companions, as each is unique and possesses distinct abilities, personality traits, preferences, and training needs.

Make Emerald Valley your own by customizing your adventure: dress up your horses and your avatar with a wide variety of clothing and ornament options, and take part in rebuilding and decorating various buildings, stables, and horse care facilities.

Source: PR Email

Hamburg, Germany, November 2nd, 2022 – The murderous cooking sim Godlike Burger is now available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Players can become the deadliest chef in the galaxy and try their hand at creating the most delicious burger.

The trailer shows  Godlike Burger’s unique gameplay. As a space-traveling chef, players must lure in their alien customers, kill them and turn them into patties. Only by combining the perfect ingredients can they create the best burger in space and turn their little diner into the biggest intergalactic restaurant. However, players must take care to keep their murderous habits under wraps and avoid the space police’s suspicions.

Key Features:

• Cook the best burgers and turn your pitiful diner into the universe’s most famous restaurant. More prestige means more customers, new planets to visit, and more money!
• Kill your customers with a range of hidden traps, deadly sauces, or the good old meat cleaver!
• Improve your kitchen and find out what each alien race likes – uncover the secret of the perfect burger.
• Explore the galaxy and its worlds. There are different alien species and their individual strengths and weaknesses to discover.
• Don’t get caught! Leave no witnesses and keep the police’s suspicion low by playing and planning smartly.
• Manage your restaurant at night to do what every good restaurant owner must do: cook new “sauces”, buy ingredients, and upgrade your kitchen, traps, and weapons.
• Complete quests and solve dozens of different problems from clogged toilets and meteor showers to zombie attacks.

Godlike Burger is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC via Steam.

Source: PR Email