Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for November, 2023

Evil Diary takes place in an alternate 1997 where three years ago aliens attacked the planet, reducing New York City to ruins. People and animals were transformed into hideous, bloodthirsty creatures.

Players assume the role of Eve and fight their way through evil and grotesque hordes, whilst trying to survive long enough to find sanctuary in the safe zone.

Features & Facts

• The game takes 1-2 hours to complete and is fully linear in progression
• 32 Combat Levels
• Heavy metal music
• Monsters galore
• Stylish pixel art
• Grotesque enemy designs and intricate details in the levels
• Compelling Story
• Two additional character skins to unlock

Evil Diary is an epic dark top-down action shooter not to be overlooked! One woman’s journey as she faces off against hordes of mutated monsters trying to reach safety in a post-apocalyptic, ruined New York.

Source: PR Email

Berlin, Germany – November 21, 2023 – Drumroll, please! ININ, Tozai Games, Irem and Strictly Limited Games are proud to announce that the Irem Collection Volume 1 featuring the iconic classics Image Fight, Image Fight II and X Multiply – is out today! Brace yourself for the ultimate challenge because these shooters are here to put your skills to the test! We’re talking about the toughest shmups that have ever existed!

So, are you up for a heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled adventure? Dive into the digital editions of this excellent shooter trio right now on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 for only €24,99! PlayStation 4 and Xbox versions are also coming later this year, keep your eyes peeled for these updates! That’s not all: Strictly Limited Games is bringing the heat with exclusive physical editions! For all the juicy details on those, keep reading till the end.

Irem’s legacy

Let us take a moment to appreciate the gaming legends behind the Irem collection. Irem was a true pioneer in the golden era of Japanese gaming, and yet they’ve remained largely under the radar. Why, you ask? It’s because they’ve designed games that are geared towards a very niche audience: hardcore gamers who look for the ultimate test of their skills. Irem cranked up the difficulty to insane levels, pushing players’ reaction speed and quick thinking to the limit.

In this incredible Volume, you’ll be tasked with surviving epic dogfights in “Image Fight,” battling your way through intense scrolling battlefields in “Image Fight 2,” and obliterating alien parasites in the heart-pounding frenzy of “X-Multiply.” The stakes are high, the challenges are brutal, and the rewards are high!

Image Fight

In the future, Aliens have destroyed bases on the moon and begun an offensive against other military space areas. To combat this threat, humankind has built a spaceship called the “OF-1 Daedalus” that is meant to destroy the Alien invasion. Each pilot goes through a rigorous training process before officially boarding the OF-1 Daedalus to defeat the invaders and earn eternal glory.

Image Fight 2

The game introduces new alien invaders who return after three years of peace, making the sequel even more challenging. Become pilot Show in the new OF-3 Garuda spaceship and fight off alien invaders to save the world. This sequel promises improved animations, detailed lore (learn more about pilot Show and his family), new visual scenes, and a timeless soundtrack by Takashi Hiyamuta and Hiroshi Kimura.

Xmultiply

In the year 2249, a mysterious disease devastated the human population of the planet Stan. Scientists discovered that alien parasites had taken over people’s bodies, so they created microfighters to battle this biological warfare and save humankind. In this game, you control a miniature ship in a body that gets infected by alien parasites and utilizes tentacles as both a weapon and a shield to destroy the parasites before they can annihilate the host’s body.

And that’s not all! For all the games, we have included Online Leaderboards and global Rankings. If you are looking for a real challenge, this is your call!

Strictly Limited Games, in collaboration with ININ, Tozai and Irem, is bringing to life physical editions and exclusive and highly limited boxed editions of the Irem Collection Volume 1. These collector’s items will be exclusively available through Strictly Limited Games.

Strictly Limited Games is giving Irem Collection Volume 1 the boxed legacy it deserves, with two unique limited editions available for pre-order exclusively via the Strictly Limited Games online shop.

The Limited Edition is limited to a maximum of 4,000 copies for Nintendo Switch, 1,500 for PlayStation 4, and 1,500 for PlayStation 5 at a price of 34,99 €, including a colorful game manual.

The Collector’s Edition is limited to a maximum of 2000 copies for Nintendo Switch, 999 for PlayStation 4, and 999 for PlayStation 5 for 89,99 €, including lots of additional collectibles:

• Game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5
• Collector’s Edition Box
• Colorful Game Manual
• Original Soundtrack
• Visual Compendium
• Collectors Coin
• Marquee Stickers
• Reversible Poster
• DIY Game Packaging Reproduction
• Arcade/Game Flyer Reprints

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – November 21st, 2023 – Thunderful, Coatsink and Noname Studios are pleased to announce that following the launch on PC on November 20th, their atmospheric 2D adventure, Worldless, is out today on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch. Worldless delivers a mix of metroidvania platforming, turn-based action combat and RPG-style upgrades.

Worldless’ combat system requires the strategy typically associated with turn-based systems, but adds an element of real-time action thanks to timing-based elements that you need to master to be successful when defending and combining attacks. An intricate skill tree adds new layers to combat encounters, as well as opening up new avenues for you to explore.

Worldless is set in a newborn universe based on entities trapped in an eternal conflict by the polarising nature of their attractions. These interactions can result in an exchange of their polarities, but this process is very unstable, and who knows what new results can come from it…

Bask in an atmospheric, unforgettable setting with an inspiring score and connect to the deeper meanings of Worldless. Explore intricate areas filled with secrets, using finesse and fluid action to uncover them as you absorb enemies and upgrade to unlock new possibilities.

On the launch David Sanchez, Studio Director at Noname Studios said: “We’re so excited that the launch day is finally here! We’re looking forward to seeing what people think about the game and its unique visuals and combat system. We’re especially looking forward to seeing the reactions to the unknown enemies, bosses and secrets!”

Source: PR Email

Indie publisher Ratalaika Games is excited to announce the forthcoming release, on 24th November 2023, of Evil Diary, a 2D action shoot ‘em up, where the player must face off against dozens of grotesque enemies and survive. Releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series, X|S and Nintendo Switch at a remarkably low price-point.

Setting the Scene – Pure and simple!

Evil Diary takes place in an alternate 1997 where, three years ago, aliens attacked the planet, reducing New York City to ruins. People and animals were transformed into hideous, bloodthirsty creatures. The player takes control of Eve, one of the few survivors, who is determined to escape the city and seek refuge at a secure zone outside, as she travels, battling the monsters and trying to survive.

It’s up to you!

Eve is a normal young woman who’s been through extraordinary circumstances. She’s now alone, a survivor and is ready to fight for her life. Armed with a trusty handgun and a laser sword that she looted from the body of an alien, she will stop at nothing to reach the secure zone. After every level, Eve writes in her diary, giving the player a more intimate view of her thoughts.

Are you ready?

The game takes place over the course of eight days and the player guides Eve through a multitude of locations, including a dark forest, streets of New York, an abandoned train station, inside rundown derelict and on top of trains, sewers, a dilapidated mansion, an industrial elevator, until finally riding a motorcycle to safety! Eve’s journey is a solitary one, she doesn’t encounter any other characters besides the monsters.

Ever changing challenges

Unabated action is the menu set. There are different types of levels, ones where you have to kill a certain number of monsters to progress, ones where you have to survive against monsters until a timer runs out, and finally for the last couple of levels, you ride a motorcycle as you shoot down motorcycle-riding enemies.

Go For It Eve!

The player must first clear a monster-infested forest, survive through hordes of enemies in the streets of New York and find an abandoned train station in order to get to the secure zone.

Features & Facts

• The game takes 1-2 hours to complete and is fully linear in progression
• 32 Combat Levels
• Heavy metal music
• Monsters galore
• Stylish pixel art
• Grotesque enemy designs and intricate details in the levels
• Compelling Story
• Two additional character skins to unlock

Evil Diary is an epic dark top-down action shooter not to be overlooked! One woman’s journey as she faces off against hordes of mutated monsters trying to reach safety in a post-apocalyptic, ruined New York.

Source: PR Email

November 16th, 2023: Today sees the release of Whisper Games and KEIZO’s action-RPG ASTLIBRA Revision on Nintendo Switch. Having previously released on Steam to great acclaim, Switch owners can now get their hands on this true epic of a title.

Solo Japan developer, KEIZO, developed ASTLIBRA Revision over an incredible 15 years, making this incredible game – it truly is a labor of love! With magnificent hand-drawn enemies to combat, 60-90 hours of play, hundreds of items to customize your character!

Explore Unfamiliar and Meticulously Crafted Worlds

Take on the role of the hero, and his bird companion, Karon, and traverse a world that’s equally brutal as it is beautiful. The story is captivating and emotional, taking players on a real rollercoaster of a journey of discovery of what happened to his childhood friend… and why.

Features

• Estimated play time around 60 hours
• Shopping, exploration, long story written in chapter format, battle with huge bosses, rare equipment
• Various reinforcement elements, exhilarating and highly flexible combat, item synthesis, etc.
• Over 230 types of equipment, over 300 types of items, over 60 types of techniques, and over 100 types of unique effects

Source: PR Email

November 15th, 2023 – Independent publisher Neverland Entertainment and Acclaimed Rabi-Ribi studio CreSpirit announced that their anime metroidvania bullet-hell TEVI is heading to Steam and Switch on November 30th, 2023,  and will launch later on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.  A new trailer has been revealed showing the exquisite art and frantic gameplay full of action of the upcoming metroidvania, and a glimpse of the all-star voice actor cast and the theme music of high standard.

Combine fast-paced movements with swift attacks to chain Backflip Slashes, Air Dashes, and Dagger Throws into stun-locking Air Combos to BREAK enemies and achieve higher combo scores. TEVI’s dynamic difficulty system adapts to players’ progress, ensuring no enemy is too difficult to overcome, while presenting a challenge for quick learners. Players however can freely change the difficulty level at any time, taking on Expert mode for a true challenge, or lowering for an experience focused on the gripping narrative taking place across gorgeous environments.

Gema Yue, developer of the fan-favorite Bunnyvania Rabi-Ribi returns as lead programmer on TEVI. Freely explore an exquisite, pixel art world from CreSpirit, filled with captivating characters designed by Ein Lee, renowned character designer for the hit animated series RWBY, and enriched by an exceptional soundtrack crafted by OPUS series composer Triodust and renowned composer 3R2.

“We’re thrilled to give fans who have eagerly awaited an in-depth look at TEVI the chance to do so with this new gameplay video and upcoming playtest,” said David, CEO of CreSpirit, “It has been an honor to collaborate with so many talented creators on TEVI so far, and we’ll continue working hard as development progresses to deliver a fantastical bullet hell metroidvania for fans of the genre.”

Sigil System: A cornucopia of equipable sigils can be freely configured to create builds tailored to your preferences and playstyle. Some sigils obviously improve players’ basic stats, while others affect the plays”tyles and attack patterns. Various sigil builds can provide very different combat experiences.

Rating System: In TEVI, the rating system is not only for advanced players. It actually encourages every player to try different skills and combos to get a high combo score. A higher score improves attack power, and even gives special effects to some skills or combos. It is like a reward to skilled players to make battles more exciting.

TEVI also boasts of a first-class cast of voice actors:

• Tevi: Lynn
• Celia: Yoko Hikasa
• Sable: Natsumi Fujiwara
• Zema: Tomokazu Sugita
• Vena: Rie Kugimiya

With gorgeous art, a luxurious cast, and beautiful songs, TEVI will present players with an unforgettable journey.

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – November 14th, 2023 – Thunderful and independent developer Wishfully’s acclaimed cinematic puzzle adventure, Planet of Lana, is coming to Nintendo Switch™ and PlayStation in Spring 2024. A new Planet of Lana trailer, which debuted today at Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase, gives Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players a taste of what they can look forward to from a title praised by EDGE for the way it “masterfully conducts the emotional highs and lows of a planetary odyssey” in its 9/10 review and hailed as a “beautiful adventure” by GamesRadar+ in its 4.5/5 review.

Stunning visuals and a rousing soundtrack from D.I.C.E. and BAFTA-nominated composer, Takeshi Furukawa, deliver aesthetic brilliance wrapped around a unique companion mechanic. Playing as Lana, you can issue commands to your cat-like buddy Mui to help you overcome platforming challenges, solve puzzles and escape the unwanted attention of stalking, spindle-legged robots hunting you down. Only by working together can the plucky pair persist and prevail.

In Planet of Lana, recently nominated for a Golden Joystick, Lana’s world is upended as mysterious alien orbs appear in the sky and robots begin capturing villagers for an unknown purpose. Where they’ve come from and what this all means is up to you to discover as you progress throughout your adventure. All Lana knows is that she has to save her sister.

Through dense jungles, sunlit meadows, arid deserts and the cold steel of alien architecture, Planet of Lana treats players to breathtaking natural landscapes in an spectacular adventure that blends the epic scale of the events that threaten Lana’s whole world with a story about a touching personal relationship built between the game’s two underdog protagonists.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Planet of Lana to Switch and PlayStation in Spring 2024,” said Wishfully Studios’ director Adam Stjärnljus. “We want to share our game with as many people as possible, so this is something we are very excited about. Thanks to all the fans that helped make Planet of Lana a success on PC and console and thanks to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation communities for your patience – I promise we will do our best to make it worth the wait!”

Source: PR Email

Berlin, Germany – November 14, 2023 – In exactly one week, ININ, Tozai Games, Irem and Strictly Limited Games will launch the Irem Collection Volume 1, featuring the iconic classics Image Fight, Image Fight II and X Multiply! This Collection is not just a nostalgia trip; it’s the ultimate return of some of the TOUGHEST shmups that ever existed, and it will be available on November 21st on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PlayStation 4/5.

Step into a time machine that takes you back to the golden era of Japanese gaming, the days of shoot ’em-up glory.

About Image Fight

In the future, Aliens have destroyed bases on the moon and begun an offensive against other military space areas. To combat this threat, humankind has built a spaceship called the “OF-1 Daedalus” that is meant to destroy the Alien invasion. Each pilot goes through a rigorous training process before officially boarding the OF-1 Daedalus to defeat the invaders and earn eternal glory.

Designed by the talented Shinji Imada, Image Fight challenged gamers in the late ’80s with its relentless action and gameplay that set the bar for the shooter genre. This collection also contains Image Fight in its 1990 PC Engine version (previously only available in Japan) and the 1990 NES version (sold in Japan and North America).

About Image Fight II

The game introduces new alien invaders who return after three years of peace, making the sequel even more challenging. Become pilot Show in the new OF-3 Garuda spaceship and fight off alien invaders to save the world. This sequel promises improved animations, detailed lore (learn more about pilot Show and his family), new visual scenes, and a timeless soundtrack by Takashi Hiyamuta and Hiroshi Kimura.

What makes this release unique is that the CD version features a storyline complete with anime cut-scenes spread throughout, featuring performances from famous Japanese anime voice actors. Notably, the main character, Show Sawamura, is voiced by Toru Furuya, known for his roles in series like Gundam, Kimagure Orange Road, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball. The game features a stereo score and sound effects composed by Irem musicians Takushi Hiyamuta (known for his work on the Metal Slug series) and Hiroshi Kimura (known for Super R-Type and R-Type Leo).

About X Multiply

In the year 2249, a mysterious disease devastated the human population of the planet Stan. Scientists discovered that alien parasites had taken over people’s bodies, so they created microfighters to battle this biological warfare and save humankind. In this game, you control a miniature ship in a body that gets infected by alien parasites and utilizes tentacles as both a weapon and a shield to destroy the parasites before they can annihilate the host’s body.

Unlike many shoot-em-up games set in outer space or on distant planets, “X Multiply” takes place inside a human body infected by alien parasites on a colonized distant planet. This unique premise involves scientists using advanced medical technology to send a miniaturized fighter plane, the X-002, into the human body to combat the alien parasites. The game has players navigate through seven levels set in blood vessels and arteries within the human body. The distinction between what is human and alien is left unclear, creating a unique and somewhat unsettling sci-fi horror atmosphere in the manner of H. R. Giger.

And that’s not all! For all the games, we have included Online Leaderboards and global Rankings. If you are looking for a real challenge, this is your call!

Strap in to plunge into the vaults of classic arcade gaming!

Source: PR Email

Berlin, Germany – November 10, 2023 – Today is the day ININ and YSNET are taking you on a ride! Air Twister, the latest rail shooter adventure by the celebrated Japanese game designer legend Yu Suzuki, is now available on PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC (Steam)! Experience it digitally on all platforms for $24.99 or physically on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch for $29.99 on Amazon. Go and venture forth as Princess Arch on 12 beautifully crafted stages in a majestic world!

Legendary Creator

Air Twister is not just any ordinary game. It’s a mind-bending journey through the obscure and fascinating sci-fi worlds created by Yu Suzuki, the creator of the cult classic Shenmue series, Out Run, Space Harrier, Virtua Fighter, and many more classics. With some memorable and unique gameplay moments that you won’t find anywhere else, Air Twister takes you on a wild adventure. You’ll find yourself fighting massive glowing space squids from the back of an armored flying fish while rocking out to a pulsating rock solo. It’s a game that defies explanation and has to be experienced to be believed – an embodiment of Suzuki’s crazy imagination brought to life.

About the Game

Air Twister is an easy-to-learn, pick-up-and-play rail shooter similar to Yu Suzuki’s groundbreaking gem Space Harrier! With the role of Princess Arch, you will embark on a mission to protect your homeland, AIR, from the imminent invasion by Vanguard. The game offers many different creatively designed enemies and challenging bosses. But worry not, you’ll have your winged mounts and homing missiles equipped to fight against them.

With every run, you’ll unlock power-ups, special weapons and equipment to master. Challenge yourself with game modes like Turbo-mode or Boss Rush. Last but certainly not least, Air Twister boasts a captivating rock-opera soundtrack composed by the renowned Dutch artist, Valensia. Explore the beautifully crafted worlds and immerse yourself in this action-packed game.

Game Features:

• 12 artfully crafted stages with countless upgrades and unique gear to unlock after every run.
• Over 20 Vanguard creatures and 10 unique bosses to challenge your skills and simple controls for a fun and easy play experience.
• An epic soundtrack by Valensia, a music composer known for over three decades for keeping the musical rock and opera heritage of Queen’s greatest hits alive.
• High replayability by unlocking new gear, weapons, and Challenge Games in the Adventure Map.

Source: PR Email