Twinworld Game Reviews

Indie publisher Sometimes You, together with talented indie developer, Nikolai Usachev, today announced the soon to be released superb looking top down roguelike action-shooter Fusion Paradox.

Releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch on 1st November 2023, this accomplished, all out action romp, mixes exploring, with fast paced shooting that delivers a high octane experience for gamers who like a challenge plus plenty of surprises.

Fight the forces and anomalies that have captured the Agency. Defy the ancient goddess of war and free it!

It’s up to you!

You assume the role of one of the special agents who arrived at the Agency for Supernatural Threat Reduction in response to a red alert signal. Waking up in a secret laboratory, the hero realises that all the agency’s employees have lost their sanity, and he himself has been subjected to strange energy influences, experiencing momentary amnesia and gaining the ability to change his state. Passing through numerous obstacles and battling hordes of the possessed, you will have to reach the source of the threat to free the agency and prevent the danger from spreading to the outside world.

The vision comes to life

Nikolai, succinctly described the game.”Fusion Paradox” combines the “Scrolling Shooter” and “Action Roguelike ” genres. The main distinctive feature is the switching of the hero’s binary state, where each state represents a unique power with its own characteristics and attributes. These powers can include unique weapons, skills, or magical bonuses. Additionally, some of the enemies are vulnerable only in specific states of the hero. It’s crucial for the player to know when to choose the right colour.

Explore, kill, solve and be bold

Fusion Paradox features secret rooms with engaging puzzles that provide additional bonuses. There are characters in the game who offer significant bonuses in case the player fails. Furthermore, the game incorporates classic roguelike mechanics, such as procedurally generated levels with each new playthrough after the hero’s death, dozens of weapon types, numerous unique skills and a variety of enemy types.

In the agency building, there are five floors located in different temporal and spatial dimensions. Mystical events occur here that transcend ordinary time and space. If a place is contaminated, supernatural phenomena can repeat in it even centuries later, as if disrupting the fabric of time. Scientists and magicians investigate the nature of the emergence of anomalous zones in various historical periods by travelling back in time. To reduce the growth and impact of unidentified threats, the administration decided to relocate these spaces from their temporal periods inside the agency building, allocating entire floors for them.

Progressing

During the course of progressing through the floors, the player may come across obelisks of power that provide permanent bonuses to various attributes: additional lives for the yellow and blue heroes, increased movement speed, damage boost, and reduced cooldown time between dashes. These enhancements stay with the player even after the character’s death.

Technically speaking

The look, attention to detail  and ever changing locations, are just some of the great features. Nikolai, ”Game engine graphics effects were utilised and meticulously fine-tuned manually, ranging from particle systems to shaders.”

Explosive Facts & Features

• Five distinct levels
• Puzzles galore
• Universal spells
• Hazardous armour
• Poison!!!
• Ice Storms
• Pistols
• Stingers
• Stone Guard Statues
• Grenades
• 69!!! Weapons!!!!!
• Bosses – Agency Boss Possessed King and more
• 4-6 hours. But some players spend even more than 20 hours in the game.
• … Too many to list!!

Random WOW Factor

After death, all floors are reassembled from scratch, with changes in the room placement and their sizes. New random spells, weapons, power obelisks and additional weapons appear on the floors. Some of the enemies are inaccessible during the initial playthrough and new ones gradually appear in subsequent playthroughs to avoid overwhelming the player initially and to provide gradual new challenges.

Source: PR Email

Paris,  October 20th, 2023 — Microids and Bilibili Games are delighted to announce that the Rogue-Lite game Warm Snow is now available digitally on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows Store.

Since its arrival on Steam in January 2022, Warm Snow came into its own, earning a glowing reputation thanks to a ‘very positive’ rating from over 25,000 enthusiastic reviewers. The game was also honoured with three major awards: the Jincha Award for the most anticipated game of 2022, the 2020 Indieplay Nova Prize and the Bilibili 2022 Must-play. In May 2023, the studio proudly celebrated the sale of over 2 000 000 copies on PC and mobile.”

For the console versions, players will benefit from the “Nightmare Ashes” additional content. This expansion will bring a host of new features, including new powers, even more powerful weapons and a brand new skill tree for even greater customization of Bi-An, to suit every style of play. In addition, new items will be introduced to help players face the world of nightmares.

About Warm Snow:

In the year 27 of the Longwu era, a strange “Warm Snow” plunges the world into chaos, turning people into out-of-control monsters. Play as Bi-An, a mysterious wandering warrior, and embark on an epic journey to restore balance to the world. Free the 5 houses that once protected the world from corruption and unravel the mystery behind the Warm Snow. Choose your equipment according to your fighting style and plunge into the heart of epic battles!

Game features:

• A dynamic rogue-lite gameplay: adapt your arsenal of weapons, powers and elements to suit your personal fighting style.
• Art direction inspired by silk paintings: immerse yourself in breathtaking aesthetic visuals inspired by silk paintings, adding a unique dimension of poetry and elegance to the game universe.
• An exotic world drawn from Chinese folklore: explore a fantasy realm imbued with rich Chinese folklore, where legendary creatures and breathtaking landscapes create an authentic and immersive atmosphere.
• New languages: enjoy an even more immersive gaming experience with new languages available.
• Endless replay value: explore the game over and over again until you finally discover the truth about “Warm Snow” and put an end to it.
• Ash of Nightmare content included: discover the Nightmare system, new mechanics, items, skills, weapons and bosses

Warm Snow is available digitally on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Windows Store on October 20th, 2023.

Source: PR Email

Berlin, Germany – October 19, 2023 – ININ & Ys Net are excited to showcase the array of Extra Modes, Mini-Games and the Adventure Map in their upcoming release, Air Twister! The brand-new rail shooter, by the gaming legend Yu Suzuk,i will take off on all consoles and PC Steam on November 10. For the die-hard fans of Yu’s magic touch, they can already secure their boxed PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch copies via Amazon!

Ready to have the full Air Twister experience? Here are six extra modes you can unlock by collecting stars or tickets from daily/weekly events:

• Stardust

Can you defeat the incoming waves of enemies within the time limit? The faster you shoot them down, the faster they appear. Vanquish the outpour of enemies, one by one!

• Arcade Mode

This mode puts you in a no-holds-barred old-school arcade experience with no useful items, a high default difficulty setting and quick bursts of intense shooting action. In this hardcore version of Air Twister, beat the game with one life and one life only. Starting Hearts change with difficulty level.

• Fluffy

In this silly topsy-turvy mode, your perspective changes from a 3D view to a classic 2D side scroller! Give it your all to not touch any enemies or obstacles while zipping through the levels on your loyal winged elephant. Choose between two submodes! Get rich or die trying in Score Attack Fluffy, or grab as many stars as you can in Get Stars Fluffy while soaring like fluff in the wind!

• Boss Rush

“Boss Rush” delivers a high dose of adrenaline as you will face every single one of the game’s ten boss monsters in quick succession. The faster you take them down, the higher your ranking in the high-score table!

• Turbo Mode

Double the speed. Double the challenge! Turbo Mode is a high-difficulty mode with everything at 2x speed. Ditch the dumb luck and use pure skill to streak through the stages and vanquish incoming enemies to become the Turbo Queen (extraordinarily nice, right?!)

• Tap Breaker

A simple minigame in which you must break cubes by tapping them numerically. The faster you do it, the higher your score. Sounds simple enough, right? But how focused can you be when the ever-increasing number of cubes start spinning around in different directions?

• Extra Stage

Dash through a seemingly never-ending mysterious tunnel and defeat the oncoming raids of enemies! This stage is twice as long as normal stages, so let your rail shooter skills shine and try to reach the end of the tunnel safely.

Adventure Map

• Every time you destroy a full formation of enemies, complete a daily/weekly event or dedicate playtime to Get Stars Fluffy, you will receive stars. These stars serve as the game’s main currency and are used to unlock new items on the Adventure Map.
• Hungry for more? This extensive Map displays all potential extras and unlockables –  from weapons and outfits, to lore and more!
  • Calling all trophy hunters, achievers and completionists: Can you collect all the stars and master Air Twister 100%?

Game Features:

• 12 artfully crafted stages with unique and new experiences each time you play. Embark on a fantastic journey, resembling that of Alice down the rabbit hole.
• 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 Dutch 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 Challenge Games in the Adventure Map with different modes like Arcade, Turbo, Boss Rush and more!
• Many fantastic Minigames with surprising elements.

Source: PR Email

Edinburgh, Scotland – October 19th, 2023 – CATASTROPHIC_OVERLOAD and Firestoke are excited to announce that Bish Bash Bots is launching today on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, bringing the mayhem and madness of Overcooked, arcade brawling and strategic tower defense, all lovingly crafted for couch co-op fans. Prepare to team up in couch co-op / online play or go it alone to save the world.

In a cartoony take on a future where machines have stolen technology from humans and are turning it against them, a team of unlikely heroes set out on a grand adventure to reset the rogue robots and save the world. With 8 vibrant and colourful biomes across 32 levels, players will have to contend with a variety of hazards such as turrets overheating in the Volcano biome, or the dangerous flora of the overgrown Jungle where mutant plants may snatch you and your friends up!

Perfect for playing with friends locally or online, with 1 – 4 players supported, Bish Bash Bots is a co-op party game that merges the strategic planning of tower defense with the immediacy of fun and frantic brawling that sees you and your buddies smashing rogue robots across the battlefield. Build upgradable turrets, unlock gadgets and bash bots with giant hammers. An array of turrets and gadgets will allow you to mix up your strategy as you come face to face with unique robots that can be pushed, shoved and even bashed down holes!

“Bish Bash Bots fuses the fun chaos of co-op multiplayer with tower defense strategy. Build towers and bash bots with friends, family or in single player,” said James Letherby, co-founder of CATASTROPHIC_OVERLOAD. “We are so proud to be releasing our second game today with Firestoke on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch and hope you have many hours of bot bashin’ fun!”

Source: PR Email

Paris, October 19, 2023 – Publisher Microids and Microids Studio Lyon are delighted to present the launch trailer for Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express which is out now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. In this modernized version of Agatha Christie’s timeless masterpiece set in 2023, players will undergo a thrilling journey set through several renowned cities, from Boston to Venice and Geneva.

Take on the roles of two brilliant detectives: the legendary Hercule Poirot and the new character of Joanna Locke. Explore the iconic environments, solve complex puzzles, and interrogate a wide range of intriguing characters to solve the mystery. Every clue, every conversation, and every choice brings the detectives closer to the truth behind the crime on the Orient Express.

With surprising twists and game-changing revelations at every stage of the investigation, Murder on the Orient Express promises to be a game that redefines everything players thought they knew about this classic story.

About Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express:

On board the Orient Express, legendary detective Hercule Poirot solves the murder that has taken place on the prestigious train, surrounded by a cast of intriguing characters with their own secrets and motives. Solving the mystery won’t be easy and through numerous twists and turns, players will have to use their little grey cells and detective skills to unravel the truth and bring it to light.

Game features:

• Faithful, but fresh: The game is a faithful but fresh adaptation of the original story, with a new character named Joanna Locke added to the story. Playing as Joanna, players can exit the confines of the train during playable flashbacks.
• Embody the legendary detective Hercule Poirot: Enter into Hercule Poirot’s head to discover mind maps and make deductions as he navigates the puzzles and objects scattered throughout each chapter.
• A rich adventure with strong twists: Murder On the Orient Express is renowned for one of the most famous plot twists in literary history, and Microids’ game is no exception. But with events taking place in 2023, the investigation will see players venture in new directions.
• A brilliant detective and mystery game: Players will take on the roles of Poirot and Joanna, solve puzzles and make deductions to uncover the truth behind the murder. In a third person view, players will inspect the environment and talk with the protagonists, searching for clues and confronting the suspects.
• Full voice-over: Fully localized and dubbed in English, German and French.

Murder on the Orient Express is available today, October 19, 2023, digitally on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The retail edition will be available November 9th in the USA.

Source: PR Email

SANTA ANA, California, October 18, 2023 — Get ready for tons of point-and-click adventure fun when Nicalis releases Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files for Nintendo Switch in the first quarter of 2024. The collection will launch simultaneously as both a digital download and a physical game card.

Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files includes all three mainline Touch Detective games, plus two bonus scenarios and an extensive in-game gallery with over 500 images of rare artwork, development sketches and comic strips. The release marks the first time that Touch Detective 3 will be localized and officially released in English.

Developed by Beeworks Games and Success Corporation, the Touch Detective series follows the adventures of Mackenzie, a rookie detective who attempts to solve local mysteries with the help of Funghi (her mushroom assistant) and Cromwell (the family butler). Use the Nintendo Switch touch screen to guide Mackenzie through the town, interact with other characters, pick up and use objects and more.

Through the course of the three games, you’ll get to meet Mackenzie’s best friends Penelope and Chloe, rival detective Norman Touche and many other colorful, eccentric and memorable characters. The two bonus scenarios feature Funghi exploring the environment, interviewing people and solving puzzles.

Touch Detective 3 + The Complete Case Files will be released for Nintendo Switch in the first quarter of 2023. The digital version will be available for download from the Nintendo eShop, and the physical version is now available for preorder at store.nicalis.com in two different packages: a standard version and a special version that comes with a Funghi plush figure.

Source: PR Email

Enter the bleak work of CRYMACHINA and test your ability to survive by playing the demo! Available now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5.

Decimate those who oppose you in fast-paced, flashy combat utilizing a myriad of gear including melee, ranged, and shoulder-mounted weapons. Enhance and augment your weapons to add powerful effects to each strike and execute combos modified to your playstyle.

CRYMACHINA is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC on October 24, 2023!

Source: PR Email

Indie publisher Sometimes You, together with PigeonDev, is excited to announce the soon to be released roguelite action-shooter fest Hero Survival. A classic in the making, with all out action and plenty of rewards for success, it’s a game that will want you coming back for more……and more…

Releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One,  Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch on 27th October 2023,  it really does what is said on the box, in this case, press release, a game where players face hordes of monsters from classic movies where you will just want to get that little bit further into the game and win the day. BUT it is far from a breeze.

Simple and Varied

A simple storyline encases the moreish gameplay challenges. Combining recognizable monsters and heroes from horror and action movies, it is a setting that will entertain both the gamers and was set up for the mad god of time and space, who mistakenly dragged our protagonist, mistaking him for a great warrior.

Confront mummies, zombies, ghosts, vampires, and many more indescribable, all with their own attributes and characteristics. Variety and attention to detail was essential in the presentation to add depth and interactive interest. Ghosts pass through any obstacles, giant zombies act as tanks, and the Devil trying to get to the player can destroy even his allies

Quote from PigeonDev – ”The game may seem chaotic at first, but the pace builds gradually – in the beginning you can safely manoeuvre with your gun, and on the last waves the only place not filled with enemies will be two metres around you. Stick with it and you will soon be in control, that’s if you are quick enough!”

Face the ghouls…….

The player will progress through the game by unlocking new weapons, characters, and as well as annihilating the baddies, finding rewards as you build your characters, who have many differing characteristics. The more powerful you become you will also, of course, face more devious and powerful fiends. It’s not all about shooting but action is the name of the game, and there are many subtleties and surprises to uncover.

Within each individual run, you will choose which build you want to use, combining skills (both permanent and those that give short-term bonuses) and loot. One important thing to remember – because each level is a puzzle that you have to solve in an ever-changing environment. You can always get the wrong skills and wrong weapons and you have no choice but to adapt to it. And the more enjoyable it will be to find a way to complete the level even when things don’t go according to plan.

All the levels are diverse and visually interesting – green meadows, a gloomy cemetery, icy wastelands and warm sands.

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – October 12th, 2023 – In the leadup to the launch of SteamWorld Build on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on December 1st, Thunderful has launched a new website that will serve as a one stop shop for their beloved flagship series.

On the website, fans, media and content creators can find out detailed information on SteamWorld Build, as well as getting assets to high quality assets via a new Content Creator Kit that includes stream overlays, backgrounds and emotes, as well as a press kit featuring press releases, screenshots, key art and the latest trailers. On the new site, you can sign up for a newsletter to ensure you are the first to know whenever a new piece of SteamWorld news drops.

While the website is currently focused on SteamWorld Build, it will be updated to encompass the past, present and future of the beloved series.

SteamWorld Build is the newest entry in the award-winning SteamWorld franchise. Welding the city-building genre to Dungeon Keeper-like underground mining and oiling the cogs with that unique SteamWorld secret sauce, SteamWorld Build offers a never before seen take on the city-builder genre from The Station.

Developed for PC and console simultaneously, every aspect of SteamWorld Build’s has been designed to ensure that the game works just as well with a controller in hand as it does with mouse and keyboard, bringing a traditionally PC-centric genre to console without compromise. As well as welcoming players regardless of what platform they are on, SteamWorld Build follows the series’ tradition in catering to both experienced players and newcomers.

As the architect of a SteamWorld mining town, break ground and raise houses for your steambot citizens, keep them fed and provide some rootin’-tootin’ entertainment. Venture into the abandoned mine sitting under your town, rumoured to be filled with ancient tech that holds the key to escaping impending doom. Using the natural resources above ground and the abundant ores buried below, expand your town, stimulate new residential tiers to join the quest to dig deeper, unearth untold riches and ultimately help them to hightail it off the planet!

“We’ve always been grateful to the SteamWorld community for their support and, of course, Thunderful is very proud of the series, so this new website makes perfect sense as way to help communicate with the world about SteamWorld Build and the series as a whole” said SteamWorld Universe and Franchise Director, Brjánn Sigurgeirsson. “We hope you check it out and sign up to the mailing list as we continue to add more to the site going forward.”

Source: PR Email

Berlin, Germany – 11 October 2023 – ININ and Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with IREM and Tozai Games, are excited to reveal the titles of the IREM Collection Vol. 3 and announce the pre-order start for the exclusive and highly limited boxed editions of IREM Collection Vol. 3. This collection continues to celebrate the gaming legacy of IREM, one of the industry’s most esteemed developers.

This volume is packed with true arcade gems of the shoot ’em up genre: Mr. Heli, Mystic Riders, and Dragon Breed. It’s set to launch in Q2 2024, and if you are a collector, you can already snag exclusive Limited Editions (Playstation & Switch) starting on October 12! The physical edition of Volume 3 will be exclusively available through Strictly Limited Games in the West and through Tozai Games in Japan.

ININ and Tozai will handle the digital versions for the Western and Japanese markets on Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox, scheduled for release in Q2 2024.

Mr Heli

Mr. Heli, also known outside Japan as Battle Chopper, took the Japanese arcades by storm in 1987, when IREM’s creative mojo was in full bloom. This quirky adventure invites you to steer a little-legged orange Chopper named Mr. Heli through a multitude of innovative stages. What goes up, must come down… and walk! The heroic helicopter can soar through the stages, walks across lands, and wields three different weapons, each with two upgrade levels. Along the way, you’ll mine crystals and buy upgrades to help you take on the massive bosses that stand in your way. And don’t forget to keep your eye open for hidden paths, sneaky secrets, and clever puzzles built into the level design – they might just be your ticket to success in this high-flying adventure! The comeback of Mr. Heli offers a fascinating time travel for shoot ’em-up fans. The IREM Collection Volume 3 contains both Battle Chopper in its 1987 Arcade M-92 version and the 1989 PC Engine / Turbo Grafx version. The fascinating gameplay of these games is preserved over time and stands out as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece deserving your love.

Mystic Riders

You’re a wizard, Harry! The 1992 Arcade Shoot ‘em up Mystic Riders takes you on a magical journey that’s a bit different from IREM’s usual dark and challenging shoot ‘em up style. Developed by the same team that gave us the comical Daiku no Gen-san (Hammerin’ Harry), this shmup ventures into a world of fantasy and magic, far from its counterparts’ biomechanical ‘’nightmares’’. Take on the roles of two comical and lighthearted characters, the wizard Mark and the witch Zeal, and start your (possibly co-op) adventure! While riding a broomstick, defeat giant sky turtles, ghosts, grim reapers, dragons, and other mystical creatures. Fling your broom in a boomerang fashion to block projectiles or get a taste of an early version of the dodge roll, a move that’s now common in gaming. Mystic Riders is a true gem in the shoot ‘em genre and a highly entertaining co-op experience, so don’t miss it!

Dragon Breed

Dragon Breed is a thrilling dragon-themed shooter where you hop on a massive dragon named Bahamoot and ride into action! Don’t be fooled by his size, though – only your rider can take damage, while the dragon is a total beast absorbing the damage projectiles of countless opponents. Enemies bounce off its tail harmlessly, making it super satisfying for a player. There’s a bit of run-and-gun action, but the key is sticking close to your dragon buddy, thanks to its tail that blocks bullets and a killer charge shot. Similar to R-Type or X-Multiply, you are diving into a heavy biomechanical theme set in a post-apocalyptic world. So are you ready for an adventure through big levels jam-packed with enemies, surprises, and heart-pounding action? Relive the thrill of Dragon Breed on modern consoles and flaunt your dragon-riding skills to friends and gamers worldwide! Get in on the dragon-fueled fun!

What to expect:

• Three fantastic arcade-era IREM standard shoot ‘em ups.
• A quick save and load feature to guarantee your progress.
• Built-in filters to relive the original game experience.
• New integrated help functions, such as rewind and fast-forward features.
• Worldwide leaderboards to put your score on display.
• Many fantastic stages with bizarre enemies and enormous boss fights.

Source: PR Email