Twinworld Game Reviews

Posts Tagged ‘Steel Mantis’

16 April, 2020 – Indie publisher Big Sugar is delighted to present the Valfaris & Slain: Back From Hell Double Pack, which is available to download now for Nintendo Switch in North America, and arrives tomorrow, 17 April, for Xbox One in all regions. The bundle arrives in the European eShop next Thursday, 23 April. A launch discount will be available for all versions for a limited time.

Developed by two-man team Steel Mantis, and featuring original soundtracks by former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant, Valfaris and Slain: Back From Hell are inspired by old-school gaming sensibilities, and heavy metal music and culture.

After a disastrous launch due to various design and technical issues, the original Slain! was withdrawn and taken back into development for several months. Repaired and polished by the newly formed Steel Mantis, the game was rebranded as Slain: Back From Hell and re-released in the summer of 2016.

It has since built a fan-base of players who appreciate its hardcore challenge, gory-but-gorgeous visuals, and relentless guitar riffs. Despite getting off to such an inauspicious start, and still being a game that consistently divides opinion, Slain: Back From Hell has clocked up almost 300K downloads.

Valfaris – the spiritual successor to Slain: Back From Hell – launched at the end of 2019 and, just like its predecessor, has been praised by players for its retro-inspired action, heavy metal aesthetic, and forceful soundtrack.

Source: PR Email

5 February, 2020 – Valfaris developer Steel Mantis has released a free ‘Full Metal Mode’ update for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of its heavy metal action-platformer. A New Game+ variant, Full Metal Mode provides players who complete Valfaris with a more formidable challenge by remixing various aspects of gameplay, as detailed in the list below:

• All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items carry over between runs
• Enemies have increased health, attack, and aggression
• Bosses receive the same buffs – with additional attack patterns
• Therion takes more damage
• New Destroyer Class Weapon

Full Metal Mode unlocks after completing the game, so if you’ve already got a ‘Game Clear’ save file, you’ll be able to jump into the – even deadlier – action as soon as the update has installed.

NOTE: This Full Metal Mode update is only for the digital version of Valfaris. A patch to update physical versions will be released in the coming weeks.

The release of Full Metal Mode on consoles coincides with Valfaris being one of this week’s Deals With Gold on Xbox One – Valfaris is discounted by 30% until 11 Feb.

Since its release at the end of 2019, Valfaris has won praise from players for its old-school inspired action, heavy metal aesthetic, and forceful soundtrack.

About the game

Set in a far corner of space, Valfaris is a heavy metal infused 2D action-platformer and the next game from the team behind Slain: Back From Hell.

After mysteriously vanishing from galactic charts, the fortress of Valfaris has suddenly reappeared in the orbit of a dying sun. Once a self-contained paradise, the grandiose citadel now plays host to an ever-growing darkness. Therion, a fearless and proud son of Valfaris, returns to his home to uncover the truth of its doomed fate and to challenge the arcane evil at its very heart.

Brutal combat. Deadly enemies. Stunning pixel art. Savage soundtrack.

Get ready to rip the galaxy a new wormhole.

Key features

• Skulls in space! Gore in space! Metal in space!
• Savagely reduce foes to piles of gibs with an array of brutal weaponry
• Explore a diverse range of tainted environments as you venture ever deeper into the dark world of Valfaris
• Dominate ranks of deadly enemies and bosses, from the weird to the grotesque (and some that are just grotesquely weird)
• Gorge your eyes on devastatingly awesome pixel art hand-crafted by Andrew Gilmour
• Feel the power of a seismic soundtrack by extreme metaller and former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant
• Forged from the ground-up by the team behind cult hit Slain: Back From Hell

Source: PR Email

10 October, 2019 – The wait is over. The time to rip the galaxy a new wormhole is now. Publisher Big Sugar and developer Steel Mantis are thrilled to announce that Valfaris, the gloriously over-the-top and riotously relentless heavy metal action-platformer, launches today for Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam, GOG, Humble).

Valfaris is priced $24.99 and will be available with a 10% launch discount for a limited time.

In addition to the regular version, a Valfaris: Digital Deluxe Edition is available to download for PC that includes the game, original soundtrack and digital art book.

• Digital Art Book: From concept sketches to final in-game imagery, this collection showcases the work of Valfaris developer Steel Mantis. Get a closer look at weapon, enemy, and environment art, as well as previously unseen – and unused! – designs.
• Original Soundtrack: Composed and recorded by former Celtic Frost guitarist Curt Victor Bryant, enjoy the savage sounds of Valfaris. The OST features 20 original tracks, including ‘Extreme Vehemence’ and ‘Chronic Dissolution’.

The Valfaris: Digital Deluxe Edition is priced $35.97 and will be available with a 10% launch discount for a limited time.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. We can also announce that developer Steel Mantis is currently working on a New Game+ mode for Valfaris called ‘Full Metal Mode’, which will be released as a free update across all versions at a still-to-be-confirmed date.

Full Metal Mode will unlock upon completion of the game, or will be unlocked straight away when installed if a ‘Game Clear’ file is present.

Here’s a brief summary of Full Metal Mode:

• All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items will be carried over
• Enemies and bosses will be more aggressive
• Player will take more damage
• Players will have access to an additional Destroyer class weapon

We’ll share more details of Full Metal Mode soon.

Source: PR Email

26 September, 2019 – Publisher Big Sugar and developer Steel Mantis are delighted to reveal the PC and console release dates for Valfaris. The heavy metal action-platformer will be available to download as follows:

• October 10: PC (Steam, GOG, Humble) and Nintendo Switch
• November 5/6: PS4 NA/EU respectively
• November 8: Xbox One

In addition to the standard version, a Valfaris Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available at launch for PC and PS4 that includes the game, original soundtrack (composed and recorded by former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant), and digital artbook.

To celebrate confirmation of the release dates, please enjoy this brand new Valfaris trailer!

About the game

Set in a far corner of space, Valfaris is a heavy metal infused 2D action-platformer and the next game from the team behind Slain: Back From Hell.

After mysteriously vanishing from galactic charts, the fortress of Valfaris has suddenly reappeared in the orbit of a dying sun. Once a self-contained paradise, the grandiose citadel now plays host to an ever-growing darkness. Therion, a fearless and proud son of Valfaris, returns to his home to uncover the truth of its doomed fate and to challenge the arcane evil at its very heart.

Brutal combat. Deadly enemies. Stunning pixel art. Savage soundtrack.

Get ready to rip the galaxy a new wormhole.

Key features

• Skulls in space! Gore in space! Metal in space!
• Savagely reduce foes to piles of gibs with an array of brutal weaponry
• Explore a diverse range of tainted environments as you venture ever deeper into the dark world of Valfaris
• Dominate ranks of deadly enemies and bosses, from the weird to the grotesque (and some that are just grotesquely weird)
• Gorge your eyes on devastatingly awesome pixel art hand-crafted by Andrew Gilmour
• Feel the power of a seismic soundtrack by extreme metaller and former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant
• Forged from the ground-up by the team behind cult hit Slain: Back From Hell

Source: PR Email