Publisher Adult Swim Games and developer White Rabbit have released a new features trailer for upcoming 2D action platformer Death’s Gambit.
Additionally, over at the PlayStation Blog, White Rabbit art director Alex Kubodera has shared new details about the game:
Expansive Campaign
Death’s Gambit is a challenging game. There are many things we do to alleviate the inevitable frustrations that come with the territory — from music, to the landscapes, and even how we treat death. Death is a marker of progression in Death’s Gambit. Certain story beats only unlock upon dying. Bosses will remember if you’ve lost to them before. Does that mean you have to die to get the full story experience? Not exactly. There is an overarching narrative that plays out as you guide Sorun through Siradon. We’ve made sure the most important story beats happen naturally while playing. And for all you lore hunters out there, there is plenty of hidden subtext within the narrative of the world design and its items that should clue you into some nefarious undercurrents to the main storyline and more!
Mortal Perma-death
Death is a recurring theme and mechanic of Death’s Gambit. Go figure. For the most hardcore players, it’s possible to cancel Death’s contract, a mutual agreement that for all intents and purposes keeps you immortal. Cancelling the contract will turn you mortal, and activate iron-man mode, or perma-death. Try it out at your own peril!
Non-Linear World
Upon exiting the tutorial, the world opens up and allows for multiple routes. Right from the get go there are five bosses that are accessible. Each area has a distinctive feel and aesthetic to it that explores the themes of death and immortality. Should you come across something that seems impossible, fret not! There’s likely another path you have yet to explore.
Heroic Boss Rematch
In the same way you resurrect and challenge bosses over and over again, the bosses can do the same to you. Defeating them once will not stop them. Return to the boss room and face off against a heroic version of the boss that introduces new abilities and loot, at an exponentially harder difficulty!
New Game +
Now if that wasn’t enough to encourage all the masochistic souls-like fans, there’s also a New Game+! New Game+ introduces some varying enemy placements, and of course a bump in overall difficulty by scaling health and damage. If you want a real challenge, I encourage you to defeat all heroic bosses in New Game+ as a mortal. Good luck!
Seven Classes
There are a total of seven playable classes in our game. They determine starting stats, equipment, as well as certain unique gameplay mechanics. For reference, soul energy is a meter you build up to spend on abilities. Attacking enemies naturally awards soul energy, but most of the classes have an additional method.
Soldier: Blocking enemy attacks awards soul energy.
Assassin: Dodging enemy attacks awards soul energy.
Wizard: Healing awards soul energy.
Sentinel: Equip weapons and shields at half the required stats. Parrying awards soul energy.
Noble: Gain access to a unique merchant. Using items awards soul energy.
Blood Knight: Regain a portion of lost health when dealing damage.
vAcolyte of Death: Restore broken save points. Killing enemies awards soul energy.
Talent Tree
While there are seven different classes, the talent tree remains universal. Each class has one additional talent on top of the base starting talent that determines how they gain soul energy. Talent points are earned from defeating bosses, but only in the first play through. New Game+ does not award additional talent points. So choose wisely according to your favored playstyle.
No Weapon Restrictions
While classes start with a specific weapon, they are by no means limited to using that for the whole game. You are free to swap out your weapons however you see fit, as long as you have the required stats. There are two weapon slots in the inventory, for you to equip weapons, while a shield is always available.
Weapon Skills
Weapon skills or abilities are tied to the specific weapon and not classes. Therefore your build depends entirely on what weapon you use. Each weapon has a set of 3 skills that perform various functions from utility, pure damage, to applying status effects. Weapon skills are what add dynamism to the combat of Death’s Gambit. Experiment with different weapon combinations and skills to find one that suits your playstyle, or switch them up according to the challenges you face!
But Wait!
There’s plenty more, from storing your healing feathers to augment your damage, to chests that only open if you haven’t healed since the last save point. Challenges are strewn around the world, with a ton of tools to customize your playstyle. We hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into some of the mechanics of Death’s Gambit.
Death’s Gambit is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC on August 14. Users can pre-order the game now on PC via Steam to receive the bonus downloadable content “Chosen of Death Pack,” which includes an exclusive shield, scythe, and a special steed skin.
Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire and Flames of Rebellion updates add Japanese voice-overs
YummyYummyTummy has released free updates for Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire on PlayStation 4, and Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion on PlayStation 4 and PS Vita that add Japanese voice-overs to the game.
The Japanese voice-over cast include:
Shizuka Ishigami as Princess Cecille
Hidenori Takahashi as Legatus Laendur
Kengo Kawanishi as the Grimoire
Ai Kakuma as Antoinette
Players will be able to switch between the Japanese and original English voiceovers in the settings menu.
The update also fine-tunes the game’s codebase to improve performance.
Watch a set of trailers highlighting the games’ Japanese voice cast below.
Call of Cthulhu, the official videogame inspired by Chaosium’s classic pen and paper RPG, will begin the spread of madness on October 30 this year – just in time for Halloween. Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and uncover the chilling mysteries of this Narrative RPG game, descending deep into a world of inevitable insanity and shrouded Old Gods within Lovecraft’s iconic universe.
Four new screenshots give you a glimpse of what’s to come across the deep, single-player story following private investigator Edward Pierce’s as he scours the island of Darkwater for answers regarding the mysterious deaths of the Hawkins family. Lead him along the razor’s edge of madness, as he’s confronted with a terrifying web of conspiracies, cultists, and cosmic horrors…
Nothing is as it seems. Sanity is an irregular bedfellow, all too often replaced by whisperings in the dark. Strange creatures, weird science, and shadowy cults dominate the Cthulhu Mythos, intent on realizing their mad schemes to bring about the end of all. Your mind will suffer - balancing a razor-thin line between sanity and madness, your senses will be disrupted until you question the reality of everything around you. Trust no one. Creeping shadows hide lurking figures… and all the while, the Great Dreamer prepares for his awakening.
Call of Cthulhu releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 30.
Jumpship, the studio established by former Playdead co-founder Dino Patti and animator Chris Olsen in June 2017, has released the second teaser trailer for its first game Somerville.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy ~ New and Original Music Option, New Gameplay
About Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Spyro is back and bringing the heat in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy game collection. Now fans can rekindle the fire with the beloved video game icon like never before in the original three games that ignited a phenomenon, Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Featuring the same sick burns, same smoldering attitude and now all scaled up in stunning HD, players will enjoy this classic platformer that’s loaded with an incredible amount of new detail and improved graphics like it’s the first time. Also, Stewart Copeland (The Police), the original composer of the Spyro franchise soundtrack, is back with new music for fans of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy! The new track, “Tiger Train,” reprises recognizable music motifs from the first three games into a memorable, orchestral-rock journey through Stewart’s favorite themes from the original tunes that both existing and new players alike will enjoy.
In Spyro Reignited Trilogy, gliding through the sky and flaring up bad guys is more fun on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and the family of Xbox One devices from Microsoft, including the Xbox One X. Spyro Reignited Trilogy launches on September 21, just in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beloved purple dragon. Because when there’s a realm that needs saving, there’s only one dragon to call!
Key Trilogy Features
• Unleash the Dragon – The purple dragon that stole gamers’ hearts 20 years ago is back and looking more fly than ever in scaled-up HD graphics. Explore the expansive realms, re-encounter the fiery personalities and relive the adventure in fully remastered glory.
• Massive Collection – The Spyro Reignited Trilogy lets players glide to new heights, unleash fire-breathing attacks, and explore lush environments filled with new detail bringing the Dragon and Avalar realms to life in more than 100 levels from the first three games. Each level in Spyro Reignited Trilogy is mapped faithfully from the originals, only now re-imagined with modern mechanics to give fans an excellent gaming experience.
• Gnostalgia n’ More – This is the Spyro with swagger and personality that fans remember from their childhood. Returned and remastered Orb Challenges, mini-games and more make this an epic trilogy for the diehard Spyro-maniacs!
• So Fly – The game collection is stunning, lush, and fiery! The Spyro Reignited Trilogy introduces players to a completely remastered game collection with a re-imagined cast of characters, brand-new lighting, animations, environments, and recreated cinematics—all in stunning HD.
• Fresh Controls, Original Adventure – The trilogy breaks free from the gameplay chains of the ‘90s with updated controls, dramatically silky-smooth game camera handling, and full analog stick support for added flavor in this one-of-a-kind adventure.
• Did You Hear That? – Fans of the Spyro games may recognize some familiar sounds in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. Tom Kenny, the original voice actor in Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon and fan-favorite reprises his role as the voice of Spyro. The new collection also remasters Stewart Copeland’s original soundtrack from the first three games, but also includes an all-new track from Copeland, entitled “Tiger Train.” Spyro Reignited Trilogy introduces an option that will allow fans to switch between the original and remastered music from the in-game menu.
Original Storylines
• Spyro the Dragon – Gnasty Gnorc has returned from exile and has unleashed evil magic on the Dragon Realms, trapping the dragons in crystal and raising an army of Gnorcs. Spyro, with his friend Sparx the Dragonfly, is the only dragon left who can traverse the six Homeworlds, free the dragons, and save the day. Guide Spyro as he glides through the Dragon Realms, toasting colorful enemies with his fiery breath and encountering countless puzzles and adventures along the way.
• Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! – Spyro has been brought to the land of Avalar to defeat the evil sorcerer Ripto who has brought war to Avalar’s Homeworlds. Each Homeworld is being held captive by Ripto and his minions and it’s up to Spyro to defeat them and bring peace to Avalar’s realms. In this adventure, Spyro powerflames, supershots, and headbashes his way through enemies while completing unique challenges such as herding strange beasts, target shooting, and defeating ravenous dinosaurs.
• Spyro: Year of the Dragon – The Dragon Realms are celebrating the ‘Year of the Dragon’ when a mysterious cloaked figure emerges to steal all the Dragon Eggs. Under the spell of the evil Sorceress, an army of Rhynocs is now guarding the helpless eggs in the Forgotten Realms. With new and old friends, Spyro is on a quest to recover the lost eggs, defeat the Rhynoc army, and stop the evil Sorceress. Turn up the heat in this adventure by exploring the mysterious realms and completing outrageous challenges, such as pulling off sick tricks on a skateboard and stepping into a boxing ring.
Close to the Sun to Be Released for PS4, Xbox One and PC in Q1 2019
The Tale of Nikola Tesla: Historic horror Close to the Sun now taking media bookings for Gamescom 2018
With its historic slice of horror Close to the Sun in hand, Italian studio Storm in a Teacup is excited to announce it’ll be heading north to Cologne this August, showcasing its aforementioned adventure to select media at the Italian Trade Stand (AESVI) at Gamescom.
Close to the Sun casts players back to the height of Nikola Tesla’s career in the late 1890s, charging them with boarding a mysterious ship complex created by the man himself to bring the greatest minds of the world together in an alternative version of history.
Though his various scientific breakthroughs have, even at this early stage, had a major impact on the rest of the world, it quickly becomes apparent that something, somewhere on this ship has gone disastrously wrong, and history is not playing out as it should. Players take on the role of Rose, a young journalist searching for her sister in this first-person horror adventure, with Close to the Sun’s water-laden world offering no way of escape and no easy answers to the riddles aplenty therein.
“We love the horror genre, but with Close to the Sun, we wanted to do something different to your standard horror cliche of a haunted house,” offers Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, Founder and Creative Director at Storm in a Teacup.
“I’ve also personally always been interested by Nikola Tesla, and while most people are aware of his scientific discoveries and work with electricity, we all thought his story would provide the perfect basis for a mind-bending mystery. Scientists and intellectuals of his day were expanding the realms of human knowledge at a pace, so the idea of giving them all an environment without limits, without restraints of any kind, is an engaging one. But what happens when people out to create the perfect world discover their creation is not so perfect after all?”
Key Features
• First-person horror adventure where survival is the order of the day
• Problem solving in order to progress the story: Just what happened on board Tesla’s ship?
• Danger aplenty as Rose pieces together just what killed most on board despite having no real means to defend herself
• Teamwork with a yet-to-be-revealed ally who helps Rose navigate her way through the ship’s Art Deco halls
• Nerve inducing exploration - defenseless and weaponless, the keys to Rose’s survival are running, hiding, and quick thinking
First revealed back at Gamescom last year, Close to the Sun’s visuals are heavily inspired by Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Steampunk, with players charged with both exploring and surviving Tesla’s dystopia domain in first-person as they venture towards a promised salvation. What lies in wait for those who manage to dance away from death within a world seemingly intent on bringing about their demise?
Close to The Sun is currently scheduled for release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One in Q1 2019, powered by Unreal Engine 4.
Megaton Rainfall coming to Switch and PC VR on August 9, Xbox One on September 5
Megaton Rainfall, which first launched for PlayStation 4 with PlayStation VR support in October 2017 and PC via Steam in November 2017, is coming to Switch, the Oculus Store, and SteamVR on August 9, and Xbox One on September 5, developer Pentadimensional Games announced.
The virtual reality versions of the game will include gesture controls, while the Xbox One X version of the game will support 4K resolution. An update to the PlayStation 4 version adding PlayStation Move support is also due out in August. The game also will also have a free roam mode.
Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:
Megaton Rainfall is a first-person superhero game. A global alien invasion is taking place and you must face it – alone. Chase massive destruction devices at supersonic speeds around an Earth that’s as large as the real thing and populated with semi-procedurally generated cities.
Then finish off the alien devices with your lethal energy blasts. Just be careful to avoid human casualties! You are so powerful, you’ll leave a trail of collapsed buildings if you miss your targets!
Feel unprecedented freedom of movement as you fly through buildings, break the sound barrier, and accelerate to extraordinary speeds. Then rise above the atmosphere, circumnavigate the Earth in seconds, and get ready for your next battle. Megaton Rainfall is the ultimate superhero experience!
Late last year, we announced that Guacamelee! 2 would be released… “soon-ish.” Well, soon-ish has almost arrived at Drinkbox Studios!
We’re thrilled to announce that Guacamelee! 2 will launch for PS4 on August 21st for $19.99, and that you can pre-order the game right now at PlayStation Store with 20% off for PS+ members! Check out the new launch trailer above.
The original Guacamelee! launched in April of 2013. It’s now over five years later and the game still stands as the definitive Mexican-Folklore-Inspired-Luchador-Platform-Brawler-Metroidvania! How do we top that?
More Chicken!
The power of the pollo reigns supreme throughout Guacamelee! 2.
Small tunnel to traverse? Turn into a chicken and strut right on through.
Giant purple block in your way? Pollo Shot and smash that bad boy to bits.
Wait… what’s that? An orange block? Smash it with an expertly executed Pollo Slide.
Pollo Shot against bouncy walls and ricochet yourself a rapid path to freedom.
Experience the full glory of Pollo Glide by using air currents to reach unprecedented heights!
But what if the entire fabric of the Mexiverse is at risk of collapsing in on itself? No problem. Stumble upon a secret society of prophetic chickens and prove your worth. Could JUAN be the fabled CHICKEN-MAN!?
As you can well imagine, these new chicken moves aren’t just for busting your way into exotic new locations. Pollo combat is frantic, furious and fabulous.
In fact, there’s so much new chicken gameplay and content in Guacamelee! 2 that we embedded a genre-busting Pollovania completely inside of the main story’s Metroidvania. The only such game in existence as of the writing of this post… probably.
How to Train Your Luchador
As we were making Guacamelee! 2, it occurred to us that all of the new abilities we were adding would require extensive training for players to properly master. So, we recruited a batch of mostly competent and somewhat knowledgeable characters to fill the role.
As players progress through the world of Guacamelee! 2, they’ll encounter ability trainers. Each of these trainers has a specialty that they focus on. Complete trainer challenges and they’ll hook you up with powerful upgrades and cool new abilities.
Climb to the peak of fitness with Doña Chamoya or sharpen your beak under the tutelage of Rooster Ramírez. Upgrade your grappling moves with Coscorrona or decipher Uay Coco’s instructions to punch with explosive force!
However, if you really want to fight with finesse, visit Flame Face in one of his many tequila bar franchises and go toe-to-toe against punching Poncho (don’t hold back, he’s paid well for the job).
A Bigger Game than Ever Before
Guacamelee! 2 is an epic adventure that can be experienced alone or co-operatively with three of your closest amigos. Explore hundreds of new platforming and combat challenges. New abilities such as Eagle Boost, Rocket Kick, GOOOTCHA! and more add to Juan’s awesome arsenal of luchador moves. Upgrade your pollo form with Pollo Shot, Pollo Slide and a plethora of new chicken abilities (some secret, some not so secret). Select strategically from dozens of new skill upgrades to maximize your lucha potential.
So how did we plan to squeeze all of this into a game the size of Guacamelee! ? We didn’t! Thanks to our poor planning, we were forced to create a much larger game than the original. You can expect a bigger, badder world, with all sorts of interesting nooks and crannies to explore and conquer.
We’ve worked extremely hard on the game over the past two years, and we’re super hyped that people will finally be able to experience Guacamelee! 2 so soon.