Hey guys, remember the Sega Genesis? Now you can remember it EVEN HARDER! The Sega Genesis Classics collection is coming to Playstation 4 and Xbox One on May 29th. You can pick up either the digital version or a physical copy, just in case your taste in games reflects your willingness to adopt new technology. The physical copy, in addition to being the way these games were meant to be owned, comes with a sweet Golden Axe/Streets of Rage double sided poster.

If you don’t feel like waiting (or you don’t have a console), you can already pick up the collection for PC through Steam.

There are some cool games in this collection, even for people who don’t have their vision clouded by rose colored glasses. Stuff like Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Harrier, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and a whole lot more. There’s 50 games in this collection all told, which is pretty nuts.

Admittedly I don’t know what the PC sales have been like to date, but there are only 643 reviews on Steam in the 8 years the software has been out. It seems quite brave of Sega to release content from a console that simply didn’t do that well. I respect them for this decision, because it probably won’t make them a lot of money.

Indie developers always have a way of bringing something unique to the table with their work. Developer Sleepless Clinic tries to bring something new to the post-apocalyptic world setting in SYMMETRY, a new time-management survival game. This environment, paired with an impressive sound design, makes for a standout among games similar in nature. The otherworldly feel created by the music and SFX become a catalyst to create the sense of immersion I look for when playing a game.

On the other hand, SYMMETRY teeters more on its aesthetic than on its narrative. Although it creates a foundation on which to build an intriguing story, the lack of depth leaves a lot to desire. The game ends abruptly, leaving you with more questions than answers. This factor keeps this game from reaching its full potential. However, the redeeming qualities of the visuals and gameplay make this game a mostly enjoyable experience.

Gameplay

After mysteriously crashing on a desolate planet with sub-zero temperatures, your goal is to survive. The harsh elements paired with limited resources and the varied skills of the crew of scientists will determine your fate. The environment works against you throughout your mission. As each day passes, the frigid conditions worsen. The temperature may even dip to 70 degrees below zero when a blizzard hits.

I thought this challenge was particularly interesting. Having to work against unpredictable elements offers a unique layer to the gameplay. Like most games of this genre, survival is a matter of trial by error. You will probably die several times before you realize exactly how and when to react to what the game throws at you. Due to the conditions, some technology required to survive will break such as space heaters, rejuvenation chambers, the refrigerator, etc. All of these things, when broken, accelerate the likelihood of death of your crew members. When put together, these factors offer a challenging experience to discover the precise tactics needed to survive the game.

The gameplay also centers on your ability to manage resources. Crew members go out into the frozen wasteland to recover firewood and “electrowaste” for salvage to upgrade equipment. The electrowaste is vital to your success. The broken rocket ship requires a large amount of electrowaste to repair its two engines and power source. However, you may have to allocate electrowaste to other equipment for your immediate survival. Broken tech requires electrowaste to repair as well as any upgrades necessary. Each decision will lead to a consequence, and time becomes more crucial the longer your play. Although these traits are characteristic of this game genre, the use of the environment pitted against you gives the game some uniqueness.

Plot

This is where the game falls off for me. Some of my favorite games involve strong story-telling elements to enhance character-development and the overall experience. While SYMMETRY does utilize some of these aspects throughout the game, the lack of detail and shortness to the game end up making the game feel incomplete.

In the beginning, the hint of mystery from the short exposition piqued my interest. I wanted to learn how and why these characters landed on this desolate world. As you progress through the game, the crew members offer pieces of dialogue meant to explain the situation to the player. The idea of presenting the story in this model makes sense. However, the execution of this technique just left me confused.

The first problem being I was so preoccupied with the survival gameplay I could not give any real attention to the story. As I mentioned earlier, so many things need your attention in order to survive in SYMMETRY. I did not want to take the time to read a long box of text and take my eyes off the things that could inevitably kill me. If the characters had voice actors to narrate during gameplay, then this would have been less of an issue.

Furthermore, the story is too short and lacks depth. I read on the Steam page that this game benefits from having a “non-obvious” sci-fi plot. While this may be true, in my eyes, I see it as a way to hide behind lazy writing. I understand getting what you pay for as regards to price and size of the game, but if you present a plot line with potential and give it a good foundation, then build on it!

I’m not asking for a groundbreaking sci-fi fantasy. I just believe stories that have foundations as strong as SYMMETRY have the greatest potential to live up to. I hate to use the old “not mad, just disappointed cliché,” but that is the best way to describe my thoughts on SYMMETRY’s story.

Of course, most games in this genre will dodge the story-telling element entirely. The entertainment value takes stock in its gameplay and design (similar to They Are Billions). However, I am not saying the developers for this game should have done this. They took a risk and laid a good foundation to tell an interesting story. In my mind, if they could have expanded it, both in length and depth, it may have reached a satisfying conclusion.

Design

Okay, now back to the good stuff. I loved the art-style in this game. Using vector graphics and pastel colors, the scenery paints a sense of other-worldliness. It adds to the mystery surrounding the situation. The design of the characters are all very 2-D and simplistic. Overall, the aesthetic of the atmosphere presents a canvas of creative decisions to immerse the player into the unknown environment.

Perhaps the strongest facet of this game is the sound design. The ominous music paired with the constant blowing wind effects were convincing tools of sound, further immersing me in the experience. I believe the easiest way to teleport an audience to another place is through audio reception. SYMMETRY uses subtle sound design to introduce shades of horror to the world.

As parts of the “symmetrical” world unfold throughout the games progression, the representation of a disrupted signal is a vessel to project the imminent death awaiting the crew members. As time passes, those signals grow stronger and more frequent, adding a layer of pressure to an already stressful situation. SYMMETRY is an example of sound design done well. It gave me the extra source of immersion I may have been missing from the story.

Conclusion

On the surface, SYMMETRY may seem like any other survival game. However, the unique world created through intriguing design choices makes for a playground unlike others. Pair this with the mechanics of fighting an unknown environment and you have a very re-playable game. Unfortunately, the story may detract with its lack of depth and confusing plot. That does not mean I think you should avoid it. On the contrary, I believe this game was an overall enjoyable experience for my first-time play through. Were there things I would have changed? Certainly. Nevertheless, gaming is about taking risks, and I am glad the developers took the risk they did to construct an interesting survival game.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / SYMMETRY (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

Ubisoft has announced that the second piece of DLC for Assassin’s Creed Origins, entitled, Curse of the Pharaohs, will be available worldwide March 13.

In this new expansion, players will take on an all-new storyline set four years after the events of Assassin’s Creed Origins. Curse of the Pharaohs will continue Bayek’s journey as he travels to the ancient capital city of Thebes, to investigate a curse that is plaguing the region.

Curse of the Pharaohs will immerse players in Egyptian mythology, challenging them to battle famous pharaohs and mystical beasts as they investigate the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and the secret tombs of the Valley of the Kings to uncover the cause of the curse that is bringing dead pharaohs back to life.

Fans of the latest entry in the franchise will be happy to learn that this new content will increase the level cap up to 55. In addition, this DLC will introduce new crafting levels, resources and abilities.

While being able to increase your experience levels is a plus, Ubisoft didn’t stop there. Players will also be able to acquire new outfits and gear, including rare and legendary weapons, that are all themed around classic Egyptian mythology.

Check out the trailer below and let us know if you plan on grabbing this new content.

It’s always nice when devs want to talk with the rest of us about their game. From a journalistic point of view, we’re very lucky in that we get the inside scoop on a lot of things that most of us would hear about later. It’s even better, though, when the devs come out to the big wide world and are willing to answer pretty much anything thrown at them by the general public. This shows not only openness and honesty but also that they are sure enough about the product they’re releasing to talk plainly about it. One such dev crew willing to take on all comers is 7Levels who are about to host an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit for their upcoming title Castle of Heart.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency success stories are popping up everywhere these days; you just can’t escape them. The blockchain foundation of these currencies is a revolutionary method of record keeping that is changing financial landscapes and developer MyDream Interactive is bringing the blockchain concepts to the gaming space with their new free to play title, AllMine. This blockchain-based 3D puzzle game will introduce concepts of cryptocurrency mining through the lens of cute creatures known as Adoraboos and their worlds called Utopias.

Nintendo and Clover Studios/CAPCOM have announced that stunningly good-looking puzzle-adventure game Okami will be coming to the Nintendo Switch this summer.

The news comes as a part of the much larger and frankly terribly exciting Nintendo Direct that took place at 5PM EST yesterday evening, and was among several indie titles to be teased for the hybrid console. Originally released in 2006, Okami is an interactive artistic experience that has had both an HD remake for last-and-current gen consoles, and a sequel – Okamiden – released in 2011.

The Switch version will be a port of the HD remake, and will feature use of the console’s Joy-Con motion controls and touch screen for the excessive amount of drawing that players will be doing to solve puzzles or fight enemies. Here is a glimpse of the trailer:

Back in February I had an exclusive 1 hour preview of AurumDust’s new tactical RPG, Ash of Gods. I left my preview build feeling very positive on the experience; the twisting rogue-like narrative played in well with the tactical combat to provide some interesting angles the story could take. In my preview I played with a mouse and keyboard, but the controls are intuitive enough to be seamlessly mapped to a controller. It seems like AurumDust also took notice of this and has announced that Ash of Gods is moving to the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles later this year.

Upon reaching a publishing agreement with Buka Entertainment, AurumDust is moving the ambitious world of Ash of Gods to the console space. Aleksander Mikhailov, CEO of Buka Entertainment, states “When we looked at Ash of Gods, we immediately recognized what a fantastic game it was,” and he has a point. Ash of Gods has a lot of potential and this spread to new markets of gamers is the best way to get this experience out there.

Ash of Gods is coming to Windows, Mac, and Linux on March 23rd, but in the meantime you can check out some developer interviews from AurumDust. In these interviews you’ll be introduced to the lead game designer, composer, art director, and the head of the AurumDust team. You’ll also see some neat behind the scenes clips like how the team rotoscoped the character models used in the combat sequences. You can tell this team poured their hearts and souls into the months and even years they spent crafting this uniquely ambitious title.

There’s something rather lovely about Steampunk. For those of you that don’t know what this is, the best way to describe it would be take a Victorian setting and add modern contraptions. There’s often lots of things like airships and trains and there’s very much a focus on cogs and gears. The melding of the old and the new can provide some really lovely style choices and very interesting storylines. Steampunk is something that comes into play in Another Sight, a surreal fantasy that is debuting at GDC 2018. This title will be coming to your Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch later this year so it makes sense to give you a little bit of info about the game.

As I’ve mentioned Another Sight is a surreal fantasy with Steampunk elements set in 1899, in London, toward the end of the Victorian era. The game focuses on two protagonists. First we have Kit, a refreshingly bold teenager who loses her sight when part of the under-construction London Underground tunnel she is exploring falls on her. We then have her friend Hodge, a mysterious, red furred cat she meets in the darkness. Kit will come to rely on her feline companion as the two explore their fantasy world both together and apart. They will also have to rely on their own unique skills if they are to surpass the trials and puzzles that await them.

You are invited to explore a version of London based on Neil Gaiman’s urban fantasy, Neverwhere. In their adventures Kit and Hodge will encounter a hidden society of the world’s greatest inventors and artistic minds such as Claude Monet, Jules Verne and other long-past cultural icons. Something that makes this even more interesting is that you’ll be viewing this world through two very different sets of eyes. Not only do the two characters perceive the world in different ways but are able to split off from each other and explore locations that one or the other may not be able to reach.

Marco Ponte, CEO of Lunar Great Wall Studios said: “The world we’ve created for players to explore in Another Sight is so rich and engaging, filled with heart and discovery.” He continued, “We’re delighted to be showcasing Another Sight at GDC this year, and soon, we’ll be showcasing to the public. Another Sight represents our sentiments as a studio, that games should be emotive, with a unique and compelling experience born of cultural influences that provide different levels of meaning into the worlds we create.”

I’ve just perked up. Neverwhere is one of those little known series’ that came out about fifteen years ago and showed on television here in the UK (and presumably a lot of other places), it was brilliant, in a really odd, slightly unsettling sort of way. To see a video game come out based on this particular world is really intriguing and I’m actually rather looking forward to seeing this title appear in the mainstream.

As I’ve mentioned Another Sight will be viewable for those lucky souls able to go to GDC 2018. If you happen to be one of the rest of us I’m afraid we’ll have a little bit to wait if we want to see this title in all it’s glory. We’re bound to see more about this game in the coming months and you can guarantee that you’ll be hearing about it as we get the details, we’re nice like that. In the mean time have an ogle over the reveal trailer, that’s always good to get the juices pumping.

The idea that the greatest threat to nature is (dun, dun, dun) Man is way older than Fern Gully and in a lot of ways has been done to death. Attack of the Earthlings, thankfully, does not bother spending time building a complex morality play with the self-insert human learning a valuable lesson. The humans are straight up evil, the Matriarch and her brood are unarguably out for blood, and developer Team Junkfish has a ball making this turn-based strategy game into one long sci-fi trope/corporate culture send-up. Imagine that James Cameron’s Avatar had less “pretty” aliens and 100% more sense of humor about itself, and you’re in the right ballpark.

You take the role of an insectoid race whose planet is invaded by Galactoil, a “comically dysfunctional intergalactic energy corporation.” The Matriarch is the key player on your team, taking the biomass from human victims and spawning grunts, which can be upgraded into one of four categories: Disruptor (range attacker), Stalker (trap setter), or Goliath (tank). Use these swarmers to accomplish your objective while keeping the Matriarch alive.

Attack of the Earthlings’ gameplay is fairly straightforward and solidly in the comfort zone of the strategy genre. It utilizes many familiar concepts – action points, ranged attacks, stealth mechanics – and focuses more on the unique setting than offering particularly innovative features. New abilities and enemies are introduced in each level at a rate that neither overwhelms the player nor gives them time to become bored. Enemy difficulty also escalates drastically, not only from one level to the next, but during the level itself. However, some aspects of the abilities are over-explained and some are not explained enough. For example, when the ability to turn civilian humans into drones is introduced, the way that the drones can be used to distract other humans is covered in detail, but the fact that the drone will eventually be detected and destroyed is not.

There’s actually a good deal that the game leaves up to the player to discern: the fact that different characters on both sides can attack a different number of times per turn, or the way that enemies still have the upper hand if you attack them head-on during your turn. This can be a positive as too much hand-holding would be boring, and for any surprises that result in lost swarmers, the game automatically quick saves after each objective and every five turns, so that any disasters are easily undone.

Attack of the Earthlings is a game that really grows on you; flavor dialogue, weird loading screens, and even the weird way the robotic Mr. Motivatio shouts “encouragement” at the office workers or the human drones waving their arms like crazy to distract the normal humans all work together to flesh out the enemy characters and story in a hilarious way. I also felt a real fondness for the Matriarch and her swarmers; I do wish that there had been some way of learning as much about them as the humans. I also really wish that there was some way to combine the Hide and Overwatch abilities so that you could plan a sneak attack from inside a hiding place, but that’s another issue.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Attack of the Earthlings (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

It’s a relatively rare occurrence to be sold on a game at preview stage. When you’re playing a game that isn’t ready to be out in the world in all it’s glory, you can’t help but look for those things that are still being worked on. Those things that aren’t quite right yet but with some time and care are going to be fixed and make a title marvelous. As we all know, in some cases these elements are never put right and a very promising game goes into that “nearly, but not quite” category. I’m very pleased to say that I’d buy Golem Gates at the stage it’s currently in and I can’t wait to see the fully finished product. I’m also rather looking forward to telling you why.

See that big glowing thing? That’s The Archive and it’s not to be messed with.

Be glad he’s friendly. You just have the small task of putting him back together.

Meet Tetra. Or should I say you will if you survive to book 2.