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Metaphor: ReFantazio is a full-scale fantasy RPG from the creative minds of the Persona series. Players will write their destiny and rise above fear as they step into a fantasy world unlike any other.

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Set on a mountain overrun by eerie monsters called the Seethe, this single-player action game will put your tactical and combat skills to the test.

As the protagonist Soh, it is the player’s duty to rescue villagers and restore peace along with the Maiden of the mountain, Yoshiro, by purging the defilement that infects their land on Mt. Kafuku. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess incorporates a unique real-time day to night cycle. During the day, the player’s strategy skills are put to the test as they deliberately plan to purge the defiled village by rescuing villagers, assigning roles to them, and fixing their defensive contraptions to prepare for an imminent battle. As night falls, it’s time to fight against the horrific Seethe that emerge from the Torii gates and aim to attack Yoshiro. Players must harness their combative skills as they defend the Maiden, adapt to the everchanging battle conditions, fight alongside the villagers, and use the power of Soh’s dance-like sword techniques. Enjoy a fusion of real-time strategy and exhilarating action by repeating this day-to-night cycle in order to purge the defilement and restore the land’s peace with Soh and Yoshiro.

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During The Game Awards, ATLUS put out a new gameplay trailer for Persona 3 Reload. Persona 3 Reload is scheduled to launch on February 2nd, 2024 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam. Feel free to check out the brand new trailer down below.

Go on an emotional journey and walk the delicate line between life and death.

Follow the S.E.E.S. as they fight to save the world and balance their daily high school lives while exploring the deep complexities of existence in the newest trailer!

If you’d like to know more about Persona 3 Reload, visit the game’s official website.

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During The Game Awards, ATLUS put out a new trailer for Metaphor: ReFantazio. They also announced that the game will be releasing sometime during Fall 2024. A more specific release date has not yet been announced at this time. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam. Feel free to check out the brand new trailer down below. Also down below, you’ll find more info about the game from the latest press release, in addition to a few concept art pieces ATLUS has shared.

• Story

  • Our story takes place in The United Kingdom of Euchronia, where the assassination of the king brings chaos and unrest to the land.

Then, one fateful day, a magic known only to the king called the Royal Magic is invoked, and the world becomes embroiled in a royal tournament for the throne.

In the midst of this, the protagonist, together with his partner, the fairy Galica, must find a way to break the curse that has been placed on the prince that the kingdom believes to be dead. To do so, they depart on a journey across the vast land.

They will discover that in order to achieve their goal, they must participate in the tournament for the throne, and this great task shall require them to ally with many friends and followers of the various tribes inhabiting the world.

• Protagonist

  • Together with the fairy, Galica, he embarks on a journey to lift the deadly curse placed on his childhood friend, the prince of Euchronia.

He is a boy of the elda tribe, branded as a “”tainted”” people by the state religion who believe they have inherited dangerous and heretical magic. Being so rare among the populous, they are detested and discriminated against throughout the kingdom.”

• Gallica

  • Not only a traveling companion, Gallica is the guide who helps the protagonist carry out his mission to save the prince. Although she is too small to participate in battles, her knowledge of magic and ability to sense magla is superior to the protagonist due to her fairy nature. She doesn’t mince words, but she is a reassuring ally on his journey.

• Strohl

  • He is a young man of the clemar tribe who meets the protagonist in the recruitment centre for the State Army. A smart young man with a strong sense of justice, he hails from a noble family. And yet, it seems his circumstances are complicated, as it is rare for a noble to enlist in the army alongside commoners.

• Hulkenberg

  • A knight of the roussainte tribe and former member of the royal family’s Kingsguard who served by the prince’s side. Despite her young age, she excelled in the use of various weaponry, and was assigned to the personal guard of the prince. But when the prince was attacked, she failed to protect him and set out to wander, carrying the stigma of this failure in her heart.

• Heismay

  • A former knight of the eugief tribe. He has acute perception compared to most others, due in part to the eugief trait of being sensitive to sound.

With an appearance that differs greatly from other tribes, it’s not uncommon for eugiefs to be discriminated against—and it seems Heismay is no exception, his past his own burden to bear.

• New Concept Art

  • Journey through a vast and magnificent fantasy world. Explore the game alongside an intuitive and beautiful UI that elevates the experience. (Get an exciting sneak peek of the look of Metaphor: ReFantazio with new concept art pieces)

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SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have announced that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is now officially available. You can get the game digitally for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via both Windows and Steam. Plus, the game is now available on Xbox Game Pass as well. The press release mentions that once players complete the game, they’ll gain access to the Special Trial Version of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Also stated in the press release, is the fact that the trial version of Infinite Wealth has both an exploratory Adventure Mode and a narrative-focused Story Mode. Oh and one more thing, the pre-order perk, the Legendary Fighter Pack which lets players use three legendary yakuza in the Coliseum battle arena, is now included in the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game for anyone interested who didn’t pre-order. Feel free to check out the brand new Like a Dragon Gaiden launch trailer down below and read a little bit more about the game from the latest press release.

Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding. Key gameplay features include:

• ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE: Embark on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat in vibrant locations filled with exciting characters and activities.

• ULTIMATE COMBAT WITH TWO HIGH-IMPACT FIGHTING STYLES: Dynamically switch between the Yakuza and Agent fighting styles in visceral melee combat. With the Yakuza style, strike fear into enemies by unleashing wildly aggressive moves powered by Kiryu’s unparalleled strength and flair. Or up the ante with the Agent style by delivering blows with absolute speed and precision, while using an array of high-tech gadgets like electrified bind wires to stun enemies then send them flying.

• ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT: Whether you’re brawling in the Castle’s Coliseum battle arena, singing a new karaoke song, enjoying a drink at the live-action cabaret club, or racing in the pocket circuit, the world offers a variety of immersive experiences.

If you’d like to know more about Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, visit the game’s official website.

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ATLUS has put out a brand new character trailer for Persona 3 Reload. This new trailer specifically introduces the game’s protagonist, which the latest press release mentions is voiced by Aleks Le. The press release also states, that this is only the first in a series of videos they’ll be releasing over several weeks which will feature the game’s various characters. Persona 3 Reload is scheduled to launch for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam on February 2nd, 2024. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. Feel free to check out the new trailer down below.

If you’d like to know more about Persona 3 Reload, visit the game’s official website.

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Developer: BattleBrew Productions
Publisher(s): Marvelous Europe, XSEED Games
Platform(s): Windows
Release Date: November 9, 2023
Website / X

Cuisineer is a game that you play as Pom, a young adventurer who has to manage the family restaurant, which is mired in debt, after her parents leave a note that they are going on a trip around the world. Pom takes this responsibility cheerfully on, but restaurants take a lot of work. Pom has to purchase and place furniture in the restaurant, pick out decorations, and of course…go out into the rougelite world around her to find ingredients. After all, if Pom doesn’t have ingredients, then she cannot make dishes for customers, and if she cannot make dishes for customers, then she cannot wipe away the restaurant’s debt. In the short 15 minutes that I spent with Cuisineer at the beginning of the game, I found a title that oozes cuteness and charm. Pom is extremely adorable, and I loved how her bubbly personality seemed ready to take on any and all challenges that come her way as she tries to bring the soon-christened Potato Palace to life.

There are two halves to Cuisineer: the cooking and city side of things, and the world exploration and combat side of things. You have the freedom to pick how you want to spend your days in Cuisineer: you can run the restaurant all day, you can farm items in the outside world all day, or you can do a mixture of the two by cooking in the morning and then going out exploring the procedurally-generated world after you close the restaurant.

The game functions as more of a restaurant management system than any kind of deep cooking simulator. For example, a customer would walk into my shop. If I had the ingredients for what they wanted to eat, they would come sit down and I would make the dish by pressing a button at the nearby cooking pot. In a few seconds, the dish is ready and you bring it over to the customer. The customer eats, pays, and leaves while you collect the money. This is not a simulator game like Cooking Mama where you have to actually prepare the dish. Instead, you’re running a restaurant and trying to make sure that you have the ability to give the customer what they want in an efficient manner. While I only was able to serve a couple customers in my short demo, I felt like this could be a hectic but fun aspect of the game once I’ve really expanded the Potato Palace and I’m trying to serve up 10 or more customers at once and give them that great restaurant experience they deserve.

However, you cannot just run a restaurant as you need to farm up cooking ingredients in order to make the recipes your potential customers want to buy, and this is where the roguelite aspect of Cuisineer comes out. I equipped my spatula weapon, which allows me to attack enemies, and I head into a world to slaughter whatever I can as everything gives me different ingredients I need. As I wandered around the map that has a 2.5D overhead perspective, I found myself quickly gathering a variety of ingredients while occasionally getting the random gear drop. In my run, I wound up with a nicer spatula that I obtained as part of the storyline and a pair of boots. The combat was very snappy and responsive, and I quickly learned the attack patterns of the cute enemies I came across. When I got damaged, I would down a bit of boba tea to recover my health. When I died in the field near the end of my demo, I did not lose all of my possessions but instead only lost some of them. All of this made me feel like the different mechanics, especially the death mechanic, makes Cuisineer is a fairly forgiving title that new players to the rougelite genre are meant to enjoy. I particularly liked that I didn’t feel pressured to run away from the slightest hint of danger, as I knew I wouldn’t lose all the progress and items I’ve gathered since the last save point if I did kick the proverbial bucket.

And honestly? All of this works.

The thing that surprised me the most about my demo of Cuisineer at PAX West 2023 was that I was more incentivized to go out hunting in the roguelite world around me not for gear drops to better fight with, but for ingredients to run my restaurant with. I can see myself easily opening the Potato Palace for a few hours, running low on ingredients, and then heading out into the world (I explored the Green Ruins in my demo) to fight and gather up what I need to re-open the next day. More sales means more money and that your restaurant’s reputation rises so that even more customers will come.

Roguelite games are all about finding that (slightly more forgiving) gameplay loop for players to explore as they work their way through the game, and Cuisineer definitely figured that part out. I absolutely adored the various inhabitants of Parell, the city your character is based in, and I wanted to push my exploring out as far as I could to the outer limits of the roguelike area. Cuisineer is definitely onto something potentially great here, and I am excited to see where Pom’s adventure sends her with this title releases in early November.

What kind of dishes do you want to serve to customers in the Potato Palace?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Yesterday at Anime Expo 2023, ATLUS showed off a brand new Persona 3 Reload trailer. You can check out this latest trailer down below. Also don’t forget, Persona 3 Reload is scheduled to launch sometime in early 2024 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam. The press release also mentions that it will be available at launch on Xbox Game Pass as well. A more specific release date has not yet been announced at this time.

We’ve been waiting for this – new Persona 3 Reload gameplay footage featuring the first look at our English VO cast has been shown at Anime Expo!

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SEGA has released a brand new teaser trailer for the latest upcoming entry in the Like a Dragon series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The game was previously announced as Like a Dragon 8 at the RGG Summit this past September. It was stated back then that the game would be headed to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam sometime in 2024 and the official website still lists all of those platforms. However, the release date time frame has been updated from a general 2024 release to Early 2024. Since it’s an age-restricted video you’ll have to watch the latest teaser trailer over on YouTube, but feel free to discuss your thoughts down in the comments here.

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SEGA has announced that Like a Dragon: Ishin! is now officially available. You can purchase the game for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and/or Steam. If you purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition, you’ll receive the Dragon of Dojima Skin, Shinsengumi Captain’s Set, Ryoma Growth Support Kit, Sword Upgrade Materials Kit, Gun Upgrade Materials Kit and the Third Division Armament Expansion Kit. Feel free to check out the brand new launch trailer down below. And if you’d like to know more about Like a Dragon: Ishin!, visit the game’s official website.

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SEGA and RGG Studio have just put out a brand new trailer for Like a Dragon: Ishin! which shows off the game’s story. Like a Dragon: Ishin! is scheduled to launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam this upcoming February 21st, 2023. The latest press release mentions that physical and digital pre-orders will come with three additional exclusive weapons, the Kijinmaru Kunishige, Bloody Sheen and Black Ship Cannon. Also, anyone who pre-orders the Digital Deluxe Edition will get to play the game early, on February 17th 2023, in addition to receiving various DLC items which includes, the Shinsengumi Captain’s Set, Ryoma Growth Support Kit, Sword Upgrade Materials Kit, Gun Upgrade Materials Kit, Third Division Armament Expansion Kit and The Dragon of Dojima Skin. But if you’d like a SteelBook edition of the game, you’ll have to pre-order at GameStop or Best Buy in the US. Feel free to check out the brand new Like a Dragon: Ishin! Blade of Vengeance trailer down below and read a little bit about it from the press release.

The Blade of Vengeance Trailer explores the game’s story, sharing a glimpse at the treacherous road ahead for protagonist Sakamoto Ryoma, after being framed for the murder of his mentor. With a journey full of friends and foes, high-action combat and more, this solemn samurai’s fight for justice challenges the course of Japan’s history.

If you’d like to know more about Like a Dragon: Ishin!, visit the game’s official website.

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Yesterday during PlayStation’s State of Play, Like a Dragon: Ishin! was announced. Today, during the RGG Summit 2022, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio made some additional announcements. First of all, PC fans of the Yakuza franchise can now finally enjoy the Judgment spin-off series. Both Judgment and Lost Judgment are now available for PC via Steam. Second, Like a Dragon 8 was announced for 2024. The game will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via both Windows and Steam. SEGA’s latest press release mentions that it’s a turn-based game. And as far as the last announcement, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was announced for 2023. The press release states that this game is an action-adventure which sheds light on Kiryu’s perspective following the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and leading up to Like a Dragon 8. Just like Like a Dragon 8, it’s also launching for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam. Down below you’ll find trailers for all of the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio games announced this morning and further details on the PC release of Judgment and Lost Judgment.

The hit action noir thrillers Judgment and Lost Judgment are now available on Steam. From the team that brought you the critically acclaimed Yakuza series comes the Judgment series, following disgraced attorney Takayuki Yagami in his quest for redemption and to defend those that the law fails to protect.

Purchase options:

• Judgment Digital Standard Edition – $39.99

• Lost Judgment Digital Standard Edition – $59.99

  • Includes Lost Judgment and School Stories Expansion Pack

• Judgment and Lost Judgment Digital Deluxe Bundle – $98.87

  • Includes Judgment, Lost Judgment, School Stories Expansion Pack, and The Kaito Files 

• The Kaito Files can be purchased separately for $29.99

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BEST GUY

Previous Winners
2019: Astolfo (Fate/EXTELLA LInk)

To no one’s surprise, the men created by SEGA’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio stole our hearts in 2021. Most of us at oprainfall these days are fans of the Yakuza franchise and with 2021 seeing The Yakuza Remastered Collection get ported to Xbox and PC, Yakuza: Like a Dragon landing on PS5 and Lost Judgment coming out for the first time on both Xbox and PlayStation, there was no shortage of good looking men to pick from. However, it’s not only their looks that landed these fine men on our list of nominees this year, it’s most certainly also their personalities which found their way into our hearts. Now without further ado, the nominees…

Goro Majima (Yakuza Remastered Collection & Like a Dragon)

The Yakuza Remastered Collection NA Release Date: January 28th, 2021 (Xbox One and PC)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon NA Release Date: March 2nd, 2021 (PS5)
The Yakuza Remastered Collection Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Review (Like a Dragon)

Once again to no one’s surprise, we’ve obviously nominated Majima. Majima is most definitely a good looking guy. He’s also one seriously lovable nutjob. Sure he’s a bit unhinged and wacky, but the guy has shown many times before that he will still be there for those who matter most to him, especially Kiryu and Saejima. He’s the kind of guy maybe you shouldn’t hang around, yet once you really get to know him, you find out who he truly is.

Takayuki Yagami (Lost Judgment)

NA Release Date: September 24th 2021
Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Review

We couldn’t have a list full of attractive Yakuza men and not include Yagami, from its younger spin-off series. There’s no doubt that Yagami is a great guy who is always helping the innocent whenever he can. It’s also true that he looks good doing it, especially when he’s helping out the dance club with their routines. Yagami has definitely earned his spot on this list.

Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza Remastered Collection & Like a Dragon)

The Yakuza Remastered Collection NA Release Date: January 28th, 2021 (Xbox One and PC)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon NA Release Date: March 2nd, 2021 (PS5)
The Yakuza Remastered Collection Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

We couldn’t put Majima on this list and not also include Kiryu. Kiryu is a highly attractive man as well and basically Majima’s other half. Much like Majima, Kiryu is always there to help out those he cares about. But being significantly less crazy, he also helps out a variety of random people he doesn’t know while he’s out and about. Touch anyone he does know and love, though, and you’ll receive some serious pain as your punishment, because Kiryu doesn’t take kindly to jerks like that.

And the winner is…

Goro Majima!

Ultimately, Majima has come out on top as our pick for the best guy. Majima is the whole package. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he’s secretly just a little bit sweet, and he’s picked up numerous skills over the years. Although to be honest, you could say a lot of that about Kiryu as well. Regardless, Majima has come out on top this year as our favorite.

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The marketing for Lumini on the eShop states that it’s “designed to be one of the most relaxing games ever made.” Well, if nothing else, I can conclusively say that statement is indeed true. Lumini uses every trick in the relaxation playbook to create a soothing, yet consequently low energy adventure. If you come away from it not feeling this intended feeling, it’s definitely not for lack of trying. It might suffer from slight technical oversights and a general sense of slog if you’re not looking at it in the right frame of mind, but once those small mountains are traversed, Lumini comes out to be a really enjoyable and relaxing experience.

Gameplay is pretty straightforward in Lumini, relying on most of its predecessors way of motion. You control two of the games titular creatures, the Lumini (is it spelled differently if it’s plural?). Using the control sticks allows you to separate however many Lumini you have in your swarm in half to allow you control of both at once to solve puzzles and such. The greater number Lumini you attain, the more abilities you earn. Such as dash, which I found particularly useful, sonar and just a myriad of ways to interact with the world and help solve more puzzles. The more Lumini you obtain the more powerful you become.

The story is fairly straightforward as well. You resurrect as Lumini in a world that’s been ravaged and is no longer habitable. Your job is to bring balance back to the world that clearly hasn’t had it for quite a while. It’s pretty simple, but effective. It gets the environmentalist point across while also providing adequate motivation to propel you through its story. However, I did find that because the story is kept so nebulous, you don’t really get a feel for the pacing sometimes and you’re not really sure if you’re still in the beginning, middle or are nearing the end. However, story isn’t where the game is intended to be strong. It’s serviceable as a backdrop for the game’s gorgeous art direction.

Visuals is where Lumini really tries to stand out, and I think it excels in this aspect. The game boasts beautiful hand drawn environments and a flow-like system of movement to help create a more soothing experience. The game’s ultimate purpose is to be relaxing, so keeping things slow and steady is a part of the experience, but at the same time failure is possible. Because the world has become more dangerous, the Lumini can die.

The music is pretty much what you’d expect from such a claim of “one of the most relaxing games”. Very soothing soundscapes with low hums and whispery synths. It aids greatly in tandem with the fantastical art direction. Lots of bells and chimes help accentuate the overall mood of the game as well.

My biggest contention with Lumini really isn’t anything about the game itself, in a sense. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous errors and oddities on my Switch when I played it. One of the biggest issues is the opening studio logos when you initially start the game from the Switch’s home screen, the studio logos last on screen for, I counted, over a minute of an image. It gets the point where I would press the menu button to make sure that my entire Switch didn’t freeze up. I’m not saying game devs shouldn’t get the credit they deserve, because they do deserve it, but I can’t help but feel like this might be a bug or a simple mistake that can be fixed with a patch.

Unfortunately though, the above problem is only made worse by the fact that the game also crashes sometimes and usually had sound lag that I needed to pause to fix. A little more severe than the problem mentioned before, but it’s just small little technical things that got in the way of my full enjoyment. It could very well be that I was an isolated incident, but that was my experience.

But other than that, Lumini is a very nice surprise in a deceptively small sale package. It’s beautiful, interesting and in its quest to become one of the most relaxing games of all times only falls short in the technical details. For the asking price of $10, you really couldn’t go wrong here. Especially when it goes on sale. It took me around 2 hours to complete a play through, it’s perfectly adequate for your relaxing game needs. Huge props to the art department with this one, you’ve all outdone yourself!

Review Score
Overall

Review copy provided by Publisher, thank you!

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Capcom’s much-anticipated Devil May Cry 5 has sold 2 million copies in two weeks.

Capcom thanked its fans by announcing the milestone during its “Devil May Cry 5 – Game Design by Reverse Engineering Emotions” panel at GDC on Thursday. It’s the first mainline title in the series in 10 years.

Devil May Cry 5 takes place five years after the events of Devil May Cry 4, which was released in North America on Jan. 31, 2008. The “stylish action” game follows Nero, Dante, and newcomer V. The supporting cast includes fan favorites Lady and Trish, as well as Kyrie and Nico. It’s available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.

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Platform(s): Windows; Mac; Linux
Developer(s): Eastshade Studios
Release Date: To Be Announced
Website / Twitch / Twitter / YouTube

What if instead of notching and firing off arrows without a care at an enemy, you instead rolled your paintbrush along a blank canvas while starting at a lunar eclipse as you overlook the ocean? This is the game concept presented by Eastshade, a game that takes a unique look at the open world RPG by replacing traditional hack-and-slash combat with painting as your character’s defining trait. You play a person who lands in Eastshade after wrecking your ship, and you quickly begin to explore the world around you while talking with the local inhabitants, completing quests, crafting…and, of course, painting.

In an asthetic that invokes a similar feeling to both The Chinese Room’s Dear Esther and Mimicry’s Leaving, Eastshade is a game that is designed to be a complex, slow, walking simulator that invites the player to drink in the game’s open world and appreciate the living environment that flows around them. In other words, this is a game that you are meant to relax in and not stress too much about playing, since there are no survival mechanics and there is no combat.

During my time with Eastshade at GDC 2018, I was able to play from the beginning of the game up until I reach Nava, the largest city in the land of Eastshade. And I was pleased with what I found. The game controls were fairly smooth, and crafting was pretty simple when I was able to try it out. The conversations with NPCs (aside from the mildly odd animal heads on human-esque bodies) were pleasant to interact with and the dialogue was fairly intriguing. There are artificial progression barriers set at various points in Eastshade‘s gameplay, so the entire game isn’t available to you from the get-go and you are forced (to a degree) to play through the closest thing to a main storyline there is (the developer explained that Eastshade is a world of side-quests to do or not do at your leisure). For example, in order to leave my starter city of Lyndow and reach Nava, I had to complete a quest (that the developer was kind enough to speed me through) by completing a bridge across a river. The largest city in Eastshade, Nava, while still under development, is clearly intended to be a large and bustling city in the style of non-indie games and was rather awe-inspiring in size and concept. You can tell that Eastshade Studios is really dreaming big in Eastshade, and they aren’t afraid to admit it. Unfortunately, I was only just able to explore a tiny bit of Nava before I had to end my time with the demo.

Of course, the core mechanic of Eastshade is having your character paint the surrounding world. In what is a surprising bit (and admittedly a slightly disappointing bit) of gameplay experience, you don’t actually paint anything yourself. Instead, you face a direction, figure out how you want to frame the painting (size of the horizon to capture, etc) similar to how you size a desktop computer drag-and-click window, and press a button…and the image appears on the canvas. While I was hoping that at the very least you would have to generically swipe across the canvas a few times to create your masterpiece, I wasn’t altogether disappointed with the end result as they are like screenshots of the gameplay world around you. The paintings themselves play a role in the gameplay, as what you paint can often be a quest goal or can influence what another NPC says to you, and I found this to be a really unique gameplay mechanic that I haven’t seen in a video game before.

Overall, I thuroughly enjoyed my time with Eastshade, and I am looking forward to exploring the world in full when it releases (at a date yet-not-determined) on Steam.

What do you think of an open world where your only job is to paint? Are you excited about Eastshade?

Let us know in the comments below!

The post GDC 2018: Eastshade Hands-On Impression (A/K/A Exploring A World of Art) appeared first on oprainfall.

Have you ever wanted to get into tabletop role playing games but are too intimidated by the process? Or maybe you just don’t want to play with other people? Galaxy of Pen and Paper is an RPG that tries to capture the elements of tabletop gaming in a simpler and more streamlined experience.

In Galaxy of Pen and Paper, you not only get to create your characters, you create your GM (Game Master) as well. In the unfinished build of the game I played, I started off by creating two players. First, you decide what kind of player your character is, like if they enjoy fighting or crafting a story. For example, I chose Storyteller for one of my characters, which gives them an added perk of more XP for finishing quests. From there, you designate what each player’s character is in the game, such as their race and class. At certain points in the story, the game presents you with choices to make, and depending on the type of players your characters are, these choices will differ. For example, with a character focused on combat, they might want to fight their way out of situations, while a character that’s more into the story might try to negotiate with their enemies instead. It’s your decision which character gets their voice heard during these situations.

As for the GM, the creation is purely aesthetic, only allowing you to choose their appearance and name. It would have been interesting if you could customize them a bit further, maybe impacting the game’s difficulty in different ways. However, just like with the players, you do sometimes make choices as the GM, which can help shape the story in different ways.

Once your characters and GM are created, the GM sets the scene. The story within the story takes place in 2999, a thousand years after the the real time in the game. Your player’s characters are enslaved by the alien Vestro on a desert planet. Through a series of goofy and light-hearted events, you eventually get your own ship and leave for the stars.

The game spoofs various science fiction stories, such as Star Wars and Star Trek. The tongue-in-cheek humor never quits, even with some of the enemies you run into. My personal favorite is the living washing machine. The humor has been my favorite aspect of the game so far, and I hope it continues to not take itself so seriously in the final build.

Speaking of enemies, battles are of the typical turn-based RPG variety. However, before a battle begins, you are given the option to manually adjust how many enemies you face. In order to proceed further in a quest or the main story, these battles will have a required number of enemies to kill. If you choose to fight more than the number requested, you are rewarded with extra experience points. It’s pretty neat, and also a good way to strategize in case you are running low on HP or healing items. Do I take them all on at once or do I space them out into multiple battles?

As mentioned earlier, you are able to explore space once you get a space ship, and that’s not the only thing you can do with the ship. Space fights play out a bit differently than normal fights. Actions are simpler, boiling down to attacking and healing. However, since I only sat down with the game for a little while, I’m not sure if it becomes more complex than that.

The main problem I have with the game at the moment is something I assume will be fixed by the full release: it’s very buggy. On multiple occasions, the game would stop working during battles. Eventually, I couldn’t even launch the game. However, as I said, hopefully Behold Studios irons out these wrinkles before the game’s release in late July.

Galaxy of Pen and Paper is gearing up to be a hilarious trip through the galaxy. The premise of tabletop gaming gives it a unique spin I haven’t seen too much in digital RPGs. Behold Studios has a trend of taking pop culture concepts like tokusatsu (Chroma Squad) and turning it into an amusing experience. The same looks to be the same with tabletop RPGs and Galaxy of Pen and Paper. The game releases on July 27^th for PC, Mac, and Linux.

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Symphonic Rain is a visual novel music game, originally released in Japan back in 2004. This new worldwide release on Steam has been remastered by Siro and was originally developed by Kogado Studio. The game takes place in a city of music and never ending rain, a city called Piova, where Chris Vertin, a Fortenist, wants to master a magical instrument called the Fortelle. Check out the trailer below.

Symphonic Rain is currently on sale on Steam for 15% off, at $33.99. Normal price when not on sale is $39.99.
Minimum system requirements are Windows 7, 8 or 10, a 2GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, a monitor of at least 1280 by 720 and an available 4 GB of  space.

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I’m walking a strange road, trees surrounding me and only the moonlight lets me see what lies ahead. I’m trying to get to Thimbleweed Park to start my investigation. I keep walking until I see a truck, parked on the side of the road, when two strange figures emerge from it. “The signals, the signals are strong tonight” says the first one, wearing a pigeon suit; “very strong”, says the second person, also dressed as a pigeon. I just figure this is going to be a very long night…

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how much videogames have advanced as a medium. Back in the 70’s text adventure games were one of the most popular genres. With just text on screen you had to imagine the scenario. It was closer to a “choose your own adventure” book than what we consider videogames today. It wasn’t until mid 80’s that games started to use graphics (what a novel concept!) to represent the scenarios and characters, which lead us to the point and click adventure genre as we know it today.

The genre was strong for a while, but then faded as newer technologies emerged. The consumer moved to first person or third person games, and became more action oriented. Most developers assumed this genre was dead, until 2012 when Double Fine launched one of the most well funded kickstarter campaigns at the time. People noticed that there was still an audience for this type of game.

I’m bringing up all this history because Thimbleweed Park is an adventure game, created by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, two of the biggest names in the genre, but it also pays tribute to these type of games, giving us a refined and up to date version of what a point and click adventure can be in 2017. Except the game takes place in 1987.

The premise is simple, there has been a murder in Thimbleweed Park, and two federal agents show up in the scene to investigate the crime. But as the game progresses it’s clear that there is a bigger mystery going on in Thimbleweed Park. As with other games in the same genre, Day of the Tentacle or Broken Age for example, Thimbleweed Park doesn’t like to take itself seriously. Both our protagonists and the NPCs that live in this world like to joke around about their own life, the town they live in, and videogames (apparently Adventure games are pretty popular around town).

During the adventure you can control 5 different characters. Ray and Reyes are the two federal agents mentioned above. Ray is the veteran, used to working these types of crime. He’s sarcastic and uses every chance he gets to joke at the expense of Reyes, who is the rookie of the pair. Reyes always asks all the questions by the book, is very well mannered and curious of everyone in town, and oddly interested in a fire which occurred a couple of years ago in town. Delores is an aspiring game developer, huge fan of MMUCAS Flems Games (that sounds familiar) and niece of the late Chuck Edmund, the owner of the biggest factory in town. Delores constantly struggles with following her dream of becoming a developer, or continuing the legacy of her uncle at the helm of the pillow factory. Then we have Ransome the Insult Clown, a famous comedian whose specialty is insulting people (his whole career is based on it). He was going to be rich and famous, until he had a show in Thimbleweed Park a couple of years ago and his life took a turn for the worst. Now he is hated by everyone in town and lives alone by the circus. The last member of our team is Franklin, Delores’ Father and now a ghost. While we are not sure exactly how he died, he now resides in the Hotel in town, and his only wish is to be able to say goodbye to his daughter.

The beginning of the game is focused on solving the murder. Small tidbits of what’s really happening in town start to emerge and how this death is connected in an unusual way with the rest of the cast. All this while trying to help each character on their own personal quest.

As expected of a “point and click adventure” we use a pointer to direct our characters, which is done with the mouse on PC or the left analog stick on consoles. On the bottom left corner we will have a list of verbs that we can use (Use, Open, Pickup, etc) and to the right are items that can be picked up and used. I have always felt that there may be a better way to handle the actions and items on adventure games, but this has been the classic way to do so in several games now, and being this is a throwback to classic games, there’s really no better way to do so.

One of the most common complaints in this kind of game is that the player ends up clicking everywhere on the screen to find what to do next (called Pixel hunting). Thankfully this is not a problem here, as most of the items are clear on the screen, and also when hovering on an important item or character the pointer will indicate the default option. In addition by pressing the Tab key (or back buttons on a controller) we can see all usable items on screen, a really nice addition to keep the game moving forward. Another feature which I loved was the Map item, which acts like the fast travel option of the game. While the different areas are not particularly big, there’s a lot of backtracking required.

The game offers you two difficulty modes, Casual and Hard. Casual removes a couple of areas from the game, eliminating or simplifying some of the puzzles, and as a result the game becomes shorter and easier, but it’s a great option to those not used to this genre. While Adventure games are not particularly replayable, some of the answers can vary in some puzzles; for instance, there are several parts of the game when we have to call someone, and the number can change on different sessions. There are a couple of achievements that require different playthroughs, so this helps the game feel a bit fresh.

While I did enjoy my time with Thimbleweed Park there are a couple of details that I didn’t like as much. The game uses Pixel art, which is really well done, but many of the characters look very much the same. While this could be intentional, it’s something I couldn’t help but notice.

The voice acting is good; all of the characters are voiced in the game, but some of Delores’ lines sounded uninspiring. Ransome on the other hand tends to steal the show. The music is very good. You are not going to find the “epic battle theme” that is common in action oriented games, but it’s really relaxing and works as intended, as background music that helps you concentrate as you try to figure out the answer to the next puzzle.

In conclusion, Thimbleweed Park manages to capture the tone and mechanics of the classics, while adding its own flavor to the formula. Fans of the genre will appreciate the references and cameos to previous games in the genre while also providing enough new content for it to stand on its own. If you have ever been curious of this type of game, I would really recommend it. The casual mode really acts as an introduction to the genre while the Hard mode accomplishes the promise of playing a classic adventure game today. Of all the things of the 80’s that are coming back today, the point and click games are one of the few I’m glad to be able to experience today.

Review Score
Overall

Review copy provided by the publisher.

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