Splitgate Arena Warfare
Splitgate Arena Warfare’s premise is simple and easily digestible — Halo plus Portal. And it really delivers on that idea with fluid gameplay, simple gun mechanics, and level designs that encourage the use of portals to outsmart your enemies. There’s special surfaces portals can adhere to, which makes movement on both offense and defense really interesting. If you’re trying to get at someone using a portal, you can open one up behind them and just shoot through it, pop through and take them down, or even shoot one across the map and use a high fall to launch you through the sky at your target since momentum is preserved. On defense , it’s easy to escape as long as you’re mindful of keeping your portals up at all times. The double edged sword of that is if you’re around portal-able surfaces, your enemies can also sneak up behind you. It’s fast paced, fun, and really does a great job in capturing the same feelings as Halo.
The developer’s targeting a PC release later this year.
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World of Horror
Ever read a Junji Ito comic and think “man I’d love to interact with that to be unsettled on a whole new level”? Well, want no more, World of Horror is a point-and-click adventure horror game based in a quiet Japanese town in which the old, eldritch gods are awakening. In the PAX South demo, we take control of a student investigating a friend’s claims about a tall woman carrying scissors with a big smile. You investigate the claims, explore the school and come across even more horrors. Your actions throughout the investigation determine what kind of ending you get, meaning multiple playthroughs may be required to get the ending you want. The interface is just like retro adventure games like Clock Tower and the art style is extremely stark — only having 2-4 colors of fidelity. The soundtrack is also killer, providing great ambiance to the game. If you liked Clock Tower, cosmic horror, or just being unsettled, World of Horror is for you.
World of Horror is coming to PS4, Switch, and PC later this year.
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JackQuest
JackQuest is a Metroidvania dungeon crawler about a young couple separated by the villainous orc Korg. As you plumb the depths of the underground caves, you’ll find upgrades for your gear that unlock new areas and help you build your arsenal before fighting your antagonist. The game feels similar to other platforms, but one of the best things is the ability to jump off walls. Not unlike Megaman X, you can jump up the side of one wall to gain height and the game take advantage of this by placing both vertical and horizontal enemies in your path, so you’ve got to be careful or moving too fast may cost you your life.
The game is coming out on Steam this month.
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Disjunction
Disjunction describes itself as a cyberpunk stealth-action RPG and that’s quite apt. Top-down cyberpunk Metal Gear Solid meets Hotline Miami is also pretty apt IMO. You play as three different characters with intertwining stories in 2048 New York City. In the demo, you’re sneaking into a building in order to steal a datapad. The tutorial level does a great job showing off your abilities and how to use them effectively. You can either stun baton or shoot enemies with a gun in order to eliminate them as a problem. Guns are loud and draw attention, but enemies can get up after some time with the stun baton. The devs say the game can be completed entirely nonlethally and some can even be completed without stunning a single enemy, which adds interesting complexity if you’re looking to squeeze more difficulty out of the game. Keep this game on your radar especially if you’re a fan of the cyberpunk genre or stealth games like MGS.
You can give the demo a whirl yourself by visiting their site at http://www.disjunction-game.com/. The game is slotted for release on Steam this year.
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Check out more of our coverage from PAX South 2019 or find additional convention coverage! Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter @SubCultured, and join in the conversation on our Discord channel!
Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
Jump Force
Hey man, who DOESN’T wanna see Naruto get his lil’ whiskers kicked in by my boy Goku? Or see Luffy try to Gum Gum Pistol a shinigami? The premise of Jump Force is simple — let’s watch some of the most iconic characters in Shonen Jump do battle! Each player picks a roster of 3 characters and whoever has a character die first loses. The camera is interesting in that it picks a character to watch over the shoulder for the most part. It’s a really cinematic take on fighting games, but one that also has a bit of confusion, especially when 2 of the same character are on the field. The characters don’t have different outfits, so 2 Gokus are pretty easily confused. That being said, the combos your able to pull of are satisfying and switching characters trying to protect your health pool adds a dynamic to the fights that is really fun. There’s some issues with framerate consistency, though that may be ironed out by the time the full release comes. All in all, this is a really fun fighting game that doesn’t feel like a clone. Keep this game on your radar if you like Shonen Jump or just super want to watch Vegeta final flash the battousai himself.
Jump Force releases February 15th for PS4 and Xbox One.
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Skellboy
Ah man, guys. Skellboy’s just s’dang cute. The art style, as described by one of the people behind it, is “sprites that we’ve… chunkified.”
It works to great effect, creating a visual style that’s a mix between Cube World and Paper Mario. The game takes place in/around a castle as an evil warlock who was just rejected by the princess has resurrected the dead to take revenge. The only problem is, he accidentally resurrected you too — an ancient hero. So with your new skeleton body, you’ll set off to right the wrongs of the kingdom and kick that warlock’s tuckus.
A really neat mechanic the game provides is the ability to swap out your body parts for the ones of your enemies, which can provide extra abilities or do more damage, depending on whose body parts you pick. Couple that with the art style, really fitting retro-style sound track, and simple but fun combat mechanics, and you’ve got a recipe for an awesome action adventure game.
Skellboy will be coming out for Switch this summer.
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A Fold Apart
A Fold Apart is a papercraft puzzle game centered around an architect and their partner. The couple are in a long distance relationship and when the architect goes to sleep, they imagine having to solve puzzles to get to their partner. You can choose from one of two character models for both the architect and the parter — a more feminine character or a more masculine one. The gameplay is pretty straightforward — you can flip paper over, make folds in 2 different ways, and the goal is to create platforms to walk on to get to your partner. The final game will have more ways to keep the gameplay interesting, but even as it is right now, it’s a deeply endearing, cute little romance puzzler. If you’ve ever been in a long distance relationship, this game sincerely hits home in such a wholesome way. The music provides a relaxed, sincere environment and the characters really convey how much they love each other, which is what ties the whole game together.
A Fold Apart will be available later this year.
Please enter the url to a YouTube video.Check out more of our coverage from PAX South 2019 below or find additional convention coverage! Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter @SubCultured, and join in the conversation on our Discord channel!
Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
There are independent games everywhere you look at PaxSouth and for fans of multiplayer madness, we tried out a couple of the best!
Brawlout
While I am not a fan of the fighting genre, I engaged in a few rounds of Brawlout due to the eye-catching character designs. They’re animated and dynamic, and kept me interested, long after my fingers became sore from mashing buttons. Watching excited con-goers pummel each other round after round definitely gives the idea that Brawlout can be the next big mainstay in the pro gaming circuits.
Brawlout is a competitive fighting game mixing the precision of violent fighters, with a gorgeous animated style. Up to 8 players can go at once in a match, along with ranked tourneys, a story campaign, and local party mode. Characters are based on different cultural deities, complete with unique combat styles, and can be customized for better abilities and special attacks. It’s perfect for fans of Smash.
Brawlout is currently scheduled for release in late Srping 2017 for XboxOne, PS4, and Steam.
Death Squared
Australian studio SMG markets Death Squared as a multiplayer puzzle game about cooperation, communication, and robot explosions. However, I am pretty sure this game is going to be how my friendships with the other Sub Cultured writers end. I found the four robot characters adorable (and they have a backstory!), and the levels challenging. If you liked all the minigames in other friendship ending games like Mario Party, this will be right up your alley.
Death Squared boasts over 120 levels with more on the way, ranging from intense problem solving with your teammates to simply maneuvering your character onto a button to finish the stage. A bit of warning: deaths are hilariously catastrophic and surprisingly meeting your end is very, very easy.
The game releases March 14, 2017 on XboxOne, PS4, and Steam, but keep an eye peeled for our Twitch stream where we will be giving out keys. There’ll probably be lots of swearing.
Want more PAX South 2017 coverage? All you had to do was ask!
Prisma and The Masquerade Menace, Sundered, and RiME
Minit, Beat Cop, and Strikers Edge
Arms, Splatoon 2, and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Monster Boy, Warlock’s Tower, and Has-Been Heroes
Gorogoa & What Remains of Edith Finch
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
In the TV series Lost, we see a character named Desmond Hume residing in an underground facility, driven borderline insane by the monotony of his daily routine. Desmond is required to regularly enter a series of numbers on a computer every 108 minutes. While nothing as redundant occurs in The Bunker, the game’s tone, setting, and non-linear storytelling feel directly inspired by a show like Lost.
The Bunker, developed by Slendy Interactive in partnership with Wales Interactive, begins in a post-nuclear war era with the birth of our protagonist, John. He’s born in an underground shelter that houses less than 60 people. However, we quickly flash forward 30 years later to find John alone with his mother. Thus the central mystery reveals itself: what happened to everyone else?
An Alarm Sounds
What separates Slendy Interactive’s first outing from other titles is its aesthetics: everything is live-action. With a runtime of roughly 90 plus minutes, you essentially have yourself a movie. Now the industry hasn’t mastered manipulating a real human being completely. The Bunker is simply a point-and-click thriller, but is still impressive for a developer’s debut game. Unless you’re slow to select the next location and make John stand around looking clueless, the gaming experience itself doesn’t distract from the cinematic quality.
Adam Brown’s John looking rightfully terrified
In the midst of John’s daily routine, an error message indicates a system failure somewhere in the facility. This is where the conflict and John’s unease begins. He hasn’t traversed from his floor with his mother much, if ever. Visiting other floors to resolve a mechanical problem sets his nerves off. Actor Adam Brown‘s performance, especially his facial expressions, effectively communicate John’s dread with his predicament.
Repressed Memories
As you take John along on his mission to repair the electrical and air filter systems, Brown moves timidly along each darkened hallway. With each floor you explore, a seemingly repressed memory rears its ugly head. We begin to see what unfolds with the shelter’s previous occupants via flashback, culminated in the game’s final moments. It’s as disturbing as it is gratifying.
Actress Sarah Greene plays John’s mother and she covers every range of human emotion fathomable by the game’s end. However, I’m intent on avoiding spoilers, so I’ll reference these specifics no further. If you ever throw up your hands during The Bunker‘s story, which can take a stretch to get into, be assured there’s absolutely a pay-off.
Lesser Demons
Outside of our two leads, the minor characters deliver their lines in a most uncomfortably wooden fashion. Then at certain points where John is simply standing in a hallway, the musical score swells as if hinting at a big reveal or jump scare, but nothing comes.
John’s mother portrayed by Sarah Greene
Mechanically speaking, the game is ultimately not intended to be any sort of challenge. It’s rather unfortunate though, as glimmers of a Quick Time Event (QTE) appear all-too briefly. However, the average gamer will pass these QTEs with flying colors and then some.
Despite any criticisms I levy against The Bunker, the story and high production value compel you to forgive them. This feels like a full-fledged Hollywood production but occasionally the actors arbitrarily stop and wait for a button click. They even filmed this in a real decommissioned bunker. This pays off as it makes your environment feel legitimately previously occupied.
It might be too early for declarations, but I’m predicting this title could see the same success as last year’s live-action mystery game Her Story.
Grade: B
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
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I readily admit my American ignorance when it comes to international history. More specifically, my familiarity with the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was minimal. Then you encounter a developer like iNK Studios with a brave director like Navid Khonsari to provide you that much-needed history lesson with 1979 Revolution: Black Friday.
As a video game, 1979 Revolution is a lesser Telltale Games experience, mechanically-speaking. This is expected when a developer doesn’t possess as many resources as a juggernaut like Telltale. However, the story has all of the gravitas and emotion as any Telltale title. Instead of a full-fledged review, I felt it more necessary to discuss the game’s importance in storytelling.
The Revolution
A man wears images honoring lives lost during the Revolution
Before we dive too deep, historical background is essential for this discussion. For those that might need the information, the Iranian Revolution stems from the civilian population’s frustration with the sitting regime’s corrupt and oppressive actions. The end result of the revolution isn’t the focus of the game, but be assured the Shah and his aforementioned regime was subsequently replaced.
Instead, 1979 Revolution centers on the experiences of an aspiring photojournalist, Reza Shirazi. Reza returns home to Iran to find his home country on the brink of a civil war. Reza’s friends and family already chose sides, which forces Reza into compromising moral dilemmas. Thus we have the basis of the entire gaming experience Revolution offers.
Hopelessness
Hopelessness is a recurring motif of Revolution. When a tyrannical government is this powerful, you start sensing your choices matter less and less as the outcome is inevitable. “They” have armies, other countries, and even a few groups of citizens backing them. “You” have your ideals and the ability to organize protests. In the context of the game alone, the conclusion seems predestined based on the lop-sided battlefield.
Although, this absence of hope isn’t just a numbers game, but a moral struggle. A prime example involves when Reza returns home for a family dinner with his parents and his brother (who works for the current regime in law enforcement). Reza’s Dad sympathizes with the protesters’ cause, while Reza’s mother questions why things should ever change. Considering his occupation, Reza’s brother is of course pro-Shah.
Needless to say, none of your dialogue selections in this awkward scene feel right. For Reza, this is his family who he loves unconditionally, yet people are dying on the streets for merely speaking freely. This dinner scene along with the ending scene (which I won’t spoil) are the best illustrations of helpless despair during this tumultuous period in Iranian history.
The Risks Involved
Outside of the gameplay, the developers and lead director at iNK Studios took a gamble in even telling this story. Director Navid Khonsari lived in Iran during the revolution as a child but left shortly after its ending. He used what he saw with his own eyes as a template for many sequences in 1979 Revolution. The team also interviewed about 40 Iranians who resided in Tehran during this era, and gathered as many images and sounds as possible from related documentaries, speeches, and press clippings.
You can opt for pacifism or violence
Regardless of this hard work, a conservative movement in Iran still exists that condemned this title. After Khonsari was accused of espionage, he deemed it too risky to even return to his home country. Other members of the development team also either fled Iran for their safety or now use aliases. When 1979 Revolution approached release this year, Iran’s National Foundation for Computer Games banned the game’s distribution and sale, declaring the content a poison on the minds of today’s youth.
Even in reality, this recurring motif of hopelessness is mirrored. Fortunately, we gamers in other countries have the privilege to play this title and to educate ourselves in the process, which I highly recommend you do at your earliest convenience.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday is now available on PC, Android, and iOS devices.
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
REVIEW | Spider-Man PS4
Review | Re-Exploring No Man’s Sky Next
REVIEW | Downward Spiral: Horus Station
In my post-Legend of Korra haze, I stumbled across Never Alone, a game I had heard vague mentions of at E3 last summer. Revolving around an Alaskan story, you play as the Inupiaq girl, Nuna, and her spiritual guide, a white fox.
Gorgeous, right?
What’s particularly innovative is how the native lore is interspersed with the story as you progress. I have never played a game quite like this one, and with each chapter scene narrated by an elder storyteller in native Inupiaq, it definitely makes you feel immersed in the culture. It is equal parts terrifying, educational, and awe inspiring.
The eight chapter puzzle platformer requires you to switch between the two characters to take on a variety of bosses, natural and supernatural in origin, but this is where the game slightly suffers. At times, the A.I. coding of your companion is off, and it makes for an infuriating experience during some of the more, quick, and reactionary puzzles (I played via PS4. Perhaps the Steam version is a little different). Aside from this, Nuna and the fox take you on a journey unlike any other.
Why should you check it out?
Aside from it being a measly $15 on either Steam or the PlayStation store, you’d be supporting a truly independent game. Over 30 Inupiaq (a northern Alaskan people) community members contributed to this game at every level, from concept to being a part of the developer, Upper One Games, as an attempt to take oral storytelling to the next level, and contribute one of their pieces of history to the gaming industry.
“We started to look to ourselves and wondering what it was we have that we could share with the world. And what we have is amazing stories and amazing culture.”
– Gloria O’Neill
CEO of the Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Develop Online
Never Alone could be the beginning of a new voice in gaming, a way to share the culture, and stories of many. For example, a horror game based around the Navajo “naaldooshii,” a medicine man or woman who has attained the highest level of priesthood in the tribe, but chose to use his or her power for evil by taking the form of an animal to inflict pain and suffering on others. Obviously, care must be taken that the groups we pull creatively from are not exploited for the sake of money, and are involved every step of the way with their blessing. This is why Never Alone is important.
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
REVIEW | Spider-Man PS4
Review | Re-Exploring No Man’s Sky Next
