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
After switching to its now bi-monthly release schedule, Doomsday Clock returned last week with Issue #4, which picks up straight after last issue’s cliffhanger ending and focuses on the origin of the mysterious new Rorschach. The story jumps between Rorschah’s previous stay in a mental asylum post-Watchmen and his current incarceration in Arkham Asylum.
Of the two plot lines to follow, the flashback story is the most intriguing. Following the newer Rorschach after the New York attack it’s revealed that not every person exposed to the “alien invasion” died instantly. Many suffered from horrific visions and are left severely traumatized. One of these victims is Reggie, a young man whom writer Geoff Johns wisely connects to the original Rorscach through his relationship to his father. Providing Reggie with an interesting perspective on a character most others consider to be a crazed vigilante.
Symmetry as a theme is present throughout this issue in both the art and writing, with Reggie’s confinement in both timelines mirroring one another and obligatory nods to Walter Kovac’s capture in the original Watchmen. Reggie’s decision to spare Ozymandias towards the end is an example of a man not beholden to the same strict code of his predecessor allowing the character to share many of the same traits but with an added element of unpredictability. Where the story diverges, however, is with the introduction of Mothman.
Mothman is used skillfully by Johns not only to provide a mentor for Reggie, but also as an explanation for how he was able to assume the persona of a new Rorschach and obtain the tools required to confront the man responsible for his parents death.
As a character, Mothman provides a warmth and humour in what would be an otherwise dreary setting. Mothman’s eventual fate is heartbreaking in it’s execution, as are his letters to an estranged sister, which serve as this issues epilogue. This is a character whose inclusion could verge too far towards fan service in another writers hands, but thankfully Johns allows the character to be an essential part of the narrative instead of a throwaway gag or lazy reference.
Another character who arrives in the final few pages is Saturn Girl, something of a reward for fans who have been reading DC Rebirth since its launch. Up until this point, Saturn Girl had only appeared in small cameos, hinting at a connection to the wider Doomsday Clock story. It’s nice to see threads like this finally begin to converge, even if her escape from Arkham could throw up more questions than it answers. The final page delivering an image guaranteed to leave readers discussing its symbolism and implications for the narrative going forward.
It is now a given to say that Gary Frank’s art continues to impress this issue. Mothmans late night flight is the obvious highlight and the overall pacing and detail of each page once again compliments Johns writing perfectly, demonstrating a symbiotic storytelling relationship similar to the one shared by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Frank’s smaller details, such as the halls of Arkham resembling those in The Killing Joke, is a delightful example of these two creators weaving a DC universe intrinsically connected to Alan Moore’s previous work.
Doomsday Clock continues to be THE comic book event of the year. If Geoff Johns and Gary Frank continue this level of quality for the entire run, it’s sure to be considered a modern classic.
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
Review | ‘Dark Nights: Metal’ #1
Looking for a new spooky game?
Just in time for the Halloween season, Bigmoon Entertainment and Camel 101 announced today that their new space survival horror title, Syndrome, is available on select systems. Syndrome traps players aboard a desolate scientific spaceship full of terrifying monstrosities creeping around every corner, with only stealth and evasion to trust while they unravel the deep mystery surrounding the deaths of fellow crewmen. Check out the release trailer below!
“It’s been a truly long-awaited milestone to bring Syndrome to console players, and we are excited to offer the game on virtual reality platforms as well”, said Paulo J. Games, Game Director of Bigmoon Entertainment. “With VR, the sinister atmosphere and blood-curdling suspense is as real as it gets. We can’t wait to hear the feedback from players and hope that it was worth the wait.”
Syndrome takes the horror genre back to its terrifying roots as players wake up on a deserted and adrift spaceship, dazed and confused from a deep cryosleep, only to discover that most of the crew are dead, or… changed. In order to survive the horrors that lurk in the shadows, players must explore the eerie confines of the ship in search of the last few weapons aboard, moving as stealthily as possible to evade direct enemy combat. Amidst numerous reactive adversaries awaiting close by, players interact with keypads and computer consoles to find clues as to what happened aboard and how to escape the deadly syndrome alive.
After completing the first chapter of the main “Story” mode, players can unlock an Endless Survival game mode specifically created to experience Syndrome in Virtual Reality. In the Endless Survival mode, players are trapped in a part of the spaceship where they scavenge surroundings for weapons and supplies, facing wave after wave of enemies set on destroying and dismembering everything in sight.
Syndrome has been nominated for several awards, including AMG’s Best Graphics Award and Reboot Develop’s Best Indie Award. Syndrome is now available on Sony Playstation 4 and PC with a game mode compatible for PS VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
Find out more about Syndrome at their Official Website!
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
Arms
If you watched our live stream of the Nintendo Switch announcement, you will know that we did not have a kind word to say about Arms.
After having played the demo at PAX South, I may as well be Shrek – because now I’m a believer. For a game with such a strangely picked title and looking like the least fun game on Wii Sports, Arms has no business being as good as it is. The controls are responsive, the customizing of characters feels good, but isn’t overwhelming, and above all else, the game is really fun. I also have a feeling the developers knew it was kind of a goofy game. I mean, it’s called Arms and one of the characters is called Master Mummy. Someone is in on this joke.
The game is also surprisingly deep with strategy, given how much jumping, dashing, cancelling, and your special can really make or break a fight. Overall, it’s quite fun and actually gives you a bit of a work out if you’re competitive. The only downside is you need two pairs of Joycons to play it, and jeepers, those are expensive.
Arms will be out at launch for the Nintendo Switch on March 3rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7s3UB_8dFM
Splatoon 2
Did you like the first Splatoon? Good, because Splatoon 2 is just like that, but slightly better.
Remember when Left 4 Dead came out, then a year later Left 4 Dead 2 came out and it was almost identical, but had better stuff in it? That’s exactly what’s happening here. Splatoon is a great game that just didn’t reach a wide enough audience because the Wii U’s sales were so poor, so it’s actually a great idea to add some stuff to it and release a sequel on the Switch where the user base will be, presumably, much larger.
There’s not much different between the two games, other than the addition of the Splat Dualies, dual pistols that focus more on PvP than painting the ground. They give you the ability to dodge roll, which is pretty powerful especially if your opponent is using the gyroscope and having to contort their torso just to see you.
Splatoon 2 is out this Summer for Nintendo Switch.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It’s hard to say anything new about Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That being said, videos don’t quite do it justice.
We’ve watched trailers and gameplay videos showing the opening scene of Link coming into the world for the first time. It was impressive seeing it the first few times, but actually experiencing it live, immersed by the sound, experiencing that transition into the cut scene is like the first time you realize Final Fantasy VII doesn’t just take place in Midgar. Seeing Death Mountain way in the distance and knowing you can go there is mind boggling.
The game isn’t without its faults — some button mapping could use some work and if we’re being nitpicky, the lines on the edges of textures can be a little jagged — but none of it even comes close to tainting the sense of adventure, freedom, and wonder felt from the first time you pick up the controller.
In the short demo, we only activated a tower, fought some bokoblins, and did part of the magnesis shrine, but the world felt alive. The concerns about it maybe being too open and sparse may still prove to be correct, but at the present, no Zelda game has given us this many goosebumps since Ocarina of Time.
You can play Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on either Nintendo Switch or Wii U March 3rd.
Want more PAX South 2017 coverage? All you had to do was ask!
Monster Boy, Warlock’s Tower, and Has Been Heroes
Prisma and The Masquerade Menace, Sundered, and RiME
Minit, Beat Cop, and Strikers Edge
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
Calling back to PlayStation one classics like Silent Hill, Back In 1995 is a throwback to the survival horror and mystery games of the original PlayStation and does its best to faithfully re-create everything from this all-but-forgotten era of games.
Be transported to a world both concrete and indistinct, where you must uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of your daughter, the catastrophe that shook the city, and why you’ve decided to finally return.
Back in 1995 was created as a labor of love by indie developer Takaaki Ichijo as a means to replicate the unique feeling he had from his first gaming experiences: the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.
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
