Astrokicker was released as an Early Access game on Steam on January 29th. It was developed by the small and relatively new indie studio Quadrivo Software, LLC. Founded in 2019, this is their first game on Steam. But their founder, Lee Lorenz, has almost four decades of experience in software development. Having sold his first game in 1983, he’s a fan of the classics. Astrokicker pays homage to classic shootemup games while also adding a few twists to the game. It tells its entire story without any cutscenes, allowing the player to experience it entirely through gameplay instead.
Astrokicker will take you back to the old days.
It’s Astrockickin Time
As soon as you start playing Astrokicker, you’ll start to feel the nostalgia of games from years past. Everything from the visuals to the gameplay will remind you of games from decades ago. At its core, Astrokicker is an arcade space shooter with 100 levels, numerous powerups, and over 25 variants of enemy fighters. But even deeper than that, it’s a fresh take on the experience that gamers were given when they played a classic space shooter. The game features both a modern and a retro mode. The modern mode lets you fly in any direction and has more advanced graphics. Ships are rendered in 3D, the user interface is more detailed, and there are 100 unique parallax scrolling backgrounds. The retro mode gives the game a much older feel. Ships are limited to 8 directions and the graphics will reflect the older look that the mode is going for.
There’s plenty of unique gameplay to experience through the game’s 100 levels.
Astrokicker is expected to be in Early Access for another 2 to 3 months. While the game is already fully playable, Quadrivo wants to listen to community feedback and optimize every user’s experience within the game. Improvements might be made to the music and sound effects. There might also be a new boss fight added before the final release. That being said, there’s already a full game on display. At only $10, it’s an inexpensive option for any gamer. But make sure that you have a controller if you intend to pick this game up. Keyboard and mouse gameplay isn’t currently supported.
EVERSPACE 2 was released in Early-Access on January 18th for PC on GOG and Steam. Like so many of Steam’s recently added Early-Access games, there are huge plans for the game’s future. The German development team ROCKFISH Games wants EVERSPACE 2 to become the gold standard for space shooter games. It combines elements from many different genres, culminating in an experience that sets it apart from any other game. It also represents a great shift from the original EVERSPACE. While the developers are taking full advantage of the same community-based method to refine the game, they’re moving in a different direction with gameplay. They want to take the world of EVERSPACE from a linear roguelike space shooter to an epic open-world space looter shooter.
EVERSPACE 2’s story will take you to very unique locations.
Ever Ambitious
There’s already plenty of content available to the player. There are an estimated 12+ hours of content in the story campaign with full English voice acting. With at least 25 hours of gameplay in total, there are already a great deal of special mechanics that will keep a player interested in exploring the star systems. The game is filled with extensive combat and interesting places to explore. Plus, there are tons of puzzles, crafting, trading, customization options, and characters. There are also alien species, hidden treasures, outlaw gangs, and many other mysteries to uncover through the main missions and side missions. But, there are still plenty of features left to be fleshed out or added.
EVERSPACE 2 features various unique ship classes and there are plans to add plenty of customization options in the future.
A Vast Future
ROCKFISH plans to keep EVERSPACE 2 in Early Access for the next 12 to 18 months. There are a multitude of content additions that they plan to release through quarterly updates. There are going to be a plethora of new locations, enemies, missions, challenges, characters, customization options, items, resources, and more. While the game’s graphics already look excellent, several quality of life improvements can also be expected. Expected improvements can include bug fixes, new language support, ac and Linux support, and new difficulties. EVERSPACE 2 has big plans, so check back in on it from time to time over the next year or so.
Sniper Elite 4, developed by Rebellion, is scheduled to be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 17th. The game takes place in World War 2 Italy, where you’ll be tasked with killing hundreds of Nazis and blowing up countless trucks and tanks. Playing as Karl Fairburne, you’ll use every weapon at your disposal to take down the enemy and help turn the tide of the war.
Combat
Every level is packed with weapons to defeat your enemies. Beyond the various sniper rifles, you can also use pistols, SMGs, mines, grenades, rocket launchers, and your own fists to take down enemies. Like its predecessors, Sniper Elite 4 features the unique “X-Ray kill cam” ability. When you hit a target with a sniper rifle, the camera will move with the bullet in slow motion and show the internal damage that the bullet does to the body of who gets shot. These cinematic moments help the game feel unique.
Environment
Sniper Elite 4 takes you across very different parts of Italy. Sometimes you’ll be in a warm forest or you’ll be on a snow-capped mountain. You’ll find yourself in small villages, in large cities, and in massive Nazi bases. Each level is fleshed out and unique so you’ll be excited to see what the next level will have to offer. The DLC even has a level where you actually hunt Adolf Hitler. Sniper Elite continues to provide a fun experience for gomers who are looking for a shooter that keeps you engaged and excited to see the next level.
Destiny 2 for 12 – what? Twelve Dollars! – Where? Stand by for THAT News!
ALSO – FYI – Destiny 2’s latest Downloadable Content, Warmind, Has a Release Date Set For May 8th! That is This coming Tuesday, as of this Post!
Full Details and More HERE!
The Call Of Duty franchise is getting a lot of attention so far this year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the 2010 release, appears to be getting a remaster. See this article from CharlieIntel. Several sources are saying this, but this has yet to be confirmed by Activision. I will refrain from too much speculation other than to say, bring it on!
BLACK OPS 4
In what looks to be a game-changing experience, Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4 launches worldwide on Friday, 12th October for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Tune in Thursday, 17th May, when publisher Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, and award-winning developer Treyarch, host the community reveal to a worldwide audience. Places to check: www.callofduty.com , www.youtube.com/callofduty and follow @Treyarch and @CallofDuty on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.
I am hearing that Black Ops 4 will not include a single player campaign mode. There could be any number of reasons for this. Making sense is the speculation surrounding the remaster of Modern Warfare 2 being Single player only. You would get one game for Single Player, another for the Multiplayer experience. Black Ops 4 may get a mode involving Zombies, but that is not the same as a single player mode. On a digression, I personally do not understand the fascination with zombies in video games. But anyway..
In case you missed it Bluehole, Inc has announced The Formation of PUBG Corp. for Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Bluehole, Inc., on September 29, 2017, announced a change to its organizational structure with the formation of PUBG Corp. This is a subsidiary focused entirely on the development and global business opportunities for PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG).
“Given PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS global success, we want to ensure that we have the operational efficiency that is required to support the game globally,” said Chang Han Kim, CEO, PUBG Corp. He also said, “This new structure allows us to be nimble as we look towards the expansion of strategic business opportunities that include the game’s potential in the esports sector and the growth of PUBG as a true global IP franchise.”
Also, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS has sold more than thirteen million copies. The Game has surpassed the all-time record for the most concurrent users (CCUs) on Steam with over 1.5 million active players in the game at a given time.
The Game drops players on a realistic 8 x 8 km island, showcasing Unreal Engine 4’s visual capabilities. Starting with nothing, gamers fight to locate weapons, as well as vehicles, also supplies as they strive for lone survivor status.
Furthermore, This Game is available on Steam Early Access, also launching exclusively on Xbox One. It is part of the Xbox Game Preview program in late 2017.
To learn more about this addictive game, visit www.playbattlegrounds.com. Please ‘Like’ it on Facebook. Please follow its development on Twitter @PUBATTLEGROUNDS for all the latest updates and news from the team.
As a Result, This is not Just a Game. This is Battle Royale.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Stealth ModePlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Chris Jones GamingPlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Chris Jones Gaming
Imagine the set up, I’m sitting on the sofa with a can of Rockstar Energy (Destiny 2 Branded) in one hand and my PlayStation controller on my lap it’s 23:58 on September 5th 2017
My world is about to be changed forever as in just a few short minutes Destiny 2’s
pre-installed padlock will finally be opened and I’ll be rejoicing in a moment that’s been on my mind for the last year!
23:59 my inbox start’s getting filled with comments from my fellow clan members (Random Fruits) requesting not to post any spoilers.
00:00 the lock is off and now the race to sign in and not spend the remainder of the night staring at a screen informing me that I’m in a queue is on, I mash away on the X button attempting to skip the bungie logo and get to the log in screen …I’m treated to a selection of images and dates of key Destiny 1 moments that I had shared with my fellow clan members.
Character Selection
You have three types to pick from: Titan, Warlock and Hunter all very different in ability and all have their own Armour sets to collect.
I’ll start with the Titan class as it’s the main one I’ve used for the past three years on the original game.
The Titans are, in short, Destiny’s answer to a Tank class with awesome shoulder charge and Flaming Hammer throws (Super move).
The Warlocks are basically Wizards of the Destiny world with an Electric Shock type super much like the Emperor from Star Wars.
The Hunter class has the ability to turn invisible and shoot off purple arrows tethering the enemy’s leaving them open to attack.
It’s the the diversity of these three classes that make for an awesome Fireteam.
Level cap 20
Story
Now I don’t want to be spoiling any story for anyone and yes this game does have a story!
After the disappointment of the original it’s clear Bungie listen to criticisms.
The Story starts with your Guardian (Destiny’s Answer to Halo’s Spartan) returning to the Tower just as it is under attack from an Alien Race known as the Cabal (Sort of Space Rhinos/Turtles) led by Ghaul or Garry as Destiny 2’s marketing campaign would have you call him.
The reason for the attack is to take the Traveler’s light and steal it for himself.
Like I said I don’t want to give much away on the plot focus more on what Destiny 2 is. At its heart it’s an Action first person Shooter with elements of RPG progression, its main emphasis being on Loot and boy it’s got a lot.
All that lovely Loot!
You kill enemy’s to drop little green/blue/purple/gold Pentagonal Dodecahedrons (engrams) containing anything from materials used to upgrade items Weapons and Armour, the colour of the engram determines it’s value gold being best.
The game has multiplayer modes for both PvP and PvE with the latter being probably the best part of the game, join up with a fire team of two other Guardians and take down massive waves of enemy’s, it reminds me so much of Split-Screen fun on Halo: combat evolved, yet another gem made by Bungie for the original Xbox.
You can repeat Story Missions with friends or taking on the challenge of the weekly Strike playlist.
Strikes are harder missions intended for three players made easy with in game matchmaking
As it’s an online game it’s loaded with weekly themed events, One such event is the Nightfall, a kind of hard version of a strike that give high level gear
The main aim of doing all this is to achieve a high enough Light level to take part in the Weekly Raid!
The Raid
Now this is what Destiny 2 is all about, it’s a Six man fire team racing through increasingly challenging set peaces with the goal of getting Raid gear!
Destiny 2 has a lot going for it but it’s not without a few annoyances one such annoyance is the Eververse trading co. a sort of Pay for extras store built within the game and yes I know you can technically unlock these rewards as you level up but it’s still a pain to get the shader you want without grinding all weekend.
There is simply far too much for me to cover in this article such as Exotics, the many different species of enemy and future DLC!
All in all I love the game and it’s definitely going to take over my life all over again much like the original
DISCOVER A NEW MAP AND THREE ADDITIONAL OPERATORS WITH THE OPERATION BLOOD ORCHID UPDATE!
LONDON — SEPTEMBER 4th, 2017 — Ubisoft® has announced that the Operation Blood Orchid Update, the Year 2 Season 3 add-on content for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege, will launch September 5th on Playstation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. The Theme Park map will be available at no additional cost for all players. Starting September 5th, season pass holders will be able to access three new operators and their signature weapons skins. All other players will be able to unlock the new content starting September 12th using Renown or R6 Credits.
Theme Park Map and Two New SDU Operators
In Operation Blood Orchid, players will have to raid an abandoned theme park, identified by the Special Duties Unit (SDU) – also known as the Flying Tigers – as a criminal organisation’s nest for narcotic manufacturing. After establishing a connection with the Hong Kong Triad, two Flying Tigers are chosen to lead a lethal raid in the Theme Park, a colourful and eclectic map filled with dynamic and fast-paced face-offs.
Ying: Siu Mei Lin is recognised as an all-purpose operator. After a few operations, she decided to join Team Rainbow, representing Hong Kong’s Flying Tigers Unit. Equipped with the T-95 LSW and the SIX12 shotgun as primary weapons, she knows how to intervene in densely populated areas with her non-lethal unique gadget. Her Candela device is a new breed of flash grenade: when deployed, it releases a cluster of flash charges that can be anchored on surfaces, or it can be thrown out as a grenade or rolled along the floor.
Lesion: Liu Tze Long is known to take his work seriously and to thrive in high-risk situations. Demonstrating a natural calm while handling highly corrosive substances, he’s also an expert in mine-clearing. Equipped with the SIX12 SD silenced shotgun and the T-5 SMG, Lesion can handle any situation with his Gu mines. When an attacker triggers these mines, they are injected with a toxin that deals an initial burst of damage, and then slower damage over time, limiting their speed until the affected player removes the poison dart. Starting with two Gu mines, his inventory will increase by one Gu mine every 35 seconds until it reaches a maximum of seven mines.
Get ready for the Operation Blood Orchid Update!
New Polish GROM Operator, Ela Bosak
Ela: Ela Bosak is the latest and one of the youngest recruits to Team Rainbow. This thirty-year-old operator is a member of Poland’s Military Unit, GROM, and is equipped with the Scorpion EVO 3 A1 SMG and the F0-12 shotgun as primary weapons. Ela also is equipped with the RG15 pistol with a red dot sight, the first pistol in the game with a sight. She is known for her determination and prowess in the field. Her sticky Grzmot mines are proximity concussion mines that affect anyone within radius with reduced movement speed, aiming and vision. Ela’s signature move when in a downed state is the ability to trigger one last concussion mine.
To mark the culmination of Operation Health, the Blood Orchid Update will be the largest update for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege ever deployed, bringing fixes and improvements to the game, including an updated lighting system, data clean-ups on operators, optimized stability, reduced load times and a smaller memory footprint. New and improved servers will also be deployed around the launch of Season 3 to enhance stability, connectivity and overall performance. For more information about this patch, please consult the full patch notes on rainbow6.com/bloodorchid.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is currently available worldwide for consoles and PC. For more information about the game and news on the upcoming title update, Operation Blood Orchid, please visit Rainbow 6 dot com.
About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Inspired by real-world counter-terrorist organizations, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of lethal close-quarter confrontations. For the first time in a Rainbow Six game, players will engage in sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to breach the enemy’s position. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege gives players unprecedented control over their ability to fortify their position by reinforcing walls and floors, using barbed wire and deployable shields, laying mines and more, or to breach the enemies’ position using observation drones, setting charges, rappelling and more. The fast pace and uniqueness of each siege sets a new bar for intense firefights, strategic gameplay and competitive gaming.
Rovio, Angry Birds creator, is excited to present a new real-time five versus five (5vs5) multiplayer game – available now on iOS and Android worldwide. Developed internally by Rovio, Battle Bay is the latest offering in Rovio’s stellar games portfolio.
The seas have risen, and the characters of Battle Bay are fighting for survival. Players must assemble in teams of five to challenge opposing teams in a last-boat-floating, real-time multiplayer showdown. Opportunities exist to customize ships and train their crew, and players can make their ship their own, while chatting with other team members using an in-game communication system.
Battle Bay marks a lot of firsts for Rovio, being its first real-time competitive multiplayer game, its first game entirely in 3D third person perspective, and the first time showing the Battle Bay IP with its beautiful world and mysterious characters.
“We are excited to announce Battle Bay, Rovio´s brand-new IP, that is a result of years of efforts from our fantastic team,” noted Wilhelm Taht, Executive Vice President of Games at Rovio Entertainment. “We are proud to offer this level of multiplayer, action packed gaming experience to a wide range of gamers globally. “Taht continues.
Tuomo Lehtinen, Product Lead for Battle Bay adds “With Battle Bay we really wanted to build something completely new and different from the games Rovio is typically known for. It was important to build a fresh and unique experience with enough depth to be played for years. “
Battle Bay sails into app stores worldwide today, May 4th. Download the game for free here.
