It is that time again to go through the various press releases that have arrived in my inbox, and we have a few time sensitive ones to start with as both GOG and the Epic Games Store have begun their respective holiday sales. The GOG Winter Sale goes until January 5 while the Epic Games Store is running its Holiday 2021 until January 6, and you will want to watch both storefronts as they both are doing time-limited giveaways. The first from GOG has already expired but we can expect three more before it ends while Epic Games Store is giving away a game each day for a total of 15. The Epic Games Store has also brought back the Epic Coupon we have seen in several of its sales past, which will give a $10 discount on any full-game priced $14.99 or above. The store also now has a cart, a feature that has taken a surprisingly long time to implement, but in any case, the coupon will be applied to each qualifying title in your cart. That means if you checkout with two $15 games, the coupon will be applied to both and save you $20 off the $30 total. The coupon has no application limit during the sale.
Coming back to GOG for a moment, the storefront is now offering both Star Trek Armada and Star Trek Armada II. You can now run these twenty year old games on modern operating systems and further complete collection as it was not long ago that several other Star Trek games were added to GOG's catalog.
Source: GOG (Winter Sale) and Epic Games Store (Holiday 2021 Sale)
Those game stores are not the only to have started their holiday events as EKWB is also offering some discounts, special rewards with purchases, and having a giveaway. The rewards are based on how much you spend at their storefront, with such items as the EK-Loop Screwdriver Basic Set, EK-Leak Tester, and the recently announced EK-Loop D-RGB LED Magnetic Kit being available to pick from for a free gift, depending on the amount you spend. You can check out the source link below to see the complete list of these rewards, as well as how to enter the giveaway to get one of 40 EK AIOs or a complete custom EK-AIO build valued at over $3000.
Source: EKWB
2K has shared additional details on two classes for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands; the Spellshots and Clawbringers. The Spellshots are wizards with guns and I wonder a little bit how much further this description has to go. With this class you can eliminate your enemies with bullets or pacify them by turning them into livestock. Your gun will not just be a weapon either, but an extension of your magic, enhancing your spells and imbuing your weapon. The Clawbringers are members of a heroic order of warriors, wielding a spectral hammer and have fire-breathing wyverns as companions. With their Dragon Aura, you can buff your party to deal additional damage and more.
If those two classes are not enough, more information on three environments, three enemies, and some of the game's mechanics have also been shared. This includes the detail that there will be five elemental damage types: Fire; Frost; Lightning; Poison; and Dark Magic. By paying attention to the color of an enemy's health bar, you can determine their elemental weakness.
Tiny Tina's Wonderland is launching on March 25, 2022 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.
Source: 2K (Tiny Tina's Wonderlands)
The Last Spell from The Arcade Crew and Ishtar Games is definitely one of my favorite games I have reviewed this year and while it is still in Early Access on Steam, it has received a new, major update this week that applies a few changes and QoL improvements, but also adds some new and challenging enemies. The Blocker, for example, should prove interesting to deal with as it has a high Block stat but is also able to block your hero's line of sight. Meanwhile the Hunter is certainly an anti-hero enemy as it has a long distance, high damage attack that can ignore line-of-sight. Fortunately its attack must charge, giving you time to react. The Hopper and Twister are two more new enemies to deal with and I suggest you check the source link for their details.
The Wounds system has been altered for both the enemies and the heroes. For enemies this means their wounds have been designed to better match the enemy, rather than being the same across them all. An example that may seem a poor wound is to add 30% damage to the Boomer, but it should be noted this increases the damage done to other enemies when it explodes. For heroes, the wound thresholds are no longer fixed but will scale with maximum health. As for the QoL changes, you can now accelerate enemy turns and the night report to save on time. Poisoned enemies will now show how much damage they will take on their next turn, including if it will kill them.
There is still more to this update, such as the new Elite enemies that serve the role of mini boss and some tweaks to the camera, and we can expect more to arrive for the game in the future. The roadmap shows there is still the Perks Update and Maps Update to come, and more to arrive next year.
Source: The Arcade Crew (The Last Spell – Steam News)
This item actually arrived late on Friday last week, sharing The Game Awards trailer for Saints Row, the franchise reboot arriving August 23, 2022. In this trailer we get to see some of the opposition the Saints will have to face if they hope to rise amongst the gangs and reach the top. It also shows some new vehicles, helicopter tether thefts, combat including weapons and takedowns, story moments, and some of the customization possibilities the game will offer. With so many months to go, it will be interesting to see what more there is yet to be shared by Deep Silver, the game's publisher.
Curiously I am unable to embed the trailer, though it is not age-gated. In any case, here is a linke to it: Saints Row – Game Awards Gameplay Trailer.
Source: Press Release (Deep Silver – Saints Row)
Devolver Digital has shared a few items this week, including the reveal of a crossover between Shadow Warrior 3 and Naraka: Bladepoint as the two titles are trading weapons. While Lo Wang is sending his Shuriken Spitter to Viper Ning accompanied by Hoji's Mask, the Raikou Katana is coming over to join his nerdy katana collection. This weapon exchange will occur in early 2022, which makes sense as Shadow Warrior 3 is expected to launch in the same time frame for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Naraka: Bladepoint is already available on Steam for those interested in its battle royale action.
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Source: Press Release (Devolver Digital [1] – Shadow Warrior 3)
Also coming from Devolver Digital next year is Trek to Yomi, a cinematic action-adventure title set in feudal Japan. It is set to arrive on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 in Spring 2022 and this week a new gameplay trailer was released showing how patience and timing will be critical to its combat. To defeat your enemies, you will need to turn their strength against them, putting them off balance and ready for a fatal blow.
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Source: Press Release (Devolver Digital [2] – Trek to Yomi)
Finishing off the Devolver Digital news, a new episode of Road to Weird West has been released, showing off the game's simulation systems. By leveraging these systems in creative ways, players will be able to find creative means to solve various puzzles and overcome challenges, even in ways the developers might not expect. It is a short video, but it will also not be long before the game comes out, as it will be releasing for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on January 11.
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Source: Press Release (Devolver Digital [3] – Weird West)
If the old west is not quite your style, not long after that release will be the launch of Windjammers 2, as Dotemu has announced that title's release date as January 20. Along with that news is a new trailer showing off its roster of ten characters and ten locations you can demonstrate your skills at.
Windjammers 2 will be available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, Xbox Game Pass, and PC Game Pass when it launches with backwards compatibility bringing it to Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
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Source: Press Release (Dotemu – Windjammers 2)
Cris Tales has received a massive and free update bringing new content to the time-skipping JRPG. The content includes the seventh playable character for the game as Ardi, a robot mechanic, will be able to join your party, lending her summoner abilities that can be enhanced with Crisbell's powers. She is first encountered in St. Clarity. A new dungeon has also been added with a mechanical theme to match Ardi, and with it new enemy encounters an puzzle solving mechanics. The Coliseum has returned as well, to challenge players with waves of enemies and can be accessed by speaking with the travelling merchant. If you complete the new content, you will find it unlocks a new cutscene in the late game and a new ending for the game overall. For those that have already completed Cris Tales, you can reload your latest save to experience the content for yourself.
If the game seems interesting to you, it will be on sale at 50% off on Steam starting December 23. The Nintendo Switch version will also be 50% off on that date, for North America, while the Xbox version will have a 35% discount.
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Source: Modus Games [1] (Cris Tales)
Super Animal Royale, another title from Modus Games, has received an update this week as well, as its Season 2 has begun with Super Beavers joining in and the Bwoking Dead mode returning. In honor of the Super Beavers finally joining the fight, the season also features the Busy Busy Pass with various cosmetic items for hard workers, steampunk fans, and busy bees. Super Reindeer and Super Artic Fox are also entering the battle via the Research Lab. As for the Bwoking Dead mode, that has received as part of the CRISPRmas Event that goes until January 4 and will allow you to unlock eight limited-time cosemetic items. If you want to play with friends, cross-play parties are now possible as you can invite friends across Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. You can even stream on Google Stadia now, in addition to GeForce Now, for those that want to play on a smartphone or in your browser via these streaming services.
Season 2 is expected to last about three months, and for this time you can unlock the Busy Busy Pass for 550 S.A.W tickets, but after it ends the pass will enter the Archive and cost 750 tickets. Once you own it though, you keep the pass permanently, so you can take your time to unlock everything it offers.
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Source: Modus Games [2] (Super Animal Royale)
Not long ago The Queen & The Sea DLC was announced for Dead Cells and now we have its release date of January 6. It will not be long now before we will get the opportunity to fight through the new enemies and environments to reach the Queen, and ultimately bring an end to her reign. It will not be easy though as you will need to race up the Lighthouse with flames and guardians behind you before reaching the new boss. At least you will have a new, evolving pet, the Leghugger, to help you on your way as well as nine new weapons, such as the Hand Hook that will throw enemies into walls.
As this DLC ends a story arc, a special Road to the Sea bundle containing the base game and DLC trilogy is available at $32.99, but for those who already own the base game, you can get the three DLC for $11.99.
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Source: Press Release (Motion Twins – Dead Cells)
Prime Matter has announced the start of Hunt Showdown's new Winter Solstive event that runs until January 5. During this even you will want to destroy the Solstice Tributes to earn points that will ultimately turn into rewards. The ultimate prize will be available only to those who earn 10,000 points, so you had better get to. The event has also brought with it the legendary Winfield 1873 Swift "Mountain King," Cavalry Saber "Corvus," Quad Derringer "Evergreen," as well as the legendary consumable "Spirit of Yule" fire bomb to earn and wield.
If that is not enough for you, The Lawless DLC is available now, bringing with it the legendary hunter "The Gunslinger" and Winfield M1873 Aperture "The Accomplice" and Scottfield Revolver "Felon's Six" legendary weapons.
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Source: Press Release (Prime Matter – Hunt Showdown)
Players of Dice Legacy can expect a treat next week as the game will be receiving it's a Storm is Coming free update on December 21 for PC. The Nintendo Switch version should receive the update "very soon." With this update comes a new weather system with 16 different conditions to challenge the player, from drought to heavy rainfall, bringing challenges and possibly improvements to your situation. The Forging a Realm made added last month is also getting a couple new scenarios in Bizarre Demands and Building a Following. The former offers a randomizer style experience with costs and requirements being random while the latter has the only way to earn new dice, is to satisfy your people.
Source: Press Release (Ravenscourt – Dice Legacy)
Another press release that arrived late last Friday was from Rebellion as Sniper Elite 5 has been announced as arriving next year on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. With this, elite marksman Karl Fairburne will enter 1944 France to destroy Operation Kraken. If not stopped, this Nazi project will allow them to win the war before the Allies can even enter Europe, making Karl's success absolutely critical.
The new maps for the game will make it the largest and most immersive for the series' history and a new traversal system opens up the sandbox options for how you wish to eliminate your targets. It will also feature improved gunplay physics and various customization options to upgrade your weapon, such as changing scopes, barrels, and stocks to arrive at the best design for your style. You will also be able to select the ammo most appropriate for your target, from armor-piercing to non-lethal, if that is what you wish.
Source: Rebellion (Sniper Elite 5)
Techland had some announcements this week for both Dying Light and Dying Light 2. For the already available title, its new Winter events have been revealed; HyperMode with reduced fall damage and the Sugar Crane event, challenging players to throw zombies off roofs. The first phase of these events ends on December 23 with Phase 2 launching right after. Also, a new update for its Hellraid mode has been released, challenging players to face the powerful Lord Asmorod and his skeleton minions. Defeating him will grant you the Dark Wand, allowing you to wield freezing magic.
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As for Dying Light 2, its system requirements have been revealed and are not too unreasonable, at least until you turn on ray tracing.
| Â | 1080p30 - Low Quality | 1080p60 - High Quality | 1080p30 - Low Ray Tracing | 1080p60 - High Ray Tracing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU (AMD) | Ryzen 3 2300X | Ryzen 5 3600X | Ryzen 5 3600X | Ryzen 7 3700X |
| CPU (Intel) | Core i3-9100K | Core i5-8600K | Core i5-8600K | Core i5-8600K |
| GPU (AMD) | RX 560 | RX Vega 56 | None Listed | None Listed |
| GPU (NVIDIA) | GTX 1050 Ti | RTX 2060 | RTX 2070 | RTX 3080 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| OS | Windows 7 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Storage | 60 GB | 60 GB | 60 GB | 60 GB |
If that is not enough Dying Light 2 for you, Techland and Platige Image have shared a behind the scenes video for the cinematic trailer that was shared last week as part of The Game Awards. This video features commentary from the executive producer, director, and art director for the trailer that shows the final moments of a Nightrunner.
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Source: Press Releases (Techland – Dying Light 1 and Dying Light 2)
THQ Nordic has announced Expeditions: Rome will have a playable demo on Steam starting today, allowing you the opportunity to lead your men against Greece, starting with the conquering of Lesbos, for about four hours of gameplay. If that is not enough, from today through Monday the publisher is holding a Streamer Weekend as a selected group of streamers have been given special access to the game's first act, allowing them to complete the Greece campaign. These streamers will also be using the new Expeditions: Rome Twitch extension, created by a partnership with Muxy Inc. as the most ambitious and expansion Twitch extension yet for any game. Viewers will be able to direct AI targets, heal or knock-down enemy and streamer combatants, start the battlefield on fir, and more.
Expeditions: Rome is to launch on January 20 at a suggest price of $44.99.
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Source: THQ Nordic (Expeditions: Rome)
Ubisoft has shared a couple interesting things this week, starting with some Assassin's Creed news as Assassin's Creed Valhalla will have its Dawn of Ragnarok DLC release on March 10, 2022. With this, Eivor will begin a new adventure as Odin, as he enters Svartalfheim, the realm of the dwarfs. Set after the events of the Asgard and Jotunheim arcs, this expansion will actually include more content than some of the previous games in the series. The All-Father is on a question to rescue his son Baldr, who has been captured by Sutr and is being held in the dwarven realm that is currently occupied by various enemies, including some with the ability to revive their fallen comrades. Fortunately you will have help as you find dwarves that have managed to hide in shelters. Finding the Hugr-Rip will also help as this artifact will grant Odin new powers, such as the ability to disguise himself as the fiery Muspel enemies he would otherwise need to fight.
If you would rather not wait until March for some new Assassin's Creed action, a special crossover has begun between this latest entry in the series and its predecessor, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. In the prior game, you can take on the new Those Who Are Treasured mission and travel to the island of Korfu, to contemplate what to do with the power of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus the playable character acquired at the end of the game story. In Valhalla the mission A Fated Encounter will bring Eivor to the Isle of Skye and there cross blades with Kassandra of Odyssey.
The Odyssey mission will be available after finishing the game's Chapter 1, but it is recommended you finish the game's story arcs first, to avoid spoilers. Valhalla's A Fated Encounter will be available after you finish A Wise Friend, during which you assist Valka establish herself in Ravensthorpe.
Source: Ubisoft [1] (Assassin's Creed Valhalla)
Also announced by Ubisoft is that development has begun on a Splinter Cell remake. Utilizing the Snowdrop engine, Ubisoft Toronto is going to rebuild the game that started the series, bringing the latest in visuals and gameplay to the series that is so well known for dynamic lighting and shadows. If you follow the source link below, you will see three developers answer various questions about this new project, including what they feel are the most important aspects of the original title to be updated and those to preserve.
