FTS: The Crystal Dynamics Development Team Roster is looking... awesome! + Amnesia Collection... free!

Check out news from the source below... and you'll see what I mean about the Crystal Dynamics team. I'd love a roster like that to develop games that make you want to cry and pinch yourself... because you'd swear you were dreaming (and then you'd cry some more because its real)!

A trip to Miami wasn't going to stop this post! Check out extras @ Instagram!

REDWOOD SHORES, CA – (January 24, 2018) – Crystal Dynamics^®, the renowned developer of the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER^® franchise, which has sold over 63 million copies globally, today announced they continue to expand their award-winning studio by adding 15 top industry talent to their development team in January alone. Included in the group are former Naughty Dog Creative Director Shaun Escayg who joins The Avengers Project as Creative Director, and as Director of Production Stephen Barry, a 27 year Veteran from EA/Visceral Games.

Escayg served as the Creative Director and writer of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and led the cinematics team as the Director of Photography and Animation Supervisor on The Last of Us . In addition, he worked as an animator at Industrial Light & Magic. “I’m thrilled to join Crystal as Creative Director and be aligned with a team as passionate about telling great character-based stories as I am.”
 
Barry held multiple positions at Electronic Arts and was formerly the Director of Product Development at Visceral Games, working on several games over his long career including the critically acclaimed Dead Space franchise. “Crystal’s been around almost as long as I’ve been in the business. The immediate chemistry and camaraderie has been exactly what I’d hoped for.”
 
“We’re committed to delivering an incredible, completely original Avengers experience to our gamers, and that means we are always looking to add amazing developers to our existing best in class studio talent,” said Scot Amos, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “As development progresses, our studio continues to grow. The tremendous progress we’ve made on The Avengers project further drives us toward our goal of crafting something all Marvel fans will be proud of, and will play for years to come. We can’t wait to show you what we mean in the future.”
 
“We recently hired fifteen world-renowned industry veterans, spanning production leadership, animation, design, art and engineering, who have previously worked on games such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Dead Space, Star Wars: Battlefront and many more.” said Ron Rosenberg, Co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics. “Their AAA experience adds to an already deep roster, making us well-positioned to deliver on the ambitious goals we’ve set for ourselves with The Avengers project. It’s a stellar addition of many people who fit incredibly well into our wheelhouse of building game experiences we all love.”
 
Crystal Dynamics has developed and published over 30 award-winning titles during its 25-year adventure. Some of the most beloved franchises include Gex®, Legacy of Kain® and most recently, TOMB RAIDER.

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Game on!

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Anime Adventures Anyone?

Zwei: The Arges Adventure is the first ever English-language release of the original Zwei!! game from Ys and The Legend of Heroes developer Nihon Falcom, and the predecessor to our recently released PC title Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection. This release stands as the most feature-complete version of the game to date, reintegrating a heaping helping of PC-exclusive features that were lost in the Japanese console versions including an Ys-themed typing tutor mini-game, a challenging block puzzler mini-game, and the "Pet Monitor" virtual pet system, along with a wide variety of unlockables plus some all-new content. Come set out on an adventure with a whole continent's worth of quirky and cute anime-style characters who frequently find themselves in comedically over-the-top situations, exploring every inch of the painterly 2D land of Arges along the way!

Pokkle and Pipiro are two step-siblings living by themselves in the ho-hum village of Puck on the time-forgotten floating continent of Arges. Pokkle loves making terrible puns and wears a tail for funsies, and Pipiro loves buying fashionable clothes and has no filter whatsoever. Together, they meander through what seems to be a peaceful, monotonous existence in their sleepy little burg where nothing interesting ever happens.

Until something does, anyway! A mysterious masked figure shows up one night and steals six holy idols from the local shrine. The self-proclaimed “Archduke of Arges” tenders a hefty reward for their return, and our “brave” duo jumps at the chance to go find them – Pokkle for the glory, and Pipiro strictly for the cash moneys.

Their journey will take them to every last nook and cranny across the land and lead to confrontations with a wide variety of friends and foes, each more ludicrous than the last, as a sinister plot to revive an ancient “Demon Lord” unfolds and 500 years’ worth of history comes into focus. Can two 14-year-olds with limited abilities and almost no social skills truly save the day? Or is Arges just pretty much screwed?

Released in Japan simply as Zwei!!, Zwei: The Arges Adventure is the direct predecessor to the previously released Nihon Falcom action RPG Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection, from the creators of the popular Ys and The Legend of Heroes franchises.

Boasting a completely standalone story set on a mysterious “low fantasy” island floating amongst the clouds, Zwei: The Arges Adventure plays out as a classically styled action-oriented 2D dungeon crawler with oodles of optional content and unlockables, player-defined challenge through a unique food-based experience system, and a pervading tongue-in-cheek humor style that helps set it apart from other entries in the genre. Although released on several different platforms in Japan over the years, this is the first time it’s ever been officially released in English and is the most feature-complete version of the game to date.

So what are you waiting for? There’s no need to ask Zwei; you Arges gonna have to play this game right now!

FEATURES

• SD Anime-Style Characters Inhabiting a Colorful Hand-Drawn 2D World
  Boasting beautiful painterly art rife with detail and animations, and populated with an equally colorful cast of super-deformed anime characters who are constantly on the move, the world of Arges feels perpetually alive and energetic.
• Fast and Chaotic Combat Featuring a Plucky Duo of Protagonists (and One Pet)
  Fend off merciless enemies in real time with Pokkle’s melee attacks and Pipiro’s myriad magics, and solve puzzles to progress through the game’s many dungeons, all while either flanked by a loyal pet or while monitoring said pet from afar as it goes off on its own adorable little journeys.
• Tongue-in-Cheek Story and Characters Providing Genuine Humor
  Pokkle’s terrible puns and Pipiro’s all-encompassing snark combine with quirky NPCs, self-aware dialogue, weird and unlikely locations, over-the-top situations, fourth-wall breaking, optional side-quests, and more to provide a genuinely funny and dynamic RPG experience.
• Food-Based Leveling System Allowing Players to Challenge the Game on Their Own Terms
  Eat food to level-up, or hoard your food so you can exchange it in town for even better food down the line that grants even more experience. Will you stay low-level and challenge dungeons well beyond your means for the promise of more level-ups to come, or will you engorge yourself on demand to make the road ahead a little easier?
• Minigames, Music, Achievements, Art, and More, Creating the Definitive Zwei Experience
  Play an Ys-inspired typing tutor, an adorable yet savage aeroplane shmup, or a block puzzler that rewards you for not making combos – or maybe just take the time to help guide your pet through the harsh wilderness for various spoils! If that’s not enough, why not try for one of the myriad new achievements, seek out one of the newly illustrated character bromides, or switch out the regular soundtrack for its 2008 arranged version? You can even play the game with Japanese text if you want! Add to that a bevy of control improvements and other modernizations, and you have the ultimate update to this unsung Falcom classic!

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Zwei: The Ilyard Insurrection

Pilot, treasure hunter, and courier Ragna Valentine lives a life of adventure flying the high skies of Granvallen. But on a routine delivery to the remote floating continent of Ilvard, he finds himself ambushed by two dragon-riding ne’er-do-wells who send his plane spiraling to the ground.

Fortunately for Ragna, his crash was witnessed by someone in a position to do something about it: vampire princess Alwen du Moonbria. Pulling the dying Ragna from the wreckage of his plane, Alwen forms a blood contract with him, saving his life in exchange for his services as her vassal.

Her request is far from simple – Alwen needs Ragna’s help both to recover her stolen magic, and to retake her castle, wrested from her mere weeks ago by villains unknown. Ragna’s ready to ante up, but on one condition: instead of acting as Alwen’s servant, he wants to undertake their adventure as equal partners...even though it could very well make the going tougher! 

So begins the unlikely duo’s trek across Ilvard. Along the way, they’ll meet the isle’s strange and colorful residents, battle the minions of darkness, train pets, learn potent skills from a macho masked luchador, and discover the meaning of (slightly dysfunctional) friendship. Sure, the bad guys might have the upper hand, but luckily for Ragna and Alwen, they never saw a tag-team this weird coming!

FEATURES

• Two Playable Characters for Tag-Team Action
  No need to go it alone when you’ve got the power of two on your side. Ragna roughs up foes in melee range, while Alwen fires off salvos of powerful magic or locks down enemies from afar. Switch between the two on the fly to create crazy combos!
• Unique Food-Based Experience System Gives Greater Control Over Leveling
  Experience is gained through eating food so you can choose to cash in immediately, or save it to trade later for food worth even more EXP. You can even beat the game at level 1...if you dare.
• Strange and Quirky Setting with Strange and Quirky Characters
  The residents of Ilvard are a lively lot, and you can learn more about each one in your spare time as the story progresses. What’s the deal with that chain-smoking nun? Which of the three maids shirks the most work? And... is that a girl in a giant penguin costume?
• Brand New, Expanded English Voices
  We’ve greatly expanded on the Japanese release’s voice acting, with over 2000 never-before-voiced lines bringing the twists and turns of the main story to life.

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SpellForce 3: The Mission before the Adventure!

Instead of just doing a review of this game, we're adding some gameplay for your viewing pleasure. We're posting videos on this mission to give you an idea of what the game is like without spoilers from the actual adventure!

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Game on!

Staxel is Available Now + Game Bundle!

STAXEL is here... it's game time!

Staxel is a sandbox farming game that is currently in development. Tend to your farm and work on the village by yourself, or enlist the aid of your friends via online multiplayer to turn it into a thriving farmstead!

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Ready to get your hands on another game bundle? Jump on it before the deal goes... POOF!

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 Game on!

eniTAB360 Universal Tablet Holder... reviewed!

Got a tablet? Need a versatile holder without it being a high priced first-party accessory? This review is for you. 

One of the reasons I give props to this tablet holder right off the bat is the ability to connect it to any tablet... you don't have to worry about a case that can house a certain size tablet because it connects to the back of any you have. I know that prompts the question... "Can it hold big and small tablets?", and I have to say that it does... based on which size you buy. The small one can hold tablets up to 8.5" and the larger one can hold tablets 8.5" and larger (I'm not talking about Wacom Cintiq 27" tablets... think portable ones like iPads).

This universal tablet stand adjusts without having to detach or retighten anything, and since it's not as bulky as it could be... you can keep it attached to your tablet inside a protective travel case. There is actually a Filofax case that has a reserved sleeve for the kickstand, which makes sense as the maker of the attachment.

The thing that attaches the holder to your tablet is a micro-suction technology (silicone based polymer) that holds quite well from my experience, and since you're able to spin this thing 360 degrees it'd better. Going back to the grip, no need to worry about it being stuck to your tablet forever more... because it comes off and left no marks. The package actually comes with this little removal card if you desire to take it off, so no need to buy it over again if you switch tablets.

This tablet holder also includes a friction hinge and grips on the kickstand... so no need to worry about the eniTAB360 sending your tablet sliding. I know it can rotate and also tilt your tablet, but one thing I'd prefer is the ability to lock it in place. I know the sides of tablets are flat and that works, but a plus would be the ability to lock it in place for those not so conventional placements.

eniTAB360 comes in a pretty good retail box that should keep it protected in shipping, and the overall attachment is lightweight and durable. One thing I'd change about this attachment is the $19.99 retail price tag, which isn't super steep, but the sweet spot would be $14.99 to me... and $9.99 would be a steal.

Overall, the eniTAB360 allows you to bypass the more expensive and/or bulky tablet holders... while still maintaining quality, durability, and portability. I didn't feel like I was carrying anything extra around because it's attached directly to the back of the tablet without adding extra unnecessary weight. So if I want to watch some movies on a plane, play a game, read an eBook, etc... nothing else is needed to accommodate me (except my headphones).

Product Design 5

Product Quality 5

Functionality 5

Accessories 5

Price 4

4.75 out of 5 Cool Points

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Game on!

This product was sent to SDGT Entertainment by the Filofax company.

This is for the Manga Fans: Attack on Titan

Get your hands on some Attack on Titan manga action... now!

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 Get your game on!

FTS: Aqua Moto Racing Utopia

BIGBEN REVEALS RETAIL RELEASE FOR AQUA MOTO RACING UTOPIA ON NINTENDO SWITCH™ IN NORTH AMERICA THIS FEBRUARY

LESQUIN, France – Jan. 11, 2018 – Video game publisher Bigben has announced that Aqua Moto Racing Utopia will launch this February on Nintendo Switch™ in North America. This fun and competitive arcade sports racing game will be available as a physical product at major retailers, as well as digitally via the Nintendo eShop, for $39.99.

Developed by Zordix, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia features seven pick-up-and-play game modes, including Championship and Freestyle Championship, Time Trials, Leisure, and Party Games. Take on 12 championships and more than 50 races in single-player, with up to four players in local split-screen multiplayer, or with up to eight players online.

Race through an exotic variety of courses across 10 scenic environments inspired by real-life locations, from the mighty Amazon River and Mediterranean coastline to mangrove swampland's and the warm tropics. There are 28 high-flying stunts and flips to master with your customizable driver using one of 44 powerful stand-up and sit-down jet skis.

Aqua Moto Racing Utopia is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB. For more information, follow @AquaMotoUS on Twitter or visit https://aquamoto.us.

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Game on!