Category: Gaming News

Deck-building roguelike Tamarak Trail Preview

Tamarak Trail, the upcoming turn-based deck-building roguelike from Yarrow Games and Versus Evil, has received a new blog post going behind the scenes on the creation of its varied bestiary ahead of the game’s launch later this summer on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox Series consoles.

This post offers a sneak peek at some of the scary monsters you’ll encounter on your travels. These range from rank and file mosquitos and ghost dogs to the more muscular Sluggards and Beetle Weasels. There’s even a first look at the game’s first boss, the dreaded Racoon Moose. Tamarak Trail’s Canadian folklore-inspired forests are brimming with dangers, so even the most minuscule threat could quickly become a force to be reckoned with, as your foes will work together, using their unique skills to heal each other, summon backup, and buff their companions.

These are just some of the monsters you’ll encounter on the trail; No two runs will be the same, so you may encounter more of one monster type versus the other. Remember, knowledge is only half the battle here. Strategy and dice customization will also go a long way!

More about Tamarak Trail
As a member of a secret society named the Sturgeon Lodge it’s up to you to piece together the mystery of a decaying earth, hunt down the source of this corruption and put a stop to it at all costs. Embarking on this adventure, you can choose one of three characters; The Magician, the Tracker or the Detective, each with their own unique abilities and traits. Depending on your preferred playstyle, the character’s different skills and attributes allow you to craft a unique strategy for your character as they navigate the ominous trail. Procedurally-generated paths create a myriad of possibilities where you can encounter events, monsters, campsites, treasure and more. Every new discovery reveals new bonuses and strategies to explore.

To combat the monsters and nefarious foes you’ll encounter, you’ll have to be tactical in your dice-building, as each face could mean the difference between victory or defeat. Different dice sides can be used to attack directly, apply buffs and debuffs, inflict damage over time, defend yourself, to “flip” them to another side for combo awesomeness and much more. You can even apply “dice cores” to secure passive abilities. You’re given direct control of your dice rolls, and getting them to smack together allows you to create killer combo attacks. In true deck-builder fashion, dice faces can be customized with more abilities after each victory, adding new attacks, defenses and combinations to take forward into future battles.

Cities Skylines 2: Broke Young People

  As we get closer to the release of Cities Skylines 2, coming in October, we are getting new information that makes the game sound better and more exciting than the first. For example the people of our cities will be called agents.

Agents will obviously be going from place to place and according to new dev diaries that have been covering things like traffic and such, cost and distance will also play a part in how agents decide to get places. While older agents will be wanting to save time with how they get places, the younger agents will have less money and want to save it preferring to walk or take busses instead of spending the extra cash.

This to me is actually quite amazing that they put this sort of extra detail into the game. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Last Labyrinth + Lucidity Lost (VR & No VR) PS5/Switch (pre-order)

Just a quick news update from my friends at Strictly Limited Games for my fans of Physical copies of games. Enjoy my friends.

Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with Amata K.K., is excited to team up and release the limited boxed editions of Last Labyrinth for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. In Last Labyrinth Players must escape a mansion full of hidden dangers alongside a mysterious girl named Katia, who is unable to speak or understand their language. Katia is voiced by Stefanie Joosten, known for her role as Quiet in Metal Gear Solid 5. Previously a PlayStation VR exclusive, this new version adds the option to turn-off VR, to make it accessible to players worldwide who do not own a VR Headset. Additionally, Last Labyrinth now supports PlayStation VR2 on the PlayStation 5, enhancing the immersive gameplay experience even more.The Nintendo Switch version will be named Last Labyrinth -Lucidity Lost- and will remove the VR functionality.

Since we had the pleasure to release the original Last Labyrinth in its physical form on PlayStation 4, creating a physical Edition for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 was an obvious choice for us.


These editions will exclusively be available at Strictly Limited Games  and will be the ONLY physical version of the game worldwide.

About Last Labyrinth:

In Last Labyrinth, you awaken in an unfamiliar mansion. You find yourself vulnerable and tied up, with your arms and hands bound, immobilized in a wheelchair. Your only hope for escape lies with Katia, upon whom you are dependent. Katia relies solely on nonverbal cues to interact with you and navigate through the game. 

This unique form of communication adds an extra layer of challenge and immersion. You must rely on subtle gestures, eye contact, and body language to convey your intentions and understand Katia’s instructions. This communication style creates a sense of intimacy and cooperation between the characters, requiring a deep understanding and trust to unravel the mysteries of the mansion. Katia presents you with a series of intensive, meticulous, and inventive escape room puzzles. These riddles progressively grow in complexity and diversity, encompassing challenges related to numbers and brain-teasing tasks. Each puzzle must be solved in order to advance in your venture.

Features: Soundtrack by Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Soulcalibur V)Theme Song and Voice for Katia by Stefanie JoostenA unique and original nonverbal escape adventureBrain-teasing puzzles and riddlesMultiple endings to uncoverCreated by a team whose previous works include Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, and PuppeteerOption to turn-off VR on PlayStation 5Compatible for PlayStation VR2
The Limited Edition is limited to a maximum of 1999 copies for Nintendo Switch and 999 for PlayStation 5 at a price of 39.99€, including a colourful game manual.
The Special Limited Edition is limited to a maximum of 999 copies for Nintendo Switch and 666 for Playstation 5 at price of 59.99€, including lots of additional collectibles: 
Game for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5Special Edition BoxColorful Game Manual Making of Blu-RayA3 PosterArtbookAutograph by Stefanie JoostenTwo Postcards

New SteamWorld Build Trailer Showcased Ahead Of 2023 PC, Xbox, PlayStation & Switch Release

As the architect of a SteamWorld mining town, break ground and raise houses for your steambot citizens, keep them fed and provide some rootin’-tootin’ entertainment. Venture into the abandoned mine sitting under your town, rumoured to be filled with ancient tech that holds the key to escaping impending doom. Using the natural resources above ground and the abundant ores buried below, expand your town, stimulate new residential tiers to join the quest to dig deeper, unearth untold riches and ultimately help them to hightail it off the planet!

SteamWorld Build has been developed on PC and console simultaneously, ensuring that the game’s design, UX and UI all work just as well with a controller in hand, as they do with mouse and keyboard. The game features a user-friendly interface and mechanics designed to cater to both experienced players and newcomers to the city builder genre, further refined by three difficulty levels to choose from.

DROVA – Forsaken Kin Unleashes Gameplay Trailer

Drova is an upcoming RPG expected to come out in early 2024 from Deck13. Deck13 has a pretty great record for RPGs and this one is looking to be no exception. Enjoy the trailer and keep an eye on this beautiful looking game That is coming to PC, PS 4/5, Xbox one and of course Nintendo switch.

Welcome to the promised land of Drova, where the priests have praised this new world. Full of hope you travel through a portal into this new otherworld – just to realize that you are on your own and no one seems to appreciate the paradise. Instead, Drova is a grim world where every man is for himself.



Two factions – one trying to enslave the spirits of nature, one trying to save the spirits to keep the world alive – which path will you choose? And, more importantly, will you be able to survive in a world which will always try to kill you?

The new Gameplay Trailer gives players the chance to take a first look at the atmospheric open world, gruesome enemies and the harsh conditions where bandits might just knock you out to rob you. And maybe even a first look on the magic abilities players will be able to cast if they make use of the spirits of nature.

REPLIKATOR -out Friday, (PS/XB/NSW) Teaser Included!!

Replokator is the newest top-down shooter from Ratalaika Games and has roguelike elements, which we all know I love. As always I will be copy and pasting their official release to make sure there is no misinformation, and you can know exactly what to expect, and I am hoping to have a review for you guys in the coming weeks. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Death Walks Beside youReplikator offers shooter fans a sci-fi setting where gameplay centres around exploring the intricate labyrinths of space stations and fighting with hordes of enemies. Dozens of weapons and implants (passive skills) help the player but a sharp eye and evasive movement are also required to avoid hail of bullets and monsters that lurk. If the player’s character dies, then he will be reborn at the very beginning, but thanks to the resources found, he will be able to buy permanent improvements that will help him move forward in the next run.
Disaster StrikesIt appears that an accident occurred at the classified research complex, which led to the death of all personnel but all is not quite clear. A group of mercenaries led by the smuggler Khan will have to find out the reason for what happened.
To keep explosive action ‘unpredictably’  challenging, station mazes and items in them are generated procedurally, so each attempt is essentially unique. Gradually, the player will find blueprints of new items as well as finding entries from the crew of the complex which will  reveal what happened here. At the same time, the player has the main goal – to get to the Replicator and defeat it.
Inside InformationDynamic battles. You will have to constantly move and aim well to survive!Danger at every turn. Many different enemies and traps will not let you get bored.Dozens of upgrade items. Explore stations looking for new upgrades for your character.Meta progression. In this game, each death will only make you stronger, because after death you will be able to buy permanent improvements for your character and the hub ship.Procedural generation! The location of rooms, enemies and traps, as well as weapons and all items, are generated procedurally.Space raccoon! and three more playable characters. All of them differ in starting characteristics, preferred weapons and special techniques.Intriguing story. Explore the abandoned science complex and find out what happened here!
The player needs to complete 12 levels, including 5 bosses and as the player progresses the challenge becomes harder so many attempts may be required! Constant battles with ‘bosses’  with new attacks and moves as they become stronger will have to be faced!  During the exploration of the stations, the player will find nanocubes that remain with him after death.
They can be spent on the purchase of permanent improvements – for example, you can increase the maximum supply of ammunition or open access to a new workbench to improve weapons.
Replikator delivers masses of new content as the game progresses,  and action is unashamedly fast, precise and deadly!. This twin stick shooter is red hot with hordes of crazy and blood thirsty enemies out to get you or one of the playable characters you select – of which there are 4! Top down action has never been so demanding, so can you win out?
‘The game is designed for one player. Approx 8-9 hours will be enough to defeat the last boss, however, it may take 30 or more hours to study all the content’ , R_Games.

Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten Release Date Announcement & Gameplay Trailer!


Join Oshtor as he journeys to discover the secrets surrounding his father’s mysterious death. Destroy enemies in combat alongside your comrades using the Action Ring. Then, unleash your Overzeal to turn the tides of battle in your favor! There are many ways to switch up the turn order and gain the advantage so stay alert and seize the opportunity.

Title: Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten

Developer: AQUAPLUS

Genre: RPG

Audio Language: Japanese

Text Language: English

Number of Players: 1

Release Date: September 5, 2023

Irem Collection Volume 1

Some of the greatest and most requested action arcade games will be available to modern gaming platforms. With iconic action titles such as R-TYPE, Air Duel or Hammerin‘ Harry, irem shaped the games industry since the 1980‘s and was one of the leaders in the arcade era. With very few exceptions many of these titles have never been brought to modern console platforms or remained Japan-exclusive.  Most of them even have never seen a release on physical media up until now. So ININ, Tozai Games and irem are finally joining forces to bring them to modern console gamers. Tozai Games and ININ will be responsible for Japanese as well as worldwide digital releases on Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox.

ARCADE MILESTONE FOR COLLECTORS

The outstanding quality of these games often even used as a benchmark for others in the genre make the upcoming releases an exciting experience for both (modern) retro enthusiasts and casual players looking for new -or so far unknown- gaming adventures around the globe. With the outstanding history of irem as a studio and their iconic games shaping an entire industry, the collection is particularly interesting to collectors of video games and players interested in video game history and culture. To process the rich story of irem games, Strictly Limited Games will publish several Limited and Collector’s Editions for the upcoming volumes of the irem Collection. 

READY VOLUME 1

The first volume of the irem Collection is an updated homage to the Japanese-exclusive ‘Arcade Gears‘ series (released in the 1990s on Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation) and comprises three legendary shoot ‘em up games Image Fight, Image Fight II and X-Multiply.

Image Fight first appeared in 1988 as a vertical scrolling Shoot ‘em Up. It became one of the most successful table arcade games at that time in Japan and is still being regarded by many fans as one of the best shmups ever made. In addition to this arcade version, the upcoming volume will also include the PC Engine/TurboGrafx version as well as the NES version from 1990. The game is set in the year 20XX, the moon collapses after an explosion caused by aliens which proceed their offensive against mankind. To settle the situation, the player must go through an eponymous training process called “Image Fight”, before they are allowed to join the combat to fend off the invaders and earn everlasting glory. 

Image Fight II was released in Japan in 1992, after the success of the first part. Unfortunately, the game never made it to the west (except for a Wii Virtual Console release, that is).   It is set in the year 2051, the alien forces try once again to exterminate humanity. The player must take over the role of pilot Sho, the main character in the story, switching to a new generation of ships. The story is really outstanding in this game, the introduction of visual scenes reminiscent of animes especially intended for the PC-Engine SUPER CD-ROM version strengthen the story and add depth and a second dimension to this game, shaping Sho as a real hero in this unequaled approach to building a SHMUP storyline. 

X-Multiply is a side-scrolling shooter originally released in 1989 for arcade (M72). The combination of science fiction and biological elements makes X-Multiply extraordinary even though it flew under the radar of many gamers: The player is controlling a miniaturized ship getting ‘injected’ in an evidently humanoid body and is using tentacles attached to his ship to fight alien parasites killing humans in detailed as sinister designed stages located inside that corpse. 

LIMITED PHYSICAL EDITIONS OF irem GAMES 

The hardly rivaled quality of these games will be cumulated in outstanding Limited and Collector‘s Editions exclusively published by Strictly Limited Games.

The Limited Editions of the irem Collection Vol.1 include Image Fight, Image Fight II and X-Multiply, an exclusive titlesheet design and an English manual and are limited to 4,000 individually numbered copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,500 each for PS4 and PS5, at a price of 34.99€ / $34.99.

The Collector‘s Edition will frame the games and complete them with their matchless Original Soundtracks as well as physical collectibles to deep dive even further: 

  • The premium Collector Box will be realized in format 4:3 as an homage to the screen ratio at that time. The print quality and the magnetic closure collect all the items in a suitably exclusive way. 
  • The Original Soundtracks will be realized on 3 CDs sitting in a Digifile. The format gives room to every game and its unparalleled music.
  • A Visual Compendium will include backgrounds on the games, their history, feature unique insights and lay out level and character designs, from pixel sprites to context art.
  • A Collector Coin in a separate box will make another nice link between the different volumes of the irem collection. The design is inspired by classic arcade coins and includes not just both logos and key elements from the games‘ visuals.  
  • A package of Retro Print material will complete the collection. Next to reprints of flyers from back then which are now getting localized the first time into English, there will be mini-DIY reproductions in the style of the NES game box, a marquee sticker, a foil catching the vibe of arcade light panel designs and posters showing the key visual in impressive size.

They will be limited to 2,000 individually numbered copies for Nintendo Switch and 999 each for PS4 and PS5, at a price of 89.99€ / $89.99.

In time with Volume 1, Strictly Limited Games will offer bundles of both Limited and Collector‘s Editions including the upcoming volumes 1 to 5 of the irem Collection in an exclusively designed slip case. The Limited Edition bundle will be limited to 3,000 individually numbered copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,000 each for PS4 and PS5, at a price of 159.99€ / $159.99 and the Collector’s Edition bundle to 1,000 individually for Nintendo Switch and 500 each for PS4 and PS5, at a price of 429.99€ / $429.99.

The limited physical editions of irem Collection‘s Volume 1 will be available for Pre Order from 30th of April 2023 exclusively on StrictlyLimitedGames.com. 

About Strictly Limited Games 
Strictly Limited Games is a German publisher based near Stuttgart, specializing in releasing a curated selection of digital download-only games in exclusive collectible physical editions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch. The company was founded in 2017 by Dennis Mendel, a former scholar for game studies and advisor at Fraunhofer Institute, and Benedict Braitsch. Both passionate collectors with a combined collection of over 7.000 digital and physical games for all console generations, their intention is to form an opposite pole to the current trend of digital-only releases. All collectors’ editions are available exclusively at Strictly Limited Games online store www.strictlylimitedgames.com.

About Tozai

From the classics of yesterday to the original IP of tomorrow, Tozai Games delivers lasting gaming experiences to passionate gamers around the globe. Based in Bellevue, Washington, and Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, Tozai Games is an experienced team of professionals dedicated to building successful licensing and publishing relationships around the world.

Keep up-to-date on Tozai Games’ upcoming projects on the Tozai Games Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Tozai, on Twitter @TozaiGames and at http://www.tozaigames.com/ and http://www.tozaigames.co.jp/.

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless Character Trailer


The Netherworlds of Hinomoto are home to a myriad of diverse characters.
Meet the protagonists of Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless and see how a chance encounter will result in an intertwining of destinies!


Traverse the wastelands of Hinotomoto in this epic SRPG adventure bursting at the seams with with over 40 character classes, and loads of new features including Jumbification, Hell Mode, Item Reincarnation, new and improved auto-battle, and online ranked battles.

To hell, with honor!

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless, coming to
Nintendo Switch™, PS4™, PS5™ and PC in fall 2023