Review: Azkend 2: The World Beneath (Switch eShop)
It might be becoming increasingly difficult to choose between the slew of board-based, connection-style puzzles titles on Switch, as their simple mechanics combined with lower price points make them a good option for casual players. Whether spinning in 360-degrees or siding from left to right, the continuous flow of colours and shapes are as popular now as they are similar. Developer 10tons continues its prolific run of games in this template with its third ‘match 3’ game in as many months, Azkend 2: The World Beneath.
Azkend 2 tells the story of sea faring adventurer Jules, who gets caught up in a maelstrom and becomes stranded in a mysterious new land. Told through chapters of journal entries chronicling her journey, your job is to escape one perilous location after the next with the aid of various objects and equipment found along the way. From here, the familiar ‘match 3’ gameplay kicks in, and you’ll connect hexagonal tiles with symbols ranging from pearls and starfish to dinosaur skulls and tortoise shells in order to build combos and complete the 60 stages of the main adventure. Although the main objective throughout is to turn over all the panels on the game board (more than once in some instances), there are a number of different twists thrown in to keep you on your toes.
On occasion, you will have to break ice or stop bugs that climb in real time from making their way to the top of the board by turning over panels next to them, or lining up hammer symbols to inflict damage. Some level sections are cordoned off by padlocks, which have to be dealt with first. Later, you’ll have to extinguish a fire that rises and surrounds a precious map before you can move on. There are many tiles with individual properties, such as the compass, which can be used to link tiles on either side of it.
There is a real sense of organic progression to the levels, as the location and different symbols you eliminate have a direct result on the board you are trying to beat, not to mention a sense of urgency that’s more interesting than a plain time limit or reaching a certain score to progress. Once these goals have been met, it’s then a case of getting an item or piece of equipment to the bottom of the screen. Typically, there are three or four pieces of an object to collect before it’s time to move on to the next chapter.
Interspersed with the puzzle boards are single screen levels that require you to search the scenery through a telescope by touching the screen (or moving the cursor) and finding a small specific area. Find them all, and you will be rewarded with either a destructive ‘active’ power up or a ‘passive’ ability, such as slowing down time. It’s worth testing them all out to see which suit a specific stage, so that your load out is more efficient. This becomes more and more useful as the later levels and a difficult medal challenge mode require more customisation and strategy.
It’s a nice touch that the items collected throughout the campaign are suitably themed and integrated into the story, collecting fragments of various exploratory paraphernalia in addition to utilising other weapons such as activating Tesla coils to generate electricity or lighting dynamite to, well, do what dynamite does best. The animation is smooth, the various effects and environments are impressive and there’s a good sense of cohesion to the games overall presentation, and the various attempts at mixing up the formula would have not been as successful if it weren’t for its rich aesthetic outside of the puzzles. The slightly animated illustrated backdrops are both varied and detailed, alongside the decent voice work and predictably grand soundtrack from composer Jonathan Geer.
If Azkend 2 has a weakness, it’s the control scheme. While using the touchscreen is ample and by far the optimal way to play, it’s much less ideal is moving the curser around with the analog stick. When things even remotely heat up, it’s just not accurate or fast enough that you feel fully in control. All in all though, it mostly controls like any other genre title does albeit a tad finicky, and unless you play exclusively in docked mode, you won’t have any huge issues the majority of the time.
Conclusion
Azkend 2: The World Beneath does everything it can to spice up the ‘match 3’ puzzle genre, boasting a narrative thread, power ups to collect and different objectives at every turn. As derivative and repetitive as the core gameplay is, it does a decent job of maintaining your engagement and does reward your efforts. Overall, it should be commended for its sprawling take on a tried and tested genre. The variety of dynamic scenarios that genuinely affect the gameplay and an overarching story with varied exotic locations make it stand out from its competition. If you’re looking for a ‘match 3’ with more variety, challenge and narrative meat to chew on, this is a good place to drop anchor.
Random: GoldenEye 007 Mockumentary Aims To Be The Spinal Tap Of Video Games
An indie British film company is aiming to create the video game equivalent of Spinal Tap with Going For Golden Eye, which is described as “a love letter to the heyday of the N64 and the rivalries of couch multiplayer”.
Created by Woodhouse Pictures, the film focuses on the fictional GoldenEye 007 World Championships and follows a bunch of “deluded, cringe-inducing elite GoldenEye players who wonder why the world no longer cares about their beloved game”.
Going for Golden Eye is being released this year on Blu-Ray, DVD and video on demand by Wild Eye Releasing.
Immerse yourself in a dark whimsical tale that will confront you with your childhood fears! Help Six escape The Maw – a vast, mysterious vessel inhabited by corrupted souls looking for their next meal. As you progress on your journey, explore the most disturbing dollhouse offering a prison to escape from and a playground full of secrets to discover. Reconnect with your inner child to unleash your imagination and find the way out!
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-18-2018, 06:21 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Overwatch League™ Opening Week Draws More Than 10 Million Viewers
Newly announced Twitch distribution deal drives an average audience per minute of 408,000 for the opening day broadcast
IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Overwatch League roared to life last week at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, with four days of intense competition between all 12 teams of the world’s first major global city-based professional esports league.
Buoyed by a newly announced two-year deal with Twitch, the Overwatch League’s exclusive worldwide[1] third-party digital broadcast partner, opening day drew an impressive average audience per minute of 408,000, and 280,000 for the week. More than 10 million viewers tuned in over the four-day period via Twitch, MLG, and Chinese streaming partners ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV—not to mention the countless additional viewers at watch parties worldwide. On Twitch and MLG alone, the peak concurrent online audience of 437,000 hit during the highly anticipated day-one matchup between Dallas Fuel and Seoul Dynasty. In addition, tickets to Blizzard Arena Los Angeles were sold out for the entirety of opening week.
“We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Overwatch League’s opening week of play,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG). “But this is only the beginning. With more than 35 million Overwatch® players, the Overwatch League has the potential to become one of the most-watched leagues—of any kind—in the world.”
“Since we announced Overwatch League at BlizzCon 2016, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when the global competitive Overwatch community could come together under one banner,” said Nate Nanzer, Overwatch League commissioner. “Opening week was that coming-out party—for the fans, both in-person at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and tuned in by the millions all over the world, and for the players, whose love for the game came through crystal clear.”
“We had high expectations for the inaugural broadcast of the Overwatch League on Twitch, given our platform’s passionate fanbase for Overwatch,” said Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch. “They really put on an amazing show and fans showed up en masse to support and celebrate Overwatch. Based on the response from the community, Overwatch League is off to a great start and we look forward to watching how the season progresses. This league demonstrates the power and potential of esports, and we’re thrilled to continue expanding our partnership with Blizzard.”
Viewers can tune in to catch all the action on Twitch, www.mlg.com, the MLG app (on iOS and Android), www.overwatchleague.com, and the Overwatch League app, which launched last week for iOS and Android. Blizzard gamers also can get easy access to the Overwatch League via a new Overwatch League tab in the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app.
The first season of the Overwatch League runs until June, with playoffs and finals scheduled for July. For the inaugural season, all regular-season games will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art live-event venue in Burbank, California, custom-renovated for Blizzard Entertainment esports events. Fans can purchase tickets to attend matches, which will be played each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A full schedule and information about ticket sales can be found at www.overwatchleague.com.
About the Overwatch League™
The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—Nasdaq: ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,[2] Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.
[1] Not including China. [2] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the dates, events and features of the Overwatch League, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-18-2018, 06:21 AM - Forum: Minecraft
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Minecraft Snapshot 18W03B
This weeks snapshot brings some performance boosts for data pack loading & command execution. We’re moving offices next week, so there may a bit of silence surrounding snapshots as we settle down and figure out where the new best pizza place is. Priorities, you understand.
Fixed bug MC-123285 – Crash on startup with a debug log4j config
Fixed bug [ ] x 16
To get snapshots, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).
Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.
Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 1.13 will have a lot of experimental snapshots that may break everything and smell funny. This may be one of those snapshots. This is what happens when Mojang are changing all the things!
Share your thoughts on how 1.13 is shaping up in the comments below!
An air-combat action game based on the true events of America?s secret volunteer squadrons that defended China against Japan in the China-Burma-India theatre of World War 2.
InnerSpace is an exploration flying game set in a world where physics are inverted. Take the role of an unnamed cartographer to explore the various bubble-worlds, collect relics, and encounter each bubble?s mythical demigod, in order to discover more about the universe, its history, and its future.
A history of developing software architecture and a history of shipping commercially successful products.
Loves to work with lean teams in a collaborative environment!
Demonstrated knowledge of several of the following platforms, with specific programming experience of more than one: iOS, Android, or browser-based games.
Help lead the design and development of our next multi-platform game interfacing with company stakeholders throughout the project duration.
Play a substantial role in day-to-day coding, participating in performance profiling, optimization and general troubleshooting as necessary.
Participate with the rest of the engineering organization providing valuable input on the company’s long-term engineering roadmap and helping identify areas of opportunity for improvement.
Participate in prototyping meetings to provide technical perspective
Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.
Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-17-2018, 03:34 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Horizon Zero Dawn and PUBG among top 2018 D.I.C.E. Award noms
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has named the 68 games that have been nominated for awards in the 21st annual D.I.C.E. Awards event.
This year, Horizon Zero Dawn leads the nominees with 10 nominations across multiple award categories including Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, and Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition.
Following just behind, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has received 6 nominations this year while Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and Cuphead are all tied for third with 5 nominations each.
Other notable titles up for more than one award include Gorogoa, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Super Mario Odyssey.
AIAS members are expected to start the voting process today and will reveal the official list of this year’s winners at the event itself in Las Vegas on February 22.
The full list of all 24 award categories and nominees for each can be found on the AIAS website, while a select few categories can be found below.
Game of the Year
Cuphead (StudioMDHR)
Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp.)
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Mobile Game of the Year
Cat Quest (The Gentlebros)
Fire Emblem Heroes (Intelligent Systems)
Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal)
Monument Valley 2 (ustwo games)
Splitter Critters (RAC7 Games)
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Ready At Dawn)
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin (Double Fine Productions)
Robo Recall (Epic Games
Space Pirate Trainer (I-Illusions)
Wilson’s Heart (Twisted Pixel Games, LLC)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal)
Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp.)
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft Entertainment)
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games)
Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Ready At Dawn)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
