Review: No Place Like Home
Developer – Chicken Launcher Publisher – Awaken Realms Platforms – PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 (reviewed) Review copy given by publisher No Place Like Home takes some time to get started and it’s not immediately clear how you will start earning money. But it lives up to its title of a calm and relaxing RPG, letting you explore the world at your own pace. When the Earth is ruined beyond belief and humanity has escaped to Mars, one girl goes back to find her grandfather. Join Ellen as she postpones her trip to Mars to find out why her grandfather has disappeared on Earth. Along the way, she must meet with the remaining humans on Earth and clean up her surroundings to find the truth. Earth is filled with trash piles and rubble that Ellen must clean up. Since her grandfather is away, no one is taking care of the family farm. Ellen must rear animals and grow crops to unlock more technology. She can also do whatever she likes on the farm because there’s no time limit. Despite a message asking Ellen to leave if she can’t find her grandfather in two weeks, she can stay as long as she likes. This makes it easy to go at your own pace since there is no pressure. Decorate, grow crops, and explore at your own leisure. Even if you want to take a lazy day, there’s no penalty. Crops don’t die, animals don’t feel neglected, and your grandfather never moves. Without any pressure, you can do whatever you like without any risk. You must complete objectives to progress the story which provides some direction. Buildings and upgrades require certain resources that you must harvest or find. But you can never run out of resources or put yourself in an unwinnable situation. There are always ways to obtain resources and build yourself back up. Being able to bounce back from any scenario makes it easier to explore, since there are no consequences. Cleaning up Earth is also fun and relaxing. While you can’t clean every mess immediately, you slowly upgrade your gear to remove different types of rubble. It’s gratifying to vacuum up trash and repurpose it into material or break down rubble to open new paths. Everything you do has a purpose and the results gradually show themselves. You can’t completely revive Earth, but your cleanup will impact the environment. Decayed and dying areas will spring back to life with the right processes. It’s not just an aesthetic choice as it’s easier to explore clean environments. Threats won’t be able to take you by surprise and you can utilize your surroundings better. It’s a great way to reward players who go the extra mile and take the time to clean up. Exploration is also key because there are several secrets to be found off the beaten path. Underground entrances are everywhere and provide shortcuts if you can clear them out. Climbing up ladders can reveal bird nests stuck on high ledges. While it’s not mandatory, there are no paths that are too obscure that it’s not obvious. You will need some puzzle-solving or a close look, but that’s all you need. There are robotic enemies you can fight to keep you on your toes. They also possess resources or guard special areas that hide treasures. Including combat is a good way to freshen up the typical farming formula while making you cautious about progressing. As you progress, the robots get tougher and you must prepare before going forward. Fitting in with the idea of going at your own pace, there are no consequences for dying in battle. Even if you pick the hardest difficulty, you only lose a few resources. Combat isn’t difficult either and once you learn where you went wrong, it’s easy to win the next time. You can also delay combat if it’s too much and you want to do something else instead. As you progress in the story, you unlock new buildings for your farm. Some contain animals that provide resources while others are purely decorative. These options are unlocked as you explore, allowing you to customize your farm as you like. It’s easy to put your own spin on your farm even if you only have a few objects. The best part is that the land you can work with expands as you clean it up. Constructing buildings at your farm and then moving them to new lands is exciting and it feels like you are rebuilding Earth. While you will almost always stay at your farm, it’s a good feeling when you can apply a special touch to a new area. Taking things at your own pace does have its disadvantages. Starting out can be confusing because there isn’t a clear guide on where you should go. The map is basic and doesn’t point out important locations like underground entrances. There’s also no guidance marker and you must search everywhere to find the next destination. It is frustrating when you can’t easily progress because you can’t find your way. It clashes with the relaxing and easygoing atmosphere because progressing with objectives can be stress-relieving. Since unlocking content is dependent on progress, having a guide would be helpful. Getting better upgrades and facilities costs money in the form of Jars. While some facilities can be obtained through quests, Jars are considerably harder to earn in the beginning. It won’t be a big problem later on but it’s not established how you earn Jars early on. This makes it confusing when you want to afford new upgrades because you don’t have a clear path. It gets easier later, but establishing how Jars are earned would make this game much more accessible. No Place Like Home has enough charm to make up for its flaws. It’s definitely the game you go to when you want to relax or decorate. There’s even an adventure you can go on if you need some excitement. But you will
XDefiant’s Release Date Has Been Slightly Delayed
Ubisoft’s XDefiant has been a highly anticipated first-person shooter over the last year with many players expecting to get their hands fully on the game soon. During the recent Ubisoft Forward presentation hosted in June, it was revealed that XDefiant was going to be released in Summer 2023. Today, Executive Producer at Ubisoft San Francisco, Mark Rubin shared an update as to why we haven’t seen news regarding the free-to-play shooter’s release date. Just like every game it had to be put through submission which is part of development where they give the game to 1st parties like Sony and Microsoft to check that the game works correctly in their environments. Rubin then talks about the other parts of the process like their own QA/Compliance teams testing before it even gets to that point. First parties take about a week to their final report on the submission and that is when Ubisoft would find out if they got a Pass or Not Pass along with a list of fixes for the next stage. After they would get a Pass from all 1st parties they are then ready to ship and would need 1-2 weeks before release depending on when they received the Pass. XDefiant did not pass the submission process and the process began in late July and they received the first results back by mid-August. Mark Rubin talks about how they would’ve released the game by the end of August if it did Pass. The last month has been about fixing those issues at Ubisoft San Francisco and preparing for another submission. Ubisoft is hoping to have the game released by mid-to-end September, but there is a likely scenario they get a conditional Pass meaning they’d have to do a Day 1 patch. Mark Rubin talked about how they want to be more transparent with the XDefiant Community: “To conclude, we set out since the concept of this game to be more transparent with our community and to listen to our players and act on their feedback. We’ve even shown that we will add features in the middle of development based on player requests. Map Voting which is in now and an S&D-like mode that is coming later are two examples of this. We want this to be your game!” XDefiant will come to Xbox Series XlS, PC, and PlayStation 5. Are you excited for XDefiant? Source: Ubisoft
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is coming to next-gen consoles
THQ Nordic announced they are releasing a next-generation version of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake that was released earlier in the year. Those who already own the game will get a free ‘Gen9’ upgrade and they shared additional updates will come via a patch: New Feature – Photo Mode! Apply one of 19 different filters to enhance your pictures. New Costumes – New costume “King Doubloon” for collecting all doubloons is now available. – New costume “Plush Gary” for unlocking all awards is now available. Bug Fixes: Fixed a rare bug where saving stopped working. Fixed a bug where the playtime did not pause while on a loading screen. Many general bug fixes to improve stability and playability of the game. These new additions apply to Xbox Series XlS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC and Nintendo Switch. For PS5 there are a couple of other improvements: Support of DualSense controller audio output when picking up items. Support of DualSense adaptive triggers when using reef blower and swinging hook actions. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake comes to Xbox Series XlS and PlayStation 5 on October 23, 2023. You can view our review of the game here.
Microsoft Announces the Xbox Credit Card
Microsoft started the week off with some interesting news that came as a surprise to the world of gaming. The Xbox Mastercard was announced in partnership with Barclays US Consumer Bank, a leading cobranded credit card issuer in the United States that has partnered with many companies already. The Xbox Credit Card will allow users to earn card points with everyday purchases and can redeem them those points on Xbox for games and more. Starting on September 21, the Xbox Mastercard will be available to Xbox Insiders in the United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Availability to all Xbox players in the United States will come sometime in 2024. For every $1 you spend you will earn points, but specific purchases can earn you more than double. Here’s the information below: Xbox & Microsoft – Earn 5x card points on eligible products at the Microsoft Store. Streaming Services – Earn 3x card points on eligible streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. Dining Delivery Services – Earn 3x card points on eligible dining delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash. Everyday purchases – Earn 1x card points on all other everyday purchases. Microsoft shared more benefits for the Xbox Credit Card below including a bonus of 5,000 card points (a $50 value) after their first purchase, three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for new Game Pass members after their first purchase, and providing an option of 5 different card designs with the ability to put your Gamertag on it. You can read more about the Xbox Mastercard here.
BlueTwelve Studio’s Stray To Receive Animated Film Adaptation, Annapurna Reveals
Back during the initial showcase for the PlayStation 5, many fans were instantly entangled by the reveal of Stray from BlueTwelve Studio. Set in a cyberpunk, dystopian future, you follow the story of a feline separate from a roaming litter. Running into a drone, B-12, you befriend and explore the city inhabited by robots and other adversaries. The game did officially launch for PlayStation 5 after unexpected delays landing the release in July 2022 last summer. Additionally, the game went on to launch for Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S as well this past August too. Now, Annapurna Interactive and the greater Annapurna Pictures is looking to explore more with the Stray property too. As part of a new venture to kick off Annapurna Animation, an animated film based on BlueTwelve Studio’s Stray is underway. Currently, there is no date on when the film is expected to release, but, new division lead Robert Baird explains that the new project is intending to creating “something so emotional” which the team has manifested with the full game. This is a game that’s all about what makes us human, and there are no humans in it. It’s a buddy comedy about a cat and a robot, and there’s such a hilarious dynamic. So, there’s comedy inherent in this, but there’s not one human being in this movie. I think it’s one of the reasons why the game was incredibly popular, that you are seeing the world through the point of view of an adorable cat. How did they pull that off, and how are we going to pull that off in the movie? We will, even though sometimes it feels impossible, but we know that’s the essence of the game and the key to telling the story. He continues: “I love that term, hopepunk,” Adding, “I think, if we are going to do this adaptation justice, this is going to be the first and greatest hopepunk movie that’s ever been made.” Nick Bruno (Nimona) is attached to direct alongside Julie Zackary (Nimona) to produce. Zackary alongside Erica Pulcini, both formerly BlueTwelve Studio, will be transitioning over to Annapurna Animation. Even more, Annapurna Pictures alike PlayStation Productions is searching through the greater portfolio of games to explore more film adaptations. With Bruno already working on Stray, it is confirmed that he is to also spearhead other productions connected to Annapurna Interactive as well. What are you most excited to see for a Stray film? Source: Entertainment Weekly
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem To Receive New Game In 2024 For Consoles & PC
Among the growing mass of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles titles in recent year, that list is continuing to grow. This trend effectively began with the arrival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cowabunga Collection that dropped back in fall 2022. Additionally, many fans were excited to see a new project from Tribute Games with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge as well that year. Not to mention the recent DLC for the game, ‘Dimension Shellshock’. The add-on features new content including new story content, playable Usagi character, and survival mode. During Gamescom this past month, it was also officially revealed that an adaptation for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is underway at THQ Nordic. In a new announcement from Outright Games, it is revealed a game set around the recent film release Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is underway. In the press release, transcribed by Gematsu, the game is to follow the events of the movie months later. Nickelodeon is one of our longest standing licensing collaborators and we’re overjoyed to have the opportunity to bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to life in a brand new and original video game. This is one of the most enduring and beloved franchises in the world and we’re beyond excited to use our expertise to expand the Turtles’ global reach even further through the world of video games. Stephanie Malham, Outright Games Chief Operating Officer “Taking place months after the events of the movie, the game will feature unique visuals inspired by the film’s bold, painterly art style. Combining energetic ninja teamwork gameplay with a humorous narrative, players will take control of the Turtles as they interact with a host of memorable characters from the franchise and fight to save this stylized take on New York City from a new mutant threat,” the synopsis reads. Doug Rosen, Paramount senior vice president of games adds :”It’s exciting to launch our first console game set in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem universe, especially as the franchise only continues to grow. The vibrancy of this new film’s animation lends itself perfectly to video games, and we can’t wait for everyone to play it.” What has you most excited for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem game? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is said to release for consoles & PC sometime in 2024.
Roblox Coming To Meta Quest 2 Later In September, PS4 & PS5 Versions In October Alongside Enhanced Xbox Version
Although Minecraft is the ultimate titan to be one of the few games to overthrow Tetris in recent time, other experiences in similar, blocky fashion is also prevalent in the industry. That being Roblox: the game has continued to stay relevant with continued support, enhancements, and the company even going public on the stock exchange back in March 2021. Currently, the game supports a slew of platforms including mobile devices, PC, and Xbox. But, many players are eager to see the IP explore new platforms as well. And with a new console generation now standard, it is hoped PlayStation and possibly even Nintendo Switch is on the horizon for the title. At the recent Roblox RDC23 presentation, it is revealed that Roblox will in fact be coming to PlayStation next month. However, while a Nintendo Switch version was absent from the reveal, Meta Quest is to welcome dedicated support later in September. For many of you that heard us speak about, we said ‘3D; immersive; multiplayer; in the cloud; physically simulated stuff should work everywhere.’ Should work on a phone, should work on a tablet, a PC, of course a console, and of course in VR; very very immersive. So [we’re] happy to share we’ve announced Meta Quest. David Baszucki, Roblox Corporation CEO During the keynote, Baszucki also shares some metrics on the beta for Meta Quest. He disclosed that more than 1 million downloads were met in the closed testing. Even more, there is over 50,000 experienced for virtual reality primed for the new version coming this month. He continues: “One other thing that we’d like to share with you that we’ve kind of been working on in the background – Roblox available on PlayStation next month. The show continued with a demonstration of the new platforms in play with a roller coaster ride on-stage. Baszucki was accompanied by other Roblox employees experiencing the ride each on PlayStation 5, mobile, and Meta Quest. It is also said that the Xbox app is to welcome new improvements to the current version intended for Xbox One. Are you excited for Roblox coming to more platforms? Roblox is out now for PC, Android, iOS, and Xbox One; coming to Meta Quest later this month and PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5 sometime in October 2023.
Sea of Stars sold over 250K copies in its first week
Sabotage Studio released retro-inspired turn-based RPG Sea of Stars on August 29, 2023, and within its first 24 hours, the studio announced 100K copies were sold on launch day. In our review, we shared that Sea of Stars is a celestial gem that deserves a place in every gamer’s collection. After the first week of release Sabotage Studio shared they sold over 250,000 copies of the game which was clearly over their projections. We had projections for the first year, but it only took you all a single week. Thank you 🥲 pic.twitter.com/8c4zUtNeTq — Sea of Stars (@seaofstarsgame) September 5, 2023 When Sea of Stars was released it was also made available on Xbox Game Pass and for PlayStation Plus subscribers. So the player count for this game is probably much higher than the amount of copies sold already. Sea of Stars is now available for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox Series XlS.
Universal is reportedly working on a live-action Zelda movie
The Legend of Zelda has been an iconic title over the last 30 years and with the recent launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the IP has never been more popular. Rumors in the past suggested that a Zelda film was in the works from Illumination and Universal which is believable with the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie that ended up being a success. A new report came out from MyTimeToShineHello on Twitter that Universal is working on a live-action Legend of Zelda movie. Universal developing a live action Legend of Zelda movie pic.twitter.com/BfSDzF4fiA — MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) September 10, 2023 This leaker has been sharing interesting information over the last several weeks including a report that a Hogwarts Legacy sequel is in the works. As always we have to take this report with some grain of salt. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a Legend of Zelda movie come out in the future as its behind Mario as a popular IP for Nintendo. Source: Reddit
