REVIEW: TSIOQUE Available on PC/Steam

Review by Jon Donnis:
Tsioque is a classic point and click adventure in the style of Dragon's Lair or King's Quest. Everything has been hand animated, frame by frame, and throughout the game it truly is a wonder to see how beautiful the game is.

We play as Tsioque, a Princess who has been imprisoned in a castle run by the Evil Wizard. Yes I know it is not very original, but that really doesn't matter.

You start off as previously mentioned imprisoned, and you quickly realise that you need to escape, so you will move the cursor around and try to find things to interact with that will help you.

Throughout the game you have to solve puzzles, some harder than others, whether it is something as simple as moving blocks to open a chest, or finding a way to avoid the guards. The game does move along at a decent pace, and there are some funny moments that will surely amuse even the most hardened of gamer.

I finished the game in just about 2 hours, so it is not a long game, but it is a fun one, and despite one little hiccup where I couldn't figure out how to wave a wand properly, I never felt left out of the game, or too frustrated. There are some moments where you need to pay attention, as just clicking everything, or trying things in every order either wont work, or would just take forever, so the game does take some skill.

There is a nice little twist and reveal upon the games completion, which really is lovely.

If you like point and click adventures, you should love this game. It is beautiful to watch, wonderful to play, and the music is also really lovely.

If you are unsure, play the demo first, and I am sure you will end up buying the full game.

This game started out as a dream on Kickstarter, and quickly raised enough funds to be completed. It is a true indy game, and we should all try to support independent game developers, who often do what they do for the love of gaming.

Although short, I really cant recommend this game enough, I absolutely loved it.

I score this 9/10. Just wish there was more of it.

By Jon Donnis.

Check out the website: http://tsioque.com
Buy from Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/393190/TSIOQUE/

Check out the trailer below.

SimCity and EA Maxis Veterans Launch Debut Indie Project: Fort Stars

San Francisco East Bay, California, 8 November 2018 - Magic Fuel Games, a start-up founded by four veteran EA Maxis and SimCity developers, today launches its long-awaited debut title, Fort Stars.

Fort Stars is a next-generation mobile game that allows players to create and customise their own fortresses, each containing a Throne Room that must be protected at all costs. How the player guards their own Throne Room is entirely their choice, and is achieved using an innovative level editor that combines the depth of PC sim-builders with the elegance and simplicity of mobile touchscreens.

The four founders of Magic Fuel Games have more than 60 years’ combined experience at Electronic Arts, having worked on significant triple-A games such as The Sims, Spore, and numerous others up until the group’s final project at EA, SimCity (2013).

“We’re overwhelmed with pride and excitement to finally release Fort Stars after three years of incredible hard work,” said Kevin Shrapnell, Chief Executive at Magic Fuel Games. “With Fort Stars, we saw an opportunity to bring all our years of PC and console games experience to the power and convenience of mobile.”

In Fort Stars, players can safeguard their own fortress with a wealth of strategic options at their disposal, from magic-infused trap-rooms to fully armed swordsmen, fearsome cannon turrets, and even monster-sized guardians that prowl the fortress floors.

Building an impenetrable fortress is just one part of the complete Fort Stars package. Another major game mode spins the defence concept on its head by allowing players to invade other players’ fortresses after assembling a legendary team of raiders.

From a starting roster of 17 Fort Stars, players can create their very own all-star squad and invade armed fortresses using mind-blowing magic spells, ridiculously satisfying skill-shots, and screen-shaking brawls.

Crush the enemy with the fearsome Barbarian. Electrify opponents with the Runemaster. And land the perfect arrow with the Ranger. All 17 heroes can be upgraded, and Magic Fuel will be adding more heroes in regular updates after the game’s launch.

Magic Fuel Games was established in 2015 and secured funding from Chinese giant Seasun Games. In 2018 it expanded its partner network further after signing a publishing deal with the London-based start-up, PlayStack.

Harvey Elliott, the Chief Executive at publisher PlayStack, added: “The pedigree of talent at Magic Fuel Games is a huge draw for us, and seeing the team’s incredibly creative ideas evolve in this debut title has been inspirational. We’re delighted with the result and see big things for Fort Stars.”

For more information, please visit: https://fortstars.com

Fort Stars goes live today on the iOS Apple Store and Google Play.

Direct store links:
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playstack.fortstars
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/app/fort-stars/id1380108008

Elite Dangerous: Beyond Chapter 4 - Mamba Reveal Trailer

Based on an unreleased racing prototype, the Mamba brings blistering speed combined with huge firepower to Elite Dangerous as part of the Beyond – Chapter Four update. Sporting one huge and two large hardpoints, the Mamba’s emphasis on power speed allows players to hit hard and vanish before a target has had time to react. Though comparable to fellow

Mamba Stats
       1 Huge, 2 Large and 2 Small Hardpoints
       5 Internal Optional slots
       Top speed of 316m/s and a boost speed of 387m/s
       6.37LY laden FSD range
       Approximately 55,000,000 credits

Joining the Mamba in Beyond – Chapter Four is the Krait Phantom. Following on from its sister ship the Krait Mk II, the Phantom is a lighter, faster ship that features a spacious cargo hold and relatively generous quantity of hardpoints. Though it may not boast the same firepower as the Mk II, the Phantom can still hold its own against larger targets and has enough straight-line speed to outpace smaller ships.

Krait Phantom Stats
       2 Large and 2 Medium Hardpoints
       8 Internal Optional slots
       Top speed of 256m/s and a boost speed of 358m/s
       8.23LY laden FSD range
       Approximately 37,000,000 credits

Players can get a closer look at how the Mamba and Krait Phantom play in our first-look livestream, on the Frontier Twitch channel tonight at 7pm GMT.

If you have any questions about Beyond – Chapter Four or Elite Dangerous in general, don’t hesitate to give us a shout.

Mad Catz - New Range Preview

Kowloon, Hong Kong – November, 2018, – Mad Catz Global Limited, leading gaming hardware innovators for nearly 30 years, today announced the shipping of an all-new range of R.A.T. mice, the first line of products to ship from the reborn Mad Catz Global. The first territories to receive the new line of mice will be Germany, Austria and France with the rest of Europe, North America and beyond receiving product shortly.

With a reputation built on first-rate adjustability and comfort, the multi-award winning R.A.T. mice return featuring cutting-edge sensor technology and a host of upgrades, supercharging the range for a modern gaming audience and utilizing the latest technology to provide gamers with a winning edge.

Products shipping in the new R.A.T. range include:

R.A.T.4+™ Featuring industry leading OMRON switches with a lifecycle of 20 million clicks, the R.A.T.4+ has been designed to deliver flawless precision. Powerful LEDs provide multi-zone backlighting and the Pixart PMW 3330 optical sensor provides trusted performance that gamers can rely on.
R.A.T.6+™ Extending the customization options, the R.A.T.6+ features nine programmable buttons and an adjustable palm rest, in addition to a removable weight system that allows gamers to find the ideal weight for their personal preference. Chameleon RGB Intelligent Lighting illuminates the mouse across three separate zones, bathing the R.A.T. with over 16 million lighting combinations, while luxury OMRON switches have been tested to up to 50 million clicks for superior performance.

R.A.T.8+™ Designed for the professional gamer, the state-of-the-art Pixart PMW 3389 optical sensor delivers unrivalled precision for any gaming genre. Fully customisable, the R.A.T.8+ features an adjustable palm rest and thumb rest, as well as removable pinkie grip. 18G of removable weights enable gamers to perfect the feel of their R.A.T., while the three stage Chameleon RGB lighting keeps the mouse looking as good as it performs. Onboard memory allows gamers to save up to three profiles, allowing for personalized macro button, sensor and lighting settings when travelling to tournaments.

R.A.T. Pro S3™ Lightweight, ergonomic and unmistakably R.A.T., the PRO S3 concentrates on delivering the essentials professional gamers demand. The powerful Pixart PMW 3330 sensor delivers proven gaming performance, while ultra-reliable OMRON switches have been tested to an impressive 50 million clicks. The palm rest is fully adjustable, tilting plus or minus 15 degrees, side-to-side and extending up to 12mm from the mainframe. The PRO S3 also features Chameleon RGB lighting for stunning visual effects during gaming sessions.

“Since announcing our comeback earlier in the year, gamers have inundated us with requests for new R.A.T. mice, and the passion and enthusiasm we’ve encountered from the community is truly inspiring. We’ve been working hard to ensure the new products do justice to the incredible Mad Catz legacy and we’re delighted to start shipping the first products in the new range,” said Selena Chang, Director of Sales and Operations for Mad Catz Global Limited, “The R.A.T. range continues to be a beacon of innovation and we’re confident gamers will be thrilled with the new mice, which we believe offer superb value and unsurpassed quality for all budgets and gaming abilities.”

Additional information on all products is available at: www.madcatz.com

TSIOQUE Available on Steam today

7th of November, 2018 – OhNoo Studios: The Polish developers of critically-acclaimed adventure, Tormentum: Dark Sorrow, are back with a new, and similarly ambitious production; TSIOQUE — launching today on PC via Steam. A 2D adventure game inspired by all the best point-and-click traditions.

After Tormentum was praised for its beautiful graphics, inspired by the works of Giger and Beksiński, Ohnoo’s developers look set to apply their artistic approach to digital entertainment once again; through their collaboration with award-winning Polish animator, Alek Wasilewski (Smile).

Alek has received recognition (and awards) in his native Poland, and internationally — for a massive and diverse body of work. Thanks to this latest creative partnership, TSIOQUE stands out with visually-arresting, beautiful, hand-drawn graphics brought to life with frame-by-frame animation. Both fairytale-esque and cartoon-like, TSIOQUE’s art style has already attracted praise from the thousands of gamers who’ve followed its very successful Kickstarter campaign. Funding exceeded 39.000 USD, allowing the studio to realise its vision as fully as possible.

Great social engagement by the creative teams, combined with Kickstarter backing, saw the game receive a full voiceover for all of the dialogue sequences and extraordinary musical score by Edward Harrison (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, NEOTOKYO) and Elle Kharitou; producing a dynamic arrangement which aligns itself perfectly with events on screen.

In TSIOQUE players take up the role of the titular princess, who is captured and imprisoned in the castle of her ancestors by an Evil Wizard, who casts a powerful spell over it. This, though, is one fiercely independent young lady, who has no intention of waiting for someone to rescue her. She elects to get her hands dirty, improvising with a gutsy — and altogether risky — escape plan. Her will to escape this accursed place makes for a less than traditional fairytale. There are unexpected twists, the apparently straightforward story of ‘girl escapes spellbound castle’ begins to unravel, revealing hidden layers and unexplored themes that take the player well beyond its fantasy story-book setting.

Gameplay is subtly-inspired by magical hits from the past: Dragon's Lair, Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle or Heart of Darkness. Progress is based squarely on the player’s interactions with the environment, with numerous possibilities hidden throughout stunning locations, all illustrated with an impressive amount of unique animations. This attention to detail contributes to a production of great depth. One that finds plenty of time for humour, yet frequently visits darkness and offers all comers an array of exciting challenges. The decisions made need to be thought about, carefully, as the wrong moves can have dire — and often hilarious — consequences.

TSIOQUE is available now via Steam. For further information on the game and its creators, please visit Ohnoo Studios and Alek Wasilewski, (or Facebook and twitter). At launch TSIOQUE will be available in three language versions: English, German and Polish. Three more will arrive within weeks: Chinese (simplified), Spanish and Russian.

About OhNoo Studio
OhNoo Studio is a three-person developer team, which has debuted on gaming market in 2012 with the premiere of an interactive fairytale Amelia and Terror for the Night. From the beginning, the team’s goal was to create indie games of the highest quality, both in terms of artistic merit and story. The studio received a worldwide acclaim with a well-received adventure game Tormentum: Dark Sorrow, and now it’s back with its newest game, TSIOQUE, co-created with a globally renown animator, Alek Wasilewski. The studio has also announced its next project – the sequel for its flagship production, Tormentum II.