SQUARE ENIX LAUNCHES KINGDOM HEARTS MELODY OF MEMORY PLAYABLE DEMO TODAY

 Square Enix Ltd., and Disney today announced the launch of a demo for the upcoming rhythm action game, KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory, an all-new riff on the wildly popular KINGDOM HEARTS series that has sold more than 33 million units worldwide. The demo, which challenges players to battle through six tracks alongside Sora, Donald and Goofy, gives players a taste of what's to come when KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory releases on November 13. The demo can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation®Store and Microsoft Store.

In the full version of KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory, players will battle to the rhythm of the game's soundtrack on their own or with friends as they collect and master over 140 songs from the Kingdom Hearts series, including favorites like "Destiny Islands," "Hand in Hand," "Working Together" and more from the game's legendary composer Yoko Shimomura. Players will experience the magic of musical exploration by traversing through beautiful worlds and embarking on rhythm-fueled battles to defeat tough bosses as they strive to achieve top ranks.  

Players of the Nintendo Switch™ version can also enjoy a Free-for-All battle mode with up to seven other players via local play. Through three different play styles, gamers of all ages can choose their level of challenge depending on whether they want to enjoy the songs and adventure without complicated controls or showcase their skills with complex combos to put on the ultimate performance. This celebration of music and adventure marks the KINGDOM HEARTS series' first appearance on the Nintendo Switch.

KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory will launch for the Nintendo Switch™ system, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X, on November 13, 2020. Pre-orders are available now from the SQUARE ENIX store, the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation®Store, Microsoft Store and other select retailers. Those who purchase for the PlayStation®4 system from the PlayStation®Store for a limited time by December 31st, 2020 will also receive the KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory theme.

REVIEW: Re-Turn - One Way Trip - on PC (Steam)

Review By Jon Donnis

I was asked to review Re-Turn - One Way Trip and provided a code by Renaissance PR.

This is a side scrolling 2D Puzzle Adventure Horror Game, you play as a girl called Saki, you are apparently camping with some friends, and when you wake up in the middle of the night, your friends have disappeared, and you have to find out what the hell is going on.

The controls are super simple and this is an easy to play game, this is not a platforming game as such, so you won't be jumping to avoid enemies etc, instead you will move around methodically, collecting items and trying to solve puzzles which then allow you to progress through the game.

As you play the game, the action is mixed in with beautifully drawn cut scenes.

As you move around you will see a magnifying glass icon appear if you are near to something that can be interacted with, that may be a child's drawing, or a knife, or all manner of items that you may need to continue the game. After some wondering around you will find an old abandoned train, and once you go inside, this is where the game really starts, and you will spend most of your time in the train.

Since this is a horror game, despite the cute 2D graphics, there are adult elements here, and once in the train you will have to not only solve puzzles but also deal with suddenly finding yourself in a different time line, a time when the train is full of passengers and staff. So as you play you will move between the past and the present, all the while trying to find your missing friends as well as understand how the train came to be abandoned.

The puzzles themselves aren't that hard and much of the time to progress you just need to walk back and forth looking for the magnifying glass icon to appear so you can examine an item. Some of the puzzles are a bit tricky, and one time I simply couldn't figure out how to open a lock, and I think I just got lucky in the end, instead of using any true puzzle solving skills.

The Good

The 2D pixel art graphics are perfectly fine, but the true star of the show is the sound track, it really does help build tension, I found playing with headphones on was the best option. The game will also easily run on pretty much any computer, so no worries about having a fancy graphics card.

The Bad

The game itself is relatively easy, but you will find yourself walking backwards and forwards a lot, not really achieving anything as you try to find the next clue, this can feel a bit tedious at times. There is also only one save point in the game, that is on the train. 

Summary

A simple game that does deliver some good horror elements. I score this game 7/10

Review By Jon Donnis

Releasing first on Steam for PC and Xbox One, Re:Turn will launch on 14th October priced at £9.99 / $11.99 / €9.99. The game will also be coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in the coming weeks.

Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Dry Twice is Coming Soon, Now with a New Launch Date

It's been said that good things come to those who wait, and while there is nothing worse than a premature...release date...Assemble Entertainment has announced that a little more time is needed to give grease-stained heartthrob Larry Laffer a fighting chance to find his one true love. 

Publisher Assemble and developer CrazyBunch today announced a new launch date of Friday, 23rd October, 2020, for Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Dry Twice. 

Launching on Windows PC via Steam and GOG, the point-and-click adventure will see Larry Laffer take on some of the most precarious situations yet — all in the name of love!

Key Features of Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Dry Twice Include:

Explore the Kalaua'a archipelago with all its mysterious and magnificent islands — featuring over 50 beautifully hand-drawn locations

Meet over 40 new and old friends from Wet Dreams Don't Dry and chat up some fresh new feminine friends

Help Larry solve difficult and exciting (and slightly erotic) new riddles and complete quests, providing him with a truly happy ending

Published by Assemble Entertainment and developed by Crazybunch, Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Dry Twice will launch on Windows PC and Mac via Steam and GoG on 23rd October 2020, for £30.99 GBP. Additionally, Assemble Entertainment has teamed up with ShareTheMeal to launch a Save the World edition of the game. Every purchase guarantees two meals for hungry children around the world. The Save the World Edition is £38.99 GBP, though both editions can be preordered with a limited-time 20% discount. To learn more, please visit the official site http://larrysmansion.com

Hammerting - Trailer - "Control the destiny of the dwarves"

Hammerting tasks players with managing their very own dwarven mining colony. With a cast of colourful dwarves, all with their own individual traits, abilities, and equipment, the colony must work tirelessly in its attempt to aid the Overworld in the fight against evil. Crafting, building, and exploring are the cornerstones to a dwarf's day to day life and finding the quickest (and safest) way down a mine shaft – and to all of the shiny, shiny loot - will be vital in the clans overall success.

Key Features

Control the destiny of the dwarves: As the colony grows active management of the dwarves, including the friendships they make and their morale, will be key to helping the war effort

Design and create the ultimate base: Bore and upgrade a variety of rooms, from forges and sculpting studios to taverns and auxiliary functions and help the colony craft the ultimate base

Help with the war effort: Build and upgrade a variety of items through a deep levelling system

Discover valuable materials to quarry: Venture into the bowels of the mountainside & face increasingly perilous situations

REVIEW - ‘BPM: Bullets Per Minute’ on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

BPM: Bullets Per Minute is a rhythm First Person Shooter, yes I have never heard of such a thing before either.

So what do you get if you cross a dungeon based FPS with a heavy rock sound track? You get BPM.

The main gimmick of the game, and what sets it apart from other similar dungeon based FPS, of which there are a few, is that everything you do, whether that is firing your weapon, jumping, dodging an enemy, you try to do it to the beat of the music that is playing, if you shoot on a beat, then that shot is more powerful. Get the jist?

Each dungeon is randomly generated, and are chock full of monsters, each more bizarre than the last, the end game is to kill everyone and take out the boss, and all to a wonderful rock soundtrack that literally will help or hinder your abilities. Of course there is a setting that allows you to enable auto beat matching, but that seems a bit pointless when that is the main gimmick of the game.

There are 7 bosses and then a final boss to beat, there are lots of weapons to collect, abilities to gain, and so on. You play as one of 5 choosable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.


The Good

An interesting gimmick for what is a tired genre, does make it interesting. The music is great.

The Bad

As seems to often by the case, the controls could be better, when designing any game, if you don't get the controls perfect, everything else suffers. I was also not a fan of the graphics. I understand that they are going for a certain style here, but I found the graphics to be bland and uninspiring.

Summary

If Dungeon based FPS are your thing, and you want a different challenges to what you are used to, then I am sure you will enjoy this game. Personally I come to any game as a newbie, I look at the game as if I have never played this type of game before, and I decide how much it grabs me, and unfortunately this game to me is lacking.

I score BPM: Bullets Per Minute a 6/10

Review By Jon Donnis

BPM: Bullets Per Minute it out now on Steam for PC, with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions following later.