Monster Sanctuary to break free from Early Access and land on PC and consoles on 8th December

Team17 and Moi Rai Games have today announced that monster taming, Metroidvania, role-playing game, Monster Sanctuary, is exiting Steam Early Access and will launch on PC on 8th December. The game will also launch simultaneously that day on PlayStation® 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch™. As the youngest heir of an ancient bloodline of Monster Keepers, players set out to follow in their ancestors' footsteps, all the while unpicking a mystery that threatens the long-standing peace between humans and monsters.

During its year in Early Access, Monster Sanctuary has expanded with a series of significant updates that broaden its fantastical world, such as the introduction of player vs player gameplay, and new areas to explore: the volcanic Magma Chamber, the claustrophobic Underworld, and the mechanical Mystical Workshop. Each has expanded on the menagerie of monsters available for players to track down and tame, and added new gameplay opportunities to explore.

The full launch of Monster Sanctuary in December will introduce further content for players to experience as they embark on their epic adventure, including the Abandoned Tower as an entirely new game area, as well as an additional secret area. 14 new monsters will also be joining the roster, alongside optional endgame Champions; Ultimate abilities for monsters above level 40; unique equipment; and further balancing changes.

 

Key Features:

*Overcome and collect beasts: Creatures great and small are available to collect and battle, and can be upgraded via deep skill trees

*Become the best Monster Keeper: A mysterious force threatens the peace between monsters and humans, and players will unravel these secrets through the story

*Battle in tactical 3v3 combat: Player rosters of monsters can fight AI or other players in a turn-based 3v3 system, using elemental attacks and combos to devastating effect

*Discover a deep Metroidvania world: From the depths of the Underworld to the heights of the Snowy Peaks, there is plenty to explore, and hidden areas to uncover using monster skills

*Items and gear aplenty: Players will find a plethora of useful items on their journey, which may even open new avenues of navigation.

REVIEW: Two Parsecs From Earth on Xbox One

Review by Jon Donnis

You play as Robot Z3-L1, catchy name right! You have crash landed on a planet called Dimidium, you are injured, and you need to find a way to fix your space ship so you can go home. As soon as you start you will realise that this game is beautifully drawn, absolutely stunning, you will also quickly realise that this game has been made by people with a sense of humour, you will learn this as soon as you try to jump, or die, or anything. 

As you explore your surroundings straight away you will find out that everything wants to kill you, and you are going to need to be very precise in how you play.

The first time you play you will slowly be able to learn abilities, but you are given a choice each time, meaning that to explore different areas and experience different abilities you will have to start the game again in the future and make different choices, for example early on you will need to choose between a double jump ability or a dash ability. The dash ability will enable you to reach areas that the double jump can't reach and vice versa. This is a really interesting idea and I found myself creating a new game in a different file, just so I could experience both from the get go. Basically this means there are 8 ways to finish the game depending on the choice of abilities you make.

There is also a great sound track that also adapts to your choices as you play.

The Good

Stunning graphics, great soundtrack and a nice little unique game play gimmick, and you will need to complete the game a fair few times if you want those all important Achievements.

The Bad

The game is tough, probably tougher than it needs to be, but I guess that is part of the challenge.

Summary

A fun 2D platformer, with a nice gimmick that really does work.

I score this game a solid 7/10

Two Parsecs From Earth is out now and priced for 7.99 $ / € for all platforms.

Review by Jon Donnis

Craftlands Workshoppe - The Funny Indie Capitalist RPG Trading Adventure Game

Early Thoughts by Jon Donnis

I have played the early access of Craftlands Workshoppe, this game has a long way to go, but I think the game makers understand this, and it does seem that they are listening to input from players. There is potential here, you find yourself as the new owner of a "dilapidated workshoppe" and your job is to build it up and make it successful, you will need to unlock blue prints, learn recipes, collect resources, and craft everything you need. You will buy and sell and hopefully eventually you will become a big success.

I think the camera angles need to be improved, and the control system, just doesn't feel right, although you can adjust a few things, it really needs to be a fully 3D environment with the camera able to view from all sides. The map could also do with being improved.

Like I said this is early access, play it yourself and make sure to let the game makers know your thoughts and ideas for it to be improved.

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OUT NOW! ON STEAM EARLY ACCESS

Does your job description include anything about depressed demigods and skeletons with short memories? Ours neither. But things work differently when you accept a job offer on an island in the clouds. Shoppe Keep and Shoppe Keep 2 Lead Developer Arvydas Žemaitis invites you to sacrifice even more of your social life in his most otherworldly adventure yet. Join the 350,000 players already sold on the series' sideways look at business sims.

Craft Your Way to the Top

A hastily scribbled note on Allcraft's door means you're now the proud owner of a dilapidated workshoppe. You know you're going to have to up your alchemy, cookery and blacksmith skills to get the sad old place back on its feet. But why does that creepy old guy seem so keen for you to make a success of it?

*Unlock the tools of your trade, find the resources you need and follow recipes and blueprints to produce potent potions, gleaming weapons and delicious food.

*Use your crafting skills to contribute to larger orders in asynchronous multiplayer gameplay – and reap the rewards!

*Improve your skills with cauldron, furnace and anvil to uncover the curious secrets of the weird-and-wonderful island cluster you now call home.

Sell Your Wares

It's all very well knowing how to craft items but your wares won't make you money gathering dust on your workshoppe floor. Luckily your slightly creepy acquaintances seem to want to help you out. Your own personal air skip? They're either unusually generous or they want something in return. Time will tell.

*Gain the correct permits to turn your rundown store into a thriving emporium.

*Advertise your creations and train up apprentice crafters to keep shoppers flooding through the doors.

*Keep an eye on the popularity of your products and ensure your workshoppe's fully stocked with them when the Customer Air Skip docks or shoppers will be heading away empty handed.

Master Your Crafts

The more you explore these outlandish islands, the more you realise things aren't as they appear. Becoming a master of three noble crafts and making a success of the workshoppe Allcraft kindly bequeathed you seemed like a worthy goal. But...it's starting to feel like your achievements are merely part of a much bigger story.

*Get to know a motley crew of wacky characters who will help you complete your adventure.

*Master every recipe and build every blueprint to fashion a key that unlocks an unknown realm.

*Oh, and did we mention you can also pet a dog? What do you get for it? Nothing but their unconditional love. Why, what did you expect?

Steam Early Access

REVIEW: Doodle God: Evolution - Xbox One

Review by Jon Donnis

Doodle God: Evolution is a tile matching game, you start off by combining 4 elements, air, water, fire and earth, as you combine them you create new elements, you combine those with each other and so on. Thats the game.

There are different puzzles and modes which have you trying to get to a certain evolutionary outcome by combining tiles in specific ways, there is also Doodle Farm, where you have to create animals.

I am not sure what else to say, this is a tile matching game, there is no real intelligence to it, some things that you match make no sense when you consider what they create, for example water + glass = ice. There are some nice animations, as you create things they appear on a globe. It is all very pretty.

This is a mobile game that they have put on consoles and it just does not work.

Console games you want to play for more than a few minutes, mobile games are designed often so you play for a few minutes and then come back to the next time you have a few minutes to kill.

The Good

The graphics are pretty

The Bad

This is not a game you will spend any time on, even the gamer points are not working for me.

Summary

This is a tile matching game, if you enjoy such games and are happy to spend time sat in front of your TV trying to endlessly match tiles, then this is the game for you, but for me, I just found nothing in it. Sorry, this is a mobile game not a console game. 1/10

Review by Jon Donnis

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Available for purchase on the PlayStation/Xbox stores (priced £10/€10/$10), Doodle God: Evolution offers an improved version of the much-loved puzzler Doodle God bundled with Doodle Farm too!

Gorgeous High-Speed SHMUP Puzzler Galacide Coming to Consoles

Fun-loving independent game development studio, Puny Human, has announced that their genre-mashing SHMUP-Puzzler Galacide releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on October 23! Currently enjoying a "positive" rating on Steam, Galacide takes the tight controls and speed of a SHMUP game and combines it with a match-3 puzzle system. Players journey across the galaxy battling hordes of enemy ships while simultaneously using their puzzle-solving skills to tunnel through the ever-advancing Bitwall.

It's up to you to stop the Alien invasion! Galacide requires players to walk a fine line between maneuvering through legions of enemy spacecraft and using their puzzle-cracking ability to keep the increasing mass of deadly alien technology at bay. Players must pair quick-moving skill to dodge attacks and eliminate enemies, with wits to solve puzzles, or suffer the deadly Bitwall! Bad guys will drop pieces of coloured scrap that players can fire at the Bitwall to match 4 or more same-coloured blocks and to create a path to advance through. A precise mix of speed, skill, and good old fashioned quick-thinking is the key to success and the safety of the galaxy!

Galacide comes equipped with a bevy of different game modes sure to please even the most particular of gamers. Jump into some solo-action with the Campaign mode to discover the source of the invasion and shoot your way to the finish line, or grab some buddies and team-up with 4-player local co-op. Once you've saved the universe and mastered the skills, try out the Endless Play mode and see how long you can last. For those pacifists out there, Puny Human has also kindly provided a violence-free Puzzle Mode, allowing players to relax their trigger fingers and focus on the brainier side of things.

 

Key Features:  

*Shoot Ships, Solve Puzzles: Engage in blistering SHMUP-style action, blasting enemies and dodging incoming fire, while using clever tactics to tunnel through the encroaching Bitwall

*Four Classes of Ship: Choose from the balanced Mining Ship, the tough-as-nails Freighter, the speedy, experimental Phase Ship, or the ferociously powerful Military Ship

*Never Tell Me the Odds: Employ lightning-fast reflexes to safely guide your vessel through a variety of sci-fi locales, including asteroid fields, planets, mining depots, and junkyards

*Go it Alone or Bring the Squad: Galacide features several solo modes, like Campaign, Endless Play, and Puzzle Play, or players can grab a few friends and enjoy 4 Player Co-op

*Galacide is currently available on Steam and is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on October 23.