Teleglitch: Die More Edition Announced

Today Paradox Interactive announced a partnership with the indie developer T3P to extend their Survival Horror RougeLike Teleglitch. The Game features ‘ procedurally generated levels, craftable and combinable weapons, and the constant risk of permanent death’ .

Paradox have said that The Die More Edition will include new branching bonus levels, such as the Robotic Hardware Assembly, the Damage Statistics Department, and Unstable Product Reconfiguration. Players will also have access to new items and weapons in order to survive, plus new story content above and beyond those included in the original indie hit – along with smarter, deadlier enemy AI to prevent players from ever seeing it. And the best part… Existing owners of Teleglitch will receive the Die More Edition free of charge.

Teleglitch: Die More Edition is set for release in Summer 2013 on ‘all major distribution platforms’ at $12.99.

Paradox will be streaming Teleglitch live on Twitch (www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive) tonight at 8 p.m. CEST / 7 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. PDT, Don’t Miss It!

Super Splatters PC Review

Juicy!

Contrary to the title, Super Splatters is most certainly a ‘juicy’ experience. In the hours I spent playing the game I was filled with an overzealous urge to obtain every trophy and whoop the behinds of any other players on the leaderboards (much to no avail). The thrill of pulling off the game’s insane stunts and the satisfying urge to throw the juicy balls (yep) into spikes makes Super Splatters a welcome treat to any puzzle fan, ‘but why’? you ask, here’s why my chum.

Firstly I don’t want you to think of this game in the same light as Angry Birds… I’ve seen many players compare the two but when I think of it the only comparison would be the flinging of the Juicy Balls (I have got to stop saying that). In all seriousness Super Splatters is a completely original concept. The game revolves around meticulous timing and perfect aim to destroy the, evil… circle… bomb things. But there is more to Super Splatters than that, way more. There are many way’s to achieve your goal, stunts are employed to credit you on your performance, these stunts require fast reflexes and perfect timing which make them all the more exciting to pull off.

You Hear That… I’m Outstanding.

Unfortunately the missions do eventually start to feel repetitive after long play sessions and repeating the same missions over and over again to achieve a higher leaderboard score can feel a tad boring, but if you play Super Splatters in short intervals whenever you’re bored, you will manage to get plenty of ‘juice’ out of it.

Needless to say there is plenty of content in Super Splatters, for the £7 ($10) you get access to plenty of levels and a somewhat engaging leaderboard system. It may be slightly entertaining for a few missions to try and beat everyone else, but when you’ve run out of ideas there really isn’t much to come back to. Super Splatters also tries to keep itself afloat by unlocking new abilities for players to go back and use on previous missions, this is a great way of increasing the game’s replayability and will definitely bring score junkies back for more.  Another simply unique feature in Super Splatters is SplatterTV, this allows the player to view their leaderboard opponents playthroughs on certain missions and allows them to replicate them. You may be asking, ‘If I wanted to beat them, what fun would I gain from copying them?’, in this you would be right, but by watching others play it gives you more of an insight into what you can do on the playing field thus inspiring a tad bit more strategy.

Juicy!

Super Splatters is great fun. The unique, physics-based gameplay makes for some entertaining strategies and the stunt system is sure to encourage you to employ new tactics, but if you’re hoping for hours of endless joy to keep coming back to, Super Splatters may not be the game for you. However, if you are a fan of score-heavy games and enjoy beating your friends, Super Splatters will be sure to entertain you for plenty of hours.

 7.5/10

The Sims 4 Set To Unveil At Gamescom

 

For a Sims fan like me, the news revealed by EA last tuesday completely flabbergasted me! Despite being surprisingly absent from E3, The Sims will be heading to Gamescom in Germany at some point between August 21 – 25.
The Sims is set for a release sometime in 2014, until then, check out The Sims Twitter and The Sims 4 Website

Knights Of Pen And Paper +1 Edition Review

Play A Classic Tabletop Adventure… Without The Tabletop.

Knights Of Pen and Paper +1 Edition has taken over a small part in my life within the few day’s I have had it. With it’s minimalistically whimsical pixel art and it’s hilarious narrative, Knights Of Pen and Paper is a marvelous experience to invest your time in.

Knights Of Pen and Paper puts you in the role of up to five players, playing a tabletop RPG, confusing right? Actually the best part of KoPP is how confusing it isn’t, I suppose (though that lacks much sense). Although the game lacks a detailed tutorial, the minimalistic structure of the UI and the simple combat commands make for an addictively simple RPG experience.

Quest Done…

The meat of Knights Of Pen and Paper revolves around all of your adventurers and the forging of their epic quest to… um – that’s the thing, there is no set story to KoPP and that’s where it becomes unique. Although there are a set amount of quests in the games world it is entirely possible to quest for hours and enjoy every moment. The feeling of dread when you venture deep into the caves, only to have two of your companions slaughtered during an almighty battle with an Epic Rat. Yes, KoPP will bring out the inner nerd within all who play it, but that’s not such a bad thing… right? (well it entirely depends on your perspective).

Your mighty adventure is held together with well crafted humour and charming art, the accompanying 8-bit melodies inspire reminiscent memories of the games from old and all fit perfectly in tandem. All is not well in KoPP however when you notice that the game lacks any sort of weapons system. You have no logical desire to spend your hard earned gold  instead the game revolves around levelling up your characters with the one weapon they possess throughout the game. In my opinion this drags down the experience. Having a craftsman build me new blades and wands to experiment with would be certain to increase the replayability and would inspire players to take different approaches when battling foes. Unfortunately however the simplicity in the combat may be one of the games disadvantages.

Combat, being a major aspect of any adventurers life, is somewhat lackluster in KoPP. Instead of highly chance based, roll-of-the-dice combat akin to Dungeons And Dragons and any other Tabletop RPG, the game has a simple turn based system in place. While not a game-changing aspect it may be noted to people who are looking for the next Dungeons And Dragons, they may have to look elsewhere. For other gamers, the combat isn’t dreadful, it serves it’s part and without it the game wouldn’t possess much… oomph. It’s almost certain that people looking for a challenge may find solace in the games combat, random enemy encounters can really affect your adventure, and at some points difficulty may peak when you don’t expect it. One round you may be fighting a group of level 2 bats, simple enough, but the next you may be thrusted into fighting a level 5 epic slime. All-In-All the simplistic combat may seem like a turnoff to some, but is perfect for novices and can definitely pose a challenge.

Your adventure will take you all across a beautiful world, you are bound to encounter hundreds of unique enemies and quests. This is where KoPP really hit’s the spot. When you’re questing across the games rather large map, it’s easy to see the main draw of the game… adventure! There is plenty to be had in KoPP and the art style is used to perfection to make every location seem unique and every enemy seem just as daunting as they should. KoPP also features some in-game microtransactions, for an £8 title this may seem like a bold move but it’s never made mandatory to progress and is simply there to assist players who need gold fast.

SUMMARY:
Knights Of Pen and Paper +1 Edition is an amazing experience. From it’s beautiful retro graphics and enchanting 8-bit melodies you’re sure to be swept away into a land of swords and sorcery for countless hours, if you don’t mind your combat simplistic. Fans of classic tabletop RPG will feel right at home, KoPP is also perfect for new-timers to the RPG scene. Be sure to pick Knights Of Pen and Paper up from either Steam or on your iOS and Android devices, if you’re up for an adventure.

8/10

The Walking Dead 400 Days DLC Releases This Summer

Phew, all this succulent E3 news is getting to me! I come bearing a large amount of great news and opinions one of which comes straight from the lovely folks at telltale games. Their latest adventure, a DLC to the awe-inspiring adventure game, The Walking Dead, is heading straight to PS Vita this Summer!

Not many details have been announced about the DLC other than a rather brief trailer! From the looks of things, 400 Days is set to bridge the gap between Season One and Two. Telltale have stated that ‘400 Days will check to see if you have a Season 1 save file. The decisions you made in Season 1 will have an effect on your 400 Days experience.’, meaning 400 Days may be an integral part of The Walking Dead’s story-arch. Telltale later went on to say that ‘choices made in 400 Days will resonate in Season 2’ It is highly likely that 400 Days will bridge the gap between both the seasons (Season 2 to release later this fall).

For more information on The Walking Dead, check in regularly to The Freelance Gamers, and visit @telltalegames on Twitter!

The Yawhg Review

‘The Yawhg will be here in six weeks… and no one expects it”

The Yawhg is unlike any game I have played before. It’s unique and inventive choose-your-own-adventure style gameplay gives a much needed kickstart to imaginative design in games. Almost every aspect of The Yawhg feels fresh and enticing, from it’s beautiful artistic design to it’s tremendously atmospheric music… I loved the Yawhg.

Firstly I would like to say how awe-inspiring this games art and sound design is. Although it seems very simplistic at first, you begin to realise how beautiful it truly is. All the artwork is expertly hand-crafted by artist Emily Carroll and the games sound design matches it in perfect symmetry. The games ambience begins with cheerful and jolly tones and upbeat fantasy rythms, but as the weeks progress and the end grows dangerously near the music begins to match the scenery. It all begins to get dreary and depressing, as though the inevitable is going to happen and there is nothing you can do to stop it… And that’s freaking awesome. Not in a while has a game made me feel this genuinely immersed in the sound design and that’s just… wow!

The Yawhg inspires imagination, to a degree where the games title comes into question. What is ‘The Yawhg’? Is it a large cthulhu-esque  monster? Is it anything? We never know, that is where this game shines. As a choose-your-own-adventure game should, The Yawhg does a tremendous job of pulling the player in to this world and allows the utmost levels of player immersion. Every simple action you appear to take makes a significant effect on the end of your adventure. A simple outing into the forest to chop down trees led to my character being attacked by a werewolf and unwillingly becoming one himself. Once The Yawhg struck… a group of bandits came hunting for me and an almighty fight ensued!

Events like this happen on every playthrough and dependant on how your adventure goes, the end result is almost guaranteed to happen. Unfortunately, this is where The Yawhg begins to faulter. I see why these randomly generated encounters happen, but unfortunately I ended up encountering the same event numerous times in the space of four playthroughs, at which point I knew the action to take in order to avoid said disastrous event occurring. Leading to the same ending also happening numerous times. Maybe this was the way I personally tackled the game, but It was enough to detract me from the experience once or twice. But this is inevitable from a randomly generated adventure and is by no-means a game ruining situation.

You can also share your adventure with up to three friends in couch based multi-player. This is where the game shines the most. As I sat with a group of my friends, they laughed at the games unique sense of humour and the many mishaps of my character. Although no players can influence each other’s characters’ journey, it is always an even more enjoyable experience with friends.

The Yawhg is no ordinary game… and I applaud that. Although short, the game inspires numerous playthroughs, with increasing chances of uncovering a new pattern in your story. Instead of striving to be the next skyrim or minecraft, The Yawhg dares to leave the action and intensity of most modern games behind and instead favours personal character development and a unique immersive story that shifts in every turn. This may turn off many ‘conventional gamers’, it entirely depends on your palette. But to me, this game is a rare gem. With beautiful artwork… and an immersive atmosphere that can be enjoyed with a group of friends. If your willing to give conventional game mechanics a miss for once… you will not regret it.

8/10  ~  Outstanding!

You can purchase The Yawhg from either:
DESURA
or
The Official Website

(A huge thanks to Damian Sommer for providing me with a review copy of his game)

Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time! Releases July 18th

PopCap has announced the highly anticipated sequel to the award winning ‘tree-hugging’ zombie killer, free to play on Ios devices worldwide on July 18th. The game will include micro-transactions (as usual), but it has been announced to be entirely playable without spending a single penny.

PopCap have stated that Plant’s Vs. Zombies 2 will offer many new maps, plants and zombies and will release new ones on ‘an ongoing basis’ . Another return will be that of Crazy Dave, the originals loveable shopkeep, who will sell the player new plant upgrades, weapons and tools. Confirmed maps for the game so far are set in Ancient Egypt, The Wild West and a Pirate Setting.

A Press statement from the games senior producer, Allan Murray reads, “We’re confident that players will see the love and attention we’ve put into this game. We’ve created wild new ways to experience the plants and zombies you know and love as well as packing the game with tons of completely new content, and we’re still hard at work coming up with even more cool stuff that will keep Plants vs. Zombies 2 fresh and evolving in the months and years following launch.”

More information about Plants Vs. Zombies 2 is expected to be released at E3 next week. The EA Conference is set for Monday, 10th June. Until then, put on your gardening boots and grab a shovel… your off to plant.

The Freelance Indie Gamer

Hello there my gaming associates!
I am here to tell you of the sites drastic changes. As you can see, the site has been re-branded to enable me to pursue the interest of Indie Games. Some may call me a hippy, to them, I say no. I just love the Independent gaming circuit and believe the future of gaming lies there. Recently I have been enamoured by various Indie games and can’t see mainstream titles in the same light, so in order for me to honour these works of art, I must re-brand the blog. Bear in mind, the re-branding is nothing drastic, and will not affect the overall flow of reviews and news published. Thank You All and I can’t wait to continue writing!
Oh, and I’m starting Video Reviews! Hooray (no-one said), Find any of them here – http://www.youtube.com/user/FreelanceIndieCritic