Search results for "minecraft"
Nov 20, 2017
Portal Knights is a 3D sandbox survival crafting game with RPG elements. Taking inspiration from Minecraft and the real-time tactical fighting style from Legend of Zelda. Players can choose their class, explore islands, craft items, armour and weapons as well as create buildings, furniture & more.
The game can be played single player and co-op with friends (up to four). Currently receiving a positive reception on other consoles, it should be a great addition to the switch especially to play on the go.
Nintendo Switch Release Date: November 23rd, 2017
- Sep 13, 2017
Dragon Quest Builders Switch has been announced for Nintendo Switch. Dragon Quest Builders retains a lot of elements from the original Dragon Quest series. Enemies and music are similar, however it features a unique gameplay that should make for an interesting spin-off. A first gameplay trailer was released during the latest Nintendo Direct. Check out the video for the Minecraft like game below.
- Jun 11, 2017
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]icrosoft kicked off their E3 presence today with a 2-hour conference showing off games coming to the Xbox One in the next couple of years. The Xbox E3 2017 Briefing was a never-ending flow of trailers and gameplay. Although it ended after a little less than two hours, so you know…
Despite that, they actually chose to start by revealing Project Scorpio properly. It’s actually called the Xbox One X and it’ll be dropping in stores on November 7th for $499. It’s capable of playing games in 4K resolution and the console itself is Microsoft’s smallest one yet. Aside from that, they also announced the Xbox One S will be available for $249 next week. Finally, Microsoft also explained that their backwards compatibility service would be expanding. Now we’ll be able to play games from the original Xbox on the Xbox One, as well.
The Xbox One X is surprisingly slim for an Xbox.
GAMES, GAMES, GAMES!
After revealing the Xbox One X, Microsoft starting talking games, and this took up almost the entire conference. Phil Spencer took great pride in telling us that we’d see 42 games in total and that’s exactly what we saw. Some got more attention than others, but there was plenty to see, complete with availability details and release dates.
Forza Motorsport 7
To kick it off, Microsoft explained their partnership with Porsche and revealed a new game and a new car. Forza Motorsport 7 is your racing simulator complete with weather conditions, tons of tracks, and sweet car details. The game looks great and it’ll be exclusive to Xbox One, launching on October 3rd.
Trailers Round 1
Next, they showed a lineup of game trailers with the occasional developer delivering a few words. This kicked off with Metro Exodus, a post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout fantasy coming out in 2018. Assassin’s Creed Origins went next, taking place in Egypt and depicting the very beginning of the Assassin’s Brotherhood. AC Origins will launch on October 27th.
The next group was totally rapid fire:
- Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds — A massive multiplayer last-man-standing shooter. 100 player enter; only one leaves. It’s a timed exclusive, launching late this year.
- Deep Rock Galactic — This looks like Team Fortress with dwarves. It’s exclusive to Xbox One, but no launch window was given.
- State of Decay 2 — Zombie Apocolypse, a small team focusing on surviving and rebuilding. We’ve been here before. Comes out Spring 2018.
- The Darwin Project — More last-man-standing combat. They dressed this one up like an e-sport. It looks a bit like Overwatch, though. Exclusive to Xbox One, but no release date
Minecraft
Minecraft is getting two updates, this year. This Summer, they’ll be adding a community market and crossplay. Now you can play on the same servers with Switch, mobile, Xbox One, PC, or whatever you want. In the Fall, they’ll add a graphics pack and 4K resolution.
Trailers Round 2
- Dragonball Fighter Z — Want an anime fighter featuring Dragonball Z characters? Well, now you’ve got it! Again! Coming early next year.
- Black Desert — An Xbox One exclusive MMORPG that’s coming early, next year.
- The Last Night — This is a super artsy game made by Raw Fury. This will launch on Xbox One first, but we weren’t given a date.
- The Artful Escape — So is he imagining all of this, ooooor…? Launching on the X1, first. “Coming when it’s damn well ready.”
- Code Vein — Looks like Dark Souls with a few extra heaping helpings of anime. It’s coming next year.
Sea of Thieves
Rareware has been working on a little open world (open seas?) MMO featuring pirates. They had a fun little gameplay demo up with some humorous banter that made the preview a little more fun. We got to see the crew tracking down treasure in a sunken ship and on a far away island. They were heading back to a market to cash it in but got ambushed by another crew. The game looks fun, but we’ll need to see more genuine gameplay to be sure. The narrator even made jokes about it being scripted.
Look at this doofus holding up the map backwards. Works better for me, I guess.
Trailers Round 3
- Tacoma — Launching first on Xbox One. It’s kinda like Gone Home, but on a space station. Coming August 2nd.
- Super Lucky’s Tale — Conker, what have they done to you?! Oh, wait. You’re not Conker. Colorful 3D Platformer? Check. Coming out November 7th.
- Cuphead — Is it still a boss rush game? Don’t know. Looks nifty. We have an article on that. Releasing exclusively on Xbox One on September 29th.
- Crackdown 3 — It’s like Saints Row started trying to direct players more. Exclusive X1 release on November 7th.
ID@XBOX
Yup! Microsoft showed off their indie support again. Most of these aren’t exclusive. We can’t tell if any of them are, actually. We’ll just list those quickly, below:
- Osiris: New Dawn
- Raiders of the Broken Planet
- Unruly Heroes
- Path of Exile
- Battlerite
- Surviving Mars
- Fable Fortune
- >OBSERVER_
- Robocraft Infinity
- Dunk Lords
- Minion Masters
- Brawlout
- Ooblets
- Dark and Light
- Strange Brigade
- Riverbond
- Hello Neighbor
- Shift
- Conan Exiles
The Home Stretch
Microsoft was finally winding down after taking extensively about three games, going through three rounds of rapid-fire trailers, and giving us an indie sizzle reel showing off another 19 titles coming to Xbox One. They still had some news up their sleeve, though. The final act began with a trailer for Ashen, which looks like Dark Souls tried to go dressed in Overwatch’s art style. It’s exclusive, but there’s no release date.
Then we got a trailer for Life Is Strange: Before the Storm. Episode 1 of this will be available on August 31st. Then they talked about the sequel to Shadows of Mordor, Shadows of War. This Lord of the Rings game will allow you to not only forge a unique story like its predecessor but will also let you take orcs into your own army. The gameplay looks sick, but the banter may have been a little TOO clean. We can only hope it’s like that in the actual game, which launches on October 10th.
There was a gentle moment for the next trailer. The composer played the trailer music live on a piano. That’s how we were introduced to and moved by Ori and the Will of the Wisps. There was no gameplay, no launch window, or even anything regarding availability. We know nothing about the game, but a new Ori game can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Anthem
Now for the moment that EA’s audience has been on the edge of their seat for since yesterday. Anthem got a beautiful gameplay trailer. Bioware’s new IP plays much like we expected. It’s reminiscent of Mass Effect, but the focus seems to be on exploring and taking on missions in multiplayer. It feels a bit like an answer to Destiny in some ways, but we won’t likely see this game until after E3 2018.
Xbox E3 2017 Briefing Final Thoughts
This morning’s presentation was fast paced and exciting. New games came after new games and release dates were on a good chunk of it. Microsoft made a strong case for the Xbox One, today. However, they failed to interest anyone that doesn’t have a 4K television in the Xbox One X. At least, it seems that way to us.
The Xbox E3 2017 Briefing delivered most on games. A whopping 42 titles were shown that would be coming to Microsoft’s console. We’re especially excited for Sea of Thieves, Super Lucky’s Tale, Cuphead, Shadows of War, and Ori. Let us know what you think in the comments, or if you haven’t watched it yet, check the video below for the Xbox E3 2017 Briefing. (The show starts at about 34:20 in the video below.)
- May 20, 2017
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]prils NPD Numbers have been released for the sales made within the United States. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch has secured it’s place on the top. Mario Kart is now the best selling racing franchise of all time. The game has sold more copies than the popular Persona 5 and even the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wild. The full list of the top 20 most sold games in the month of April in the United States can be seen below.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*
- Persona 5*
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- MLB 17: The Show
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Mass Effect: Andromeda
- NBA 2K17
- Overwatch**
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Horizon: Zero Dawn
- Lego City Undercover
- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
- Lego Worlds
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
- Battlefield 1
- For Honor
- Nier: Automata
- Minecraft
*Does not include digital sales
**Blizzard launcher sales not includes“Video game software dollar sales grew 6 percent versus year ago to $304 million, driven by the launches of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Persona 5, along with a strong second month for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” said Piscatella. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was the month’s top-selling title. As a property, Mario Kart is the all-time best-selling racing franchise in the U.S.”
- May 8, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch is on a path to success, as Nintendo managed to sell nearly four times as many systems as the competition. Even though the Nintendo Switch has become the center of attention, Nintendo is making sure the 3DS is receiving some love as well. With the newly announced 2DS XL, and plenty of more games to come, the handheld console is going to get support from Nintendo for the years to come.
Here are this weeks games we can look forward to on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS.
New Nintendo Switch Games
NBA Playgrounds – NBA Playgrounds has been covered primarily as a Playstation game, but it is, indeed, coming to the Switch (as well as Xbox One and Windows). This is a 2-on-2 competitive basketball game and includes an expansive roster with many real-world superstars. It’s being compared to NBA Jam but includes more features, like a leveling system and online play. Definitely check it out, if you’re a Basketball fan. ($19.99 USD)
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition – It’s back. Minecraft is the same game you know and love, but now it’s very easily portable. As far as we can tell, this plays much like the other console versions of Minecraft but has even more Nintendo-based content than the Wii U edition did. Minecraft launches on the Switch on May 11th. ($29.99 USD – You can buy it here
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New Nintendo 3DS Games
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Between FE Warriors, FE Heroes, and FE Echoes, Fire Emblem is making a big showing, this year. And between this game and Disgaea 5, May really does seem to be the month for major Tactical RPG releases. This game seems to be a remake or reimagining of the second game in the Fire Emblem series. You can buy the normal game at full price, or you can get the Limited Edition for an extra $20. The Limited Edition includes an art book, a sound selection CD, a collection of character pins, and a reversible cover reminiscent of the original Famicom art for the game this was based on. Fire Emblem Echoes will be in stores on May 19th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
, and the $59.99 USD Limited Edition here
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You can find a list of the most exciting Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games to be released in the month of May right here.
- May 7, 2017
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]taxel was developed by Indie Studio Plukit. Staxel is a sandbox farming game. In this game you can tend to crops, raise cute animals, and build a village. The game is currently in development as the developer will be adding more features in the months to come. This preview was played exclusively in single mode, however you can also team up with your friends in the multiplayer part of the game.
Staxel Character Creation
Before you begin the game, you must create your character. You choose the gender, race (human or elf currently), and personality on the first step. The next step is to choose the hair style. From the screenshot above, you can see that I chose the steampunk top hat. The customization of the head piece is neat and gives you other options such as a Jack’O’Lantern, a wolf, and Egyptian themed hair and more. The next step is to choose the face of your character. The face determines the shape and the eyes. This is also the step where you change your eye color as well. The last step consists of you choosing the color of the top, pants, and shoes. You do not currently have a huge selection in clothing styles but this might be added upon later in development.
Staxel Gameplay
After you create your character, you begin the tutorial. The tutorial starts off in your home. It is recommended that you first go to your bed so that your “home” is saved (you will see why this is important later). The first character you meet is Farm Fan. She helps guide you through the tutorial and the basic mechanics of the game. She asks if you are a dog or cat person which determines what pet you will receive. The look of the animal is randomly generated. For the first time I played, I had a Dalmatian and the second time I had a Beagle looking dog, so cute!
The next part of the tutorial is to explore town and the various buildings. The first building you explore is the tavern. Then the tutorial recommends you go visit the various Merchants in the town square. The town square is also where festivals are held (similiar to Animal Crossing). The first merchant you will be visiting is Morgan as she sells seeds. The Supermarket also sells seeds as well as a variety of goods. In a later tutorial quest, you will be visiting the supermarket so that you can buy a pet bowl and pet food. One feature that I find is nice is that no matter what you select it will tell you the cost in petals (currency of the game) as well as what the object is. You get a decent amount of money fulfilling tutorial quests so it’s recommended you do them.
In the top left of the screen, you can see where there is an indicator that lists the date (Season, number) as well as what time of day it is. There are two cycles to the typical Staxel day: Day and Night. However, what I find is neat about Staxel days is that the Day and Night cycles are split into smaller proportions. This gives you a better indicator of the time passing and how close you are to nighttime. A typical Staxel day is about ten minutes.
The controls for Staxel are fluid using keyboard and mouse as well as a game controller (I used an Xbox One controller). The controls are listed clearly in the controls menu and there is no lag when switching between various items. I noticed that occasionally the game camera would move upwards when speaking with a villager but it was a minor annoyance. A neat feature that the developers added in was that by holding the default action button, you can increase the till size. For example, instead of tilling a field square by square, you can do a 3 x 5 field instead. It helps save time when wanting to plant a lot of crops.
Exploration
I took the liberty of exploring the world of Staxel instead of doing the quests. I found that Staxel is quite rich in pixellated detail but it was the vivid colors that really made it pop. It wasn’t before long that I found myself standing on a beach.
It is not clear yet whether standing on the water is intentional. Like other farming games, Staxel has weather as well. As you can see from the above screenshot, it is currently raining. Rain is neat since you don’t have to water your crops and you can devote yourself to exploring instead.
If you have played any open sandbox game, then you will know the importance of being able to fast travel back to your home base. As long as you get inside your bed, you will be able to “return to home” in the menu, no matter how far away you are. I went quite far into the ocean and instantly appeared back into my house.
Different playthroughs will not give you different areas to explore. This is subject to change as the Developers could add in a feature where the world you create is randomly generated each and every time.
Conclusion
Staxel is a neat mash up of Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing. The developers have started off with a good platform to build off of. This game requires a lot of time but not a lot of effort. If you are looking for a game where you can have a lot of control and relax while doing it, Staxel would be the perfect fit.
For some Staxel Gameplay Footage, check out our article here. A special thank you to the developer for providing us with a copy to preview.
- Apr 30, 2017
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ay can be a sleepy month in terms of game releases. Developers are saving up their big guns for E3 and the month tends to be more dedicated to the rumor mill than anything else. Even so, there are still plenty of Nintendo Switch and 3DS Games launching in the coming month that we think are particularly worth the time to look at each one. Here’s a list of games to look out for in May, and why:
Switch Games
Tumbleseed – This cute indie game looks to be full of charm and will likely be an interesting title for anyone willing to work with and learn an abnormal control scheme. Players will need to control a tilting bar to tumble the seed along and navigate around large holes. This game can be played with two players instead of one for extra challenge and chaos. Tumbleseed launches on May 2nd. ($14.99 USD)
Tumbleseed is just around the corner!
NBA Playgrounds – NBA Playgrounds has been covered primarily as a Playstation game, but it is, indeed, coming to the Switch (as well as Xbox One and Windows). This is a 2-on-2 competitive basketball game and includes an expansive roster with many real-world superstars. It’s being compared to NBA Jam but includes more features, like a leveling system and online play. Definitely check it out, if you’re a Basketball fan. ($19.99 USD)
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition – It’s back. Minecraft is the same game you know and love, but now it’s very easily portable. As far as we can tell, this plays much like the other console versions of Minecraft but has even more Nintendo-based content than the Wii U edition did. Minecraft launches on the Switch on May 11th. ($29.99 USD – You can buy it here
Disgaea 5 Complete – This classic Tactical RPG series finally makes its return to Nintendo consoles. The first time Disgaea was on a Nintendo system, it was a remake of the original game on the Nintendo DS in 2008. The game boasts hundreds of hours of gameplay and content that was DLC in the PS4 version as part of the complete package. Disgaea 5 Complete launches in both physical AND digital formats on May 23rd. ($59.99 USD You can buy it – here
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Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers – It’s become somewhat of a joke that SFII needs to be released on every system, but the game really isn’t any less amazing as an arcade fighter on the Switch than it was when it first showed up in arcades. This version includes Evil Ryu and Violent Ken as playable characters which represent the worst likely outcomes of their various trials. USFII: The Final Challengers will make its way to the Switch eShop on May 26th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here)
RiME – The long-awaited Adventure-Puzzle game is finally releasing on all consoles and Steam. This game has an art style reminiscent of Journey (PS3) and a sweeping, emotional score underneath the trailers we’ve seen, thus far. While little is really known about how the gameplay and story will progress, we are still very interested to see what the future holds for this title. Tequila Works claims their game will be available on May 26th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
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Some of these games look really good.
3DS Games
Infinite Golf – Not to be confused with Infinite Minigolf, this game does exactly what it says on the box. For a very low price, you can choose to play a three-per-hole arcade survival mode, or you can just play endlessly without any penalties. For the low price point, it’s a reasonable way to zen out. Infinite Golf will be available on May 4th. ($1.99 USD)
Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop – The Cooking Mama series is a tried-and-true classic of the DS line. Play various minigames to help Mama make some delicious food and receive a rating based on your performance. If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason you should miss this one, either. Sweet Shop drops on the eShop on May 18th. ($29.99 USD You can buy it here
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Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Between FE Warriors, FE Heroes, and FE Echoes, Fire Emblem is making a big showing, this year. And between this game and Disgaea 5, May really does seem to be the month for major Tactical RPG releases. This game seems to be a remake or reimagining of the second game in the Fire Emblem series. You can buy the normal game at full price, or you can get the Limited Edition for an extra $20. The Limited Edition includes an art book, a sound selection CD, a collection of character pins, and a reversible cover reminiscent of the original Famicom art for the game this was based on. Fire Emblem Echoes will be in stores on May 19th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
With that, we seem to be out of new titles for the month that we feel are worth a heads up. Each of these titles will be interesting in one way or another, and we hope to bring further coverage on all of them throughout the month. If any of these titles interest you, feel free to talk about it in the comments below.
- Apr 18, 2017
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f Harvest Moon, would meet Minecraft and adds a bit of Animal Crossing then the result would be Staxel. This game is packed with features, not only will you be able to maintain and build your very own farm, but there are also tons of hobbies to get stuck with. Staxel offers a great variety of gameplay elements. You can even invite your friends and build your very own village together. It’s needless to say that Staxel is one the rising stars amongst fans of video games like Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.
Enter to Win!
Staxel is currently in early development, but the team is hard at work at making this game as good as it can get. We have teamed up with Plukit the developer behind Staxel to give away a few early access download keys to the game! All you will have to do to participate in the giveaway, is leave a comment below, and let us know why you want to play Staxel, and what it is you are most excited about!This contest will close on April, 23rd – 9pm PT. Winners will be randomly selected and notified by April, 24th 9pm PT.
If you want to learn more about Staxel check out our preview here and some early gameplay footage here.
What is Staxel?
‘Staxel – Sprout Edition’ is now available! In this early version of Staxel you start with an overgrown, old farm which needs a lot of love. Grow crops, tend to animals, repair and upgrade your rundown home! Buy now, and watch your ‘Sprout Edition’ grow with Staxel’s continuous development and regular updates.Experience Village LifeAs the village’s newest resident there’s a lot to look forward to. The village is filled with all sorts of colourful characters to meet and befriend. Sure, they might have some favours to ask of you, but helping them out might bring unexpected rewards! When you’re not hanging out with the villagers or working on the farm, you could be pursuing a new hobby, completing one of many collections, spending your hard earned money in the local stores, or working on improvements to the village. Your new neighbors would certainly appreciate your help!Nurture Your FarmPut down your roots and settle into your life as the village’s new farmer. Starting out with an old, run-down home and farmland reclaimed by the wilderness, it’s up to you to turn this place around. Plant seeds, carefully tend to your crops, take care of your animals, and build improvements to your farm. Don’t forget‐if you look after your farm it will look after you!Customise Your SandboxStaxel is set in a voxel-based sandbox world. You can alter your surroundings in any way you like, and with a rich selection of in-game materials and a simple, easy-to-use approach to modding, you really can create your own unique world within the game. Will you grow the village while keeping its rustic charm, or take it in an entirely new direction? Perhaps you’d rather leave the village and focus on your own projects? It’s all up to you, and your creativity is just the tool for the job!
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, and the $59.99 USD Limited Edition 
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