News | Rise of the Ronin offers four-player co-op

There will be a four-player cooperative mode in the upcoming Rise of the Ronin.

This was revealed via a newly published FAQ for the game. “In Rise of the Ronin, you can join up to three other players to experience the main missions through online co-op.” It emphasizes the following: “You need a PlayStation Plus membership to play online, and there are no PvP battles.”

Rise of the Ronin is an open world action RPG with a focus on combat set in the late nineteenth century. At the end of the long Edo period, Japan struggles with oppressive leaders and deadly diseases, while a war rages between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Anti-Shogunate.

Players control a Ronin – a warrior who has no master and is allowed to make his own choices. Katanas and other weapons are used to fight. You can even float through the air with a special device. Rise of the Ronin was developed by Team Ninja and will be released on March 22 for PlayStation 5.


News | First gameplay of South Park: Snow Day shown

A new trailer for South Park: Snow Day has been released, showing the first gameplay footage.

South Park: Snow Day was announced last summer and is a cooperative action game in which four players explore the snowy streets of South Park. Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny can be controlled. They celebrate that they are snow-free and therefore do not have to go to school, but in the meantime they also have to save the world.

Instead of previously released action RPGs within the South Park franchise, this game features real-time combat. The game is not from Ubisoft, but is developed by Question Games, known for The Magic Circle and The Blackout Club.

South Park: Snow Day is scheduled for release in March 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch. The game will cost 29.99 euros.


News | Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 will be released this winter

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is due out sometime this winter.

That was announced yesterday during the Summer Game Fest presentation through a new trailer, which can be viewed below. The new trailer revolves around the game’s cooperative campaign. There is no exact release date at the time of writing, but it is clear that the game will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

The sequel to the 2011 action game based on the Warhammer universe lets players once again control Lieutenant Titus. Just like in the first part, players use a variety of weapons and deadly moves to slaughter enemy Tyranids. According to the makers, one can expect “epic battles on distant planets”.


News | Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will not feature online co-op

Insomniac Games has confirmed therewill definitely be no cooperative mode in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

There was speculation yesterday about the possibility of the game featuring co-op gameplay after Miles Morales’ voice actor hinted at it. Insomniac immediately worked to nip that rumor in the bud by reporting on Twitter that this is not the case. “Nope, it’s an epic single player adventure!”

Nothing has been shown of the game since its reveal, but it’s likely that more images and details surrounding the game will be revealed tomorrow night at 10:00 PM GMT.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be released on PlayStation 5 sometime this fall. Insomniac is also working on a game around Wolverine.


Review | We Were Here Together

We Were Here Together is the third iteration of this puzzle game from the dutch studio Total Mayhem Games that puts you in a world filled with puzzles where you have to work together with a friend to solve said puzzles. The game is aimed for 2 person co-op so you will need a friend to play this game.

Visually this game is very pleasing to the eye and certainly a step up in quality from the previous 2 games in the series. I have yet to see anything that looked off or strange graphics wise while playing through the game although sometimes the glare of light reflecting off of a screw or other metalic object made me think that I found something interactable but it was just a set piece of the environment.

Gameplay wise this game is also quite a step up from the previous games. The first game took me and my friend 2.5 hours to 100%, the second game took us 4 hours and this one took us over 9 hours to 100% although we could have done this one faster but we got a bit stuck on one of the later puzzles. There are more puzzles, more intricate puzzles and some of them are also quite a step up in difficulty compared to the previous games. What I really like about this one compared to the other games in the series is the fact that you first start off puzzling together and it is only around halfway through the game where you get seperated and have to start using your walkie talkies or another voice chat program to get through the puzzles (we used Discord because sometimes the in-game voice chat would get stuck in broadcast mode and we could hear everything happening in eachothers background environment). Each of the 2 players have parts of the solution to the puzzles and have to relay information to eachother to solve the puzzles together. For example, one of the players has formula’s to a certain element you need to create in-game but the formula’s have abbreviations which the other player has so you have to help eachother and combine the information you have to finish the formula’s and create the item you need to finish the puzzle.

Although they have implemented more of a story to this game I have to admit that obviously it is better than the previous games but it is still quite lackluster. But I did enjoy the story soo far. They just could have done more with it in my opinion.

The audio is once again very good and I particularly enjoyed a scene where someone was playing on an organ in a church, very crisp audio apart from the small bug we had with the in-game voice chat but the quality of the audio was great.

Although the puzzles are a big step up both in duration as well as difficulty I do have to admit there were a few puzzles where it was quite unclear as to what we were supposed to do to progress. This is probably why you could probably finish this game faster than our 9 hours if you catch onto what you need to do faster than we did.

If you want to 100% this game and get all the achievements as we did on Steam then you have to play through the game at least twice. As I mentioned before you play the first handful of chapters together and you will both receive the same achievements but from the point on where you get seperated you will have to replay the game from the other player’s perspective and do the other parts of the puzzles. But fret not, there is a chapter checkpoint system where you can easily make a new game room and choose the chapter you wish to play and switch roles so you get the other part of the puzzles.

All in all a very visually and audibly pleasing game which is a lot of fun to play with a friend and also quite nice and satisfying to 100% for achievement purposes. The puzzles were great and very enjoyable and that AHA moment when you finally find out what it exactly is that you need to do is satisfying. Try and get the game during a sale because the 13 euro price tag is just slightly steep compared to the amount of game time you get out of it. I am very much looking forward to the fourth game in the series which is called We Were Here Forever. I will eventually be playing this one too and will certainly be writing a review for that game as well in the future.

Score:

8,0

+  Visually pleasing
+ More challenging puzzles
+ Great audio and music
+ Great Co-op game
+ Chapter saving system

– Slightly short and bland story
– Puzzles can be unclear at certain times


News | Don't Starve Creators Announce Co-op Hack-and-Slasher Rotwood

Klei Entertainment, the developer of Don't Starve, has announced the cooperative hack-and-slasher Rotwood.

The game has only been announced for Steam for now and has no release date yet. In the game, players explore a maze-like forest with up to three friends.

During this adventure, players will encounter challenging enemies and can use the materials they collect in the home base to create new weapons and protection.


News | Futuristic farming in Lightyear Frontier

The unique farming game Lightyear Frontier was unveiled during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase.

The game from independent developers Frame Break and Amplifier Game Invest is set on a distant planet, where players can farm with futuristic tools in a large mech.

The game can be played by four players in online co-op. In addition, it is hinted in the trailer that the planet is hiding secrets, so the game may also contain an overarching story besides farm life. Still, the overall experience should be above all “peaceful”.

Lightyear Frontier is set to release sometime in Spring 2023 on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. The game will also be available on Game Pass from release.


News | Co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam announced

The co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam was unveiled yesterday.

The game is being developed by Cold Iron Studios, founded in 2015 in collaboration with 20th Century Games and logically uses the Alien IP.

Fireteam takes place 23 years after the original Alien trilogy. Players are a Colonial Marine aboard the USS Endeavor. One must respond to an emergency call from a colony on another planet. Player explore buildings, ruins and alien landscapes as they battle Xenomorphs.

There are four campaigns available, each of which can be completed by three players together. Also, the game can only be played with two computer-controlled teammates.

There are more than twenty different types of enemies. Players can choose from five classes for their character. The game should be released this summer on Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S and Xbox One.


Review | Warhammer: Chaosbane

Review | Warhammer: Chaosbane

Descend into dungeons, defeat monsters, collect loot. Yes, we have seen this before. But now it all takes place in the great Warhammer universe.

In Warhammer: Chaosbane you follow a story like many others: the world is once again threatened by chaos creatures and it needs you to save it. Nothing is more fun than hacking through hordes of enemies with skills that constantly grow in strength. Warhammer: Chaosbane knows how to evoke that feeling. Each of the four characters feels good to control and has skills that can be used in various tactical ways. Eko Software immediately  wants to make it clear that the role-playing side of the game is important. You choose from the Empire Soldier, High Elf Mage, Dwarf Slayer and Wood elf Scout classes.

The first thing you notice is that your character cannot move during his or her attacks. There is also no specific action to dodge attacks. Instead, plant your feet on the ground and fire your skills at the enemies. 

This may sound drowsy, but luckily it is not so bad when you unlock more skills. You receive skill points per level with which you can buy skills. The basic set is automatically unlocked, but you can gradually invest points to upgrade skills. And fortunately, those skills play very well. The Slayer has a fair amount of cool tricks in store, with some attacks costing rage points, while others feed his rage. This prevents you from constantly pressing the same button. More important are the cooldown times on special attacks, which you can only fire once in a while.

Then there’s the loot that you gradually collect. It is the standard procedure of picking up what enemies are dropping in the hope that it will yield better stats for your character. There is a shared treasure chest, so you can share your loot with other characters, you can sell them, craft them, and so on. What especially should make Chaosbane fun is the ability to play with others. There is a drop-in system where friends or strangers can accompany you in the search for better loot. 

If you still want more after the story, you can dive into Expeditions, Boss Rushes and Treasure Maps. The first and the last of these, place you in a randomly generated area to perform a certain mission, often with custom elements to increase the challenge. The Boss Rushes appealed to me the most, and need you to kill a certain boss again, but this time the boss will be stronger so it also drop better loot.

My first impression of Warhammer: Chaosbane is very positive. It is very easy to get into a flow of fighting, collecting and exploring. The Warhammer license mainly feels like a new package and does not change the experience.

Score:

8,0

Interface may be too small at several occasions
Not enough interaction with the environment

+ Good voice acting
Visual stunning environments
+ Addictive gameplay
More than enough content