Publisher Nighthawk Interactive has delayed the physical retail edition of Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack for PlayStation 4 from its April 28 release date in the west due to complications involving the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Due to the ongoing business restrictions and store closures related to the COVID-19 shutdowns, the physical retail version of Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack for PS4 will be delayed,” Nighthawk Interactive said on Twitter. “We appreciate your support and hope you and your loved ones stay safe.”
While a new release date has not been announced, retailers such as GameStop and Amazon are now listing a June 30 release date.
The digital version of Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack for PlayStation 4 will still launch worldwide on April 23. The Japanese physical edition is also still planned for release alongside the digital edition—however, the previously planned launch event will no longer be held.
Here is an overview of the game, via Nighthawk Interactive:
“Previously only available on Nintendo platforms, the two-in-one package features popular classics Azure Striker Gunvolt and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, now with faster frame rates and a new vocal track created specifically for the PlayStation 4 release. Fans can also explore the entire catalog of downloadable content, which comes pre-loaded in the pack and introduces extra stages, bosses, bonus modes, and songs.
From developer Inti Creates and publisher Nighthawk Interactive, the Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack offers lots of new features, including an exhilarating 60 frames per second upgrade, striking high-resolution event graphics, and an exclusive new vocal track, injecting these supercharged side-scrollers with a renewed vitality.
This critically acclaimed series has intuitive controls, memorable characters, and shockingly epic boss battles. Play as Gunvolt, zipping and zapping your way through levels and skill trials by tagging enemies with your weapon, then shocking them into oblivion. In Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, enjoy the game in an entirely new way with the addition of Gunvolt’s rival Copen as a playable character. Playing as Copen, you can dash through the air, slam into enemies, and unleash devastating homing shots to make short work of your foes.
In the Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack, players will:
- Experience the fast-paced gameplay in seamless 60 frames per second.
- Enjoy all the downloadable content from the original versions, fighting through extra stages, bosses, and bonus modes, all while rocking out to new songs.
- Jam along to over 20 pop vocal tracks, including a new track made exclusively for the PlayStation 4 release.
- Get lost in the story with high resolution event graphics and in-game text, so the characters look better than ever.
- Journey through the levels and peruse menus on the new, intuitive screen layout.”
Developer Visualnoveler announced it will release fantasy action RPG Eternal Radiance for PC via Steam Early Access on April 14.
The Early Access version will present three story chapters with an estimated total play time of eight to 12 hours. The full game, which is planned for release across PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC, will feature 11 story chapters.
Here is an synopsis of the game, from Visualnoveler:
“About
Inspired by classic action JRPGs, Eternal Radiance is an action role-playing game about a squire named Celeste who begins a journey to prove herself worthy of becoming a true knight. Her quest takes her far from her home, across the continent in pursuit of a thief whose actions stem from a sinister plot.
Its character-driven plot focuses on the interactions between Celeste and her companions as they hunt down the thief. Our goal is to make the game lighthearted and humorous, yet still tell a compelling story.
Eternal Radiance features an exciting and fast-paced action combat system, and Celeste’s fighting style can be customized to suit your playstyle with a talent tree and upgrade system.
Key Features
Character-Driven Story – As Celeste travels across the continent with her companions Valana and Ruby, they’ll learn more about the world and its history, as well as a sinister plot about to unfold.
Exciting, Dynamic Battles – Take on a variety of enemies with an exciting action combat system. Plan your battles, unleash special attacks, and devastate your foes.
Beautiful, Mysterious World – Explore fields, towns, and dungeons across a strange world still haunted by its elusive past.
Customization – Use an expansive talent tree to customize Celeste’s fighting style.
Quests – In addition to the main story, side quests and optional activities allow you to further explore the world and characters of Eternal Radiance. Dig deeper into the lore, help the people you meet, and join your party members as they resolve their personal struggles.
Party Interactions – The three main characters learn and change throughout their journey and humorous banter fills their interactions as they come to know each other. Optional conversations add greater depth to their friendship.
Enchanting – Upgrade your gear and boost your skills by enchanting them with magical relics.
Developer Inti Creates announced it will release a PC version of Dragon Marked for Death via Steam alongside the previously announced 3.0.0 update for Switch on April 21 for $39.99. The PC version will ship with the 3.0.0 update and users who purchase it by May 4 will receive the “Striker Gear” downloadable content.
Dragon Marked for Death first launched for Switch in January 2019. According to Inti Creates, sales for the Switch version have surpassed 120,000 units.
Here is an synopsis of the game, from its Steam page:
“Dragon Marked For Death is a side-scrolling 2D action RPG that can played solo or with up to four players in online multiplayer.
You play as the survivors of the Dragonblood Clan who set out to take revenge on the Kingdom of Medius, who destroyed their home and captured the Dragonblood Oracle, Amica. To obtain the power they need to enact their revenge, they forge a pact with the Astral Dragon Atruum.
Use your newly acquired powers to take on quests from villagers and raise your status in the kingdom. How you perform in these quests can have a direct effect on the game’s final outcome.
Quests aren’t all about defeating enemies, though. You’ll guard a ship’s passengers from monsters, search for hidden treasure, rescue a princess from a castle under siege, and a lot more!
Choose from four playable characters (Empress, Warrior, Shinobi, or Witch) and defeat your enemies to gain experience and level up. You’ll receive points as you level up that can increase your attack power, defense, agility, and other parameters. Customize your character in a way that best suits your individual playstyle!
Get ready to experience the unique, dark fantasy world of the Dragonblood Clan in this intense 2D action RPG!”
Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed the official controller for PlayStation 5 titled DualSense.
“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan in a statement. “The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games—continuing our mission at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future. To the PlayStation community, I truly want to thank you for sharing this exciting journey with us as we head toward PS5’s launch in holiday 2020. We look forward to sharing more information about PS5, including the console design, in the coming months.”
Here is a full overview of the controller, from Sony Interactive platform planning and management senior vice president Hideaki Nishino on the PlayStation Blog:
“When PS4 launched in 2013, the DualShock 4 wireless controller garnered a lot of positive feedback from gamers and developers for being the best PlayStation controller yet, and for introducing forward-looking features like the Share button. This brought us to the next question—how do we build upon that success?
After thoughtful consideration, we decided to keep much of what gamers love about DualShock 4 intact, while also adding new functionality and refining the design. Based on our discussions with developers, we concluded that the sense of touch within gameplay, much like audio, hasn’t been a big focus for many games. We had a great opportunity with PS5 to innovate by offering game creators the ability to explore how they can heighten that feeling of immersion through our new controller. This is why we adopted haptic feedback, which adds a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud. We also incorporated adaptive triggers into the L2 and R2 buttons of DualSense so you can truly feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow.
This provided us with an exciting challenge to design a new controller that builds off of the current generation, while taking into account the new features we were adding. For example, with adaptive triggers, we had to consider how the components would fit into the hardware, without giving it a bulky feeling. Our design team worked closely with our hardware engineers to place the triggers and actuators. The designers were then able to draw the lines of how the exterior of the controller would look and feel, with a challenge of making the controller feel smaller than it really looks. In the end, we changed the angle of the hand triggers and also made some subtle updates to the grip. We also took thoughtful consideration into ways to maintain a strong battery life for DualSense’s rechargeable battery, and to lessen the weight of the controller as much as possible as new features were added.
For the buttons, you’ll notice there is no longer a “Share” button as we had with DualShock 4. Don’t worry—it’s not going away. In fact, we’ve built upon the success of our industry-first Share button to bring you a new “Create” button feature. With Create, we’re once again pioneering new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world, or just to enjoy for themselves. We’ll have more details on this feature as we get closer to launch.
DualSense also adds a built-in microphone array, which will enable players to easily chat with friends without a headset—ideal for jumping into a quick conversation. But of course, if you are planning to chat for a longer period, it’s good to have that headset handy.
Now, let’s talk about the colors. Traditionally our base controllers have a single color. As you can see, we went a different direction this time around, and decided on a two-toned design. Additionally, we changed the position of the light bar that will give it an extra pop. On DualShock 4, it sat on the top of the controller; now it sits at each side of the touch pad, giving it a slightly larger look and feel.
In all, we went through several concepts and hundreds of mockups over the last few years before we settled on this final design. DualSense has been tested by a wide range of gamers with a variety of hand sizes, in order for us to achieve the comfort level we wanted, with great ergonomics. Our goal with DualSense is to give gamers the feeling of being transported into the game world as soon as they open the box. We want gamers to feel like the controller is an extension of themselves when they’re playing—so much so that they forget that it’s even in their hands!”
Publisher Raw Fury and developer Bird Bath Games announced on the latest episode of Inside Xbox that Atomicrops will launch for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on May 28 alongside its full release on PC via the Epic Games Store.
All content and improvements added to the PC version of the game during early access will be available on consoles on day one, including a major update that includes two new spouses, new mushroom power-ups, and a total of 10 difficulty tiers with score multipliers.
Here is an overview of the game, from Raw Fury:
About
“You own the last farm in the post-apocalypse wasteland, inherited from your late grandfather’s will mere moments before the surrounding countryside gets vaporized in a nuclear blast. Now as the only source of food for the local town, and constantly under threat from the local mutant wildlife, you do as any self-respecting farmer would: Farm. Marry. Kill.
Atomicrops is an action roguelite farming simulator. Armed with your hoe, a watering pail, and a fully automatic weapon, you must grow ultra-GMO crops to feed the local town… and make a hefty profit. Defend your land from the mutant pests and bandits that invade nightly to ravage your fields. Court and wed townsfolk to fight and farm by your side. Gather upgrades to increase yields, profit and power. Befriend the local wildlife to help with the chores.
Key Features
Farm – Grow mutant crops and reap a bountiful harvest to sustain humanity… and make a huge profit.
Marry – Woo and marry a kindred spirit from the local town to fight and farm alongside you.
Kill – Fight bizarre post-nuclear pests starving for a piece of your crops at night. Hunt and forage in dangerous surrounding biomes for seeds and loot during the day. Turn your enemies into fertilizer to increase your crops quality”.
Microsoft announced during the latest episode of Inside Xbox that Journey to the Savage Planet, Alvastia Chronicles, and more are coming to Xbox Game Pass in April.
Details Below:
“Xbox Game Pass Console
NieR: Automata Become as Gods Edition (available now) – Invaders from another world attack without warning—unleashing the machine lifeforms. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad. Highly-acclaimed and award-winning NieR: Automata is a fresh take on the action role-playing game (RPG) genre that gracefully blends mesmerizing action with a captivating story.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service (available now) – Buckle up your back brace and fire up the delivery truck, it’s time to deliver! Join up to three of your friends and haphazardly get the job done in an interactive sandbox world. Delivery attempted, that’s a Totally Reliable Delivery Service guarantee!
Alvastia Chronicles (April 9) – Set out on an adventure in a retro-styled world in this RPG with over 100 companions! Two siblings Alan and Elmia start their journey to avenge their parents’ deaths as they fight to stem the tide of monsters flooding into the world and restore peace to Alvastia. Engage in heated turn-based battles with up to 13 party members. Weapon upgrades, a battle arena, and quests are only the beginning of what this Kemo RPG has to offer!
Journey to the Savage Planet (April 9) – Welcome to the Pioneer Program! In this upbeat and colorful first-person adventure game you play as the newest recruit to Kindred Aerospace, which proudly touts its rating as the 4th Best Interstellar Exploration Company. Dropped onto an uncharted planet with little equipment and no real plan, you must explore, catalog alien flora and fauna and determine if this planet is fit for human habitation. Onward to adventure! Good luck – and mind the goo!
Yakuza: Kiwami (coming soon) – Just announced on Inside Xbox, Yakuza Kiwami is coming soon to Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows 10. Players will soon have a chance to see where the legendary Yakuza series all began, in this ground-up remake of 2005’s Yakuza.
Xbox Game Pass for PC
Overcooked! 2 (available now) – Overcooked! returns with a brand-new helping of chaotic cooking action! Journey back to the Onion Kingdom and assemble your team of chefs in classic couch co-op or online play for up to four players. Hold onto your aprons … it’s time to save the world (again!)
Football Manager 2020 (coming soon) – Every decision counts. With new features and polished game mechanics which reward long-term planning and progression like never before, empower managers to develop both your club’s culture and your youth team’s prospects, as well as your own unique managerial identity.
Alvastia Chronicles (coming soon) – Engage in heated turn-based battles, upgrade your weapons, fight in a battle arena, and embark on epic quests in this retro-styled JRPG. Guide siblings Alan and Elmia as they start their journey to avenge their parents’ deaths, fighting to stem the tide of monsters flooding into the world, and restore peace to Alvastia.
Mistover (Coming Soon): A ”Mist-ical’ RPG with expeditions for finding the key to survival. Choose your next step wisely and keep in mind that your every move will change the future. Create your own ‘Corps’ and explore through various regions in the Pillar of Despair: forests, lakes, mountains, cities, cathedrals, castles, and much more.
Stranger Things 3: The Game (coming soon) – The official companion game to Season 3 of the hit original series! Play through familiar events from the series while also uncovering never-before-seen quests, character interactions, and secrets! This adventure game blends a distinctively retro art style with modern gameplay mechanics to deliver nostalgic fun with a fresh new twist.
Yakuza: Kiwami (Coming Soon)-Just announced on Inside Xbox, Yakuza Kiwami is coming soon to Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows 10. Players will soon have a chance to see where the legendary Yakuza series all began, in this ground-up remake of 2005’s Yakuza.”
The following titles were also announced as leaving Xbox Game Pass on April 15:
Xbox Game Pass for Console
- The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
- Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
- MX vs ATV Reflex
- Prey
- Samurai Showdown II
Xbox Game Pass for PC
- Fez
- Into the Breach
- Prey
- Valkyria Chronicles
Microsoft also announced that Xbox Game Pass will be expanding to Korea and Japan on April 14. Xbox Game Pass for PC will launch in beta in Korea and will be included as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefits, which is already available in the region, while all Xbox Game Pass services for console and PC will come to Japan for the first time.
Watch a video message from head of Xbox Phil Spencer, as well as a trailer for Yakuza: Kiwami, below.
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