Sunday, 04 June 2017 00:00

OPN DevLounge Monthly - June 2017

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Every month, the gaming industry releases over a hundred games on distribution platform such as Steam, and every month, the folks at OpNoobs look at each closely, to make a selection of what they believe are the Top 10 most significant releases.

OPN's DevLounge Monthly brings together industry professionals for a lively conversation on Twitch, to reflect upon the highlighted games of the month and bring insight on their significance for the indie gaming movement as a whole.

The OpNoobs organizers present each title and the studio behind them to a panel of game developers, after which they open the floor to commentaries. The conversation has a free-form format, therefore allowing for flexibility in topics approached, whether the focus lies on the game itself, its genre, competitors, and predecessors, or the studio, its creators, and developers.

THE PANEL

CHRISTOPHER NATSUUME
Creative Director and co-founder of Boomzap Entertainment
Website: http://www.boomzap.com/ 

Producer of the original Far Cry, Chris Natsuume has been actively working as a designer, producer, and director in the game industry since 1992, with credits on almost 50 games. Currently, Chris is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Boomzap Entertainment, one of the pioneers of the virtual studio environment (100% home-based and pants optional).

DAVE MILTON
Lead Developer, MyWorld Early Access, The Game Creators

Website: https://www.thegamecreators.com/ 

Enormous geek from a young age. Fell in love with games after playing The Secret of Monkey Island. Dave is a big fan of fantasy action adventure/rpg games such as Zelda, Demon/Dark Souls, but loves most games. He has been developing since a kid, but doing it as a job for 15 years now with The Game Creators who make game creation products. Claim to fame: Met Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook HQ when his Facebook game maker became a winner in their competition. Second claim to fame: Whitney Houston shouted hello at him once. He was also once on BBC Children in need for a few moments singing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" in a sponsored karaoke. He was not entirely sober at the time.

SHANE NEVILLE
Founder, Ninja Robot Dinosaur

Website: http://nrdland.com/

Shane Neville is a 20-year game industry veteran whose credits include hits such as Need for Speed, Company of Heroes and Shellrazer. Shane went indie in 2010, founding Ninja Robot Dinosaur, working solo or with small teams to make games that often feature ninjas, robots and/or dinosaurs. Shane's latest title is Bunker Punks, which is currently in Early Access on Steam, it doesn't have dinosaurs... yet. 

ANTON PUSTOVOYT
Lead Designer, Pixel Knight

Website: http://www.empathygame.org/

Anton, Russian born, now Sweden-based indie developer working in Unreal Engine. He does little bit of everything, from scripting and 3D to level and game design, and recently released, together with his team, an adventure game Empathy: Path of whispers. His passion is crafting enchanting atmospheres in game worlds, and when he's not in front of his desk he's usually on the road bike or out on a hike through the woods.

OPN TEAM

Frederic Brizzi, OpNoobs President
Ariyanna Moon, OpNoobs Twitch Crew

#10 -  TORMENTOR X PUNISHER

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME 

It's a real planet, look it up.

Everything in Tormentor X Punisher can be killed in one hit, including bosses and yourself. Bosses change the shape of the arena, conjuring rooms and traps to make it more hellish and brutal. Demons adjust to your play style and punish you accordingly. Explore and discover new ways of killing enemies to gain cool upgrades. Reload your machine gun by firing your shotgun. Yeah, you read that right.

Kill, destroy, fuck up demons, rack up combos, get upgrades by performing unique kills, and try to survive the constant onslaught. Oh, and look good to your friends by smashing their scores on the leaderboards.

DEVELOPED BY: E-STUDIO

#9 -  NEX MACHINA

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME 

Nex Machina is an intense arcade style twin-stick shooter from Housemarque. Taking hints from both Robotron and Smash TV, Nex Machina focuses on pure action, voxel destruction and competition in the distant, cablepunk themed future.

In the world of Nex Machina, humans have become so dependent on technology that they cannot avert their eyes from portable devices anymore. Around them, machines have reached consciusness and surpassed human intelligence tenfold. No reasons to be servants now – robots are clearly the superior lifeform. And to make their point, they start eradicating all human life...

Housemarque, the creators of Resogun, and Eugene Jarvis invite you on a trip back to the age of arcades and play Nex Machina, the twinstick shooter of this generation. Destroy the evil robots, free the humans and defeat your friends' high scores along with their dreams of success. Do you have what it takes to make it to the top?

DEVELOPED BY: HOUSEMARQUE: “KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES”

Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Housemarque is a game developer working on console and PC. True to our core gamer audience, we prioritize stratified gameplay mechanics and impeccable audiovisual execution to create euphoric gaming experiences.

Housemarque was co-founded in 1995 by Harri Tikkanen and Ilari Kuittinen. Prior to joining forces, Harri and Ilari founded two of Finland’s first game development studios – Bloodhouse and Terramarque.

Today, Housemarque is one of the most experienced and well-known developers of downloadable games for console platforms, with a successful track record spanning 20+ years.

#8 -  HOT PLATES

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME

Discover the future world of cooking! The chef of the Hot Plates space-restaurant needs to know all about management and how to satisfy his customers personal taste. Organize your kitchen and earn prestige in space. This way more different customers will enjoy your cooking and help you rise to be the best cook in the galaxy.

Hot Plates offers swift gameplay, which rocks the world of creating foods. There is a key to all challenges. The customer likes spicy foods? No Problem! The meats are too chewy? We're up to change that! No matter which race, there is something for whoever may come!

There is lots of equipment to discover for an eager cook who is willing to satisfy all customers wishes. The happier the guests, the more money to earn. The hard earned credits make it possible to buy ingredients or machines for the upcoming days.

Only the best of 'em all will be able to open the restaurant for the most supreme races in space. Only with careful cultivation, organisation and a precise hand while preparing meals you'll be able to obtain a ten-star-restaurant, a restaurant, which was never seen before!

DEVELOPED BY: BLUEBOX INTERACTIVE, ROJARL ENTERTAINMENT

#7 -  SHOOTOUT ON CASH ISLAND EARLY ACCESS

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME

Bobby from Team has a job to locate and secure the legendary Money Tree, but as it always happens in this kind of nonsense stories - he's not the only one looking for it.

Use guns, helmets, grenades and jetpacks to find and collect the map pieces placed in the empty jam jars around the island.

Shootout in Cash Island it's an absurd action platformer and also a side story to HOT GUNS game.

DEVELOPED BY: QUANTIZED BIT

#6 -  MICRO MACHINES WORLD SERIES

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME

The legend is back! Micro Machines World Series combines the thrilling madness of racing micro vehicles with epic team battle strategies, set against the extraordinary interactive backdrops of the everyday home! Grab your NERF blaster, try to avoid the jam, and unleash miniature multiplayer mayhem onto the world!

LEGENDARY LOCATIONS: Featuring the iconic kitchen and pool table tracks amongst others, plus all-new locations and arenas such as the garden and workshop, Micro Machines World Series features 10 Race Tracks and 15 Battle Arenas!

COOL INTERACTIVE PLAY-SETS: Teleporters, catapults, giant fans, etc add even more fun and will ensure no two races are the same!

CUSTOMISABLE VEHICLE CAST: An array of amazing miniature vehicles, each with its own unique load-out of weapons and abilities plus a massive range of customization options!

OFFICIAL HASBRO LICENSES: Featuring NERF, G.I. JOE, HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS and OUIJA

CLASSIC MINIATURE RACING: Micro Machines racing for the purists, including Elimination mode! Huge variety of weapons, interactive tracks, unique skins, and kill markers to earn!

ALL-NEW BATTLE MODES: Up to 12 players in huge arenas, multiple modes that proves that a single takedown is just as satisfying as winning a race!

TEAM-PLAY: Game-changing synergies as you join together to take on the rest!

ONLINE & OFFLINE MULTIPLAYER: Featuring leaderboards, regular challenges/competitions, seasons, playlists, multiple divisons, etc!

DEVELOPED BY: CODEMASTERS

Founded in 1986 Codemasters has been one of the UK’s most successful games developers for 3 decades- creating classic titles including Dizzy, Micro Machines, Brian Lara Cricket, TOCA, Colin McRae Rally, LMA Manager and Operation Flashpoint. 400 employees enjoy the state of their art facilities within 43 acres of land. The HQ also houses the teams that create titles including the DiRT franchise, and is home to their Central Technology team who mastermind their proprietary EGO racing engine.

Their studio in Birmingham develops games across all platforms including the award winning Formula One series. They also have a studio in Runcorn, Cheshire which houses the Evolutions Studios with Driveclub and Motorstorm. Outside of Europe, they have teams in Malaysia and India supporting all their development groups in Art and QA.

#5 -  THE GOLF CLUB 2

Official Website

ABOUT THE GAME

Rise to fame and fortune in the largest, most dynamic golf game ever created. Assemble and join online Societies with friends, compete in tournaments, and earn money to climb the ranks in golf’s largest gaming community.

The Golf Club 2 offers a dynamic, single-player Career mode, infinite hours of interactive golfing with online opponents, a new and improved course creator, cutting-edge swing mechanics, and a host of brand new, lush environments – all blending together seamlessly to create your dream golfing experience.

-KEY GAME FEATURES-

Become a Pro in Career mode.

Progress through a custom or pre-designed season by winning games and upgrading your clothing and gear, facing more difficult competition as you go.

Take your Society to the Top.

Create or join multiple online Societies and challenge other clubhouses in tournaments to earn money and climb the ranks, constantly representing your team in every game you play.

Improve your Game.

Play 100,000+ user-generated courses (from The Golf Club and The Golf Club 2) to test and improve your skills, plus compete in full seasons and major tournaments, either solo or with your golf Society.

Create Dynamic Golf Courses.

Build any golf course you can imagine with the largest collection of props, tools, water features, bridges, vehicles, crowds, and more!

Enhanced Swing Mechanic.

Perfect your stroke with the new Tempo swing, allowing for more control and a greater payoff with each shot.

DEVELOPED BY: HB STUDIOS

HB Studios creates award-winning video games from our independent studio in Nova Scotia. We are a team of developers, creators and fans who are passionate about the art and process involved in video game development. Across consoles, mobile devices and genres, we have a diverse team that has had hands-on experience in the creation and development of today’s biggest gaming titles and franchises. We work out of a studio in picturesque Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It’s not big, but it’s vibrant, creative and it lets us get down to what really matters – producing high-quality video games that outperform competitors and create the most authentic gaming experiences around. In 2016, we also opened a second development studio in the nearby city of Halifax, to help with growth and expansion. Since launching in 2000, we’ve shipped 47 titles that have sold over 27 million units, and we’ve contributed to 19 other titles.

#4 -  DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME 

Komaru Naegi, little sister to Makoto Naegi, has been imprisoned inside a mysterious apartment for over a year. One day, she is rescued by Byakuya Togami of Future Foundation, but the rescue is derailed by a sudden attack of hundreds of Monokumas. Komaru soon discovers that the city has been taken over by a group of children calling themselves the Warriors of Hope. Their leader, Monaca, declares that the city will be the site of a “children's paradise,” and to accomplish this, all the adults will be exterminated. Komaru teams up with Toko Fukawa to try to survive the rampaging Monokumas, escape the crafty Monokuma Kids, and uncover the secrets of the city.

Key Features: Third Person Shooter Action Sequences: Use Future Foundation's Hacking Gun to have a fighting chance against the hordes of Monokumasas you traverse Towa City.

Riddles and Puzzles: The MonokumaKids will challenge more than just your trigger finger; you'll need your smarts to survive as well. There's a lot to discover in the city, with a number of familiar faces and mysteries to unravel!

Tons of Different Types of Ammo: Tackle challenges with multiple kinds of Truth Bullets, such as Paralyze and Link. Upgrade your firepower with special Bling Bullet modifiers.

Steam Features: Supports Steam Achievements and Steam Cloud with plans to add Steam Trading Cards

DEVELOPED BY: SPIKE CHUNSOFT CO., LTD. 

Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game development and localization company specializing in role-playing video game and visual novels. The company was founded in 1984 as Chunsoft Co., Ltd and is the result of a 2012 merger with Spike. It is owned by Dwango. The company was founded by Koichi Nakamura, a video game designer and programmer who had clasped with Enix. The "Chun" in the company name, is from the company founder name's first kanji Naka (中), meanwhile Naka is read as "Chun" in Japanese Mahjong. Spike Chunsoft is the creator of the Mystery Dungeon series, the first five installments of the Dragon Quest series of role-playing video games, and the graphic adventure game series Sound Novels, Danganronpa, and Zero Escape.

#3 -  DIRT 4

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME

Motorsport by its very nature is dangerous. DiRT 4 is all about embracing that danger. It’s about the thrill, exhilaration and adrenaline that is absolutely vital to off-road racing. And more than that, it’s about loving that feeling. It’s about pushing flat out next to a sheer cliff drop. Going for the gap that’s slightly too small. Seeing how much air you can get in a truck. They call it ‘being fearless’.

DiRT 4 also features a game-changing system called Your Stage; an innovative rally route creation tool that allows you to produce an almost-infinite number of unique stages at the press of a button. You choose your location and set the route parameters, then Your Stage does the hard work to create a unique rally stage that you can race, share with your friends and then challenge them to beat your time. Your Stage allows experienced rally players to create longer, more technical routes, whilst newcomers can create simpler shorter routes as they hone their skills.

With DiRT 4, Codemasters have sought to combine the levels of thrill and realism from last year’s DiRT Rally with the fearless excitement, accessibility and adrenaline-fuelled races previously seen in its critically acclaimed prequels DiRT 2 and DiRT 3.

Featuring classic rally racing that continues to build on the foundations set by the Colin McRae Rally games, the bruising contests from the official FIA World Rallycross Championship, the crazy battles of racing trucks and buggies, and the outrageous fun of open events in Joyride, players will face challenges from locations that span three continents.

DEVELOPED BY: CODEMASTERS

#2 -  FINAL FANTASY XIV: STORMBLOOD

Official Website

EXPANSION FEATURES

New adventures in Ala Mhigo and Doma
Play as two new jobs─red mage and samurai
New exploration with swimming and diving
Level cap increase from 60 to 70
Changes to the battle system
Journey to the Far Eastern city of Kugane
Explore Gyr Abania, the Ruby Sea, Yanxia, and the Azim Steppe
New primals and beastmen: Lakshmi and the Ananta, Susano and the Kojin
New dungeons
A new 8-man raid: Interdimensional Rift─Omega
A new alliance raid: Return to Ivalice
The Forbidden Land of Eureka
New gear and crafting recipes
A new residential district: Shirogane
Expanded item inventory

DEVELOPED BY: SQUARE ENIX

Square Enix is a Japanese video game developer, publisher, and distribution company that is best known for its role-playing video game franchises, which include Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. Several of its franchises have sold over 10 million copies, with the Final Fantasy franchise selling over 115 million, and the company as a whole made over ¥150 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2014. The Square Enix headquarters are in the Shinjuku Eastside Square Building in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and the company employs over 3800 employees worldwide.

#1 -  TEKKEN 7

View on Steam

ABOUT THE GAME

Discover the epic conclusion of the Mishima clan and unravel the reasons behind each step of their ceaseless fight. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, TEKKEN 7 features stunning story-driven cinematic battles and intense duels that can be enjoyed with friends and rivals alike through innovative fight mechanics.

Love, Revenge, Pride. Everyone has a reason to fight. Values are what define us and make us human, regardless of our strengths and weaknesses. There are no wrong motivations, just the path we choose to take.

Expand your fighter's journey by purchasing the Tekken 7 Season Pass separately and gain access to stunning additional content.

DEVELOPED BY: BANDAI NAMCO STUDIOS INC.

Bandai Namco is an arcade, mobile and home video game publisher, based in Japan. The company also publishes video, music and other entertainment products related to its video game IPs. It is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. In addition to its core publisher operations in Japan, Bandai Namco Games publishes content worldwide through different entities. The company has its headquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

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Fred Brizzi

Fred is our loyal but certainly most undeserving Founder, President, & CEO (he’s just a big jerk). He started gaming with Alex Kidd on the Sega Master System and was brought by ID Software to the PC back in 1993, that glorious day DOOM hit the shelves. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and handsome boys, playing international relations by day but games by night. His aspirations, you ask? To leave the elephants and the donkeys at their zoo, strap himself down for the magic carpet ride, and ride the bustling escapade that is PC gaming 100% of the time. In fact, when he's not working for OpNoobs, he's apologizing to his wife for OpNoobs. Fred also coined the expression “Consoles? Glorified Netflix players.” He really wanted us to put that in too. He’s like very proud of that.

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