The game is out now, free to play, on Google Play for android, and the App Store for iPhone / iPad.

The DC Universe Needs You! A mysterious pulse has stripped away all superpowers throughout the world. Heroes and Villains are forced to team up in a shaky alliance to fight for their survival against the Quintessence of Evil in this all-new Puzzle RPG game! Download DC Heroes & Villains and assemble the ultimate super team to save the world from a galactic threat!

DC Entertainment

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The new Animal Crossing Direct just aired and comes packed with new details, including a surprise update on NSO + Expansion Pass.

First, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass service, announced at the last direct, will provide an extension to the standard retro library with N64 and Sega Genesis games. The pass launches on October 25, 2021.

Individuals will pay $49.99. This is a $30 increase.

The family plan will go from $34.99 to $79.99.

The sting of the price isn’t as bad if you’re sharing a family plan with a full count of 7 paying members, as even $11.5 a year is relatively little compared to other online subscription services. Six to seven more dollars for N64 and Sega Genesis games? Mostly feasible.

But $30 for individual plans is a truly bitter pill.

At least you’ll be able to wash it down with the Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise DLC. This $25 addition to the base game is included with the NSO + Expansion Pass service.

The reveal did not make it clear, so I followed up with a Customer Service representative from Nintendo. Do we lose access to the DLC if our subscription lapses? Yes. But what will happen to our island if we suddenly lose access to the DLC?

Per the representative, any items earned will remain in our inventory and on our islands. In addition, any DLC items we gifted to friends will be unaffected (even if they don’t have the DLC). We will only lose access to the DLC area.

As for the Animal Crossing DLC itself, the free goodies and paid Happy Home Paradise ($25) expansion both release on November 5, 2021.

The free update includes such treats as the Roost Cafe; permanent shop locations for Skunks, Redd, and newcomers on Harvey’s Island; Kapp’n’s return; new KK songs; 11 new hairstyles; new furniture, DIY, and Nook items; cooking; ceiling-hanging decor; new home exteriors; and so much more.

Happy Home Paradise adds an entire vacation-home designing element to the game. Basically, it’s Happy Home Designer in Animal Crossing New Horizons. Seeing as I enjoyed Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the 3DS, this is only good news for me! Included are wall partitions, counters, pillars, and more that you can bring back to your island. You’ll even be able to customize your neighbors’ homes back on your mainland!

Check out the direct itself to see more, and find out whether or not you’ll be sucked into daily chores, stretching exercises, and cafe visits when both free and paid updates launch on November 5, 2021.

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Once More…

30XX is a sequel to 20XX from 2014, and you can tell the gang at Batterystaple have done their homework. The visuals are spot on! If I hadn’t seen the loading screen when I began the game, I could have been misled to think I was playing a new Mega Man game. That really spoke to me. I could get down on them for being derivative, but the truth is, this is the first game – in a long time – that I’ve willingly played through multiple times, racked up collectibles and wanted to see just how far I could push myself. Now I’m no speed-runner, but I have certainly tried! It doesn’t always work out well for this gamer.

Design

The level design is impressively varied, even at the early stage of my review. Six of Eight levels were unlocked, and the themes could not have varied more. Futuristic aviary to Eastern Jungles, and even some flying priests made sure that my progression was not an easy one.

I find myself watching the update notices to see what has changed, which is unusual. I have seen full level redesigns, each level has a ‘bonus zone’ which gives you an optional track for an extra core augmentation or weapon. For the pet lovers, I’ve even seen an in-game pet receive an interact option.

My best laugh however, was in the second level. I had high enough jumping skills and health that I could explore a bit of the harder to reach areas. So I got past the spikes on the wall, and continued to scale – only to receive on-screen comments of ‘Go Back’, ‘Turn Around’ and ‘The Boss Is Down There’. I couldn’t help myself but laugh as I let go of the jump button and plummeted back to the regular course.

The one enemy that is typical across the levels is a color-swapped bat-like creature, which feels a bit repetitive. Not terribly, just that I will be curious to see if they swap them out as they finalize the other levels.

Options

One nice detail in 30XX is that you can pause and swap out which cores you have activated in your suit. Maybe your double jump isn’t helping here, and you want to activate a hover jump. A quick switch can make a world of difference in the game. How about the weapon you’ve got? The blade may be nice, but a long-reaching polearm can be quite helpful in the right situations. I’ve found a few weapons, and am curious to see what else is available.

So, you’ve gone through the game, beat your share of bosses, and starting to see what else you can pull off. The designers had you in mind for this. There is an entropy section for just such occasion. Did you receive too many powerups? You can turn those down. Were the enemies or bosses too easy to beat? You can spend points to turn these details up to your liking. No one ever said the game had to be easy!

Final Thoughts

I admit I had my reservations when this game through, but once I got into it, and got a feel for the gameplay, which didn’t take long, I was hooked. I really can’t wait to see what the remaining levels look like, how they play, and what sort of wacky bosses they still have in store. If you’re one who’s on the fence about 30XX, let me put any hesitation to rest: this is a game you want to grab!

The post 30XX (PC) Review appeared first on BrutalGamer.

Take a listen below or find us on iTunes.

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Gather ’round as Erich, Rick and Jason go into all the news we missed, including Warhammer: Chaosbane, the Crash Team Racing remake and much more. Erich delves into his Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics review, and Jason delivers a jam-packed comic rack.

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Zombies, Monsters, and Reanimates

Noticeably absent from August was a stellar new AAA title. But the surprising quality of indie titles like Graveyard Keeper, Death’s Gambit, and Dead Cells kept us incredibly entertained during the lapse. PC players made off last month like kings, with the excellent Monster Hunter: World and Yakuza 0 ported to Steam.

As we kick off the dust of August, tick these three titles to your wish list.

August’s Game of the Month: #1 – Dead Cells

From Jason’s review:

While things are pixely, the effect work at play is flat out gorgeous. Developer Motion Twin has crafted a world that’s a dream to look at and play through. While you won’t find any of modern gaming’s shock and awe moments here, Dead Cells is about as good looking as it can possibly be… [The] game has a tremendous sense of progression, and always makes you feel as though you’re making headway, even when you restart. Again, there’s some kind of magic baked into this one. It really is that good, and I feel like I can say with some certainty that anyone who is into side-scrolling Metroidvanias will at least find something to like here.
Our score: 92%

#2 – Monster Hunter: World (PC)

PC players finally got to realize the gorgeous, GPU-hungry beast with Monster Hunter: World’s long-anticipated platform port. No game in 2018 had quite the splash Monster Hunter: World has had on the industry landscape. The highly-niche but beloved Japanese franchise took the gaming world by storm with its console release back in January and retained a popular fandom throughout the year. It came at an opportune time – when Destiny 2 players were fed up with the changes Bungie’s team was making behind the scenes, Monster Hunter: World filled the gap players needed for an action-packed grind. Now, with an excellent – if highly demanding – PC release, there’s a definitive hunting experience for most modern gamers.

Switch owners, don’t worry. You can get your own monster hunting experience with Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

#3 – Telltale’s The Walking Dead: The Final Season Ep. 1

The series that catapulted Telltale to fame began its final chapter with Telltale’s The Walking Dead: The Final Season. This season, a much older Clementine faces the true horrors of the world she inhabits, having lived through countless tragedies. Her survival skills are put to the test with a new group of survivors, as she comes to realize something’s not quite right in her new group.

Episode 1 was an incredibly emotional ride. With Clementine now taking care of the young AJ much like Lee did for her, the series may be ending much like it began. This season should focus on the consequences an apocalyptic world would have on childhood development. The subject matter of the first episode sparked some of the studio’s best storytelling work and left us chomping for more in the next episodic installment.

Those were August’s stand-out titles – but are you interested in the month ahead? Check out September’s release schedule here.

The post Brutal Gamer’s Game Of The Month For August 2018 Is Dead Cells appeared first on BrutalGamer.

LEGO Hogwarts

I feel like it’s probably a missed opportunity that Warner Bros didn’t call this the Hogwarts Collection. Nevertheless, the LEGO Harry Potter Collection sounds like it should make fans of Rowling’s World happy. Especially if you’ve missed out on either of these adventures previously.

The collection includes both LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, which makes for a full set of Potter.

Years 1-4 includes:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Years 5-7 includes:

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2

Additionally, you’ll find a pair of previously released DLC packs in the collection. Those include a character pack that adds more Potter-versers to your game and a “Spell Pack”. The character additions include “Godric Gryffindor, Harry (Yule Ball), Helga Hufflepuff, Lockhart (Straightjacket), Luna (Lion Head), Peeves, Hermione (Pink Dress), Ron Weasley (Ghoul), Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin”.

As for that Spell Pack, that will offer “Cantis, Densaugeo, Ducklifors, Melofors and Tentaclifors.” So there’s a good deal of bang for your spell-casting buck here.

The LEGO Harry Potter Collection hits the Xbox One and Switch just in time for Halloween, on October 30th.

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Happy is the Country with no past, according to the citizenry of We Happy Few. For a nation’s sins make forgetting history the only acceptable way to move forward.

After a hopeless disparity engulfed a collapsing British Empire, individuals with callous dispositions concluded that repressing the populace was the only way for life to continue on for the Isle.

As a result of their collective villainy,  an engrossing story full of depth, mystery, and utterly heart-breaking moments await in the fantastical world of Wellington Wells. Hence if you’re ready to become absorbed in a drug-fuelled Orwellian dystopia, few games nail the aesthetic like We Happy Few.

Big Brother

We Happy Few tells the tale of a scrounging British society, consequently parsed towards a police state after surrendering in World War II. Told from the viewpoint of three unique protagonists, the narrative forms a rather cohesive picture of life in this crumbling society. First and foremost is Arthur Hastings, a former journalist on a guilt-riddled quest for redemption.

You’ll then play as Sally Boyle, a sly chemist with ruthless ambition tempered by self-doubt. And last but not least there’s the bombastic Oliver “Ollie” Starking, a former sergeant haunted by his dead daughter’s ghost. From the famous to the homeless, each of these three embodies a caste in the brutal brotherhood of Wellington Wells.

Immediately at the onset, you’re introduced to the conformist societal expectations the characters have to endure. Redacting depressing past articles, listening to Uncle Jack, and conforming to propriety form the basis of daily life for the first protagonist Arthur Hastings.

What’s immediately noticeable is how blissfully repressed Arthur’s acquaintances are in the world. Contrary to Arthur’s awakened mind, joy is the only acceptable emotion for the existence of well-to-do Wellies. For reacting with anything other than a permanent smile turns fellow citizens to outcasts. They’re then beaten, chastised, and forced out of town as Downers, no longer taking the reality-distorting drug Joy.

Thus begins an emotional narrative full of psychedelic scenarios, crazed interlopers, and introspective philosophy about the nature of happiness. After a series of close calls, each of the protagonists learns how close Wellington Wells is to facing a major catastrophe. But Arthur, Sally, and Ollie aren’t heroes in this tale. They’re mere survivors, trying to escape the hellishly debaucherous state to find greener pastures. To that end, you’ll explore, sneak, and fight your way out of trouble.

Surviving The Districts

Life in Wellington Wells facades beauty – belied by drug-induced ignorance, crumbling city infrastructure, and a power-mad leadership caste.  Citizens are required by law to take a hallucinogenic drug called Joy, a memory-altering pharmaceutical that paints a rosy picture of their repressed lives.

Consequently, after years of an “everything is fine” mantra, the flaws that threaten to engulf the state have reached a breaking point. All three protagonists come to that conclusion separately – and all three see escape as their only viable option.

The majority of the game focuses on exploring the world and its surroundings. Crafting, sneaking, and outsmarting enemy groups are therefore your standard options for completing quests. Each character has a unique set of skills available to them, with unique mechanics others lack. While Arthur seems to be a jack-of-all-trades, Sally and Ollie embody specialized chemist and mechanic roles respectively. Their strengths and weaknesses result in refreshingly different playstyles throughout each character’s act. Therefore, each completed mission feels like an accomplishment, and you’re subsequently rewarded in stride.

As a result, you’ll be given upgrade points to spend on three skill trees. While a few unique skills differentiate a character, the majority are universally available across the playable protagonists. But cracks appear in the skill system when realizing how broken certain skills cause the end game to feel.

By taking particular perks, a character can suffer no survival or non-conformist penalties to make their resulting experience a breeze. Those elements ground We Happy Few within its reality. Once players are able to run, steal, and stay out without fear during the night, any sense of challenge flees the game.

Combative Disposition

Furthermore, a lack of variety to combat makes the flaws in the skill system inherently worse. Apart from some admittedly inspired explosive devices, We Happy Few’s combat focuses solely on melee fights. While the combat system is somewhat serviceable, little difference exists between beginning and end-game encounters. Each melee weapon, though visually different, ends up feeling the same as its counterpart.

Where We Happy Few shines is within the diversity of options usually available besides duking it out in fisticuffs. Quests have multiple paths to completion in many cases. Entertaining but difficult scenarios exist to complete an objective.

Crafting a knockout serum to poison cultist chalices, convincing characters to bypass locked doors, or just sneaking past with distraction devices make up for the lackluster melee. The sheer amount of paths available makes quests feel full of possibility as you run through the game. We Happy Few shines here – as a fantastic example of divergent developing gameplay.

Conservative Management

We Happy Few’s troubled development cycle carried severe baggage hard to overlook. Be aware that technical issues and bugs exist in the final release. Character placement, animation stuttering, and getting stuck in the environment are commonplace throughout the game. But the positive elements of the game overcome the issues present to showcase a unique, psychedelic look at the consequences of repressed misery.

After the initially disappointing early access launch, severe lack of communication from the development team, and a constantly delayed release date, the final release of We Happy Few is nothing short of a refreshing turnaround. For fans of explorative, deep narratives found in Fallout, Bioshock, and the more recent Prey, We Happy Few provides a deeply satisfying experience for those willing to dive in.

Copy Provided By Publisher For Review

We Happy Few

Release Date: August 10, 2018
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS4, Xbox One
Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
Developer: Compulsion Games
Price: $60 USD

The post We Happy Few (PC) Review appeared first on BrutalGamer.

In the meantime, Erich, Rick and Jason talk all things games, comics and toys. Listen below or catch us on iTunes!

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Classics and Power Players

Have you been spoiling for some neat-looking AAA video game releases? Well, look no longer – because August comes with options all over the industry spectrum. With a trio of Nintendo Switch titles, some classic re-releases, and new IP’s coming to the table, August certainly looks ready and able to release the dry spell of the summer.

Kicking things off is WarioWare Gold (3DS), by dropping players into Wario’s latest evil scheme. The golden goon is back with his microgame madness, giving players over 300 different scenarios to tool around with. Use your microphone, tilt your 3DS, and certainly compete to win against the anti-Mario himself on August 3rd.

Likewise, We Happy Few (PC, PS4, Xbox One) also shoves Joy down the throats of its inhabitants with a full-scale release in August. After a few years in early access, the controversial survival-adventure game comes out a much different title than its initial introduction. But to be fair, the time spent in the development oven looks well worth it for new players. With an interwoven narrative involving three protagonists, consequence-heavy quest system, and pull back from tedious survival elements, We Happy Few finally looks like it may realize the initial promise Wellington Wells held on August 10th.

Telltale’s ground-breaking narrative series The Walking Dead wraps things up with its final season as well. The episodic tale looks like it’ll focus on Clementine’s transition into adulthood after all the woe that’s befallen her. A new trailer from Comic-Con showed a group of children surviving on their own together, finally hinting at showcasing how childhood would be effected under such apocalyptic conditions. Prepare to cry, even more, folks. The Walking Dead: The Final Season starts with a bang on August 14th.

That’s just the tip of the proverbial treasure trove of titles coming out during August. Want to see what other games are coming out this month?

Here’s a look ahead at August’s slew of game releases:

August 1st

• Yakuza 0 (PC)

August 3rd

• WarioWare Gold (3DS)

August 7th

• Overcooked 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)
• Dead Cells (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch)

August 9th

• Okami HD (Switch)
• Monster Hunter World (PC)

August 10th

• Madden NFL 19 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• We Happy Few (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

August 14th

• Death’s Gambit (PC, PS4)
• The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 1 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (PC)

August 15th

• State of Mind (PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, Xbox One)

August 21st

• Shenmue I & II (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

August 24th

• F1 2018 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Little Dragon’s Cafe (PS4, Switch)

August 28th

• Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4)
• Strange Brigade (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Blade Strangers (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Victor Vran: Overkill Edition (Switch)

August 31st

• Divinity: Original Sin 2 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (PC, Xbox One, PC)

The post Coming Up: The Games of August 2018 appeared first on BrutalGamer.