Game Releases – Page 156

Posted on February 6, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Review: Silent Abyss: Fate of Heroes

Mobile card games are a dime a dozen. When the genre is plagued with so many different versions of what equates to the same game, it becomes difficult to tell why you’d want to pick up one of the newcomers that seem to spring up every day on the App Store and Google Play Store.

The same can be said of Silent Abyss: Fate of Heroes. Why would anyone want to spend a buck or so on yet another action-oriented card game with zero discernible story to speak of? That’s easy: Despite its shortcomings, it’s actually an extremely fun and gripping game that puts up an addictive challenge. It may be rough around the edges, but it certainly scratches that itch that games like Slay the Spire inspire.

It’s easy to assume that, when starting up Silent Abyss, you’ve wasted your cash on a game that didn’t even bother correcting its numerous English spelling mistakes or offer meaningful tutorial levels, just throwing you in and tossing you to the wolves. And while you’d be right on one level, as its production values are quite low in this regard, you’d be ill-advised to simply write it off. Silent Abyss has a lot to offer, but you’ve got to be willing to work for it.

We mean that – there is no hand-holding beyond brief explanations in the heat of battle. You’d better make full use of the tutorial screens, because they disappear shortly after, leaving you to try and work out what’s going on and accidentally winning a round by playing similarly to other card games you know and play.

Starting a new game will find you tasked with choosing two heroes from pre-set options at the beginning of the game: a Mage, Knight, or Warrior, each with their own decks of cards and unique stats, including HP. You choose two, as you’ll play with two different hands per turn. This can be jarring at first, but you get used to it quickly since it means double the moves and getting bored far less often. Each turn consists of dragging a card from your decks to the enemies or your heroes, buffing and debuffing with spells and abilities as necessary, setting traps for the next turn, or dealing devastating damage so you can emerge victorious. That’s the goal, after all.

One interesting aspect of this particular title, however, is that instead of being relegated to being able to play only one offensive or defensive card, you can continue playing additional attack cards, abilities, and defense cards until you run out of mana. That means if you want to play five or six cards among your two characters, that’s sometimes entirely possible. It does make matches go by quickly but can also be quite confusing if you’re used to more rigid and traditional rules of play.

As you continue on throughout the game, there are additional heroes to unlock, including the Warlock, Assassin, and Archer. Each come packing their own unique skillsets, but they’re all mostly the same until you start earning additional cards and better ways to customize them. You’ll begin to learn which cards work for you and which don’t make as much sense in your deck as you become acquainted with your playstyle.

Each new game is split into a series of short levels. As you make your way through each level, you’ll branch off into different paths. Some include treasure in the form of new cards, runes, or gold. You can imbue certain cards with runes, which can add additional effects such as the Burning status effect, or even something that siphons health with a successful attack. You’ll also nab the reward at the end of the path. You can opt to go the easier route for an easier chance at spoils, but you’ll have to deal with tougher enemies, and you may be looking at starting over again because of it, because you’ll have died. Again and again, sometimes, until you really get the hang of things.

Dying isn’t a problem, though. When you die and have to start over, you earn all that experience that levels up you team. This will unlock additional starting cards and accessories beyond pre-sets so you can truly customize each character’s role beyond their starting point. It’s all quite simplistic, and there isn’t a lot to explore here that you probably haven’t seen before already in other, bigger games with more ambition, It’s addictive to keep playing and see how you end up doing, but there’s no real pull toward the end beyond the simple desire to just play.

In fact, that’s Silent Abyss‘s biggest problem: there’s no real reason to keep playing beyond personal satisfaction. It’s mostly bereft of story and relies on the player’s desire to become stronger to reinforce the gameplay loop. This may work for some people, but we found it a bit lacklustre and indicative of the game’s lower quality than other titles in the genre. It could use some overall polish, resolving broken English here and there, adding more flavor text, and even more cards to liven things up.

As it stands, Silent Abyss is a fun, simple card battler with roguelike elements for a buck. Sure, it’s cheap, a little rough, and devoid of some of the niceties of other games in the genre. But if you’re looking for something nice and easy to keep you occupied when you’ve got a few minutes at a time, Silent Abyss is a choice it’s not difficult to recommend. Should it receive a healthy dose of TLC from its developer in the future, it could become a great contender for the heavy-hitters in card battlers on mobile devices.

At the time of writing, despite being a premium game Silent Abyss comes with two IAPs:

Unlock Hero – Warlock ($0.99)
Unlock Hero – Archer ($0.99)

These are shortcuts to two of the unlock-able classes.

Posted on February 5, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Lunar New Year 2019 Mobile Sales

Plenty of cultures are celebrating the Lunar New Year at the moment, and since we’re having a break between content drops why not mark the occasion ourselves with some excellent mobile sales! Happy New Year! (Again!)

Kingdom Rush: Vengeance (Review): $2.99

Ironhide’s latest addition to their iconic Tower-Defence RTS series is on sale for the second time since it launched late last year. It’s dropped to the same price as last time, and the discount is on both iTunes and Google Play.

Acram Digital

The digital boardgames publisher is having a sale across their entire catalogue at the moment… the fact that catalogue is only three games is made up by the fact that they’re three pretty excellent games. This sale is live on both iTunes and Google Play

Eight Minute Empire (Review): $2.99 **
Steam: Rails to Riches (Review): $2.99 **
Istanbul Digital Edition (Review): $4.99

** = These games have been cheaper in the past.

Handelabra

Similar to Acram, Handelabra is also having a style on their key games on both iOS and Android.

Bottom of the 9^th (Review): $0.99 (cheapest price yet!)
Sentinels of the Multiverse (Review): $0.99
One Deck Dungeon (Review): $6.99

Let us know if you spot any other sales that crop up!

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Mdp4life — Leave a comment

Shiny Meltan will appear in Pokémon GO for a limited time

The Pokémon Company International, Niantic, Inc., and Nintendo announced today that a Shiny version of the Mythical Pokémon Meltan will appear in Pokémon GO for a limited time. Once obtained, this rare Pokémon can be transferred to Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! Designed for players taking their first steps into the Pokémon video game world as well as for longtime fans wanting a new way to play Pokémon, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! launched to critical acclaim on November 16, 2018, on the Nintendo Switch™ system.

Meltan is a rare Pokémon that appears when a Mystery Box is used in Pokémon GO. A Mystery Box can be obtained only by linking Pokémon GO with Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! Players who use their Mystery Box anytime Tuesday, February 5, through Monday, March 4, 2019, have a chance to catch Shiny Meltan in Pokémon GO. During this special event, the time that you have to wait before you can open the Mystery Box again will be reduced from seven to three days.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! are available exclusively on Nintendo Switch. For more information, please visit http://pokemon.com/pokemonletsgo. For more information about Pokémon GO, please visit http://pokemon.com/go.

Mild Cartoon Violence

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Mdp4life — Leave a comment

Mario and Kirby Classics Join NES — Nintendo Switch Online on Feb. 13

The next additions to the Nintendo Entertainment System™ – Nintendo Switch Online game collection star some of Nintendo’s most beloved characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad and Kirby! On Feb. 13, the Kirby’s Adventure™ and Super Mario Bros.™ 2 games will be available to play anytime, anywhere as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Kirby’s Adventure – Using 20 unique tricks and Kirby’s ability to steal enemies’ powers by swallowing them, you’ll have to make your way through a horrific land filled with all kinds of nightmares. Recover the broken pieces of the Star Rod, and everyone in Dream Land will sleep peacefully once again. If you fail, the citizens of Dream Land will be subjected to a lifetime of terrible nightmares.
Super Mario Bros. 2 – Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad embark on a quest together to save the day against the villainous Wart. Pick up items and throw them at your adversaries to clear levels in seven fantastical worlds. Even enemies can be picked up and tossed across the screen. This unique installment in the Super Mario Bros. series will keep you coming back for more.

These titles join the growing library of NES™ games with newly added online play on the Nintendo Switch™ system, which also includes more than 30 classics like Super Mario Bros.™ 3, Metroid™ and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link™ that are available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online members.

Also, over the next month, Nintendo is hosting a series of online qualifier events for the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate North America Open 2019 and Splatoon™ 2 North America Inkling Open 2019 tournaments for Nintendo Switch Online users. The winners of the final qualifying events have the chance to compete in a final tournament at this year’s PAX East conference in Boston. More details about how to enter the online tournaments can be found at https://www.nintendo.com/switch/events/.

Nintendo Switch Online members also gain access to online play and Save Data Cloud backup in compatible games, plus a smartphone app that enhances features of supported games. To make playing NES games feel more authentic, Nintendo Switch Online members with a paid membership can purchase Nintendo Entertainment System controllers* that are compatible with Nintendo Switch by visiting https://nesc.nintendo.com/nintendo-entertainment-system-controllers.

For more information about Nintendo Switch Online, to view membership options and to learn about a free seven-day trial for new users, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/.

Posted on February 4, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Review: Legends of Andor

The board game version of Legends of Andor has been around for a number of years. It was designed by Michael Menzel, who is better known for his wonderful and prolific work as a board game illustrator, rather than as a game designer. Andor is a cooperative fantasy game in which a band of heroes work together to complete quests and defend the realm.

The thirteen scenarios follow a linked narrative. Cleverly, as you progress through the quests new features are introduced, which means that you can start playing the initial quest with hardly any rules to worry about. A large part of Andor’s charm is the way that the story develops allowing you to constantly discover new stuff. With this in mind, I will do my best to ensure that no spoilers pass my lips, although this may mean glossing over some of the game’s more advanced elements.

The cooperative nature of Andor means that you can enjoy a pass-and-play game with each person controlling their own character, or you can play solo, taking control of multiple adventurers. There are four characters and they fall into the usual fantasy stereotypes. There’s a frenzied dwarf, a fighter, a sneaky archer and a mage; pleasingly, you can also choose the sex of each adventurer. Your heroes only have two characteristics; willpower is a measure of health and also helps determine the number of combat dice rolled (as you get weaker you roll less dice) and combat strength increases the power of your attacks. Each character has their own unique special ability; the wizard can flip combat dice whilst the dwarf can sacrifice willpower to enhance attacks. Characters can also improve their abilities by purchasing extra equipment from a merchant.

Although the landscapes are often littered with monsters, the biggest threat to your party’s success turns out to be the tight time constraints. Each day, your party members will each have only have seven hours in which to perform their actions. Moving to a neighbouring area of the map costs an hour, as does a round of combat (I guess our heroes must fight in super slo-mo). When needs must you can squeeze out a few more actions, but this will cause a drop in willpower and should be avoided whenever possible. Progress in the game is measured by an event track; this marks the deadlines for completing sub-quests and the overall objective. Once all of your characters have completed their actions for the day or you defeat a monster, a marker will progress along the track, giving you less and less time to complete your mission.

Combat is straightforward; each hero rolls their six-sided combat dice, chooses the best result and then adds their combat strength. The party’s total combat value is then compared to their opponent’s and the difference in values is the amount of damage applied. A bow will allow a hero to attack a monster in an adjacent territory, whilst a helmet increases the combat strength of dice rolls that show doubles. It is a fast and simple system that is easy to understand but can be quite ruthless. It might not be the stuff of legends but most of the monsters are tough and the best strategy is usually to go into combat mob-handed.

If you are used to playing games where the aim is to rush in and defeat as many monsters as quickly as possible, then you really will need to realign your thinking. Fighting burns up an entire day so often discretion is the better part of valour. Sometimes your objective means that you will have to fight and at other times you will need to battle in order to stop your home city from being sacked. The added perk of defeating a monster is that you will earn extra gold or willpower.

The graphics, being the work of Michael Menzel, are excellent and for me, the app worked smoothly, perfectly capturing the feel of the board game. This is especially true when you zoom in from the overhead view and switch the angle, revealing all of the 2D standee models in their full glory. The major issue is that at the time of writing Andor does not work on all devices. I have had no problems whatsoever playing on my iPad Pro and I know that the developers are hard at work fixing the issues.

However, it’s hardly a satisfactory situation and must be very frustrating for many customers. Other issues are relatively minor. The tutorial feels a little long-winded and once you have reached the story’s end there isn’t really that much incentive to play through again. Also, the way that the game works means that the heroes do not develop as the story progresses. Each new quest will see all statistics and equipment resetting, which may leave some players feeling hard done by.

Initially, Andor appears to be all about rolling dice and beating up monsters, but you will soon realise that the game is actually much more puzzle-based than that. You are forced to manage your precious time and coordinate the actions of your individual heroes, which often climaxes in a tense showdown. One massive advantage of the digital version is that you can start playing straight away. Setting up the board game is time-consuming and involves scanning the map for specific locations and then placing the relevant monsters and other objects.

Legends of Andor may be an older game but its appearance on touchscreen makes perfect sense. There is a generous amount of content (the original game only had five quests) and it plays brilliantly solo. The slow drip-feed of new ideas shows a designer at the top of his game.

Please refer to the comments section for the latest information regarding the technical state of the game.

Posted on February 3, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Daily Deal – .hack//G.U. Last Recode, 70% Off

The 2019 Lunar New Year Sale has begun, bringing big savings on thousands of titles across Steam in celebration of the Year of the Pig!

During this year’s Lunar New Year Sale, players will receive a one-time automatic $5 (or equivalent currency) discount on qualifying purchases over $30 — this is limited to one cart purchase per account.

On top of that, buying games during the sale will earn you tokens that may be redeemed for Steam rewards at the Rewards Booth. You can exchange your tokens for a shiny profile page, emotes, badges, and more instant discount coupons! These tokens will expire once the Lunar New Year Sale ends.

For more information about how the Rewards Booth works, check out the FAQ: Rewards Booth FAQ

Throughout the 2018 Steam Winter Sale, millions of you cast your votes in the third-annual Steam Awards. The results are in, and on February 8th at 10am Pacific, the winners will be announced via broadcast at https://steam.tv/SteamAwards.

This is the first time we’ve announced the results of the Steam Awards via broadcast, and the show will include special messages from the winners. Don’t forget to tune in!

Posted on February 1, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Dota 2 Update – February 1st, 2019

* Fixed an issue that caused players completing calibration games using Ranked Roles to not have the correct resulting calibrated MMR. Players who have already played calibration games with this behavior have have their MMR updated to reflect the correct values.

Posted on February 1, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Daily Deal – Abandon Ship, 33% Off

7.21:
===

GENERAL

* Melee creeps average gold bounty reduced by 3
* Range creeps upgrade cycle gold bounty increased from +3 to +6

* Replaced the primary jungles’ ancient camps with big camps

* Heroes no longer gain 25% more benefit from their primary attributes (affects attributes from both items and the hero)
* All heroes’ primary attribute growth values increased by 15%
* Health per strength increased from 18 to 20

* XP required to reach level 7->12 changed from 640/660/680/800/820/840 to 720/750/780/810/840/870 (the difference is +80/90/100/10/20/30 XP)

* The following melee heroes now have +5 movement speed: Naga Siren, Underlord, Monkey King, Nyx Assassin, Bloodseeker, Riki
* The following melee heroes now have +10 movement speed: Alchemist, Dragon Knight, Meepo
* The following melee heroes now have +15 movement speed: Legion Commander, Lifestealer, Lycan, Sven, Ursa, Wraith King
* Ranged heroes with 295 movement speed and above now have 5 less movement speed

* Tier 2 tower armor increased from 14 to 15
* Tier 3 tower armor increased from 14 to 16
* Melee Barracks armor increased from 13 to 15

* Tower Protection armor bonus for Tier 2/3/4 increased from 3 to 4

ITEMS

* Animal Courier: Flying movement speed increased from 460 to 470

* Aeon Disk: Active status resistance increased from 50% to 75%
* Aeon Disk: Recipe cost reduced from 1350 to 1250

* Battle Fury: Percentage damage bonus against non-hero units changed to be a fixed amount matching Quelling Blade

* Bloodstone: Bloodpact changed from 60% of current mana to 30% of max mana

* Bloodthorn: Cooldown reduced from 18 to 15

* Boots of Travel: Level 2 movement speed increased from +32% to +35%

* Buckler: Activated armor bonus duration on heroes reduced from 25 to 15 (carries through to Mek)

* Crimson Guard: Recipe cost increased from 600 to 750

* Drum of Endurance: Passive changed from a 6% movement speed aura to +20 movement speed to yourself only

* Ethereal Blade: Enemy debuff duration increased from 3 to 4 (matching duration when cast on allies)

* Eul’s Scepter of Divinity: Movement speed bonus changed from +6% percentage to +20 flat

* Holy Locket: Now uses Energy Booster instead of a Void Stone (provides +325 Mana)

* Iron Branch: Cast range increased from 200 to 400

* Manta Style: Movement speed bonus reduced from +25 to +20

* Mask of Madness: Lifesteal increased from 15% to 20%

* Mekansm: Stack limit is now tied to cooldown on cast (like Greaves and Crimson stack mechanics)

* Meteor Hammer: Radius increased from 300 to 315

* Necronomicon: Last Will damage increased from 550/675/800 to 600/700/800

* Nullifier: Duration increased from 5 to 6

* Phase Boots: Recipe changed from Gloves of Haste to Blades of Attack
* Phase Boots: Armor bonus increased from 5 to 6
* Phase Boots: Now gives +18 damage on melee (and +12 on range) instead of +20 attack speed
* Phase Boots: Melee active speed increased from 20% to 22%

* Power Treads: Recipe changed from Blades of Attack to Gloves of Haste
* Power Treads: Attribute bonus reduced from 14 to 10
* Power Treads: Now gives +20 attack speed instead of +12 damage

* Sange and Yasha: Movement speed bonus reduced from +35 to +30

* Solar Crest: Movement speed bonus changed from +6% percentage to +20 flat

* Spirit Vessel: Damage as a percentage of current health increased from 4.5% to 5%
* Spirit Vessel: Movement speed bonus changed from +6% percentage to +20 flat

* Tranquil Boots: Active form movement speed increased from 24% to 26%
* Tranquil Boots: Disabled form movement speed reduced from 20% to 18%

* Vladmir’s Offering: No longer uses Headdress nor provides its hp regen/stats
* Vladmir’s Offering: Now requires a 525 gold recipe

* Wind Lace: Movement speed bonus changed from +6% percentage to +20 flat

* Yasha: Movement speed bonus reduced from +25 to +20
* Yasha and Kaya: Movement speed bonus reduced from +35 to +30

HEROES

* Abaddon: Curse of Avernus curse duration increased from 4 to 4.5
* Abaddon: Aphotic Shield manacost reduced from 115 to 100/105/110/115

* Alchemist: Base movement speed increased by 10
* Alchemist: Base agility increased from 16 to 22
* Alchemist: Chemical Rage base attack time improved from 1.3/1.15/1.0 to 1.2/1.1/1.0
* Alchemist: Level 10 Talent reduced from -8s Unstable Concoction to -7s
* Alchemist: Level 20 Talent Concoction talent now adds the damage to the max instead of the base

* Ancient Apparition: Chilling Touch damage increased from 50/85/120/155 to 50/90/130/170
* Ancient Apparition: Ice Vortex manacost reduced from 65/80/95/110 to 50/70/90/110
* Ancient Apparition: Level 25 Talent reduced from 900 AoE Cold Feet to 700
* Ancient Apparition: Level 25 Talent increased from +4% Ice Blast Kill Threshold to +5%

* Anti-Mage: Fixed Counterspell providing double magic resistance when the shield is active

* Arc Warden: Spark Wraith damage increased from 100/160/220/280 to 100/170/240/310
* Arc Warden: Tempest Double duration increased from 14/16/18 to 16/18/20
* Arc Warden: Level 10 Talent increased from +25 Attack Speed to +30

* Bane: Enfeeble attack speed slow increased from 40/60/80/100 to 50/75/100/125
* Bane: Enfeeble manacost reduced from 70/90/110/130 to 50/75/100/125
* Bane: Level 10 Talent increased from +6 Armor to +7
* Bane: Fiend’s Grip duration increased from 5 to 6

* Batrider: Firefly now grants a 4/7/10/13% movement speed bonus
* Batrider: Firefly duration reduced from 18 to 15
* Batrider: Firefly cooldown reduced from 40 to 34

* Beastmaster: Inner Beast attack speed reduced from 15/25/35/45 to 10/20/30/40
* Beastmaster: Hawk health reduced from 300/450/600/750 to 150/200/250/300
* Beastmaster: Level 15 Talent changed from +40 Boar Damage to +65 Wild Axes Damage
* Beastmaster: Level 20 Talent changed from +80 Wild Axes Damage to +50 Boar Damage
* Beastmaster: Level 25 Talent increased from -15s Hawks Cooldown to -20s
* Beastmaster: Level 25 Talent reduced from +30 Inner Beast Attack Speed to +25

* Bloodseeker: Base movement speed increased by 5

* Bounty Hunter: Shuriken Toss cooldown reduced from 10 to 9
* Bounty Hunter: Jinada gold steal increased from 12/18/24/30 to 12/20/28/36
* Bounty Hunter: Track critical strike damage increased from 140/160/180% to 140/170/200%

* Brewmaster: Drunken Brawler critical strike reduced from 170/200/230/260% to 140/180/220/260%
* Brewmaster: Cinder Brew duration reduced from 7 to 5
* Brewmaster: Cinder Brew duration is refreshed on ignition
* Brewmaster: Cinder Brew ignite DPS increased from 20/25/30/35 to 20/30/40/50
* Brewmaster: Level 10 Talent reduced from +20 Damage to +15

* Bristleback: Viscous Nasal Goo manacost reduced from 25 to 12/16/20/24

* Broodmother: Level 10 Talent increased from +75 Spawn Spiderlings Damage to +125
* Broodmother: Level 15 Talent changed from +35% XP Gain to +15 Agility
* Broodmother: Level 20 Talent increased from +20 Spiders Attack Damage to +30
* Broodmother: Level 25 Talent increased from +350 Spiders Health to +450

* Centaur Warrunner: Retaliate no longer gains charges while it is active

* Chaos Knight: Chaos Strike cooldown reduced from 7/6/5/4 to 4
* Chaos Knight: Chaos Strike lifesteal reduced from 50/55/60/65% to 40/50/60/70%
* Chaos Knight: Chaos Strike max damage increased from 160/190/220/250% to 160/195/230/265%
* Chaos Knight: Reality Rift slow duration increased from 2 to 3
* Chaos Knight: Reality Rift slow reduced from 15/25/35/45% to 10/20/30/40%

* Chen: Divine Favor bonus damage reduced from 10/20/40/80 to 12/24/36/48
* Chen: Divine Favor now provides double bonus damage on non-hero units
* Chen: Divine Favor duration increased from 12 to 14
* Chen: Divine Favor manacost reduced from 110 to 70/80/90/100
* Chen: Hand of God heal increased from 250/400/550 to 300/450/600
* Chen: Level 15 Talent reduced from -10s Divine Favor Cooldown to -7s
* Chen: Level 25 Talent reduced from +400 Hand of God Heal to +350
* Chen: Level 25 Talent increased from +4 Holy Persuasion Max Units to +5

* Clinkz: Level 15 Talent changed from +20% Evasion to +15 Strength

* Clockwerk: Battery Assault cast point removed
* Clockwerk: Rocket Flare manacost reduced from 50 to 35/40/45/50
* Clockwerk: Level 20 Talent changed from +20% Magic Resistance to Rocket Flare True Sight
* Clockwerk: Level 25 Talent changed from Rocket Flare True Sight to +50% Magic Resistance

* Crystal Maiden: Freezing Field now grants you 10 bonus armor while channeling
* Crystal Maiden: Arcane Aura allied mana regen reduced from 1.2/1.7/2.2/2.7 to 1/1.5/2/2.5
* Crystal Maiden: Arcane Aura self mana regen increased from 2.4/4.4/6.4/8.4 to 2.5/4.5/6.5/8.5

* Dark Willow: Bramble Maze manacost reduced from 140/150/160/170 to 100/120/140/160
* Dark Willow: Bramble Maze cooldown reduced from 34/31/28/25 to 25

* Dazzle: Poison Touch mancost increased from 95/110/125/140 to 110/120/130/140
* Dazzle: Shadow Wave cast range reduced from 900 to 800

* Death Prophet: Base damage increased by 3

* Disruptor: Base armor increased by 1

* Doom: Scorched Earth cooldown reduced from 55/50/45/40 to 50/45/40/35
* Doom: Devour health regen from 4/8/13/18 to 3/8/13/18

* Dragon Knight: Base movement speed increased by 10
* Dragon Knight: Dragon Blood health regen increased from 4/7/10/13 to 4/8/12/16
* Dragon Knight: Elder Dragon Form frost attack slow increased from -20 to -30
* Dragon Knight: Level 20 Talent changed from 2x Dragon Blood to +25 Strength
* Dragon Knight: Level 25 Talent changed from +40 Strength to 2x Dragon Blood

* Drow Ranger: Level 15 Talent changed from +25 Attack Speed to +10 Agility

* Earthshaker: Fissure manacost reduced from 125/140/155/170 to 110/130/150/170

* Earth Spirit: Rolling Boulder damage reduced from 100 to 70/80/90/100
* Earth Spirit: Boulder Smash slow reduced from 80% to 60%
* Earth Spirit: Level 15 Talent reduced from +200 Rolling Boulder Damage to +150

* Elder Titan: Level 10 Talent reduced from +25 Movement Speed to +20

* Ember Spirit: Sleight of Fist cooldown reduced from 30/22/14/6 to 18/14/10/6
* Ember Spirit: Base damage increased by 3

* Enchantress: Enchant cooldown reduced from 55/40/25/10 to 22/18/14/10
* Enchantress: Enchant creep duration reduced from 50/60/70/80 to 26/44/62/80
* Enchantress: Enchant manacost reduced from 65 to 40/50/60/70

* Enigma: Midnight Pulse manacost rescaled from 75/95/115/135 to 50/80/110/140

* Faceless Void: Time Dilation AoE increased from 725 to 775
* Faceless Void: Level 10 Talent increased from +8 Strength to +10
* Faceless Void: Level 15 Talent changed from +300 Health to -1s Time Walk Cooldown

* Grimstroke: Phantom’s Embrace rend damage reduced from 120/200/280/360 to 75/150/225/300
* Grimstroke: Ink Swell manacost increased from 90/100/110/120 to 120/130/140/150
* Grimstroke: Ink Swell movement speed reduced from 18% to 12/14/16/18%

* Gyrocopter: Base strength increased from 19 to 22

* Huskar: Attack point reduced from 0.4 to 0.3
* Huskar: Berserker’s Blood max attack speed reduced from 220/260/300/340 to 160/220/280/340
* Huskar: Life Break damage and cost reduced from 34/39/44% to 32/38/44%
* Huskar: Level 15 Talent reduced from +15 Burning Spears DPS to +10

* Invoker: Base damage increased by 3
* Invoker: Exort bonus damage reduced from 4->28 to 3->27 per instance
* Invoker: Level 10 Talent changed from +1.25s Tornado Lift Time to -30s Ghost Walk Cooldown

* Io: Temporarily removed from Captains Mode
* Io: Tether now transfers health and mana even when Io is at max hp/mp
* Io: Overcharge now has an 18 second cooldown and an 8 second duration. No longer has a 2 second toggle.
* Io: Overcharge now costs 40/60/80/100 mana to cast. No longer cost 6% of health and mana per second.
* Io: Overcharge attack speed bonus increased from 40/50/60/70 to 50/80/110/140
* Io: Overcharge damage reduction increased from 5/10/15/20% to 15/20/25/30%
* Io: Relocate delay increased from 2.7/2.35/2 to 3.5/3.25/3
* Io: Relocate cooldown reduced from 130/110/90 to 90/75/60
* Io: Relocate is now cast delay again instead of channeling (being interrupted, silenced, rooted, etc will cancel the ability)
* Io: Level 25 Talent changed from -60s Relocate Cooldown to -30s

* Jakiro: Level 10 Talent changed from +30% XP Gain to +300 Attack Range
* Jakiro: Level 15 Talent changed from +300 Attack Range to +40% XP Gain

* Juggernaut: Base armor reduced by 1
* Juggernaut: Omnislash no longer allows you to teleport while using it
* Juggernaut: Healing Ward movement speed reduced from 420 to 400
* Juggernaut: Omnislash cooldown increased from 130/120/110 to 130
* Juggernaut: Level 15 Talent changed from +1s Blade Fury to +50 Blade Fury Movement Speed

* Keeper of the Light: Level 10 Talent changed from 8% Spell Lifesteal to +30% XP Gain
* Keeper of the Light: Level 15 Talent changed from +30% XP Gain to +1 Will-O-Wisp Health Count

* Kunkka: Level 25 Talent changed from -1.5s Tidebringer Cooldown to +60% Tidebringer Cleave

* Legion Commander: Base movement speed increased by 15
* Legion Commander: Level 20 Talent reduced from +40 Movement Speed to +35
* Legion Commander: Level 25 Talent changed from -10s Press The Attack Cooldown to 350 AoE Press The Attack

* Leshrac: Diabolic Edict increased from 9/18/27/36 to 11/22/33/44
* Leshrac: Level 25 Talent reduced from +50 Diabolic Edict Explosions to +40

* Lich: Frost Shield slow reduced from 35% to 20/25/30/35%
* Lich: Chain Frost damage reduced from 300/400/500 to 250/375/500
* Lich: Level 25 Talent increased from +40% slow to +50%

* Lifestealer: Base movement speed increased by 15
* Lifestealer: Base armor increased by 2
* Lifestealer: Level 15 Talent reduced from +30 Movement Speed to +25

* Lina: Base damage increased by 3

* Lion: Level 10 Talent increased from +75 Cast Range to +100
* Lion: Level 15 Talent increased from +120 Gold/Min to +150

* Lone Druid: Spirit Bear movement speed increased from 340/355/370/385 to 340/360/380/400
* Lone Druid: Spirit Bear attack damage increased from 35/50/65/80 to 35/55/75/95
* Lone Druid: Level 20 Talent changed from -0.3 Spirit Bear Attack Time to 0 Entangle Cooldown
* Lone Druid: Level 25 Talent changed from 0 Entangle Cooldown to -0.5s Spirit Bear Attack Time

* Luna: Level 10 Talent increased from +200 Cast Range to +300

* Lycan: Base movement speed increased by 15
* Lycan: Wolves armor reduced from 1 to 0
* Lycan: Wolves magic resistance reduced from 80% to 70%
* Lycan: Wolves health increased from 230/260/290/320 to 300/350/400/450
* Lycan: Howl health regen increased from 4/6/8/10 to 4/8/12/16

* Medusa: Fixed Mystic Snake bouncing to Spell Immune enemies
* Medusa: Level 10 Talent reduced from +20 Damage to +15
* Medusa: Level 15 Talent reduced from +35% Mystic Snake Mana Steal to +30%
* Medusa: Level 20 Talent changed from +700 Mana to -4s Mystic Snake Cooldown
* Medusa: Level 25 Talent changed from +7 Split Shot Targets to +1000 Mana

* Meepo: Base movement speed increased by 10

* Mirana: Sacred Arrow movement speed increased from 857 to 950

* Monkey King: Base movement speed increased by 5
* Monkey King: Wukong’s Command attack rate improved from 1.3 to 1.2

* Morphling: Strength gain increased from 2.3 to 2.6
* Morphling: Level 15 Talent increased from +15s Morph Duration to +20s

* Naga Siren: Base movement speed increased by 5
* Naga Siren: Mirror Image duration from 24 to 26
* Naga Siren: Mirror Image damage taken reduced from 475/450/425/400% to 400%
* Naga Siren: Level 20 Talent increased from -5s Ensnare Cooldown to -7s

* Nature’s Prophet: Using tango on a sprout tree will 2x regen (like eating a branch tree)
* Nature’s Prophet: Level 20 Talent changed from -4s Sprout Cooldown to +25% Cooldown Reduction

* Necrophos: Death Pulse damage increased from 100/140/180/220 to 100/150/200/250
* Necrophos: Level 15 Talent increased from +20% Ghost Shroud Slow to +30%

* Night Stalker: Hunter in the Night movement speed bonus increased from 20/25/30/35 to 22/28/34/40%
* Night Stalker: Removed Scepter
* Night Stalker: Dark Ascension now provides full unobstructed vision, instead of only 900 range
* Night Stalker: Level 15 Talent changed from +150 Cast Range to +15% Lifesteal

* Nyx Assassin: Base movement speed increased by 5
* Nyx Assassin: Strength gain increased from 2.3 to 2.5
* Nyx Assassin: Level 10 Talent increased from +60 GPM to +90
* Nyx Assassin: Level 10 Talent increased from +6% Spell Amp to +8%

* Ogre Magi: Fireblast cooldown reduced from 12/11/10/9 to 11/10/9/8
* Ogre Magi: Multicast 2x chance increased from 60% to 70%

* Omniknight: Heavenly Grace status resistance reduced from 50/60/70/80% to 50%
* Omniknight: Heavenly Grace duration increased from 8 to 10
* Omniknight: Heavenly Grace now provides 7/14/21/28 bonus strength
* Omniknight: Heavenly Grace manacost increased from 75 to 80/90/100/110

* Outworld Devourer: Sanity’s Eclipse multiplier from 9/10/11 to 8/9/10
* Outworld Devourer: Level 15 Talent reduced from +30 Movement Speed to +25

* Pangolier: Base damage increased by 4
* Pangolier: Level 10 Talent changed from +20 Movement Speed to +300 Swashbuckle Slash Range

* Phantom Assassin: Rearranged Level 15 Talents – +25% Cleave vs +15% Lifesteal
* Phantom Assassin: Rearranged Level 20 Talents – +20% Blur Evasion vs -4 Armor Corruption
* Phantom Assassin: Rearranged Level 25 Talents – +5% Coup de Grace vs Triple Strike Stifling Dagger

* Phantom Lancer: Level 10 Talent increased from +10% Evasion to +15%
* Phantom Lancer: Level 20 Talent increased from +4 Max Juxtapose Illusions to +5

* Phoenix: Sunray can no longer move forward while rooted

* Pudge: Base damage increased by 6

* Queen of Pain: Scream of Pain manacost reduced from 95/110/125/140 to 80/100/120/140
* Queen of Pain: Shadow Strike damage per tick increased from 30/45/60/75 to 30/50/70/90

* Razor: Attack backswing reduced from 0.7 to 0.4
* Razor: Level 10 Talent increased from +200 Health to +225

* Riki: Base damage increased by 4
* Riki: Base movement speed increased by 5
* Riki: Level 20 Talent increased from +0.2 Backstab Multiplier to +0.3

* Rubick: Telekinesis lift duration reduced from 1/1.4/1.8/2.2 to 0.8/1.2/1.6/2.0
* Rubick: Level 15 Talent increased from -45 Fade Bolt Hero Attack to -60

* Sand King: Burrowstrike damage increased from 85/150/215/280 to 100/160/220/280
* Sand King: Sand Storm AoE increased from 350/450/550/650 to 425/500/575/650

* Shadow Demon: Soul Catcher manacost reduced from 110 to 50/70/90/110
* Shadow Demon: Shadow Poison manacost reduced from 50 to 35/40/45/50

* Shadow Fiend: Presence of the Dark Lord armor reduction increased from 3/4/5/6 to 4/5/6/7

* Shadow Shaman: Level 20 Talent reduced from +3s Shackles Duration to +2.5s

* Silencer: Last Word cooldown reduced from 28/22/16/10 to 22/18/14/10
* Silencer: Level 10 Talent increased from +5 Armor to +6

* Skywrath Mage: Mystic Flare deals damage to creeps if no heroes are around

* Slardar: Level 25 Talent reduced from +1.5s Slithereen Crush Stun to 1.25s

* Slark: Pounce no longer does 30/60/90/120 damage

* Sniper: Headshot now has a back knockback of 10
* Sniper: Level 15 Talent changed from +35 Shrapnel DPS to +15% Shrapnel Slow

* Spectre: Strength gain increased from 2.3 to 2.5
* Spectre: Spectral Dagger movement speed increased from 8/12/16/20% to 10/14/18/22%
* Spectre: Level 20 Talent reduced from +20% Spectral Dagger to +18%

* Storm Spirit: Electric Vortex manacost reduced from 85 to 60/70/80/90
* Storm Spirit: Level 10 Talent changed from +20 Damage to +30 Overload Damage

* Sven: Base movement speed increased by 15
* Sven: Warcry shield health changed from 110/220/330/440 to 80/110/140/170 + 1/1.5/2/2.5x your strength
* Sven: Storm Hammer cooldown increased from 13 to 16/15/14/13
* Sven: Storm Hammer damage reduced from 100/175/250/325 to 80/160/240/320

* Techies: Remote Mines manacost reduced from 200/240/300 to 120/180/240

* Templar Assassin: Meld debuff is now applied before the attack damage is reduced by armor
* Templar Assassin: Fixed meld bonus damage being increased by Spell Amplification
* Templar Assassin: Level 10 Talent changed from +3 Psionic Traps to +15% Evasion
* Templar Assassin: Level 15 Talent changed from +7 Armor to +25 Movement Speed

* Terrorblade: Strength reduced from 16 + 1.7 to 15 + 1.5

* Tidehunter: Anchor Smash damage reduction from -45/50/55/60 to -30/40/50/60%

* Timbersaw: Reactive Armor bonus armor reduced from 1.3/1.4/1.5/1.6 to 1/1.1/1.2/1.3
* Timbersaw: Reactive Armor bonus health regen reduced from 1/1.2/1.4/1.6 to 1/1.1/1.2/1.3
* Timbersaw: Reactive Armor max stacks increased from 5/10/15/20 to 6/12/18/24
* Timbersaw: Whirling Death tree bonus damage increased from 10/15/20/25 to 12/18/24/30
* Timbersaw: Level 20 Talent increased from +10% Cooldown Reduction to +15%

* Tiny: Avalanche AoE reduced from 400 to 325/350/375/400
* Tiny: Avalanche cooldown increased from 23/20/17/14 to 26/22/18/14
* Tiny: Level 15 Talent reduced from +125 Avalanche Damage to +100
* Tiny: Level 15 Talent increased from +350 Health to +400

* Treant Protector: Living Armor damage block increased from 20/40/60/80 to 25/50/75/100
* Treant Protector: Scepter now causes Treant’s Overgrowth to deal damage instead of only Enchanted Trees
* Treant Protector: Overgrowth duration increased from 3/3.75/4.5 to 3.25/4/4.75
* Treant Protector: Level 20 Talent increased from +40 Leech Seed Damage/Heal to +50

* Troll Warlord: Level 15 Talent increased from +75 Whirling Axes Damage to +90
* Troll Warlord: Level 20 Talent increased from +20% Evasion to +25%

* Tusk: Tag Team slow duration reduced from 0.5 to 0.4
* Tusk: Tag Team manacost increased from 40/50/60/70 to 70
* Tusk: Tag Team cooldown increased from 15 to 24/21/18/15

* Underlord: Base movement speed increased by 5

* Undying: Level 15 Talent changed from Tombstone On Death to +30 Tombstone Zombie Damage
* Undying: Level 20 Talent changed from +30 Tombstone Zombie Damage to Tombstone On Death

* Ursa: Base movement speed increased by 15
* Ursa: Fury Swipes damage reduced from 10/16/22/28 to 7/14/21/28

* Vengeful Spirit: Level 20 Talent increased from -5s Magic Missle Cooldown to -6s

* Venomancer: Strength gain increased from 1.9 to 2.1

* Viper: Nethertoxin AoE increased from 350 to 380
* Viper: Nethertoxin damage increased from 20/35/50/65 to 30/45/60/75

* Visage: Level 10 Talent reduced from +125 Cast Range to +100
* Visage: Level 20 Talent reduced from +60 Familiars Movement Speed to +50
* Visage: Level 20 Talent increased from +15 Soul Assumption Damage Per Charge to +20

* Warlock: Base strength increased by 2
* Warlock: Chaotic Offering attack damage increased from 75/125/175 to 100/150/200
* Warlock: Golem attack backswing reduced from 0.74 to 0.57

* Weaver: Level 10 Talent changed from +7 Strength to +75 Shukuchi Damage
* Weaver: Level 15 Talent changed from +75 Shukuchi Damage to +14 Strength

* Windranger: Level 15 Talent increased from +100 Attack Range to +125
* Windranger: Level 15 Talent increased from +100 Powershot Damage to +125

* Winter Wyvern: Cold Embrace base health regen increased from 15 to 14/18/22/26
* Winter Wyvern: Cold Embrace manacost changed from 75 to 50/60/70/80

* Witch Doctor: Maledict cooldown reduced from 50/40/30/20 to 30/26/22/18
* Witch Doctor: Level 10 Talent increased from +5 Armor to +6

* Wraith King: Base movement speed increased by 15

* Zeus: Reworked Static Field. Now affects enemies directly affected by your abilities. No longer has a range.

Posted on February 1, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

The Weekender: Frontiers Edition

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a pretty good week. We finally got that list of the best wargames on mobile up and running (been wanting to do this for ages), so that’s another niche well served. I also got to review the excellent Star Traders: Frontiers (more on that below), and as well as overhauling our RPG list, we had a nice trip back in time to 2012.

Coming up next week should be quite a few more reviews, along with the usual round of updates, including some more war games, and any interesting new releases we haven’t caught up with yet.

Meanwhile in mobile gaming…

Out Now

Star Traders: Frontiers (iOS Universal & Android) (Review)

No need to really say much more on this one: The Trese Brother’s excellent sci-fi sandbox RPG is now made the hyperjump form PC to mobile devices. This can be considered the spiritual successor to their original Star Traders RPG and is a million times better. The post release support this game has enjoyed on PC (and will no enjoy on mobile) makes this a must-have for anyone who feel this ticks their boxes. Just mind out for the initially intimidating learning curve.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wxoMy6J2W8?controls=0]

The Escapists 2: Pocket Breakout (iOS Universal & Android) – Full review coming soon!

We quite liked the first Escapists game when it launched onto mobile in 2017. This curious prison sim/RPG game is a more narrative counter-point to the likes of Prison Architect, which is more of a management sim. We’re working on getting you a review as soon as possible, but in the meantime, here are the official features:

Five, handpicked sandbox prisons to escape from! Break out from minimum security penitentiaries like Centre Perks or for the more hardened criminals Rattlesnake Springs!

Local multiplayer for up to 4 players

New ways to escape

Customise your con with new customisations to create your perfect prisoner

Buy, barter and beat your way to acquiring the much-needed items to create dozens of crafting combinations to aid your escape!

Put the craft in crafty! Scheme, sneak and traverse through prison life. Forge friendships, pull the wool over guards’ eyes as you use your skills and wits to plot your escape!

Blend in to bust out, prison life is filled with routine, make sure you attend roll call, clock in for your job and remain under the radar! If you have the time, learn a hobby or even join a band…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDPtBf6P1wQ?controls=0]

Something we also forgot to mention, Yobowargames last year released iOS versions of Battle for Korsun and Invaders from Dimension X, which we’ve got full reviews in the works for.

Pre-Order

A Few Minutes of Glory (iOS Universal)

The description of this is what sold it to us – take the founding principles of the RTS genre as pioneered by the likes of Age of Empires 2… And turn into a text-based strategy game. This is a game where you make strategic decisions such as resource collection, what units to build and so on, and then the tactical battles are handled by the game itself. We highly suggest you check out the store page at least – it seems fascinating, and in many ways isn’t so far removed from something like Six Ages.

Updates

Rome: Total War (iOS Universal & Android) (Review)

Everyone’s favourite grand-strategy game has just been updated to version 1.10, which adds an additional 8 factions (bringing the total to 19), the ability for units to march together at the same pace (total phwoarr-ED), as well as a new range marker feature, showing the firing distance of your units. This patch is only being advertised for the iOS version, but looking at the Google Play store page it looks like Android already had the most up-to-date build.

There’s also a trailer just for the patch, because why not:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyS_UnlydIk?controls=0]

Sales

There’s nothing in the sales department we feel is worth highlighting this week, although do let us know if you spot something yourself, we can always do a quick update!

Seen anything else you liked? Played any of the above? Let us know in the comments!

Posted on February 1, 2019 by sick skills — Leave a comment

Free for a limited time on Steam: Kholat