Publisher PQube has revealed that it will be bringing the previously Japanese-exclusive Our World is Ended to Nintendo Switch in the west.
The game tells the story of Judgement 7, a young team of Tokyo-based game developers who make a shocking discovery; while testing their latest game engine using augmented reality headsets, part-time director Reiji catches a horrifying glimpse of a seemingly destroyed cityscape. The problem is that the team didn’t program or animate this strange new city, so how did it get there?
Blending the worlds of sci-fi and visual novels, Our World is Ended brings the team’s virtual landscapes, characters, and video game creatures into the real world. The game centres around its “loveable” cast of characters, the iconic Tokyo landmarks you’ll be visiting as you play, and its attractive anime art style, with PQube promising “deep narrative and plentiful conversation options” that provide over 40 hours of gameplay.
The game is scheduled for release in 2019 – we’ll make sure to keep an eye out for more information as we get closer to release.
Do you like the sound of this one? Let us know if this is going on your Switch wishlist with a comment.
The Switch has now been on the market – and in our very grateful hands – for just over a year and a half, but it’s already amassed a staggering collection of 1,000 games. To celebrate, Nintendo has shared a brand new trailer showing just some of the highlights.
Of course, the trailer doesn’t waste the opportunity to show exactly how many different ways the console can be used too – on the TV, in handheld, on your own, as a group, on the train, with local wireless, and everything in between – promoting the “anytime, anywhere” slogan very nicely indeed.
What are your thoughts on Switch after all this time? Do you find yourself playing a wide variety of games in different ways? Let us know below.
If you’re a fan of video game history, it might be worth checking out the above video posted by Australian super-collector Joel “Last Gamer” Hopkins. He’s got an entire house dedicated to games – with a total of five rooms covering every aspect of his beloved hobby. We previously posted about this world record holder last year when he was in the earlier stages of the project.
Of course, this collector’s favourite pastime activity is playing all of his devices and extensive library of games with his family. His house has it all – including racing simulators, game demo units and even an arcade room.
In terms of Nintendo-related content, Hopkins has entire shelves dedicated to amiibo, a library of Game Boy games, hundreds of Wii games, a prototype of GoldenEye 007 and even an Ultra 64. His most played Nintendo system is apparently the Famicom. If you’re at all jealous of his collection, just think about the expensive power bills.
How does your own video game collection compare to this one? Tell us in the comments.
The Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle was a relatively unexpected announcement in September. The game was then launched a week later, offering players the chance to enjoy a compilation of retro side-scrolling fighting games ranging from Final Fight to Armoured Warriors.
If you did download the title to your Switch on release, you might have noticed a few options were missing. Over on the Capcom-Unity blog, it’s been clarified the company has “heard the community’s feedback” and will be updating the game next month. Below is what’s being added:
New Screen Filters – Transport yourself back to the arcades with new scanline/arcade filter options.
New Screen Size – In addition to the full screen size, there is now the option to display the screen in its original size to fit more types of screens.
ON/OFF Toggle for Mid-session Joining – When creating a lobby, there is now an option to turn off the ability for other players to join your in-game session.
Capcom also recently released an update for Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, improving and fixing certain problems. Did you pick up the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle when it first arrived? Are you glad the company is listening to fans? Tell us below.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have no doubt heard the news that the most anticipated Switch release of the year – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – arrives on 7th December.
To help ensure maximum hype levels are reached before the launch, Nintendo has released a new trailer promoting the date of the game’s availability. Running for roughly one minute, the trailer shows the extensive cast of characters while playing the epic Smash music in the background. Unsurprisingly, there’s no sight of the supposed leaked characters.
Take a look at the trailer above and tell us if you’ll be picking up or downloading Ultimate on day one.
A turn-based game like Civilization VI doesn’t show up on a video game console every day. The Switch is, in fact, the first console – or at least hybrid system – this 2016 title has been released on. To make the overall experience easier, the game’s official Twitter account has confirmed touch controls will be supported in handheld mode.
Whether you have played something like this before or not, Nintendo and Firaxis have released a helpful video about how to start a game in Civilization VI. The first episode talks about selecting a leader – who will be the mighty ruler of your empire which you must build over time. Take a look below:
The next episode promises to detail how the turn-based part of the game works. Civilization VI arrives on the Nintendo Switch on 16th November. Will you be picking it up on release?
After a bit of detective work, it was discovered the person who shared the image is employed at a French print company that manufactures cutouts and banners for media advertising and also happens to supply Bandai Namco.
What do you make of this supposed leak? Real or fake? Tell us below.
As we found out in July, the Dutch company Romino Games had plans to re-release its sequel to Swords & Soldiers on the Switch. It’s now been confirmed the game will arrive next month on 6th November on other platforms. The Switch version won’t be far behind however, the lovely folks over at Ronimo Games are aiming for the Switch version to be available at some point in December.
Swords & Soldiers II Shawarmageddon has been tweaked and improved from top to bottom. This side-scrolling strategy remake about Vikings, demons and Persian armies includes new maps, achievements and the entire campaign has been further polished. The most exciting addition in this new version is online multiplayer. Here’s what the story is about in the sequel:
Redbeard makes a return from the original, and meets up with Al’Yucaneet to follow a mysterious trail of missing sheep.
The side-scrolling RTS series began life exclusively on WiiWare in 2009, received a 3D makeover in 2013 and made a few appearances during the Wii U’s life cycle. The sequel was also a timed exclusive on the system in 2015.
Would you consider the Swords & Soldiers sequel on Switch? Tell us below.
It’s that time of the year again, when things go bump in the night and we all play Michael Jackson’s Thriller one time too many. To celebrate Halloween, EA Sports has unleashed the FIFA 19 ‘Ultimate Scream’ promotion, with a number of lovely limited edition cards up for grabs.
FIFA fans will no doubt be aware that ‘Ultimate Scream’ is an annual event in FIFA Ultimate Team, and this year’s effort looks like one of the best yet. 21 shapeshifting players are up for grabs, but what’s the big deal about them? Well, they have two of their stats boosted to an impressive 90 rating.
From its opening moments right up until the last few seconds as the credits began to roll, Pinstripe had us emotionally hooked. The game, which was painstakingly developed almost entirely by just one man over a five-year period, tells the story of Ted, an ex-minister who gets thrown headfirst into a nightmare-inducing series of events. Luckily for us, as the player, these horrific events allow for a pretty stellar video game, and one that will no doubt leave an impression on us over the days to come.
Our tale kicks off with a seemingly innocent train journey, with Ted and his young daughter, Bo, merrily chatting away. You can respond to Bo’s comments in either a loving or disinterested manner, and the two of you soon set off through the train’s carriages completing small, easy puzzles. It doesn’t take long for you to grow attached to this relationship, but things soon take a turn for the worse as a creepy, mysterious stranger called Pinstripe appears before you. After some discussion, Pinstripe kidnaps your daughter, and we felt a genuine sense of anger and upset at his actions right from the off thanks to the great writing and story pacing leading up to the event.
From here, it becomes clear that Ted must make his way through several hellish areas to find Bo, and this is where the real heart of the gameplay kicks in. Most of your time will be spent exploring each of these areas, solving quick puzzles to progress or picking up any currency lying around. Puzzles often require you to take note of your surroundings, and you’ll pick up a few key items along the way which give you clues on where to head next or how to unlock something which could put you on the right track.
Not long into the adventure, Ted stumbles across Bo’s old slingshot and their family dog, George, both of which open up new – if only minimally used – gameplay ideas. The slingshot has unlimited ammo, usually being used to either hit certain objects for puzzle-solving, money-collecting or to fend off enemies, while George can be used in very particular areas to uncover secrets. While the slingshot combat does appear every now and then throughout the adventure, it definitely takes a backseat, letting the storytelling and exploration take centre stage.
And we’re glad that it does; the true beauty of Pinstripe is in its storytelling and the overlying, heart-destroying aesthetic that looms over every step. The game’s world feels like it could really exist, perhaps tucked away inside a fantastical Tim Burton movie, with its beautiful, gloomy art style screaming its melancholic thoughts into your mind as you play. The soundtrack works in tandem here perfectly, too – not just with the music itself, but more thanks to the haunting little extras thrown into the overall soundscape.
The key cog in the aesthetic machine, however, is the game’s cast of non-playable characters, and particularly the voice actors portraying them. Many of these characters are voiced by prominent online personalities and YouTube stars, such as NateWantsToBattle and even PewDiePie, and despite the fact that we can already imagine some of our older readers shuddering in mild disgust, the casting is absolutely perfect. Ross O’Donovan (or ‘RubberNinja’) is a particular highlight as Mr. Dicky – a pessimistic man who guides Ted through various parts of the game – and every aspect of each character’s design adds something worthwhile to the finished product.
It’s easy to assume that this artistic flair was a particular point of focus during development, with the physical gameplay content falling just below perfect as a result. Don’t get us wrong – the combat, exploration, and puzzles are brilliantly executed when they pop up, and the controls are elegantly tight and responsive, but the game left us wanting a little more. Our playthrough saw the story wrapped up in around three hours or so and, while we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon, those three hours could have introduced just a handful more fast-paced slingshot sequences or platforming sections to top things off nicely.
To give credit where it’s due, though, a portion of the gameplay near the end of those few hours sees you backtracking through the entire collection of levels to collect resources for the final moments – something which could have been a real slog. Rather than being a grind-filled, painful nightmare, however, new types of puzzles are unlocked as you work your way backwards, and you can suddenly get your hands on the collectables that previously seemed impossible to snag. Going backwards in a game isn’t always fun, but Pinstripe made it worth our precious time.
On top of this, a new ‘Adventure Plus’ opens up after completing the story, throwing you right back to the beginning but with a new golden key in your inventory. This key can unlock more places you hadn’t accessed before, giving keen players another few things to see, although you won’t be missing out on too much if you’re content with a single run. It may be a relatively short adventure, slipping by almost as quickly as it arrives, but the impression left by its world and storytelling should last long enough to justify that nicely.
Conclusion
Pinstripe is a beautiful creation in every sense of the word, pulling on your heartstrings like only your favourite storybook can, while competently providing a good deal of fun along the way. It’s a little on the short side, both in terms of length and challenge (we only saw the ‘game over’ screen once thanks to reaching the final boss with very little health), but a game’s length really isn’t everything. It’s what a game does in the few hours it spends with you that really counts, and Pinstripe does some pretty great things, making it an easy title to recommend.
