Ubisoft to repurchase 4M shares as it continues fight against Vivendi
Ubisoft plans to buy back up to 4 million shares to fend off a hostile takeover from French media conglomerate Vivendi.
In a brief press release, the Assassin’s Creed creator explained it’s granted a mandate to an unnamed investment services provider, allowing it to repurchase shares on Ubisoft’s behalf.
All repurchased shares will then be cancelled by Ubisoft, preventing them from being reissued on the market and potentially purchased by Vivendi.
It’s another small victory for the studio, which is attempting to secure its independence and push back against Vivendi’s repeated advances.
Vivendi currently holds a 26 percent stake in Ubisoft, and French law would require the firm to make a mandatory takeover bid once it owns more than 30 percent.
Since then, Ubisoft has come out on the offensive, and has reiterated its desire to remain autonomous time and time again.
It’s a tactic that seems to be working, with Vivendi CEO Stephane Roussel recently revealing the company isn’t sure whether to table a takeover bid or simply sell off its stock and move on.
Welcome to another edition of Next Week on Xbox! The holiday gaming season is fast approaching and that means our most-anticipated games of the year are making their way to Xbox One. And with Halloween only a few weeks away, it’s also the perfect time to serve up a couple of spooky titles this week, like the survival horror game The Evil Within 2 and the creepy Decay: The Mare. On the more epic fantasy scale, we’re booking our tickets to return to Mordor and continue the fight against the Dark Lord himself in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Read on for details on these games and more to find out what’s Next Week on Xbox!
Talion and Celebrimbor return in Middle-earth: Shadow of War and aim to forge armies, conquer fortresses, and dominate the land of Mordor from behind enemy lines. With the return of the award-winning Nemesis System powering the unique stories of your followers, in addition to taking on the full power of the Dark Lord Sauron and his army, this epic new story in the ever-expanding Middle-earth saga is one you don’t want to miss. And as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, one purchase gives you a copy on both Xbox One and Windows 10.
Take on the role as one of the four misfit members of the Raid gang — Sterling, Rivet, Kurgan or Wolfgang — to shoot, blast, and steal your way through Europe at the height of World War II. With class-based gameplay and authentic weapon customizations, take down the German war machine in this exciting four-player co-op shooter.
Welcome to the Danger Zone, a virtual crash testing facility where you’re tasked to survive a variety of challenging and deadly scenarios. With real-world vehicle physics with explosive gameplay, your goal is to cause as much explosive and creative damage as possible.
You are the robot Kramer 227 and you must find a way to harvest enough energy to rescue your fellow robot friends before their planet of Aurura crashes in the sun. Gather energy, share with your friends, and escape a dire situation across 20 extensive platforming levels.
In this psychological horror game, you play as Sam, an addict who has found himself in the metal institution Reaching Dreams. Hoping to kick his habit and sort his life, something goes terribly wrong and he becomes lost in an endless nightmare.
Detective Sebastian Castellanos has lost it all. But when given a chance to save his daughter, he must descend once more into the nightmarish world of STEM. From mastermind Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within 2 is the latest evolution of survival horror where horrifying threats emerge from every corner as the world twists and warps around him. Will Sebastian face adversity head on with weapons and traps, or sneak through the shadows to survive? Prepare to enter a frightening world filled with anxiety-inducing thrills and disturbing moments.
Rogue Trooper Redux to Arrive on Switch Alongside Other Console Versions
Rogue Trooper Redux is a pretty interesting upcoming release, as it’ll tap into nostalgia while also offering some shooty-bang-bang gaming on the Switch. The good news is that Nintendo fans will no longer need to wait longer than PS4 / Xbox One owners to play it, with development getting ahead of schedule to ensure a shared release date.
It’ll arrive on 17th October in North America, with the same date expected (but not 100% confirmed yet) for Europe; the price will be £19.99 / $24.99. Check out some details and a ‘101’ trailer below.
A BAFTA-nominated story faithful to the 2000 AD comic and universe of the same name.
A thrilling singleplayer campaign blending stealth, action, cover-based shooting and epic set pieces.
Tactical smarts: Listen out for Helm’s strategic advice and confuse the enemy with distractions and holodecoys.
Withering firepower: Transform Rogue’s sentient rifle Gunnar into a sentry gun, sniper rifle, mortar, missile launcher and more.
Powerful upgrades: collect salvage to upgrade weapons and order Bagman to manufacture explosives under fire.
Two intense co-op modes for 2-4 players online (or in single player offline).
Will you be tempted to give this a try on Nintendo Switch?
Twenty years ago a bizarre amalgamation of card game, board game, and video game first released on the Sega Saturn, and made waves with its strategic depth, addictive gameplay and unique concept. Subsequent titles have shuffled the formula since, but that core blend of number-crunching, dice-rolling and card collecting remained, carving a niche in the market that drew in a dedicated fanbase. Its been nearly ten years since we’ve seen the release of any Culdcept game here in the West, but for anyone who recently dusted off their 3DS to go Metroid hunting, that is about to change.
Depending on your experience with gamepieces, dice and cards, either in digital or tabletop form, Culdcept Revolt can be an extremely daunting experience; downright intimidating at first glance. Competitive card games are increasingly popular nowadays, with many major franchises even offering spin-off titles based around this, but Culdcept is a totally self-contained entity and bears years of history. Despite its intricacies, which are absolutely intact in this latest release, Revolt now brings the series back to the West with confidence, eager to both introduce new players and challenge those more familiar with its addictive gameplay.
Though it’s drawn fairly accurate comparisons with Monopoly in the past, some may find that Culdcept has more in common with Fortune Street, emphasising multiple pathways and a greater sense of control over the board. Up to four players roll dice each turn to determine how many spaces they move around a variety of different maps, claiming squares as their own by placing guardian monsters on them, which then demand a toll off any other player who subsequently lands on the space. These territories can be upgraded, monsters can be equipped with special items, and magic spells can be employed to help seal victory, all based on your customised selection of cards. Battling comes into play when trying to seize control of more territory or defending your own against invaders. If you’ve ever landed on a pricey hotel in Monopoly and wished you could attempt to tear it down instead of paying, then this is exactly the kind of capitalist catharsis you’ve been looking for.
Each board features between two and four gates, each corresponding to a cardinal direction. Passing through every one of these gates is considered a ‘lap’ of the board, and grants you a magic bonus for your trouble. Magic essentially acts as your currency in game, and is spent on summoning monsters as well as paying any tolls for landing on owned spaces. To win, you simply gather up enough until you reach the predetermined limit, and then race towards the nearest gate to claim victory. Expanding and upgrading your territory adds a steady income of magic, and of course you charge a toll for any player unlucky enough to land on your turf. Gates also heal your battle-weary monsters and activate them again after they become fatigued through use. They’re vital checkpoints that make sure you keep moving around the board, forcing players to put themselves at risk.
While we could go beyond this simplified abbreviation and detail just how each facet of gameplay works, or share our top secret strategies (fat chance), it would be a disservice to Revolt itself, which does a wonderful job of easing the player in slowly but surely. New mechanics are introduced with enough restraint that it never feels overwhelming, and even with such a huge amount of information to dive into there’s a limit on how much is heaped into your lap until you’re more comfortable with the basics. Right from the start there’s an extremely useful explanation of the game’s setting and what the general concept is. Despite how genuinely helpful this can be, it does rely on the tired cliché of amnesia as an extra crutch.
Your self-titled character has no recollection of their past, but is told that they are a cepter: one who can control the cards of culdcept and perceive hidden pocket dimensions called battle spaces. Lost and confused in a strange city you’re found by a rebel group known as the Free Bats, who operate in secret to fight back against the tyrannical rule of Count Krannis. Under his command cepters are being hunted down and eliminated, while the city gates remain closed, trapping every citizen inside. With a ragtag bunch of heroes and a fiendish villain to fight back against it’s certainly well-worn material, but acts as a solid platform to support plenty of opportunities to engage in battles. We were initially detached from the events of the story but things did pick up, and with rebellion at the heart of the adventure the drive to escape makes it easy to sympathise with many of the characters.
The single-player campaign is broken up into chapters, each containing the main plotline missions with optional side stories to complete as well. Inevitably, every single little disagreement or challenge throughout the story will result in a card-based confrontation – even among allies – but the gameplay is interesting enough to warrant the repetition. Don’t expect much in the way of variety however, as there’s no opportunity to actually explore environments or interact with NPCs outside of set cutscenes. Your input into the story is confined solely to the board, which is a bit disappointing. There are still some weird quirks of course, with the sudden arrival of a cowboy character early on being a jarring example, and the fact that your evil-doing opponents frequently give you kindly advice about the current map, without any ulterior motive or smarmy attitude whatsoever. The game does an effective job of making you dislike your rivals, so it’s strange to receive helpful tidbits of information from them before charging into battle.
We have to admit though, it’s usually pretty good advice, and there’s plenty to wrap your head around. Creatures have specific abilities and elemental traits for example, and these can define their purpose as either aggressive invaders or staunch defenders. When forming your deck of fifty cards, which are here named ‘books’, you need to keep in mind the more attack-oriented fire and earth elements, while balancing trickier water and air elements that boast special abilities. Items to help attack and defend – as well as magic spells – are also vital, with powers ranging from something as simple as an extra dice roll, to some game-changing abilities that effect the entire board. There are over 400 different cards to collect in total and it’s important to spend time rearranging and updating your book of cards regularly. This is especially important as certain cards are objectively better than others, making earlier items and creatures obsolete as you progress. There are plenty of slots for different books, encouraging experimentation and adaptive strategy to fit the map, your opponent, and your own preferences.
Returning players will find that there are some key changes to the formula this time around, which may seem subtle at first but go a long way in streamlining the experience and mixing things up a bit. One of the most obvious changes is the way in which you earn cards, which ties into the gradual introduction of mechanics rather than being overwhelmed all at once. They aren’t immediately unlocked upon completing maps like in previous titles, instead you earn money by playing matches, which can then be spent on randomised packs of cards each with a set theme, such as a specific elemental type for example. More of these themes unlock as you progress, granting the chance to find rarer, more powerful cards that in turn allow for very different types of books.
Smaller tweaks such as the fatigue that afflicts monsters, the fact that you now discard at the end of your turn, and the introduction of new buildings also change things up, but another major addition are the slightly bizarre Evo cards. These are special dragon creatures that ‘age’ through use, allowing you to level them up and partially customise each card to suit your needs. Up to two of them can be in your book at any one time, and keeping them there will add evolution points with each battle you complete. These points are then spent on increasing the card’s strength and HP, adding new abilities or changing its elemental type. It’s an interesting idea that’s pretty well executed, though it’s entirely possible to continue your game with just the standard cards in tow. They’re fun and unique, but not crucial.
The more you play, the more you’ll begin to develop your own style and gain confidence in your book of cards. The AI opponents can put up a stiff challenge, but as is the downfall with many board games luck plays just as much of a part in victory or defeat as raw skill does. There are ways to manipulate the dice roll, and to negate certain traps, but sometimes you’ll just suffer a run of misfortune and fall victim to one bout of bad luck too many. It’s frustrating to see games turn around so quickly on a total whim, but it does admittedly add to the excitement sometimes. You’re always kept on your toes, challenged by new opponents with new books, and being able to see what’s in their hand at all times makes it a tense affair as you try to predict their next move. If anything, the game can move too slowly at times, especially as you wait on multiple AI characters to finish their turns. It’s also a bit of a hassle to restart games if they aren’t going your way, as you need to wait your turn, manually resign, and then load that mission again from scratch.
The simple 2D sprites set against a 3D background are pleasant if not amazing, while more elaborate character art features the impressive work of Kinu Nishimura, known for Code of Princess and the Street Fighter series. The cards themselves are also well illustrated by various artists, while battle animations are restricted to some limited effects that do the job, but pass on more elaborate visuals as creatures clash. We enjoyed being able to zoom in on card art however, as some of the detail is lost on the small-screened handheld. There’s some English voice acting mixed in alongside a forgettable soundtrack, announcing card names and offering encouragement during games, but we ended up turning the sound down and sticking on a podcast when settling into longer play sessions.
Outside of the campaign you can set up customisable single matches for fun or practice against AI opponents, who can display surprising tactical intelligence, as well as comment on specific events within that particular game. If one character trails just behind you in magic then they sure won’t stay quiet about it, goading you with taunts of their encroaching comeback. We’d estimate that a standard game with a limit of 8000 magic takes around thirty minutes to complete on average, but there are plenty of options to mess around with to affect game length, alter card allowances (it’s possible to ban Evo cards entirely, for example), as well as customise the look of your cepter and even the style of dice you roll.
Of course there are plenty of options when it comes to multiplayer as well, both online and local. For local play you have total control over the game, and can choose from a number of customisation options. Anyone who wants to join in will need to have their own copy of Revolt, however. The online mode itself will actually reward players with a daily bonus just by logging in, ranging from in-game currency to a random card. While online you can enter into a match with friends, or battle other cepters around the world. The Free Match will link you with active players, and sets up three different difficulty levels to choose from. There’s far less customisation here as the game sets its own rules in these arena-style lobbies, but it means that beginners can jump in without much fear of being swarmed by expert players.
Separate from the in-game shop, there’s also an online store which currently offers up a variety of both free and paid DLC in the form of extra quests and cosmetic items such as outfits or book covers. Some of these items are fairly pricey, but thankfully they don’t have an effect on the game itself, as you can’t buy exclusive cards or pay your way to victory. It’s possible we’ll see additional free DLC in the future, though the main game itself is still a fully-realised experience.
SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell is the world?s only competitive heavy metal first-person platformer. Like an unholy child of Quake 3 and Super Meat Boy, SEUM is truly hardcore and focuses on speed and fast reactions.
Tokyo Xanadu a massive action RPG. When high school student Kou Tokisaka encounters the nightmare realm known as the Eclipse, his world is forever changed. Reality distorts as monsters threaten the safety of Morimiya City. Kou must transform his soul into a powerful weapon to defeat the vile Eclipse once and for all. [Playstation.com]
A dangerous shadow organization launches a campaign of fear and violence in the city of Shinjuku, pushing society to the brink of chaos. As a young police officer tasked with restoring order, you become the target of an attack, and have a poisonous collar attached to your neck. With the situation spiraling out of control and time running out, five mysterious strangers appear to aid you in your quest for the truth.
Road Redemption takes place in a nightmare version of the American midwest. You play a recently-paroled felon. After 8 years in federal prison, you must work your way back up from the bottom of your old motorcycle club. As you rise in the ranks, it becomes clear that not all of your brothers are acting in the best interests of the club, and may even be responsible for your incarceration. You must play a pivotal role in the resulting power struggle, with multiple outcomes depending on your actions. Eventually, you can lead your own faction and fight to control territory and drug distribution routes in a war for survival and supremacy.
