Far Cry 2 is a lot of things, based on the memories I have from playing it a decade ago. First and foremost, I recall Far Cry 2: Parasitic Pain, which tasks you with running around begging for pills to stave off a growing infection. Next comes Far Cry 2: Buddy Bonanza, which lets you make lots of lovely AI friends, charge into battles together, and then hide while they die. Then, there’s Far Cry 2: Firewatch, which is all about watching fire. It’s the best.
A Space For The Unbound is Mojiken’s first ‘big’ release in that sense, clocking in at around nine-ish hours. What begins as a YA coming-of-age tale about a small-town romance quickly gains remarkable momentum, and suddenly you’re dealing with supernatural teens trying to desperately stop a world-ending calamity. Part sci-fi drama, part high school romance, A Space For The Unbound manages to have incredible weight and grandeur while also being poignant, sweet, and honest at the same time. It’s a triumph.
A lot is coming out in 2023, but somehow, a turn-based RPG that combines a neo-futuristic world with mystery-solving completely passed us by — until today. Mato Anomalies comes from Chinese-based developer Arrowiz and is coming to Switch on 10th March 2023.
That’s in the middle of a crowded period for RPG fans, but the combination of detective work and strategic turn-based battles absolutely should make this stand out from the crowd. You’ll play as both Detective Doe and his unlikely partner in crime Gram to uncover the mysteries behind the fantasised neo-futuristic city of Mato.
Hey everyone, happy 2023! I’m Phil Crifo, Tchia’s Game Director and Awaceb Co-founder. Last year was a very busy and exciting one for us, and I would like to give you an update on the development of Tchia and offer a sneak peek into the game. As you’ll see, it has come a long way, and we’re happy to announce the game is coming to PS4 & PS5 this Spring (stay tuned!).
A trip to our homeland
As you may know, Tchia is inspired by our homeland, New Caledonia, and it was super important for us that folks who worked on the game got to experience those landscapes, wildlife, cultures, languages and customs firsthand. If you’re interested in finding out more, we have already released a 3-part series on the topic.
Everything in Tchia is infused with the local culture of New Caledonia. This includes all the various landscapes that we recreated in the open-world archipelago, and that you can freely explore, swim or navigate around, and even climb on if you’d like!
This is also the case with our cast of characters that you will meet throughout your journey. We have worked with local talent to voice everyone you will encounter in either Drehu (one of the most ancient local New Caledonian languages) and French. As you can freely explore the archipelago in Tchia, we encourage you to try out various side quests to acquaint yourself with some of the island’s inhabitants and learn more about their culture and individual personalities.
Music, finally, is a major component of your adventure. All sounds and sonorities are inspired by traditional New Caledonian culture and folklore. You’ll try these out for yourself using your trustworthy Ukulele! More on that below.
Development milestones
2022 was also the year where Tchia shaped up into its final form.
To celebrate the approaching conclusion of this great adventure, and to thank you for your support and patience throughout development, here are a few highlights of what you can expect from Tchia.
Soul-Jumping
One of the main mechanics in Tchia is called Soul-Jumping. Soul-jumping lets you take control of any object or animal you can find. Any by any object we mean just that – swim as a turtle, fly as a dove or launch yourself at enemies as a lantern plus so much more. Ever secretly wished you were a coconut? Well, now is your time!
Each object or animal you can possess allows you to experience a specific move set. And with a bit of dexterity, you’ll learn unique tricks that will allow you to chain Soul-Jumps and even use a secret feature we call the Soul-Canon! You’ll need to be careful not to deplete your stamina to keep control of your animal or object. As you explore the world and complete challenges, you’ll upgrade your stamina bar for even more Soul-Jumping action.
Ukulele
Tchia’s fully playable ukulele will be a trustworthy companion throughout your journey. It’s fully playable and we’ve even been able to re-create some famous tunes by playing around with the various chords and tones implemented in this system. You’ll also encounter scripted events that will teach you traditional music pieces, but don’t worry if rhythm is not your strong suit. Tchia is super accessible, so even a Ukulele novice can complete these challenges. Getting 100% may be another story though, we can’t wait to see some of you take on the challenge.
Finally, your ukulele lets you trigger the special ‘Soul-Melodies’. Once unlocked, these mystical tunes will affect the world around you, from changing the weather to invoking magical plants and creatures to ease your journey or reach specific quest elements quicker.
Explore
Exploration is at the heart of Tchia. You can free-climb any surface and soar the skies with Tchia’s glider made of woven coconut leaves. Whenever Tchia is in mid-air, you can use special tricks to spin in various ways and show off your acrobatic skills. Those skills can also be put to the test in diving board challenges, so be on the lookout for those! That’s just one of a range of mini-game challenges to enjoy. There’s also racing, shooting ranges, and even claw machines! Each providing rewards ranging from useful items to progress in your quest, or to customize Tchia, her backpack and glider. You’ll encounter those challenges and many other hidden secrets as you sail around the archipelago’s glistening lagoons and dive to the depths of the coral reefs.
Thanks again for all the love and support you keep sending our way!
Coffee Talk is one of my favourite visual novels from the last couple of years, and when developers Toge Productions announced they were making a second episode back in 2021, I raised a steaming hot mug of tea in celebration. Now, it’s time to brew up another one, as they’ve just announced its official release date of April 20th.
Dwarf Fortress would never make the biggest and most important change it possibly could, and fit itself with an interface fit for purpose.
Bay 12 Games have, of course, gone further than that, and released it for general sale on the biggest shop in the business after sixteen years as freeware. There’s even a charming new graphics overhaul to replace the famous ASCII symbols which, depending on who you ask, might not have technically counted as “graphics” at all.
I’m not here to discuss the relative merits of this shiny new version and the “classic” version. Both will be updated in future, the latter still free, and neither expected to reach a full 1.0 release inside 20 years. All this chips around the edges of what I’ve been pondering, which is this: What exactly is Dwarf Fortress’s place within our culture now, after a decade replete with games that looked to it for ideas?
Well, we’ve seen some publishers push their luck with their marketing at times, but this one really takes the biscuit.
RedDeer Games has unveiled nOS: New Operating System, a new game for the Switch that lightly simulates the experience of a personal computer, albeit with cute visuals and a significantly more simplified user experience. It’s due to release at some point later this month.
Ultimate Audio Bang, and The Electronic Wireless Show, but our focus is strictly on the wonderful world of indie games. It’s best to think of the podcast as an extension of our Indiescovery tag on the site – although we’ve got the Indiescovery Podcast tag just for the pod, if you ever want to check all the episodes. Every episode video bud Liam, guides lass Rebecca and myself (reviews ranger Rachel) will highlight a bunch of cool indies and talk about why we love them. We’ll be gabbing about the latest indie darlings, exciting upcoming releases, hidden gems lost to space and time, and more.
Just over a month out from the release of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, Koei Tecmo and the game’s producer have made the tough decision to delay the title. Instead of February it will now arrive on the Switch on March 24th, 2023.
In a message from the game’s producer Junzo Hosoi, it was explained how the game needed “additional-time to fine-tune” the final touches. Here’s the message in full, via Gematsu:
The New York Game Awards 2023 have arrived and, alongside honoring CEO of Microsoft Gaming and head of Xbox Phil Spencer with the Andrew Yoon Legend Award, the show saw Elden Ring walk away victorious with the Game of the Year and the Best World awards.
The New York Video Game Critics Circle hosted the 12th annual New York Game Awards tonight, January 17, and it honored the best games, actors, esports athletes, and journalists of 2022.
Elden Ring was the only game to win multiple categories, meaning a ton of games were given the spotlight they deserve, including Vampire Survivors, God of War Ragnarok, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Immortality, and more.
As we previously mentioned, Phil Spencer won the Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the show, and it is “presented by the New York Videogame Critics Circle to recognize people and organizations that have exhibited a significant, sustained body of work that shows exceptional artistic achievement and innovation.”
“Phil and I have been a part of this industry together for many years and I’ve always admired his ability to find new, creative ways to serve gamers,” said Reggie Fils-Aimé, former industry and COO and board member, NYVGCC. “Phil isn’t just an executive in games, he is a gamer himself and because of that he knows exactly what fans want when it comes to the Xbox brand. I am thrilled to have him join the prestigious ranks of Andrew Yoon Legend Award winners and look forward to celebrating his illustrious career at the New York Game Awards this January.”
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Tombs of the Fallen Pt. 2
Bugsnax: The Isle of BIGsnax
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen – WINNER
Microsoft Flight Simulator: Top Gun Maverick DLC
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism
Justin Heckert, Vanity Fair
Elizabeth Jennings Graham Award for Best Educator
Ryan O’Callaghan
Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient
Phil Spencer
The New York Video Game Critics Circle is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit multicultural organization of “40 of the finest videogame critics, writers, reporters, and bloggers in the nation.” Members of the NYVGCC also give back by “providing scholarships, mentoring, and community outreach to NYC schools students.”
Far Cry 2 is a lot of things, based on the memories I have from playing it a decade ago. First and foremost, I recall Far Cry 2: Parasitic Pain, which tasks you with running around begging for pills to stave off a growing infection. Next comes Far Cry 2: Buddy Bonanza, which lets you make lots of lovely AI friends, charge into battles together, and then hide while they die. Then, there’s Far Cry 2: Firewatch, which is all about watching fire. It’s the best.
A Space For The Unbound is Mojiken’s first ‘big’ release in that sense, clocking in at around nine-ish hours. What begins as a YA coming-of-age tale about a small-town romance quickly gains remarkable momentum, and suddenly you’re dealing with supernatural teens trying to desperately stop a world-ending calamity. Part sci-fi drama, part high school romance, A Space For The Unbound manages to have incredible weight and grandeur while also being poignant, sweet, and honest at the same time. It’s a triumph.
Coffee Talk is one of my favourite 
Dwarf Fortress would never make the biggest and most important change it possibly could, and fit itself with an interface fit for purpose.
Ultimate Audio Bang, and