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Monster Hunter Stories™ and Monster Hunter Stories™ 2 now available on new platforms

Today, Monster Hunter Stories™ launches on Switch™, PS4, and PC via Steam along with Monster Hunter Stories™ 2: Wings of Ruin, which is also now available on PS4. Both of these acclaimed turn-based RPGs are also compatible with Steam Deck. Apprentice and veteran Riders alike can embark on both of these adventures together now in one thrilling collection!

In Monster Hunter Stories, step into a vibrant world where Riders form bonds with wild Monsties instead of hunting them. This enhanced version of the first RPG set in the Monster Hunter™ universe now comes with exciting new features for an even more thrilling and immersive adventure:

Enhanced Visuals: Dive into action with upgraded graphics, featuring improved modeling, textures, and lighting on larger screens.
New Voiceovers: Enjoy the story with full English and Japanese voice acting.
Museum Mode: Explore over 200 pieces of concept art, background music, and special developer sketches.
Added Title Updates: Players also get access to content previously exclusive Japan, including Title Updates 1.20 and 1.30.
Continue the journey with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. Follow the legendary Rider Red’s legacy and join Ena, a Wyverian girl, on a quest to protect a Rathalos egg that could hatch into a monster of immense power. In this sequel, players can explore an even more expansive and dynamic world with new Monsties to befriend. Enjoy engaging in turn-based combat and discover a captivating narrative delving into ancient legends and the deep bonds between Riders and Monsties.

For even more Monster Hunter fun, Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Now will host a celebratory launch collaboration event! In the mobile game, players can explore the real world and enjoy the thrill of monster hunting on the go! Starting on June 24, 2024, players can win limited hunter medals and layered armor by clearing event quests, as well as gain access to a special Rider Card!

Monster Hunter Stories is available for $29.99 and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is available starting at $39.99. The Monster Hunter Stories Collection includes both titles for $59.99.

For more details, visit the Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin official websites. Additional assets can be found on the Capcom Press Site.

Ride on,
Capcom PR

DEMO OF ACTION-RPG SOCIAL SIM DUNGEONS OF HINTERBERG DROPPING JUNE 8TH

London, Tue 4 June 2024 – Curve Games and Microbird Games today revealed that Dungeons of Hinterberg, a single-player mix of Action-RPG and social sim set in the Austrian Alps, launches its first playable demo on June 8th.

Steam URL: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1983260/Dungeons_of_Hinterberg/

 

Dungeons of Hinterberg will also be part of Steam Next Fest June 2024, which runs from June 10th to 17th at 10am PT/6pm BST, giving players a taste of a day in the life of Luisa, as the protagonist explores Kolmstein. The demo will also be featured in the official Steam Next Fest livestream, which will broadcast June 10, 11am to 1pm Pacific Time, and can be viewed on the Steam Next Fest event page; Twitch; YouTube; and Facebook.
 

The new demo allows players to experience a full in-game day cycle beginning on Day 7. Fans can explore the Glacier Overworld (Kolmstein), which includes a gravity-defying dungeon that requires players to solve puzzles and slay monsters while mastering an array of magical skills, before returning to the village of Hinterberg and hanging out with a selection of characters.
 

Dungeons of Hinterberg blends hack ‘n’ slash action, puzzle solving and social elements, allowing players to battle creatures from Alpine myths, explore dungeons, and forge friendships. The game is available to wishlist now on Steam here and launches on Steam, Xbox, Windows 10/11 PC, and with Xbox Game Pass for console, PC, and cloud on 18th  July 2024.

Biomutant OUT NOW on Nintendo Switch

Vienna/Austria, May 14th, 2024: Today, THQ Nordic releases the port for the RPG Biomutant on Nintendo Switch! In docked mode, experience gameplay in 1080p (with Dynamic Resolution) at a stable 30 FPS. Handheld mode will feature 720p (with Dynamic Resolution) at a stable 30 FPS. Watch the OUT NOW video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yI3774Q3IXo. Use a unique martial arts-styled combat system to mix melee, shooting, and mutant ability action while exploring and traveling through a beautiful post-apocalyptic open world, filled with unique creatures, friends, and foes. Re-code your genetic structure to change the way you look and play, mix and match parts to create your own weapons, and fight or team up with several tribes.

Visit the website for more information: https://www.biomutant.com/en/

Biomutant, developed by Experiment 101, ported by Saber Interactive and published by THQ Nordic, is available for Nintendo Switch NOW at a suggested retail price (SRP) of €39.99 / $39.99 / £34.99, which includes the Mercenary-Loadout DLC.

Get the game: https://biomutant.thqnordic.com/#order

Biomutant is already available for PC, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One™, and Xbox Series X/S.

How to Create Factions: Part 1

Starting with…

The World ready!

The easiest way to determine factions would be to simply split them by location, or world history.

Then, the conflict could revolve around gaining or maintaining territory, and that could include groups being pushed out of their original territories and then trying to take them back.

You can also split it by the each of the area’s history, using previous conflicts to shape the factions, i.e. political ones.

The Characters ready!

Build your factions around your characters’ core beliefs.

What do your characters care about? What is their worldview? What about the opposite?

With a focus on the characters, the creation of the factions can become integral to your OC’s story. Will they need to grow out of the faction? Will the faction grow and change as the character does? Will they leave one for another as their story moves forward?

And conversely: what does being in that faction say about the character? What does a monster being in a Hunter’s faction, for example, say about the monster? Are they guilty? Do they doubt their identity, or are they a wolf in Sheep’s clothing waiting to strike?

by Abby Zarakovich

How to Create Factions: Part 2

Video Games have long graduated from simple fights between good and evil. Games are now tied with intricacies and multiple sides, each believing that they are the ones that are correct.

The question now becomes “How do I put that into my game?”. As with my other articles, there are multiple ways to go about this!

It is best to begin at the beginning!

I want to start with the factions…

The Question to ask here is “Why are there factions in the first place?”

Usally a group splits over an arguement; as creator, you decide what kind of disagreement causes the breakup.

What do people believe in enough that their goals and ideals split? Is it something simpler, like a land disagreement or a family squabble? Are the factions gunning for power, splitting politically? Are the factions after a superweapon, an their reasons for wanting it are causing the divide?

In this way, the creation of the factions and therefor, their very existence drives the story.

Emphasis

By creating them first, it puts more emphasis on them, rather than other aspects. This works in your favor if you want to use your story to explore methodologies or philosophies, and what causes people’s differences.

Having factions be at the center of your story allows for discussions with lines drawn in the sand, and it’s up to you (or your players) to decide if they stay, move, or fade entirely.

Effect

A good way to gauge how much your factions affect the story you’re creating is this:

What happens if something about the faction changes?

If destroying the faction of choice does nothing, then it has no impact on the story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing: If it impacts the World or the characters, it can stay! Asking this question can help gauge how much you want to focus on that faction. If it’s deemed insignificant, than you can skim over it, or maybe change your story if you’re really attached to the idea of it.

What does the faction add to your story?

As mentioned above, if the addition of this faction bolsters other parts of your story, it should stay in. Depending on how much it affects the rest, you can draw the players/readers attention to it by having the story be more closely tied to the factions.

Vivid Knight

This Upcoming game on Steam has all the cuteness of a mobile game paired with the dungeon crawl adventures found in early MMOs.

Vivid Knight fits its name and reunites the modern gatcha with it’s fantasy-based ancestor (the MUD).

It’s character designs (varied and colorful as the name implies) works well with the graphics that accompany the randomly-generated dungeons that are the base of the game.

Mixing and matching the crystals that represent characters let you fight mobs and move through the dungeon, moving your party and the story along.

Vivid Knight’s building on the respected genre of dungeon crawler may revive the fun that nerds in ages past have enjoyed for themselves, and bring the 8-bit style of game into a new era.

Overall Aesthetic: The gems and art style are cute, with good color choices!

Gameplay: As someone who like randomized dungeons, this is one that drew my eye: I like how some rooms are optional, and if you don’t want to do something, a whole bunch of room types have option to not engage.

from the game’s Steam page

Jury Box

For a relatively simple game, Jury box (published in 1936 by Parker Brothers) has earned itself a spot in game history.

It’s a game for any number of players, and is relatively simple. You (and your fellow players) act as jury to the cases provided in the box. There is photo evidence, an illustrated case file, and what the “correct” answer.

In play, after the case is read by a selected player, the players write their verdict and idea of what happened: points are awarded to those with the correct verdict, and to those whose solution behind what happened comes closest. The person with the most points after all the cases are complete wins.

Jury Box is the precursor to modern variations of LARP and murder mystery games.

The action of pretending to be a person, and the whodunnit nature of the game is what lead to the evolution of games like Clue and such.

Basic Map making – the absolute minimum

As a DM, you lead your fellow players in the adventure of a lifetime! And you can’t do that without a setting for your adventurers to traverse!

There a Few ways to do this, like always!

Base it off of a real-life location

You can simply pick a point on the globe and lift the terrain and cities wholesale. This way, you can point your focus towards the plot and characters of your campaign.

    • Pros:
  • Makes your life easier
  • Can use history for flavor
    • Cons:
  • Expectations of Culture and mannerisms that come with a person’s knowledge
  • There will be history here, and the players might expect use of it

Create your own from scratch

Use map generators or craft a map from your own imagination to craft the most individualized map

    • Pros:
  • You can have whatever you want wherever you’d like
  • Create your own world history
    • Cons:
  • You have to make it yourself
  • Create your own world history

Custom maps can be made multiple ways.

  1. Decide on a central or key location, and build what you need around it
  2. Make a legend, and drop dice (signifying different physical objects) over a piece of paper
  3. Random generator

Use a Mix of both!

You can use a real-life map as a base (for terrain or city placement), and then edit it to fit your lore/characters/villain’s actions

START AGAIN: a prologue

How do you feel about Time loops, dear reader? Does the monotony of the same day over and over and over bore you to tears? Or does the hope to fix your mistakes blind you to the truth that the loop is whispering?

START AGAIN: a prologue has multiple endings, and is based on a series of short comics.

Providing a swift kick in the chest and eyes full of tears, you follow Siffrin in this story in the second person, and meet friends to help you on your quest.

Defeat monsters as you learn about the loop that has trapped you in it’s claws!

The game is available here!

From the Creator’s Tumblr

How to Build a Big Bad Villain

There are a few ways to create the ultimate evil for your DnD (or other media) game!

The Standard

Choose from the prototypes of any popular mass media for the skeleton to build your villain off of!

The common tropes in media range from Evil boss to Mass-murdering maniac. The general tropes for a simple villain include a sad backstory, a tendency for murder, and a longing to take over the world by violent means.

The way to impart your generic villain’s actions is to really expand on the scope of their evil deeds. Don’t just mention the widespread destruction, but show it and its aftereffects. Have the village that your players were going to head to be torn apart, have the most trusted villagers mention their hatred of the Big Bad, and how the villain affected them and their livelihoods.

The Foil

Examine your player characters and their motivations. Pick what drives them, and craft a villain that wants something similar, but does it in a completely different way than your player characters.

You can craft a foil from characters the player(s) already know, and they don’t even have to start as antagonists. With the foil, you can also grow their powers/abilities/fear-factor along with the players, to help with scaling their end-game “badness” level.

Worldly type

This is a villain built out of the world you have created. What would mess up the world you have created? What ideology would cause the collapse of the society you have? What is the worst case magical/supernatural/scientific scenario?

Say your world has a heavy dependency on a particular resource: the villain can hoard it, or they could seek to destroy all of it.

 

Gaming News and the Ultimate Universe