News by Matt S.
Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Numskull Games nabs Spike Chunsoft projects
We don’t usually cover business stuff on DDNet. Mostly because it has nothing to do with the artistry and quality of video games. But also it’s just boring. But this bit of news to emerge this week IS industry. Merchandise specialist, Numskull, recently launched a video game division, headed up by the former boss-man of Rising Star Games. With that heritage it’s no surprise that the company’s first big game announcements are Japanese titles.
Numskull Games will publish AI: The Somium Files and Crystar – two Spike Chunsoft projects – in Australia and Europe. Spike Chunsoft will continue to be the publisher in America.
Crystar, in particular, looks really interesting. It was developed by FuRyu in Japan, the same group being the brilliance of both Lost Dimension and The Caligula Effect. Crystar looks every bit as good as those titles.
Close to the Sun to get a Nintendo Switch port
The Switch is set to get another really nice-looking horror game port, with the Tesla-themed Close to the Sun announced to be coming to the console as well. Already confirmed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, now people will be able to play it on the go too.
The PC version of the game is already available, and exclusive to the Epic Store, where it has met a middling reaction. The Metacritic rating for the game currently sits at 65, with 34 reviews counted.
With that being said, it’s often the case with horror that the most polarising is the best – just think of Suehiro Hidetaka’s Deadly Premonition, for example. Horror is a creative genre, and the best ideas do tend to isolate some people. We’ve got big hopes that come the Switch port, it will be one of the console’s highlights.
There’s a new Moss DLC that you should probably check out
Moss remains one of the best examples of VR to date. You play as a cute little mouse on fairy tale-like adventures. It’s just the most adorable concept, the the development team at Polyarc really did it justice. Originally a PlayStation VR exclusive title it’s now also available on Oculus Rift/S, HTC Vive, and Windows MR.
Now there’s a reason to go back, with a DLC update delivering a deeper set of challenges, with new environments to explore, new combat, platforming and puzzles to contend with, and new storytelling elements that will further deepen the world and characters.
Best of all, this DLC, called “Twilight Garden” is actually being offered free of charge… and who doesn’t like getting more out of a game they love for nothing?!? It’s great to see that this game has been enough of a success that the team has been able to continue to support it in this way.
We have a release date for The Alliance Alive HD
We loved The Alliance Alive on the Nintendo 3DS when it originally launched. It was a gorgeous little game. It’s also not one we ever expected to get the HD port treatment, but NISA went and surprised us there. Now we also have a date for the game!
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered comes to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on October 8 in North America, October 11 in Europe, an October 18 in Oceania.
Just to give you an idea of how different it is from the 3DS original, NISA has released a new trailer showing a direct comparison – the HD work is significant, and the game is looking gorgeous. Now, just to find the time for it when it lands right in the busiest part of the year!
