Tue, 14th Aug 2018 | Posted by Ross
Hi everyone. Have you been waiting to don your armour and explore the streets of Amihama, in feudal Japan? If so, I have fantastic news for you! As part of this week’s Steam Weekly Sale we’ve taken a katana to the price of Way of the Samurai 4 (regular price $24.99) and slashed it by 40% until the 20th August! So, make sure you hurry to the Steam Store to take advantage of this great deal, and pick up this amazing Japanese open world action game!
The Way of the Samurai series is widely renowned for allowing players to make far-reaching decisions that can radically alter the course of the story and this, the fourth entry in this thrilling series and previously exclusive to the PS3, is no exception! Now all the sword wielding action, adventure and drama of the Way of the Samurai series comes to PC for the very first time, continuing the series’ blend of customization, exploration, action gameplay and quirky humour.
Way of the Samurai 4 takes place in the humble port town of Amihama during the mid 19th Century, several years after the arrival of the “black ships” from the West ended Japan’s long history of cultural isolation. Amihama’s downtown area has slowly been converted to a “Little Britain,” complete with European-styled buildings, occupied by an influx of adventurous foreign settlers. Not everyone welcomes these new residents though, and three distinct factions with opposing ideals begin to take shape.
You must take on the role of a master-less samurai looking to establish yourself in this conflicted land of opportunity and uncertainty. It is up to you to decide which faction to support in an almighty conflict amongst the region’s three powers, and so direct the course of Japan’s history.
Will you aid the shogunate pro-government in their attempts to keep the peace and establish cordial relations with the foreign contingent?
Will you help the nationalistic isolationists in their attempts to exile this potential threat to the Japanese way of life?
Or will you ally with the foreigners directed by the British Navy in their attempts to establish silk trade and foster cultural exchange?
Who will you support? Who will you betray? Become the ultimate bastion of virtue or the ultimate disgrace to humanity, and do it however you'd like. The choice is entirely your own...
Thu, 9th Aug 2018 | Posted by Al
As we promised in last week’s blog, here is part two of our breakdown of the Blood Maidens you’ll control in Mary Skelter: Nightmares. Not all of these ass-kicking ladies are available from the off and you’ll be able to change their jobs to build varied skill sets as you progress, but I hope the following gives you a little insight into their skills and abilities during the earlier parts of your creeped-out dungeoneering adventure.
Let’s continue!
Princess Kaguya
Although not as famous for lazing around as Sleeping Beauty, Kaguya is probably even lazier, but makes up for it with her mysterious secrets and abilities.
Princess Kaguya’s Blood Ability is called ‘Bamboo Guard’ and is the go-to ability for those times when you know you can’t afford taking damage from traps – e.g. when moving through a giant hall of retractable spikes, which is one of Jail’s favourite ways to ruin your day! It’ll only protect you for 10 seconds, though, so you’ll still need to hustle. It’ll even take a single hit from a Nightmare during a Chase, which can prove valuable early on.
Princess Kaguya’s starting job is as a Sniper and she provides some valuable ‘back row’ support. She also brings a cool skill that’s a guaranteed hit with the Marchens in the form of Absolute Strike. It can’t miss! :D
Cinderella
The clean-freak of the group Cinders in happiest keeping things in order. Guilty by nature, she uses her over-the-top obsession with neatness to keep others at a distance, but she’s formidable when stomping Marchens.
Cinderella’s Blood Ability is called ‘Twelve Dash’ and is useful when you’re in a hurry. For 12 seconds your party’s movement speed is vastly increased, which is useful for getting through doors on short timers or helping minimise injury in areas featuring lots of traps/pitfalls, etc. You’ll need to take care not to hit walls while this is active though, as you’ll become stunned if you do.
Cinderella’s starting job is as a Marshal and she’s a nice front row addition in that role (which is useful as quite a high portion of the characters are happy in the back row!) Cinders’ Rage Rush was an early favourite of mine as it hits hard and targets multiple enemies in the process, although the pattern is somewhat random!
Rapunzel
The live wire of the group Rapunzel’s youth means she’s chock full of energy. Despite this she’s a ‘bosom’ buddy of Sleeping Beauty and sticks close to her in their down time.
Rapunzel’s Blood Ability is called ‘Hair Flair’ and can be used to remotely grab item up to 4 squares away. No more need you be teased by juicy items dangling out of reach on the other side of a short chasm. Rapunzel’s clingy locks can even be used to open chests or grab and hold stuff from a distance.
Rapunzel’s starting job is as a Pierrot and this complements her chaotic nature as it’s a class that can deal significant harm to the Marchens, but with the chance of thing going not quite so well…
Gretel
Gretel’s moral ambiguity can be troubling, but she takes a real liking to your hero, Jack, for some reason and proves a real asset to the team.
Gretel’s Blood Ability is called ‘Bread Portal’ and creates a portable warp in the form of an attractive, glowing bread crumb. Toss the Bread Portal 3 squares ahead of you and then use Gretel’s Ability again to instantly be transported to the square where the bread crumb was tossed. We don’t know what manner of quantum entanglement is at play here, but there are times when this Ability proves invaluable, not least to hop over chasms you couldn’t previously cross. ;)
Gretel’s starting job is as a Mimic and it’s probably the most unique starting job among the Blood Maidens. Instead of skills of her own Gretel uses ‘Scholar’ to learn and mimic the skills of the Marchens she battles, meaning her role is as varied as the enemies you’ll face. It’s really interesting rolling with the punches that this can bring. :)
So, there you have it – a little beginners guide to the Blood Maidens you’ll encounter (although I’ve left someone out, after all it’s no fun if I reveal *everything!*)
I hope you’ll have as much fun getting used to the various Blood Maidens, their jobs and the depth of party building and strategy they can bring to the table as you work your way through Mary Skelter: Nightmares. Until next time, happy dungeoneering and watch out for Marchens! ^_^
Tue, 7th Aug 2018 | Posted by Ross
Hi everyone. Have you been craving an epic sprawling SRPG, taking place over multiple generations, with a fantastic battle system? Then I have some great news for you! We’ve discounted all of the bestselling Agarest series and their DLC by a massive 65%!
This includes the brilliant value Agarest: The Complete Saga, which already offers a substantial saving over buying all the games separately. The deal lasts until the 13th August, so run over to the Steam Store to take advantage of these great deals, or simply follow the links below, to go directly to the games page.
