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24 June, 2017

Burly Men at Sea Sailing Towards PS4 and Vita

Have a read of our full review of Brain&Brain's Burly Men at Sea and you'll soon know we were charmed by its many adventures. Played out through interactive storybook form, with beautiful depictions inspired by Scandinavian folklore, players after a different, quieter experience will find what they're looking for within its animated electronic pages. 

Brain&Brain recently announced at E3 2017 that the studio would be bringing its adventures to PS4 and Vita, although a release date has not yet been made available. We'll keep you posted as more news comes to hand. The more platforms on which this lovely game can be experienced the better. This writer actually took it through its paces on Apple TV via the Siri Remote not long ago, and found it a nice fit for that platform also. 

In a nice real-life twist, you can actually get hardcover book versions of all the playable stories. 

Here's the recent trailer unveiled at E3 2017: 

Writer:
Garry Balogh

 

16 June, 2017

Monument Valley was Almost Called “The Garden of Geometric Delights“

Blockbuster mobile indie game Monument Valley very nearly went by a different name reveals lead designer Ken Wong in a new book.

It’s one of the most loved and successful indie games of all time. While plenty of other titles have been downloaded more times than Monument Valley, despite its impressive 50,000,000 result. Very few have done so as fully paid premium experiences. When the rest of the market was going free-to-play, developer ustwo Games remained unmoved, adamant Monument Valley’s gameplay experience was worth a price. And the studio was right.

Following the release of an expansion, Forgotten Shores in late 2014, a few sequel was released last week to iOS devices. (Android is coming soon.) Following the release of Monument Valley 2 has come a new book, available on Amazon and iTunes. The Making of Monument Valley: Secrets Behind the Best Indie Games was put together with help from Grab It and our interview with Ken Wong. Wong was the lead designer and artist behind the innovative gameplay.

We thought we would share with you an interesting quote from the book, to whet the appetite of those who may be interested in picking it up. It relates to the name of the game, or more accurately, what that name could have been. It turns out the developer circled a number of disparate titles before falling on Monument Valley. Here is the exact quote:

“The temporary name of the project was Tower of Illusion, which nobody actually liked. We spent many weeks arguing over a suitable name, with examples being Crow Season, The Garden of Geometric Delights, While She Wandered and Upper Escherlon.”

It’s a bit tacky, but I kind of like Upper Escheron. Tower of Illusion is way too Mickey Mouse, and Crow Season just makes no sense at all given the final product. The Garden of Geometric Delights is a very indie title as is While She Wandered. But ultimately you have to feel the team lent the right way in falling with Monument Valley. 50 million sales can’t be wrong!

You can learn more about The Making of Monument Valley book at the publisher’s website, or you can pick it up directly now from Amazon or from iTunes depending on your format of choice.

If you haven't yet played this fantastic game, you can grab the original, or the sequel now.

06 June, 2017

The Making of Monument Valley Experience Available

If you’re as excited about the release of Monument Valley 2 as us, then why not learn the story behind the series’ creation.

With Monument Valley and its sequel, game design and hardware danced the merriest dance you’ve ever seen. The beautiful, intuitive touchscreen controls work so seamlessly with the unique MC Escher inspired puzzle-solving that it sucks you in and romances you completely. We fell in love with the first game, and are delighted at the arrival of the second.

Episode 3 of Grab It - the innovative, interactive iPad magazine – was home to the world exclusive Monument Valley making of experience. Designer Ken Wong took readers through the entire journey of its creation, detailing the inspirations, the challenges, and a tonne of behind-the-scenes information. If you’ve fallen in love with Monument Valley too, then you should dive in and check it out. You can grab Episode 3 from the App Store here.

In the three years between the two games, developer usTwo has more than doubled in size from 8 to 20 staff. With this extra manpower, Monument Valley 2 retains the same concept of challenging players to move parts of the landscape to open up pathways for its characters, but deepens it extensively. Puzzles expand to offer elements like portals and sunlight, there is a broader range of art styles between the stages, and there is much more meat to the storytelling. With 14 chapters, it’s also a much longer game, tackling one of the biggest criticisms of the original.

In short, it’s everything you want from a sequel. Taking a brilliant concept, plugging the holes and then taking it all to the next level. You can get Monument Valley 2 now right here. And make sure you check out Episode 3 of Grab It – it’s jam filled with other content, too.

Writer:
Chris Stead

If you are wondering who we are, we're primarily a digital magazine for the iPad focused on the coverage of indie video games. Run by the former editor of Game Informer, you'll find worldwide exclusives, but also an interactive media experience unlike any you have seen before. If you have an iPad, you should check out the free sample issue at the very least, or enjoy one of our other episodes as listed below.

Get Every Episode:
- Episode 1 - Includes The Making of République (*free sample issue*)
- Episode 2 - Includes The Making of Oceanhorn
- Episode 3 - Includes The Making of Monument Valley
- Episode 4 - Includes The Making of Last Inua
- Episode 5 - Includes The Making of World of Tanks Blitz
- Grab It Episodes 2-5 Bundle
- Episode 6 - Includes The Making of Magic the Gathering
- Episode 7 - Includes The Making of Tiny Troopers Alliance and Midnight Star
- Episode 8 - The PAX AUS edition
- Grab It Presents Nihilumbra - Classics Collection
- Grab It Presents Ultimate Indie Game Reviews Vol 1.

03 June, 2017

Watch 15 Minutes of Gameplay from Upcoming action-adventure Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm

More details have emerged about the exciting indie sequel Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm for iOS and consoles.

Oceanhorn was a gem. Releasing on the iOS platform way back in 2013, it showed just how console-like mobile gaming could be when pushed to the limit by talented studios. It was, effectively, Legend of Zelda for mobile phones. We featured the game as our cover star for Episode 2 of Grab It Magazine, with a world exclusive making of feature, and in-depth interview and a review. It’s a great way to play catch up if you missed out on the original, and there is a tonne of other content in there to discover.

11 May, 2017

Rime Developer Explains Switch Price Difference, Offers Bonus

Hot on the heels of some negative press, Rime developer Grey Box offers an explanation and a freebie.

We’ve been following Rime quite closely here at Grab It. For the most part, that’s because it looks amazing. Stuck somewhere between Journey, The Witness and Legend of Zelda, it’s focused on exploration, environmental puzzle-solving and the mystery of how a young boy got marooned on an island full of ancient ruins. It’s one of those indie games that really turns heads.

Unfortunately, it started turning heads for the wrong reason when the pricing for the Switch version of the game arrived. At $79.95 here in Australia, it was $20 more than the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the same game. Nintendo fans were quick to take up arms – by which we mean sound-off in forums - and Grey Box was paying attention. The developer just sent us the following peace offering:

04 April, 2017

Rime Release Date Pushed Back on Nintendo Switch

Releasing in May on PS4, PC and Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch version of upcoming indie adventure Rime has been pushed back to later in 2017.

The upcoming indie adventure game Rime by Tequila Works is a title we have been keeping a close eye on. It has been in and out of developmental hell like a yo-yo over the last four years, but is finally nearing a release. On May 26, the game will land worldwide on PS4, Xbox One and PC. The Nintendo Switch edition was always set to be released later, but all reports had it still hitting a June release window. Until now.

We can confirm that Rime has been officially placed in a Q3 2017 release window, which spans anywhere from July to September. Rime’s Australian distributor, Five Star Games, sent us an email today with its upcoming release schedule, showing the new release window for the game. It also confirmed the previously reported $20 price hike on the Xbox One and PS4 versions.

13 March, 2017

The 2008 Cory Barlog-led Mad Max Game that Never Happened

More details have emerged about the game that almost was when the director of God of War joined forces with Mad Max creator George Miller.

Indie developer Dan Graf is currently achieving great things with his mobile title Rodeo Stampede - which has now passed 50 million downloads - but his career stretches back over a decade. It includes time spent not only making games, but also teaching and making films. During a recent episode of the GameHugs podcast, Graf spoke in-depth about his origins as a game developer and some of the incredible places it has taken him. One of those places included Dr. D Studios, the company founded by Mad Max creator George Miller.

Graf was introduced to Miller by a fellow staff member while working at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in 2008. Following the blockbuster success of his film Happy Feet, Miller had just founded Dr. D Studios, a digital animation house. During the podcast, Graf detailed how he came to work for Miller, and their initial meetings prototyping a Mad Max game. Here is what he had to say:

How did you meet George Miller?

I was very lucky to get an introduction through one of the staff members at AFTRS. George wanted to meet me partially because of my background making games, but more because I was sitting in this space between games and film. And what I did for George was I showed him Shadow of the Colossus (PS2 – Team Ico). I said, “I didn’t make this, it was made by someone way cooler than me, but I hope you can see the potential here for the way film and games can converge.”

[I showed it to him] because it is pure cinema, but it is interactive. It’s David and Goliath; it’s Godzilla; it’s King Kong - yet it is interactive. It has all the nuance in camera direction, score and emotional impact. So I said to him, “this is the future of games, you should do this with Mad Max.” And George said, “stay awhile, let’s have lunch.” Which then turned into dinner and at the end of it all he shook my hand and asked, “when do you finish film school?” To which I answered, “whenever you want George!”

So that was a wonderful opportunity as he offered me a job. But I forgot about games after I immediately started as I was so sure he was going to make a Mad Max game. And he invited me to some meetings where I met Cory Barlog, the God of War director, and I thought, “this is really going to happen, they are going to make this game and it’s going to be massive.” But none of that eventuated while I was there. None of it eventuated in Australia. It all happened overseas and it happened a long time after I left [in 2011].

So this was Dr. D Studios right, part of KMM?

KMM [an Australian film production company] existed when I joined the company and was about 30 people. Dr. D was formed shortly afterwards, and I was shifted across to that like most other people. Then Dr. D grew from 30 people to 600 people, and that was an interesting shift to be part of.

It was always difficult for me to establish the difference between KMM and Dr. D; was Dr. D a game studio?

Dr. D was exclusively a film production company part owned by George Miller, part owned by a tech company called Omnilab. It was set up with a lot of ex-Animal Logic people, and I think a lot of the baggage and negative head space of people who wanted to leave behind something they didn’t like came to Dr. D and it festered. Founding a company on peoples’ disenchantment and displeasure in a different company is not going to create a good foundation.

Where to Next?

Looking for a great read? Author Nicholas Abdilla has just released his new sci-fi novel Adam Exitus through Amazon and iTunes today, and it’s one for sci-fi fans. The first entry in what will be a 10-part series, it’s based on the author’s own original comic strip, and it’s reminiscent of the work of Philip K. Dick and Timothy Zahn. Filled with imaginative alien technology, strange creatures from far-off galaxies and one of the greatest vessels in sci-fi history, Adam Exitus is worth checking out.

10 March, 2017

RiME up to $30 more Expensive on Switch than Other Formats

The Australian pricing for exciting, upcoming indie adventure puzzler RiME has thrown a surprise figure at Nintendo Switch owners. It's Double!

Update: The distributor just sent through revised pricing due to an error in the initial price release. New pricing is $79.95 on Switch, $59.95 on Xbox One and PS4, and $49.95 on PC. So the price gap is $20 to other consoles and $30 to PC. Still significant.

RiME is one of the more promising looking indie titles coming out in 2017 – one we highlighted in our sister site's Nintendo Switch Guide (see below). The game is like a cross between The Legend of Zelda, The Witness and Ico, mixing in puzzle-solving and adventure-like exploration with a more introspective tone and atmosphere. You play as a seemingly cursed young boy left shipwrecked and alone on a rugged, but beautiful island.

Your goal is to escape, which means discovering the secrets of this place. The action is less about combat and more about exploration and puzzle-solving, the latter using elements like light, sound, time and perspective. It’s all set in a large environment navigated to via an over-world, and it looks gorgeous - you can see the full trailer below.

03 March, 2017

Sci-Fi Author Singles Out Mass Effect as Major Influence

BioWare’s iconic RPG has done more than just entertain gamers, it’s inspiring a new wave of creators.

 

Author Nicholas Abdilla has just released his new sci-fi novel Adam Exitus through Amazon and iTunes today, and it’s one for the sci-fi buffs. The first entry in what will be a 10-part series, it’s based on the author’s own original comic strip, and it’s reminiscent of the work of Philip K. Dick and Timothy Zahn. Filled with imaginative alien technology, strange creatures from far-off galaxies and one of the greatest vessels in sci-fi history, Adam Exitus will hopefully find an audience.

Abdilla is a renowned gamer who also created the comic series Game Guy, as published in Game Informer Australia. So during a recent interview as part of the promotional lead-up to the book’s release, he was asked how gaming had impacted his novel. Here is how the conversation went:

03 March, 2017

Nintendo Switch Surprise Australian Launch Line-Up – 9 Unannounced Games

The Nintendo Switch launch games in Australia aren’t what the locals expected.

The Nintendo Switch launched at midnight in Australia, with lucky fans already well and truly deep into games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It is the big system seller of the launch window, and what we’ve played thus far has been truly incredible - a fantastic gaming experience and a must-own. You can read more about it in the Nintendo Switch Magazine. It is not alone at launch, of course. In all 12 games were set to launch alongside the Switch, the lowest in 21 years. However, when Australians opened up the eShop for the first time, they weren’t greeted with the list of titles they expected.

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