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Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Marvel Cosmic Invasion has some surprising Marvel vs. Capcom DNA
How do you make a retro beat-em-up feel new? That's a question that the team at Dotemu has had to ask itself a lot in the past five years. The studio has found tremendous success ushering in a new age of throwback brawlers, from Streets of Rage 4 to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. Its efforts are only doubling, as it is currently juggling three 2D projects between multiple development studios. Each one has to find a way to do something a little new in a genre that doesn't feel like it can flex too much more. And yet, Marvel Cosmic Invasion still finds a way. At this year's Summer Game Fest, I tried the latest project from Streets of Rage 4 developer Tribute Games. While it's another classic brawler filled with nostalgic pixel art and a wide roster of superheroes, it infuses that tried and true formula with just enough fighting game DNA to keep it distinct. The most important moment of my demo came when I was asked to choose not just one, but two characters. I had access to a handful of Cosmic Invasion's final roster, but I decided to go with Venom and Wolverine. That choice was the first sign that the project is doing things a little differently as I initially didn't know why I had to pick a duo rather than one hero. Recommended Videos That became clear the moment I started playing and Cosmic Invasion's one big trick revealed itself. It pays homage to the likes of Marvel vs. Capcom as much as any arcade beat-em-up thanks to its tag system. At any point, I can hold down a button to swap between my two characters. Naturally, that means I have more options when knocking goons out. In one run, I played with a Storm/Captain America combo. While I could use Storm to take enemies out at close range, I could switch to Cap and toss his shield across the screen to thwack far off enemies and block projectiles. There's some synergy potential there that makes good use of the game's large roster. That's not all. By simply pressing the tag button rather than holding it, I can call in my second hero to deliver a quick attack. If I'm playing well, I can do that while I'm juggling an enemy to extend my combo even more. It's a seamless system that calls Mortal Kombat 1 and its Kameos to mind. It will feel natural to fighting game players and I can say that with certainty. Hours before trying Cosmic Invasion, I went hands-on with Invincible Vs, which features a nearly identical tag system. I got the hang of calling on a friend to extend my damage by the end of my session. As soon as I picked up Cosmic Invasion, I was able to transfer that skill instantly. The developers on hand seemed a little shocked by how fast I picked it up, but the muscle memory had been built up hours before. That little trick helps create more dynamic action that naturally slots into Dotemu's typically fine-tuned brawler formula. During my demo, my co-op partner and I were able to juggle our enemies for comically long amounts of time. He'd keep punching them up into the air with Cap while I used Venom's wrecking ball move to smack them back and forth in midair and called on Wolverine to add insult to injury. It was a delight, even if that level of trolling isn't becoming of a superhero (okay, Venom absolutely would do that, though). With a planned runtime similar to that of Shredder's Revenge, Marvel Cosmic Invasion should keep things tight as a one or two sitting game that encourages players to experiment with new combos each time. I'm ready to see how much more chaos I can inflict with a full team of friends controlling eight heroes at once. Marvel Cosmic Invasion launches this fall for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Digital Trends
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
I played 9 games at Tribeca Fest. They all need to be on your radar
Here's a tip for anyone who's trying to scout out the next great indie game: Pay attention to Tribeca Fest. A few years ago, the film festival expanded its modern, multimedia approach to include video games as official selections. In that time, it has showcased a who's who of indie games that went on to become critical darlings. We're talking games like Blue Prince, Immortality, Despelote, and Chants of Sennaar — all of which went on to become some of the best reviewed games of the 2020's here at Digital Trends. You will always find something truly special at Tribeca Fest. This year's show is no different. Nine upcoming games were in competition at the festival this year, and all of them are poised to become breakout indies. Because we love nothing more than scouting promising indies, Digital Trends attended this year's Tribeca Fest and checked out what this year's show had to offer. From a stylish beat-em-up to a 90s coming of age tale soundtracked by the likes of Devo, these nine games should be on your radar. Recommended Videos Absolum Publisher Dotemu has mad a name for itself over the last few years by putting out throwback beat-em-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, but it's trying something new. Absolum is a completely original game created in part by some of the folks behind the excellent Streets of Rage 4. The team is putting its 2D brawler chops to good use by adapting a classic genre into a modern roguelike. The result seems to be a success so far, as Absolum delivers precise 2D action, multi-path runs that house hidden quests, and gorgeously illustrated art that makes it look like a playable cartoon. This could very much be the genre's next big moment, so keep your eyes on it. Cairn I'm not sure why the trend started, but we've gotten a few games about rock climbing in the past few years. First there was Jusant. Then, Surmount. Now, The Game Bakers are jumping in with an even more involved free climbing simulation in Cairn. The twist here is that players aren't just reaching to grab handholds while climbing mountains. They will have to control all four limbs, planting their feet to steady themselves and reaching with each hand. The demo I played highlighted a tough, but rewarding climbing game where I had to think carefully about each movement and place my pitons at just the right moment. My 30-minute climb resulted in a lot of deaths, but the moment when I finally reached the top made it all worth it. Death Howl Death Howl is a tactics game that's unlike anything I've really played. The pixel art adventure is steeped in Scandinavian folklore, following a parent on a quest to find their child. That journey takes them through the dark and eerie woods. I can freely explore that space, but anytime I find an enemy, I'm dropped into a tactics grid. There, I need to play cards to attack and move. When I win a battle, I can use the creatures' parts to make even more cards. The tactics component is tough, forcing me to think about each of my limited actions carefully as I alternate attacking and building up shield. But ultimately, it's the atmosphere that really makes Death Howl stand out, as it feels like a dark fable punctuated by strategic battles. Dispatch When I sat down to play Dispatch, I had entirely forgotten that I was already familiar with the new narrative adventure game. It was first revealed back at The Game Awards via an Aaron Paul cameo. After getting hands-on with it, I sure won't forget it again anytime soon. The unique project follows a former superhero who gets a job at a dispatch center that sends heroes out on jobs. When I'm not learning about my foul-mouthed coworkers through genuinely hilarious choice-driven cutscenes, I'm keeping my eyes on a call center app that shows me different crises throughout the city. I need to pick the best cape for the job based on their powers and stats, being careful not to exhaust anyone right before they could be most useful. It's a bit like Promise Mascot Agency, but it almost plays out like a fast-paced strategy game that all happens on a map. I'm all in on the world and humor here so I can't wait to se what surprises the story has in store. Mio: Memories in Orbit Hollow Knight: Silksong may be on every Metroidvania fan's tongue right now, but Mio: Memories in Orbit could come out of left field and steal its thunder. The stylish new indie, published by Focus Entertainment, throws me into a beautiful sci-fi world that looks like it was torn out of a sketchbook. It's as if all of its environments were meticulously drawn with colored pencils. That alone would have been enough to earn my attention during my demo, but I found the demo I played engrossing beyond that. Deep exploration in a secret-filled world, tough but fair combat, and a perk system that gives players ways to tweak their playstyle. It has all the markings of a surprise hit already. Mixtape Developer Beethoven and Dinosaur made a name for itself in 2021 with its rocking debut, The Artful Escape. Its next game, Mixtape, takes that energy and pushes it to the next level in every way. The narrative adventure is a 90s coming of age slacker comedy about a group of small town skaters looking to break free. The demo I tried had me reliving their memories, which played out as unpredictable minigames. One had me escaping the cops via shopping cart after a house party gets busted. Another had me controlling a French kiss by slapping two tongues together with each joystick. It's hilarious, sincere, and full of excellent needle drops that bring its period piece setting to life with authenticity. It was one of the best games we saw at Summer Game Fest, and it was for Tribeca Fest too. Possessor(s) Possessor(s) is the latest game behind Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter, and you'll probably be able to tell that just by looking at it. The 2D Metroidvania contains all of the team's signatures, from stylish art to a moody world that begs to be explored. While its action-adventure formula is familiar, I'm looking forward to seeing where its eerie story goes. The slice I played introduced me to a dystopian world run by mega corporations. I took on the role of a hero who makes a deal with a demon to both save her life and fight back against the powers that be. That's an intriguing enough premise already to draw me further into the eerie world. Sleep Awake We only learned about Blumhouse Games' existence one year ago, but the new horror publisher is already on a roll. Fresh off of releasing Fear the Spotlight and demoing two new games at Summer Game Fest, it dropped by Tribeca this year with the memorable Sleep Awake. The creepy, psycadelic project is set in a world where those who fall asleep are at risk of disappearing to some mysterious plague. The character I controlled during my demo had to stay awake at all costs, fighting off hallucinations as they explore a dark, dystopian city. With some unsettling filmed imagery between bouts of first-person sneaking, Sleep Awake feels like the exact kind of game you'd expect from Blumhouse. Take Us North Take Us North was the smallest game featured at Tribeca Fest this year, but also the most important. The survival game follows a coyote who helps usher migrants across the Mexico-US border. Just as is the case in real life, pulling that off is a life-risking task. After stocking up on food, water, and other gear, we set off across a desert avoiding immigration agents, rattlesnakes, and an oppressive sun that drains our thirst meter. While that happens, I learn more about the people I'm leading across the border and why it's so imperative for them to find a new life. Based off of real stories, Take Us North is a vital game for the moment as protests against ICE mount across the United States. An educational game that demystifies what immigrants are going through is exactly what these dark times call for. Developer Anima Interactive currently has a Kickstarter up for the project if you're looking to learn more or support its development.
The Verge
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Four great games from Steam's June Next Fest
Steam's June 2025 edition of its Next Fest is going on now through June 16th, and the event is packed with great-looking demos for games coming to PC. Seriously, it seems like there are a lot of demos; a search filter on my Next Fest homepage shows more than 2,500 English demos to pick from. If you open up the Next Fest page and are overwhelmed, I get it – admittedly, I am, too. But I've played a few and have four to recommend. Mina the Hollower Mina the Hollower, the next game from Shovel Knight creators Yacht Club Games, feels like a Game Boy Color title made in the modern era. You play as Mina the mouse in a top-down action-adventure game that reminds me a lot of Link's Awakening. Mina's signature move is a slick burrowing ability that lets you zip around underground for a few seconds, and even in the short demo, I found it immensely useful to get under obstacles or create space during hairy fights. The demo ends with an exciting boss fight, and I was sad when it was over after about 30 minutes. I'm really looking forward to the game's full release on October 31st. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a retro-style side-scrolling action-platformer with gorgeous pixel art and an electric guitar-filled soundtrack. Like other Ninja Gaiden games, it's filled with flashy combat and a lot of blood, but I also quite liked the old-school platforming – there's a lot of double-jumping off enemies, which never gets old. Like other Dotemu games, Ragebound seems to perfectly capture an old-school vibe but with a game made in 2025. And after finishing the three levels in the demo, I'm eager to play the rest of the game when it's out on July 31st. Ball X Pit Within moments of starting the Ball X Pit demo, I openly said to myself, 'oh no.' Not because it's bad. But because it immediately grabbed me as an engrossing blend of roguelikes, Puzzle Bobble, Breakout, and Vampire Survivors. As enemies slowly advance toward you, you move your character around and fire balls at them, which you can bounce off walls or even between enemies. (Naturally, you'll have to dodge bullets from the bad guys, too.) Dead enemies drop experience gems, and when you level up, you can pick from various upgrades, like balls that shock nearby foes. You can even fuse balls together, and between runs there's a land management game. And for the people that this will matter to, your health meter looks like it was taken right from Diablo. I can see losing a lot of time to Ball X Pit when it's out later this year. Word Play Word Play, from Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit, mixes ideas from Balatro and word games. Each round, you're tasked with getting a specific score by spelling words that can be up to ten characters long before you run out of turns. As with games like Scrabble, different letter tiles have different point values, and words with five letters or more will get added bonus points that will help you reach the goal score more quickly. When you reach the goal score, you move on to the next round, which will have a higher goal. But you'll also be able to pick from an upgrade of some kind, like a modifier that automatically applies a 3x multiplier to the second tile of any word you spell. Unlike the rest of the demos I've recommended here, Word Play is a chill puzzle game, but like with Balatro, I found myself trying to sneak in one more run instead of going to bed. The game is set to launch on July 14th.
The Verge
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Dotemu's CEO on how it makes new games that feel retro
Dotemu is on a pretty good run. The video game studio and publisher has been around since 2007, and much of its history is largely working on remakes and remasters of older games. But it's also been involved with major hits in the form of sequels and new games that are in the spirit of older classics, including Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. All of that work is culminating in what looks to be a promising 2025, with three new but classics-inspired games: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a new side-scroller for the series; Marvel Cosmic Invasion, an arcade-y beat-'em-up; and Absolum, an original beat-'em-up with roguelike elements. 'We're open to everything,' CEO Cyrille Imbert tells The Verge. Despite his title, Imbert says his job involves acting like an executive producer to bring together concepts that answer specific needs for franchises. Before Shredder's Revenge 's 2022 release, for example, there hadn't been a good side-scrolling TMNT game for 'a while,' he says. (Turtles in Time, which helped inspire the game, came out in 1991.) 'We were convinced that there was a need for that.' There was: the game sold 1 million copies in its first week, developer Tribute Games said at the time. Dotemu takes on 'most of the risk' of a project based on an existing franchise, Imbert says, meaning that while the company needs to convince a franchise owner to get on board, Dotemu typically finances everything and is responsible for finding a studio to execute a concept. 'From A to Z, we are in control of the project, but we take the risk from A to Z as well,' explains Imbert. 'Sometimes the studio will also participate financially, but it's fairly rare, or it's usually a minority of the total spending.' With the new Ninja Gaiden game, for example, Imbert says he was familiar with the 3D iterations of the franchise on Xbox, and he also saw the success of recent action-platformers like The Messenger. So, he started conversations with Koei Tecmo, and then worked with The Game Kitchen, the developer of Blasphemous, on a pitch. 'That's the story, basically,' Imbert says. For Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Imbert says that following Streets of Rage 4, 'lots of people' had been asking for a new X-Men game that was like what you used to find in arcades. 'We knew there was a need and that people would really like it,' he says, especially if it got a similar treatment as Streets of Rage 4 or Shredder's Revenge. The idea was 'very obvious' to the Tribute Games team as well, so Dotemu and Tribute made a pitch to Marvel Games. Absolum, as a fully original game, is different from its other titles. From a pure business perspective, it's a way for Dotemu to diversify its lineup so that the company doesn't rely entirely on licensed games. Internally, the Dotemu team felt like they could do their own thing, and by making it inspired by classics, it would still fit in Dotemu's lineup, Imbert says. They also wanted to work with Guard Crush, which worked on Streets of Rage 4, on another beat-'em-up. It all adds up to what's going to be a busy year for the company. It has three games that show the different approaches it has to making these kinds of experiences, and all of them were chosen for a specific reason. 'That's how we're going to be proud of what we do.'
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The dev behind TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is making an original beat-'em-up
Dotemu, the developer behind beat-'em-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Streets of Rage 4, is back with another slice of side-scrolling retro goodness. This time, however, the company's eschewing a tried-and-true franchise in favor of an original IP. Absolum is a fantasy beat-'em-up that's being co-developed by Guard Crush Games and Supamonk. The game looks to retain the core beat-'em-up mechanics the developer has become known for, but with some flourishes. Dotemu boasts of "branching paths to explore," which is giving me Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse vibes. The developer has also implemented roguelike mechanics of some kind, with it going so far as to describe the game as a "rogue-'em-up." We don't know the details of these mechanics just yet. We do know that Absolum will be playable as a solo campaign or in a co-op mode, offering both local and online play. Gamers will be able to choose from four different fantasy-themed characters. Also, the animation looks pretty dang gorgeous. It'll be available for Switch, PlayStation and PC later this year. Just because Absolum is a brand-new IP, doesn't mean that Dotemu has given up on reviving classics for modern audiences. The company is also publishing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a game that's actually set during the events of the NES original.
