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Thanks to Connor for the heads up!

Placed after the jump due to spoilers...

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A portion of a Leviathyn interview with Image and Form's Brjann Sigurgeirsson...

L: Any hints for what we’ll see in the future from Image & Form? Anything interesting you’re working on?

BS: We’re currently working on the next SteamWorld game, which won’t be a direct sequel to SteamWorld Dig, but rather set in a SteamWorld future. I can’t mention anything about it, I have a tendency to promise too much. So I won’t say anything, more than it’s going to be mindbogglingly fantastic.

DLC

Romancing SaGa - Horrible Shadow (Battle Stage)
Romancing SaGa 3 - Four Demon Nobles Battle (Fields Stage)

Sins of a Dark Age, the upcoming MOBA from Sins of a Solar Empire developer Ironclad (who maybe want to get to a confessional or something, since they seem to like sins so much) is now available on Steam Early Access. Soada - as Ironclad refers to it in shorthand - will be free to play when it launches, but Early Access will cost you $4.99.

For that price, you'll gain entrance to the game, as well as a Welcome Chest containing one of three bundles. Each bundle contains a rare skin, an uncommon piece of Hero Gear, a rare skin recipe, and both common and uncommon quality materials for crafting. The game's final pricing structure isn't set in stone, but Ironclad states in its Early Access FAQ that the content of each Welcome Chest includes "far more" than $4.99 worth of content.

[Thanks, Tyler!] [Image: Ironclad Games]

Dark Souls superfan and the voice of Pate gives his top five tips to newcomers braving the fog.

Today's Deal: Save 50% on Total War™: ROME II!*


Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Tuesday at 10AM Pacific Time

01./00. [PSV] Soul Sacrifice Δ (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.03.06} (¥4.980) - 48.786 / NEW <58,88%> 02./06. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch (Level 5) {2013.07.11} (¥4.800) - 36.018 / 532.472 (-4%)
03./05. [3DS] Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru to Ruka no Fushigi na Fushigi na Kagi # (Square Enix) {2014.02.06} (¥5.490) - 31.157 / 718.865 (-42%)
04./01. [3DS] Harvest Moon: Linking The New World (Marvelous AQL) {2014.02.27} (¥5.040) - 29.514 / 160.296 (-77%)
05./00. [PS3] Ar Nosurge: Umareizuru Hoshi e Inoru Uta # (Gust) {2014.03.06} (¥7.140) - 27.037 / NEW
06./03. [3DS] Fossil Fighters: Infinite Gear (Nintendo) {2014.02.27} (¥4.800) - 22.210 / 80.538 (-62%)
07./04. [PS3] Yakuza: Ishin! (Sega) {2014.02.22} (¥8.600) - 19.808 / 212.113 (-63%)
08./02. [PS4] Knack # (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.02.22} (¥5.145) - 17.272 / 393.348 (-74%)
09./10. [3DS] Kirby Triple Deluxe (Nintendo) {2014.01.11} (¥4.800) - 14.108 / 489.610 (-20%)
10./14. [3DS] Pokemon X / Y # (Pokemon Co.) {2013.10.12} (¥4.800) - 10.708 / 3.984.832 (-14%)
11./12. [3DS] Puzzle & Dragons Z (GungHo Online Entertainment) {2013.12.12} (¥4.400) - 10.508 / 1.399.320 (-27%)
12./13. [PS4] Battlefield 4 (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665) - 9.830 / 47.746 (-25%)
13./08. [PS4] Yakuza: Ishin! (Sega) {2014.02.22} (¥8.600) - 9.265 / 114.271 (-59%)
14./21. [PS3] Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2013.10.10} (¥7.770) - 7.312 / 728.899
15./17. [WIU] Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo) {2014.02.13} (¥5.985) - 7.181 / 67.284 (-29%)
16./09. [PSV] Deception IV: Blood Ties # (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.27} (¥6.090) - 6.101 / 25.422 (-68%)
17./23. [PS3] Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Full Boost # (Bandai Namco Games) {2014.01.30} (¥7.980) - 5.882 / 333.928 (-16%)
18./07. [PS3] Deception IV: Blood Ties # (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.27} (¥7.140) - 5.874 / 29.127 (-75%)
19./16. [3DS] Kuroko's Basketball: Miracle Victory (Bandai Namco Games) {2014.02.20} (¥5.980) - 5.752 / 61.811 (-45%)
20./19. [PS4] Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥4.800) - 5.327 / 25.851 (-37%)
21./29. [3DS] Monster Hunter 4 # (Capcom) {2013.09.14} (¥5.990)
22./30. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf # (Nintendo) {2012.11.08} (¥4.800)
23./00. [3DS] Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Daimakyou - Peko to 5-nin no Tankentai (FuRyu) {2014.03.06} (¥5.229)
24./31. [WIU] Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo) {2013.11.21} (¥5.985)
25./28. [3DS] Puyo Puyo Tetris (Sega) {2014.02.06} (¥5.229)
26./22. [PS4] Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft) {2014.02.22} (¥8.820)
27./18. [PS4] Killzone: Shadow Fall (Sony Computer Entertainment) {2014.02.22} (¥7.245)
28./24. [PS4] Dynasty Warriors 8 with Xtreme Legends (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.22} (¥8.190)
29./27. [PS4] Call of Duty: Ghosts - Dubbed Edition (Square Enix) {2014.02.22} (¥7.980)
30./35. [3DS] Attack on Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind (Spike Chunsoft) {2013.12.05} (¥6.090)
31./36. [3DS] Battle For Money Sentouchuu: Densetsu no Shinobi no Survival Battle! (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.10.17} (¥4.980)
32./15. [PSV] Valhalla Knights 3: Gold (Marvelous AQL) {2014.02.27} (¥5.229)
33./20. [PSV] Infinite Stratos 2: Ignition Hearts # (5pb.) {2014.02.27} (¥7.140)
34./39. [PSV] Terraria (Spike Chunsoft) {2014.02.06} (¥2.980)
35./41. [3DS] Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo) {2011.12.01} (¥4.800)
36./44. [3DS] The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds # (Nintendo) {2013.12.26} (¥4.800)
37./32. [PS4] FIFA 14 (Electronic Arts) {2014.02.22} (¥7.665)
38./48. [3DS] Friend Collection: New Life # (Nintendo) {2013.04.18} (¥4.800)
39./46. [PS3] Battlefield 4 (Electronic Arts) {2013.11.07} (¥7.665)
40./11. [PS3] Infinite Stratos 2: Ignition Hearts # (5pb.) {2014.02.27} (¥7.140)
41./00. [PS3] Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Square Enix) {2013.12.26} (¥7.140)
42./50. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 # (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} (¥4.800)
43./43. [3DS] A-Train 3D (Artdink) {2014.02.13} (¥6.090)
44./00. [3DS] Aikatsu! Futari no My Princess (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.11.21} (¥5.480)
45./00. [3DS] Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2 # (Sega) {2013.11.28} (¥6.279)
46./42. [PS3] Diablo III (Square Enix) {2014.01.30} (¥7.980)
47./49. [PS3] Sengoku Basara 4 # (Capcom) {2014.01.23} (¥6.990)
48./47. [PS4] Nobunaga's Ambition: Creation (Koei Tecmo) {2014.02.22} (¥9.240)
49./00. [3DS] Disney Magic World # (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.01} (¥5.480)
50./40. [3DS] Magi: A New World (Bandai Namco Games) {2014.02.13} (¥5.980)

Welcome to my first official Kotaku 'Shop Contest. I would have gone with something fluffy and light for my first go round, but when the most important soccer event in the entire goddamned universe is threatened by Pokemon , there can be only one response. Read more...

Batch Converter Plugin, all new content for MorphVOX Pro - Voice Changer is Now Available on Steam!

The Batch Converter Plug-In is a professional plug-in to MorphVOX Pro that allows morphing of a number of files at one time.

This plug-in allows you to easily select a number of source files and assign voices and output them to different destination files. When you have the list of files to be morphed, you just have to hit 'Convert' and your new morphed files will be created!

The Batch Converter Plug-In integrates directly into MorphVOX Pro and uses all the latest voices and effects of MorphVOX Pro. It allows you to select one of the many voices from our stock Voice Alias packs or any custom voices you have created. You can assign the same voice to all your files, or select a unique voice for each file.

With the easy to use interface you can add many source files from a number of file formats, including MP3,WAV and WMA. You can then morph and write new files out to a single folder or assign a unique folder and name for the destination file. The interface also supports drag and dropping source files, allowing you to quickly set up a batch to be morphed.

MorphVOX Pro and the Batch Converter Plug-In allow you to improve your productivity by quickly converting all of your recordings in a single step.

Sins of a Dark Age, the upcoming MOBA/RTS mash-up from Sins of a Solar Empire developer Ironclad (who maybe want to get to a confessional or something, since they seem to like sins so much) is now available on Steam Early Access. Soada - as Ironclad refers to it in shorthand - will be free to play when it launches, but Early Access will cost you $4.99.

For that price, you'll gain entrance to the game, as well as a Welcome Chest containing one of three bundles. Each bundle contains a rare skin, an uncommon piece of Hero Gear, a rare skin recipe, and both common and uncommon quality materials for crafting. The game's final pricing structure isn't set in stone, but Ironclad states in its Early Access FAQ that the content of each Welcome Chest includes "far more" than $4.99 worth of content.

[Thanks, Tyler!] [Image: Ironclad Games]

Welcome to Kotaku's Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon.Read more...

Eating language. My alchemical romance. The end of the world has a choppy frame rate.

… [visit site to read more]

Sundays are for trundling around a small village in Germany, picking up and dropping off passengers in the wondrous, mostly fixed OMSI 2, using my new Logitech Driving Force GT steering wheel. As I park at the terminal, waiting for the beginning of my next route, why not join me in perusing the week’s best (mostly) games writing?

• Relevant to my interests, creator of QWOP and GIRP Bennett Foddy takes to Polygon to explain why you don’t want an online version of Matt Thorson’s Towerfall, or other, similarly local multiplayer-only games. Basically, laaaaaaaag: “As a game designer, if you want players to be able to dodge an arrow at the last second, or to stomp their enemies on the head like they do in TowerFall, you’re designing a game that won’t play well even over a LAN, much less over the messy, noisy collection of networks that make up the internet. There’s literally no way to eliminate the effects of lag, and you’ll wind up with game-breaking problems like Dark Souls’ infamous PvP ‘lag stab’.”

… [visit site to read more]

In pursuit of the Pursuer, in the third part of IGN's Dark Souls 2 diary.

Man, this show certainly went off the rails. We talk plenty about Nintendo stuff, but we also discuss all sorts of stuff. Not necessarily stuff that is family-friendly, but we try to keep it that way! All that, plus music, questions and craziness!



Download the show here

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Welcome to Spira, where dreams come alive! Literally! Also, we have killer fashion sense. Again, not being metaphorical here, our dresses give you the power to kill. Whether you're preparing for a return trip to Spira or visiting for the first time, on March 18, we welcome you. [Image: Square Enix]

A portion of a GameSpot interview with Bob Rafei...

"When Sega approached Big Red Button three years ago with Sonic Boom, the young team leapt at the opportunity. We went pretty wide with the designs at first, and by going too wide, we lost some of the spirit of the character and had to rein it in. Sonic Team and Sega were very open-minded about our approach, and accepting of a lot of things we were doing. Ultimately, because of some of our really wacky ideas, we did find the boundaries of things we could and couldn't do.

We experimented with different colors and surface features on the characters, such as fur or scales, and quickly Sonic Team came back with their discomfort of that. They were great guardrails for us to understand when we were deviating too far from the character. Without their input, the character would have been a lot more alien and different from what Sonic is known for. Early on, when we had our first review of all the crazy things we wanted to try, Iizuka-san came down to Los Angeles and looked through all the different concepts.

I felt sorry for the guy because sometimes he couldn't actually look at the screen--it was too traumatic seeing all the crazy stuff we wanted to do. Over the course of that meeting, when we were coming up with new ideas, we had a very sincere--just two adults talking--conversation about why a character should or should not wear pants, and that was a very surreal moment in my life and my career. But it helped us understand the rules of clothing in this universe. Any small adjustment went a very long way, so we had to be very careful.

This is in contrast to Eggman and his very formal, military-esque attire. That's a very conscious design choice because his character is more vain and is very concerned with what his robots look like and what he looks like. Hopefully you can see the thought that went into this and not just something we threw out for the sake of it.

The bandanna also raised a lot of eyebrows, and for me this is another action adventure trope. It comes from the lone ranger, the cowboy, even the snowboarder archetypes--it's all practical as a requirement against the elements. It's kind of ingrained now in our consciousness what an action adventure character should wear, and we experimented with different items, and the bandanna really resonated with us. It comes down to a practical need of the character adventuring and not vanity."

Link

We knew that Spiders' Bound By Flame was due for PS4, PS3, PC and Xbox 360 before the end of June, but now we have an exact starting date for protagonist Vulcan's quest to slay the Icelords plaguing his world. Players can begin swinging at Bound By Flame's monsters on May 9, collecting resources and progressing through skill trees.

Of course, that means you'll be able to collect and customize weaponry and armor as you go. There's also the overarching question of whether you'll allow the fire demon that's possessed Vulcan to override your character's humanity. I mean sure, it's nice to have a soul and all, but blaze-fueled powers sound pretty handy when you're going up against a bunch of Icelords. We imagine taking on a flame-spewing demon would be pretty comparable to fights in the Ice Kingdom, just without the princess status or mean letters. [Image: Spiders]

Pre-orders are now available for Blackwell Epiphany, the finale of Wadjet Eye Games' adventure-driven Blackwell series due out on April 24. Aside from a DRM-free download of Blackwell Epiphany, pre-ordering will grant buyers a redeemable Steam key, access to exclusive videos featuring the game's voice actors and series creator Dave Gilbert, an invitation to a private livestreaming of Epiphany's launch party, and the game's soundtrack.

If you're a bit behind or haven't started the Blackwell series in the first place, the story follows Rosa Blackwell as she copes with the recent death of her aunt, which grants her an odd form of inheritance. After her aunt's death, a ghostly figure straight out of the '30s, Joey Mallone, appears to her and explains that he's been accompanying members of the Blackwell family for a few generations now. With the passing of Rosa's aunt, she's next in line to inherit a ghostly sidekick.

Naturally, the duo go on to solve mysteries together, using Rosa's abilities as a medium to communicate with the dead to piece together narratives. Their search for answers and efforts to help the deceased find peace have extended through four previous games, but Epiphany's press release teases that their work bears a "price," which Rosa and Joey will presumably discover in the finale.

Blackwell's preceding episodes can be bought from GOG's Blackwell Bundle for $14.99, or purchased directly from Wadjet Eye Games for $4.99-$9.99 apiece. The developer also plans to port the Blackwell series over to iOS, but the adventure has yet to appear on the App Store. [Image: WadjetEye Games]

Sharpen your image editors — the Kotaku 'Shop Contest returns tomorrow. The legacy of our previous weekend editor will live on in every background you mask out and every pixel you bend to your will. Until that fateful day, I leave you with my personal favorite 'Shop Contest entry from years past. Read more...