#ALTERIUM

[amaranth-devi1]

Alterium - Bismarck / Sabaton cover

[radioxdemoness]

[altarus]

Sounds from the Dark Side top albums of 2024 (until now)

It’s that time of the year again where we tell you what we’ve liked so far this year and try to mind-melt you into liking the same thing. Vulcan mode on! Continue reading Sounds from the Dark Side top albums of 2024 (until now)

[metalshockfinland]

ALTERIUM Present New Video Single 'Hear My Voice'

[photo: Mattia Gianelli] Following the release of their much-acclaimed, first full-length studio album, “Of War And Flames” (released in March 2024 on AFM Records HERE!) and numerous, frenetically acclaimed live appearances in support of their debut, ALTERIUM – the uprising Italian power metal quintet led by Nicoletta Rosellini (ex. Kalidia, Walk in Darkness), has unleashed a new video…

[ozkanyildizhan]

Taken from the album "Of War and Flames", out March 8, 2024. Spotify: Fanlink: https://alterium.bfan.link/crystalline Shop: https://shop.afm-records.de/alterium/

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

ALTERIUM - Of War and Flames (2024) // Official Music Video

[wyrdwaysrockshow]

Wyrd Ways Rock Show CDI

How about another edition of The Wyrd Ways Rock Show? Ah… go on, then. As usual, loads of new stuff (well, new-ish considering how long it’s been since the last one). Whatever, there’s loads of stuff from all over the Rock and Metal spectrum, so there’s probably going to be something you’ll like that you’ve never heard before. Shall we get on? Alyxx – Alive Mimi Barks – Deadgirl Circle Of Dust –…

[rockyoushow]

ALTERIUM (feat. former members of Kalidia & more!) Sign With AFM Records / Soulfood Music!

ALTERIUM, the new Italian power metal quintet led by Nicoletta Rosellini (ex. Kalidia, Walk in Darkness), has inked a worldwide deal with AFM Records / Soulfood Music! Born in late 2022, ALTERIUM consists of Nicoletta and former bandmates Paolo Campitelli (guitars) and Dario Gozzi (drums) from Kalidia, soon joined by Alessandro Mammola (guitars, also in Draconicon) and Luca Scalabrin (bass, also…

[linuxgamenews]

Delays and Updates for the Alterium Shift Kickstarter

Alterium Shift Kickstarter for the retro-inspired adventure game for Linux, Steam Deck, Mac, and Windows PC is due to release soon. Thanks to the talented team at Drattzy Games for bringing their magic. Getting ready for the crowdfunding campaign. Drattzy has some exciting updates about the Alterium Shift Kickstarter. After a lot of careful planning, they’ve also decided to push the launch date back just a bit — to February 4, 2025. Why? Since they want to make this campaign the absolute best it can be, and a little extra time lets us iron out every detail. Get more folks eager, and lock down all our manufacturing and distribution partnerships. Now, let’s be serious — delaying wasn’t an easy call. But Drattzy are also confident this extra time will give the Alterium Shift Kickstarter the best shot at success. Huge thanks to everyone who’s already been cheering the team on. Since your support keeps them fired up, and now more determined than ever to bring this retro-inspired adventure dream to life.

Why the Delay?

This is their first Kickstarter for Alterium Shift, and learned a lot about what makes a campaign shine. Turns out, the magic ingredient is building a strong pre-launch presence. The more followers and email sign-ups we have before launch, the more visibility on Kickstarter itself. Since this means more retro RPG fans finding out about the title.

Alterium Shift - Kickstarter Announcement

Here’s where things are at:

Over 600 email sign-ups

310 Kickstarter followers

The next goal? Smash through 500 to 1,000 followers by launch day! They’re making great progress, but need your help to get there.

Want to Help? Become a VIP Backer!

There is now a special VIP Backer Survey just for you. By filling it out, you’re due to unlock exclusive rewards at certain Kickstarter pledge tiers AND help shape the future of Alterium Shift for Linux and Steam Deck. Take the survey now and get your spot as a VIP!

Sneak Peek at Rewards

Drattzy is working hard on our reward tiers, while keeping some surprises under wraps, here’s a quick teaser:

The Kickstarter offer Digital & physical copies of Alterium Shift

Art books (digital and physical)

Original soundtrack

Custom in-game content (NPCs, Easter eggs, items)

Digital world maps

Limited edition T-shirts

Whether you’re a casual backer or a hardcore fan, there’s something for everyone.

What’s Next for the Alterium Shift Kickstarter?

Drattzy is chugging along on the 75% content milestone for Steam Early Access. Since the public roadmap is almost ready to share. Stay tuned — there’s more coming soon. Being an indie dev isn’t easy, but your support makes it all worth it. Let’s make the crowdfunding campaign a huge success and bring this retro-inspired adventure to Linux and Steam Deck players everywhere. Along with Mac and Windows PC.

[dragaorpg]

RPG retrô Alterium Shift muda data de inauguração do Kickstarter

A Drattzy Games anunciou que a campanha no Kickstarter para Alterium Shift será lançada em 4 de fevereiro de 2025. Após reavaliar as melhores estratégias para garantir o sucesso da campanha, a companhia decidiu dar mais algumas semanas para divulgar o projeto, finalizar detalhes das recompensas e alinhar todas as parcerias de fabricação e distribuição. De acordo com o time, alterar a data de…

[tirorah]

My picks from the June 2023 Next Fest

In June 2023 there was another Steam Next Fest, and I've finally managed to play all of the demos I'd selected.

Keep in mind that these are my highly personal picks; I mostly explored the turn-based RPG category, as I'm currently not feeling up to much direct action, brain-breaking strategy, etc. (And certain genres are so popular that some good demos will be reported on anyway.)

So, without further ado, here are the games that I liked this time around!

The setup for this one is quite straightforward: You play as one of three heroes-in-training and embark on an important quest through the fantasy land of Alteria. Pretty standard stuff, but it stands out in two ways:

Choosing your hero isn't a simple character swap; it's a perspective shift. These are branching storylines and each character has their own challenges to overcome. And because there are choices for you to make, it's interesting to see how you shape your chosen hero compared to the version you see when you're not in control of them.

This is also a very well-rounded experience. Gameplay is smooth and intuitive, presentation is great, etc. I especially liked how efficient the script is; dialogue makes sense and there are no long world-building monologues to be seen. I encountered some bugs, but those were symptoms of an early build and some of them have already been fixed.

Release date: In Early Access by now, 20% off until 12 July

Yes, this is a meme game, and sometimes you can really feel that, especially in the opening minutes. But this game has genuine charm to it. Sure, you die in one hit, but it's also a story about a wimp slowly learning to stand up for herself and work toward her dream. Crazy, but heartfelt at the same time.

As for gameplay: combat is turn-based and takes place on a grid, where each move expels one turn. The tactical challenge is to use positioning and your arsenal to bonk the enemy into submission before they can pulverise you. There's also an element of rhythm to it, as you need to time button presses to bonk your target more.

The beginning can be rough if you're not into the game's brand of insanity, but give it a shot anyway if you can. It was well worth it for me.

Release date: To be announced

A game about a time loop and the effect it has on a person. In a world that's frozen in time, it's up to Siffrin and their merry band of friends to defeat the King and save everyone. Easier said than done, though, and each failed attempt weighs on their spirit...

A really charming game, with clearly-defined characters, good group dynamics, and an arresting art style. The battle system is Active Time turn-based, but what's super fun is the damage types: Rock, Paper and Scissors. Yes, really. You need to analyse an enemy's appearances or their method of attack to figure out their weakness.

It also has a big focus on mental health though, so make sure to check the content warning section on the itch.io page before playing this.

Lastly, I should mention there's a prototype for the game, called Start Again: A Prologue. This is a somewhat short experience, basically a proof of concept that turned into a complete game. You can buy this if you're interested.

Release date: 2023

Do you like tabletop RPGs? Then this one could be for you! You take control of one of six groups of adventurers, each on a pilgrimage for their own reasons. It's up to you to guide them through a dangerous world...with your faithful dice!

I honestly needed more time with the story and characters to really get a feel for if I liked them or not, but the gameplay is, simply put, engrossing. Dice rolls play into every aspect of this game, from exploration to dialogue checks to combat. Playing this game truly feels like a journey full of potential secrets to uncover.

If you decide to try this game, be warned that this is still in development (like all of these demos). I found the UI rather rough to work with. This is being worked on and I'm confident there will be many improvements in this area.

Release date: Q4 2024

I was a few minutes into the demo when I entered my first battle. A big, red WARNING sign pulsed on my screen, and a giant robotic bee appeared out of a sci-fi hell portal. The protagonist hefted her gun, brandished her sword, and sprung into action as the battle theme started pounding in my ears. I grinned.

LunarLux is a prime example of how a strong visual and aural style can immediately capture one's attention. Fortunately, that's not all it has going for it. While the script isn't that tight and the characters seem rather standard for now, the gameplay is just a whole lot of fun.

Although this is a turn-based system, fighting involves timed blocking and grid-based dodging. And there's a factor of resource management as well; you'll need to work out how to go on the offensive without running out of MP and shield charges. This is not only essential to keep yourself alive, but also factors into your battle rating. Want an S-rank on this fight? Then don't get hit.

Oh, and you have a jetpack that you can fly around with. Just to let you know.

Release date: 2023

This one is an interesting recommend from me, as I found myself stymied by a progress-stopping bug 30 minutes into my playthrough. That's a pretty bad oversight, and yet I can't say it soured me on the game. All it did was cut me off, and that's a shame.

This one has no combat system; instead, the primary gameplay loop is about exploration. You can use your tracking skills to find animals in need and befriend them, and you can piece together clues to solve the secrets of the land.

The narrative has a rather standard mystery setup, but what makes it stand out is the setting: ancient India. This lends the game a completely different feel from a lot of other fantasy RPGs. The time period (and great soundtrack) gives everything a mystical feeling, while the location gives us oft-underutilised cultures to work with.

I want to see more of this.

Release date: 2023

Much like Luminera, I need more time with the story to see how it'll pan out; as it stands, the demo is a true vertical slice and just drops you into the middle of things while avoiding spoilers. The characters definitely have some personality to them though; I liked them.

I have no other criticisms; the game looks and sounds great, and because you can climb and swim around, there's more verticality in the environment design compared to most of the other games on this list.

Combat is smooth and fun; it's turn-based, with each of the three characters getting one action per turn, the order of which you can decide yourself. Each action you take also reduces the action counter for each enemy; deplete it to 0, and the enemy will attack. Sometimes they'll have a big attack charged up, and you'll need to hit them with certain damage types to either reduce the attack's power or cancel it entirely. You can also time your button presses for blocking enemy attacks and increasing the power of your own, but this isn't mandatory.

Finally, there are equippable relics that alter the game experience. The demo has two: one makes the game easier, and the other provides clearer feedback for timing button presses correctly. This kind of modular difficulty is great and more games need it. Especially if you consider how many of the games on this list feature timed button presses; great for interactivity, not so great for accessibility.

Release date: 29 August 2023

Last but certainly not least, it's...not a turn-based RPG at all. No, this is a visual novel. But it's a damn gripping one for me!

Your character is a newly-transferred security officer on a small ship: the JFS Gun-Dog. Your mission? Reconnaissance and backup. But of course, nothing is ever that simple; things are afoot. I don't know what things exactly, but I sure want to know! And your character's traumatic past won't make the challenges you face any easier.

There's a somewhat lengthy tour of the ship for character introduction and world-building purposes. Obviously, if you're playing a visual novel, you should expect copious amounts of words. It's just not the most elegant way to handle things. However, I believe the great atmosphere, interesting characters and narrative are worth it, and there were plenty of fun moments during that section.

Note: The Steam page refers to the main character as male, but you can choose your name and pronouns (he/him, she/her or they/them).

Release date: Coming soon

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That's it for this particular Next Fest! Please give these demos a try if possible.

And remember: If you like what you see, wishlist the game in question! This helps out indie developers a whole bunch.

[themetalgodsmeltdownposts]

Alterium interview Of War and Flames" out on Mach 8th, 2024 via AFM Records

[advofish]

From the new upcoming pixel RPG, Alterium Shift.

Screenshots from their Steam page.

[metalshockfinland]

ALTERIUM Release Music Video for new Album Single 'Crossroads Inn', Metal Tribute inspired by Popular, Medieval Tavern Video Game

[photo: Mattia Gianelli] March 8, 2024 sees ALTERIUM, the new Italian power metal quintet led by Nicoletta Rosellini (ex. Kalidia, Walk in Darkness), release their much-awaited, first full-length studio album entitled “Of War And Flames” via AFM Records. The pre-sale is available at: https://alterium.bfan.link/of-war-and-flames Following previously-released songs, “Siren’s Call”, “Drag Me To…

[ozkanyildizhan]

Taken from the album "Of War and Flames", out March 8, 2024. Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3HzY6RZ Fanlink: https://alterium.bfan.link/crossroads...

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Alterium ► Siren's Call (official video)