Around 2,500 demonstrators held a show of support Sunday in Tunisia's capital for President Kais Saied whose power grab has stirred controversy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
"The people want the dissolution of parliament," "We are all Kais Saeid, we are all Tunisia," chanted the crowd gathered on Bourguiba Avenue, the main thoroughfare in central Tunis.
On July 25, after months of political stalemate, Saied sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament and granted himself judicial powers, a move he followed up by "exceptional measures" that allow the president to rule by decree.
Saied, elected on an anti-system ticket in late 2019, has said his action seeks to "save" Tunisia from "imminent peril" and a socio-economic crisis aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Security forces were deployed in force Sunday on Bourguiba Avenue, in particular the venue of the demonstration in front of the municipal theatre.
The demonstrators flew Tunisian flags and their banners read: "The people want a revision of the constitution" and "Saied, official spokesman of the people."
The previous Sunday, a crowd of an estimated 2,000 people rallied, also on Bourguiba Avenue, in protest at what critics have branded Saied's "coup d'etat".
Some shouted "Get out, get out", the slogan that started in December 2010 and culminated in the resignation of Tunisia's dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, triggering Arab Spring protests in several countries.
Rivalry week is upon us and our game of the week poll for week six reflects that with a pair of the best in the state going down Friday night.
Our choices this week are the Holy War between Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel, and the battle in USD 266 with Maize going up against Maize South.
The promising Real-Time Strategy title Starship Troopers – Terran Command is getting a free Steam demo this week, with developer/publisher Slitherine Games promising a gameplay experience true to the classic sci-fi military franchise. Originally a novel by Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers was eventually adapted into a cult-hit 1997 film by Robocop director Paul Verhoeven - which in turn spawned numerous Starship Troopers sequels and spin-offs over the past couple of decades.
Naturally, the Starship Troopers franchise has produced several tie-in video games as well, although these are as varied in reception and quality as the films and TV shows they draw inspiration from. The latest is Starship Troopers – Terran Command, an RTS that puts players in control of the human Mobile Infantry in its never-ending war against the alien Bug army. The game’s campaign is set to consist of 20 missions, during which players will build troops, manage resources, and strike a balance between tactical superiority and overwhelming firepower – just like in the Starship Troopers films.
In a press release yesterday, Slitherine Games announced that a free demo of Starship Troopers – Terran Command will be available to download on Steam during this week’s five-day Steam Next Fest event. It will consist of two campaign scenarios. The first is titled “Peace of Mine” and will task players with guiding their Mobile Infantry troops in defending a mining outpost from attacking Bugs. “Releasing a Starship Troopers - Terran Command demo at Steam Next Fest was a key decision in the development pipeline,” Executive Producer David Sharrock noted. “We really want this game to deliver on the promise of a true Starship Troopers experience, and collecting feedback from the players is an important milestone of this process.” A brief YouTube trailer for Starship Troopers - Terran Command can be seen below, courtesy of Slitherine Games.
Starship Troopers – Terran Command is just one of the many new games being shown off at this year’s Steam Next Fest, which was renamed from the Steam Game Festival in March. The first event under this new name was held in June, and featured a line-up of limited-time demos for upcoming titles like Road 96 and Severed Steel. Likewise, this month’s Steam Next Fest will put the spotlight on over 700 upcoming titles from all around the world.
Starship Troopers - Terran Command looks to be an interesting adaptation of the cult-classic Starship Troopers franchise, blending RTS gameplay with the feel of commanding a massive army of soldiers against an overwhelming insectoid force. Players looking to earn their Citizenship and defeat the bug army will be able to download the free Starship Troopers – Terran Command demo from now until Thursday, October 7th, with the game itself set for a full release sometime later this year.
J. Brodie Shirey is just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe, but aren’t we all? He currently lives in York, Pennsylvania. He is a big comic book, video game, and science fiction fan, and likes writing articles for ScreenRant or scripts for some of his crazy TV show ideas.
A graduate from York County School of Technology, he's self-published several books on Amazon, and once won 1st place at a regional computer fair for a CGI animated short. He might post it on Youtube someday. He hopes that working for this site will be his first step into the larger universe of online writing, since Megazord technology hasn’t been invented yet and he doesn't seem to have any Force powers. You can check out his work at The Uncanny Fox, purchase his books on Amazon.com, see his posted scripts on Script Revolution, or see his portfolio here or here. He can also be followed on Twitter @FoxUncanny.
The latest entry into the decades-long debate about the use of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line — which stretches from Davenport to Watsonville — is a zero-emission streetcar whose promoters are offering the public free rides this month.
The Coast Futura will be running in Watsonville on Oct. 16 and 17 and between Santa Cruz and Capitola the following weekend. Rides are free, but must be reserved.
Spokesperson Trink Praxel said the project both addresses climate change and increased access to transit options for residents of Santa Cruz County.
“After years of discussion and imagining what rail transit could actually look like, the Coast Futura demonstration provides the very first look at a solution,” Praxel told Lookout via email. “The Coast Futura streetcar produces zero pollution, does not use overhead wires, is very quiet, is lightweight and is a much less costly alternative to traditional heavy rail transit options.”
Although final use for the 32-mile rail line is still to be determined, Iwalani Faulkner, another volunteer with the group, said small-scale trips could begin immediately. She also said service from Westside Santa Cruz to Watsonville could be possible in less than a decade.
According to Coast Futura, the system would be fully compatible with other potential plans, including the bicycle and pedestrian trail already under construction. The company also said fares for the electric rail vehicle would be comparable to current public transit fares.
“A train that comes at regular intervals and is not stuck in traffic makes for a very attractive way to travel,” Faulkner said. “Students, families and workers are so excited by the idea of electric light rail because it would make commuting to Santa Cruz so much easier and a huge time-saver.”
The company behind the streetcar, TIG/m: Streetcars, says its vehicles are operated by rechargeable batteries. The hydrogen-battery hybrid vehicles will be charged with renewable energy sourced from Central Coast Community Energy.
“The Coast Futura streetcar meets the need through use of rechargeable batteries and provides a proof of concept for how to make rail transit accessible to all,” Praxel said. “Especially hardworking commuters who are now facing heavy traffic and long travel times.”
The Santa Cruz demonstration will take passengers from the Beach Boardwalk to Capitola, while the Watsonville demonstration will go from downtown Watsonville to near Sunset Beach. Both will be about a 4-mile ride.
“The arrival of the Coast Futura demo is a historic moment in time for Santa Cruz County: a chance to see and touch the future of rail transit,” Praxel said.
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Steam Next Fest is now underway, and just like the event back in June there are hundreds (that's no exaggeration, hundreds) of free demos for upcoming games you can download and try out right now.
Most of the Steam Next Fest demos will only be available from October 1 to October 7, so if you want a free peek at some cool looking games, you've only got a small window. The week will be gone before you know it, so get downloading and play some free stuff.
With so many choices it can be hard to know where to begin, so we here at PC Gamer played a bunch of them and listed a dozen or so below that we think really stand out. Have a look, and lets us know if you play anything cool this week. We'd be happy to expand our list with some of your favorites.
Exo One
(Image credit: Exbleative)
The Exo One demo is like nothing like I have ever played before. It's a sci-fi exploration game where you control a weird shape-shifting spacecraft hurtling through various alien worlds in search of a team of astronauts who have sent out a distress signal. Using the power of momentum, the spaceship can transform as it travels across planets. It can transform into a ball that zips across the ground to pick up speed and then when launched into the air, it can transform into a flat disc to glide. The demo gives us a look at three strange worlds, all of them packed with extraordinary encounters, from desolate wastelands filled with alien structures to raging seas with no land in sight. The Exo One demo has been around for a while but still remains an exciting sneak peek into both a serene and exhilarating adventure.—Rachel
Strange Horticulture
(Image credit: Bad Viking)
The demo covers only the first two days of this shopkeeping puzzle sim, and that is not nearly long enough because it's very, very good. In Strange Horticulture you run a quiet little plant shop where strange visitors will drop by with unusual requests. Use your ever-growing tome of knowledge to carefully identify and label plants based on clues, give your customers what they're looking for, and explore a map using cryptic hints to discover more unusual flora. Don't forget to pet your black cat, and try not to lose your mind or you'll literally have to piece it back together. I am excited to see more of this when it launches in 2022.—Chris
Inscryption
(Image credit: Daniel Mullins Games)
Hearthstone takes place in a jolly tavern. Inscryption does not. This card game's backdrop is a dark cabin, and my opponent a pair of eyes in the shadows. "PLAY THE SQUIRREL CARD," it says with more menace than the words deserve. The squirrel can't attack, its only value is that it can be sacrificed for a point of blood. Blood (and later bones) are necessary to play better cards, like the adder. Unlike Hearthstone or Hand of Fate, which it also resembles, Inscryption's theme is frontier America, all canyons and gulches, and my hand is full of wolves and a stoat. The text on the stoat card changes. "Play along for now," it says, and then things get weirder. Inscryption is the work of Daniel Mullins Games, creator of metatextual headfucks Pony Island and The Hex, and it promises to do to cosy collectible card games what Pony Island did to the endless runner—making it so eerie and unsettling it'll jangle your nerves and rattle your bones.—Jody
Starship Troopers: Terran Command
(Image credit: Slitherine)
A competent Starship Troopers RTS in 2021? Confounding. Well, I'm not gonna think about the likelihood of this too hard—it's just neat to be playing an RTS game that gives me early 2000s vibes, in mostly good ways. Starship Troopers: Terran Command doesn't feel too much like my favorite RTS series, Command & Conquer, because you're mostly commanding troops here rather than building bases. But it's a good fit for Starship Troopers, throwing your squads of meatheads up against piles of alien bugs. There's a bit more depth to the combat than I expected: I had to carefully position my troops for clear lines of fire, which got extra tricky when I recruited a few flamethrower boys who relish being on the front lines. Company of Heroes 3 is next year's big flashy RTS, but it's nice to see some little guys out there helping keep the genre alive.—Wes
Motor Town: Behind the Wheel
(Image credit: P3 Games)
If you're looking for a deep driving sim that won't melt your GPU like Forza, then climb into Motor Town and buckle up. And don't let the chunky graphics fool you, it's a pretty deep sim with realistic physics, a day and night cycle, progression, and lots of vehicles to drive and missions to complete. Ferry passengers around in a taxi or bus, haul cargo in a truck or trailer, refuel, replace parts, or just pick up hitchhikers in your personal vehicle. You can use turn signals, headlights and highbeams, and honk your horn, and the cops will even chase you if you're breaking the rules of the road. And unlike a lot of car games, you can get out of your car, walk around, and even sleep in your house to fast-forward the clock. There's a lot of entertainment packed into this demo, and there's a beta you can sign up for too. —Chris
Airhead
(Image credit: Octato)
In the spirit of Inside and Limbo, Airhead is a surreal and intriguing platformer puzzler and I have very little idea of what is going on in it. In a good way! I know this: I have no head, and after running, jumping, and pushing chunks of stone around a strange cavern for a while, I got a head when a weird machine burst through a wall and squashed a blob with a rock. But my blobby new head needs to breathe, so I refill it with air using these little tanks scattered around which also serve as save points. Also, I have to hold my new head in my hands, which means I sometimes need to drop it on the ground to clamber around or push and pull things. Look, Airhead is weird. But it's neat. And despite only just having got a new blobby detachable head I am very determined to keep it safe.—Chris
Tunic
(Image credit: Finji)
An isometric exploration game reminiscent of Hob, Tunic follows the adventures of a small fox in a big world filled with danger, secrets, and treasure. It's undeniably cute, but don't expect to be making a lot of friends: Every one of the bouncy, mostly blob-like creatures I encountered in the world were determined to kick my ass (and a few succeeded). That's at least in part due to the fact that I was defending myself with a stick, although the situation improved considerably when I found a sword, which also enabled me to hack new paths through the foliage, opening the door to all sorts of new areas and treasures. I only got a small glimpse of the game world, but I very much dig it. One note, and I say this as someone who loathes controllers: Play with a controller. Keyboard controls are supported (no mouse), but the movement and combat are clearly designed for thumbs and buttons.—Andy
Fallen Aces
(Image credit: New Blood Interactive)
Imagine Condemned: Criminal Origins, minus the horror and set in a cartoon gangster world filled with damsels in distress, grizzled tough guys, and old-time superheroes. That's Fallen Aces, a two-fisted first-person Raymond Chandler comic book, minus the racism but overflowing with wonderfully stereotypical dialog and ridiculous violence complete with Mortal Kombat-esque punch-outs. It's not an all-out brawl—there's some light stealth that enables a quieter approach to problem-solving, if that's your thing—but I was having too much fun kicking ass (and, in the end, getting my ass kicked) to spend much time figuring out the subtleties. I smashed a man in the balls with a bottle and then roundhouse-kicked him into a brick wall—who wants to sneak around when you can do that? I've been looking forward to Fallen Aces ever since it was announced, and after playing the demo my expectations are even higher.—Andy
Exhausted Man
The demo for Exhausted Man made me laugh for real a couple times. It's not as fun as Stilt Fella, another QWOP-inspired game about coordinating unruly limbs, but it gets more comedy out of its premise and animation rigging—the way its very sleepy protagonist moves like an inchworm up walls and twists up like a towel when he tries to turn over. It's also deeply weird, like in a genuinely unsettling way: Act 1 is called "'It' is coming," there's a red poster that just says "DIE" on it, and after completing a task called "Meditation," the camera zoomed in on the protagonist's hand on top of the poster and he thought, "The DIE by my hand arouses my thoughts of her." Later, I rescued a tissue box "from the devil's hand," and noted that, after speaking at length to a lamp, "it only replied 'Impossible.'" It's like reading Zen kōan from the year 2666. I haven't finished the demo yet… I wonder what household object the devil tempts next?—Tyler
Kaiju Wars
(Image credit: Foolish Mortal Games)
Kaiju Wars is a turn-based strategy game with giant monsters who stomp on buildings and has the aesthetics of an old-school manga. That pretty much already sold me on the game. The demo has you play through a handful of stages as the Mayor of Floatio City, a place with the unfortunate luck of being a gathering place for all sorts of menacing Kaiju. As Mayor you need to secure up defenses by deploying tanks and bombers in order to scare off the Kaiju. Each turn you're rewarded with money for every building that's still standing, used to build more bases and buy more troops. You realize the trick to the game is luring the monsters away from civilian buildings by sacrificing your troops and doing enough damage to kill the damn thing or hoping it gets bored and runs away. Like Into The Breach, you know exactly where the monster is going and are forced to plan accordingly. It also just looks neat, and in later levels you fight with giant mecha and lasers which is icing on the cake. A huge monster cake. —Jorge
Forgive Me Father
(Image credit: Byte Barrel)
There is no shortage of retro revival FPSes hitting Steam nowadays, and so far, Forgive Me Father is one of the better ones. It's got keys that open doors, zombies that explode into buckets of blood at the roar of your double-barreled shotgun, and secret paths that lead to bonuses. The crisp art and thick black outlines around everything reminded me a lot of Fallen Aces (there's even an easter egg for that game in the first room of the demo), but Forgive Me Father is less Thief and more classic Wolfenstein, maybe to a fault. The guns feel pretty good, but I was a little put off by the endless narrow hallways at the start of the demo. Even though I wasn't missing any shots, it was surprisingly easy to get cornered by a horde and die.—Morgan
Negative Nancy
(Image credit: Feed)
"You think you're God because you went shopping?" Part of the reason Ikea guy (comedian Scott Seiss) went viral with his clips of him angrily talking back to annoying customers is that so many of us have been there. Retail. It's a nightmare. Negative Nancy can feel pretty cathartic as a result. Working the counter at the hellish Megamart, all you can say as Nancy is no. To rude and stubborn customers, to your team-building boss, to your frazzled coworkers. Granted, no isn't always the best thing to say (you can also say nothing) and it won't always get you what you want. But it still feels good. No, you can't return that gift card that expired seven years ago. No, you can't get a refund without a receipt. No, you can't speak to the manager. No, no, no. No.—Chris
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin needed a bit of lightening up.
Now, sunbeams shine through the once dark and disgusting Chaos Shrine’s windows from the first Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin demo. Ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2021, Square Enix has given the game a shocking overhaul, with a new demo that transforms the once dreary castle into a well-lit dungeon.
The daunting structure retains the same level design, but the visuals are more stimulating when you can actually see them. Some new narrative revelations also make the whole experience far more intriguing. Not is the boss of the Chaos Shrine a new party member, but there’s also a wild revelation here about the game’s main character.
“The protagonist is essentially the villain as well,” Director Daisuke Inoue tells Inverse. “He’s not your typical Warrior of Light.”
This isn’t your typical Final Fantasy game either. These demos allow developer Team Ninja and publisher Square Enix to chart new ground within the franchise. Final Fantasy Origin already looks much better after just a few more months of development.
Note: Developers have chosen to reveal some key plot details ahead of the game’s release, but if you’d prefer to experience the story cold, be warned there are spoilers ahead.
To Kill Chaos
The team behind Final Fantasy Origin is candid about some major plot twists, including that the protagonist Jack is Garland, one of the main antagonists of the original Final Fantasy. Meanwhile, the boss of the Chaos Shrine is a girl named Neon, your fourth party member.
Neon is the fourth (but not final) party member in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy OriginSquare Enix
Upon learning the true identity of Jack and the Chaos Shrine’s boss, the darker tone becomes much more understandable. Yes, it can get comically aggressive at times as Jack bodyslams an enemy or says “Bullshit!” after an emotional speech from another character, but Garland’s presence drastically raises the stakes and importance of this story.
“We wanted to depict the story of how he was a good knight but decided to go into that evil realm,” Square Enix Producer Jin Fujiwara tells Inverse. “That is the foundation of this game.”
Garland is a one-note villain in the original Final Fantasy. He kidnaps Princess Sarah and is defeated but then transforms into the game’s Big Bad: a primordial being of destruction called Chaos. It’s exciting to see him fleshed out as the protagonist of his own story. We’ll also see this anti-hero gain allies like Neon, a spunky woman who previously tried and failed to defeat Chaos.
The confrontation left her corrupted, which transformed her into the heavily armored Chaos Shrine boss that players fought in the last demo. After she’s freed, she joins Jack and company to pursue their mutual enemy once again. While the developers wouldn’t reveal more about Neon’s larger role in the story outside of the fact that she’s “very important,” Fujiwara hints that there won’t just be four Warriors of Light in Final Fantasy Origin.
“Yes, there will be more party members coming along,” he says. But will they be nearly as surprising as Garland and Neon?
A Delightful Demo
Even if the first trial didn’t impress you, the second will. Square Enix and Team Ninja made many noticeable improvements, and there’s even s a whole new area to explore. After completing the Chaos Shrine for the second time and meeting Neon, players explore a new level set in the Refrin Wetlands.
Jack and his allies take on the boss of the Refrin WetlandsSquare Enix
This damp and forested area is full of aggressive wildlife, but players can change the weather when interacting with certain magical objects. You might need to make it rain so some branches move and open up a path or bring out the sun to dry up the waterfall blocking your progress.
The Wetlands are a lot more complex than the relatively simple Chaos Shrine with various environmental interactions. While it’s cumbersome to cast a spell in Final Fantasy Origin, it’s still satisfying to hurl lightning into a pond and electrocute all of the enemies in it.
From a gameplay perspective, not much has changed since the first demo, though you can now command your allies to be more aggressive. But the nuanced differences between the Chaos Shrine and Refrin Wetlands are a good indication that we’ll see more variety and unique environments in the final product.
If every area in Final Fantasy Origin is as interesting to look at and interact with as the Refrin Wetlands, that will be a good thing.
The newly introduced Pugilist and Monk classes are also a highlight of the new demo, letting Jack fight with fists instead of swords or magic. It feels very novel to rush up and punch enemies in an action-oriented Soulslike, and these classes are great for staggering and healing.
This second demo strikes a better balance between tone, difficulty, and gameplay. And ultimately, that’s why demos like this are released in the first place: so developers can collect feedback and refine systems and designs.
“We wanted to make sure to incorporate Final Fantasy-esque elements into the game as well as making it a sound action game,” Team Ninja Producer Fumihiko Yasuda tells Inverse. “We need to have both of these pillars align well, so we were definitely hoping to get player feedback in terms of the balance of those elements overall.”
Neon joins the team. Square Enix
As Final Fantasy games continue to experiment with new genres and defy the series’ norms, they might alienate the core fan base. The lukewarm response to Final Fantasy Origin’s announcement proves that. But while the potential for risk is high, so too are the possible rewards.
“We wanted to see how challenging we could make the game while still making something that would be embraced by Final Fantasy fans,” Yasuda says.
Demos will be crucial to Final Fantasy Origin’s success as a way to prove to Final Fantasy fans and newcomers alike that this formula mashup is worth exploring. And as the demos refine the game from a gameplay and visual perspective, the story details we’ve learned excite us as Square Enix is finally expanding upon the story that started it all.
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Trial 2 is available on PS5 and Xbox Series X until October 11, 2021.
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'Final Fantasy Origin' preview: Square Enix fixed the first demo's worst problems - Inverse
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