Aztaka

Citérémis and GamersGate AB have announced the release of Citérémis's game Aztaka through the GamersGate digital distribution platform. Aztaka is a side-scrolling adventure/RPG game that blends classic gameplay with modern technology and high-end graphics.

Aztaka can be found at the Citérémis website http://aztaka.citeremis.com as well as on GamersGate at http://www.gamersgate.com <http://www.gamersgate.com>

Set in a world of Aztec myth, Aztaka casts the player in the role of Huitzilo, heir to the Sun God. Huitzilo seeks to fulfill his destiny by reuniting the seven Ancestral Phonograms, thereby opening the Path of the Gods and leading his people out of an era of darkness and bloodshed. Accompanied by his faithful companion Ayopha - trapped in the form of a hummingbird by a magical curse - Huitzilo overcomes the obstacles in his path through a combination of fighting prowess and spiritual magic.

Aztaka uses an innovative hybrid control scheme. The player moves Huitzilo around the screen with the keyboard, while casting spells and manipulating spiritual energy with the mouse. Spiritual energy, represented on-screen by globules of light, is central to the game's mechanics - by dragging and dropping it with the mouse, the player can solve puzzles, create routes to access new areas, heal injured characters, and more.

Already receiving high praise for its exceptional graphics, compelling storyline and immersive gameplay, Aztaka will reach a wider audience now that it has been picked up by GamersGate.

Citérémis has timed the release of version 1.03 of the game to coincide with its availability on GamersGate. As well as improving the game's stability, the update adds new features including AutoSave and a log of completed quests. Furthermore, Huitzilo's death now merely takes the player back to the last door he passed through, rather than to a Game Over screen, making the game a little more forgiving for beginners.

"We've been getting a lot of constructive feedback from our fans," says Mercier, "and it's been a great help for this latest update. The focus in version 1.03 was really to make the game more user friendly and easier to get into. I hope we'll continue to get good feedback like this to make subsequent versions even better."

Citérémis is a creative video game studio located in Sherbrooke, Canada, with the objective of creating innovative games with an emphasis on simplicity and fun. The team consists of a mix of fresh talent and industry veterans, all passionate about computer gaming. Since its inception in 2005, the company has worked on on multiple projects, Aztaka being the most recent and most ambitious.

GamersGate is a leading digital distribution platform, providing ready gaming experiences for gamers worldwide – anytime, anywhere. Viewed as a strong contender in the digital download arena, GamersGate continues to redefine the download industry. Future strategies include the launch of several additional services, and the further aggressive expansion of its product portfolio, from a wide range of internationally recognized publishers.

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For more information, contact Jonathan Mercier at: jmercier@citeremis.com / clare@maddalenaconsulting.co.uk