It’s been only a couple days since the open beta for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands‘ Ghost War PVP mode ended, but it appears that Ubisoft is pleased with the results of the test phase as they are moving ahead with the Ghost War PVP mode launch. It will be out as a free update for all owners of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands on October 10, 2017. Ubisoft revealed that they plan on continuing to develop and release free content for the Ghost War mode after it launches.
Ghost War is a 4v4 PVP mode that pits teams in intense, squad-based battles. Teams build their squad by selecting one of twelve classes from the Assault, Marksman, and Support categories. Each class has its own distinct loadout, perks, and customization options. Squads will need to use their abilities, suppressive fire, and sound markers to gain the upper hand on their opponents. The mode is set to launch with eight large-scale maps.
Gamers have been collectively dying for more after Rockstar released the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2. Almost a year later, we are finally getting our next look at Rockstar’s first game designed from the ground up for the latest generation of consoles. The trailer focuses on outlaw Arthur Morgan and his Van der Linde gang as they terrorize the locals with robbery, assault, and murder. The cinematic trailer is sure to provide plenty of fodder for fan theories and speculation as gamers await the release of the first gameplay footage.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Spring 2018 (Fall 2018 in the Northern Hemisphere). Still no word on a PC release.
Launch Sequence Initiated for GUNDAM VERSUS from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
Pilot Iconic Mobile Suits from Across the Mobile Suit Gundam Universe in Action-Packed Team Battles
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (September 29, 2017) – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. the premier publisher of anime video games today launches GUNDAMVERSUSfor the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. Take control of over 90 Mobile Suits spanning more than 35 years of the Mobile Suit Gundam saga and experience one of the most popular imports in Japanese pop culture history like never before.
World famous giant mech series and notorious head-to-head video game smash hit, GUNDAMVERSUS, arrives in the Americas for the first time developed from the ground up exclusively for the PlayStation 4 system. In the game, players will pilot legendary Mobile Suits, each equipped with its own weapons systems for players to learn and master. Every Mobile Suit also features enhanced mobility options enabling advanced strategies to evade and outwit opponents, in explosive two-on-two and three-on-three online battles.
“The Mobile Suit Gundam series has been – and continues to be – an industry-leading force in the anime space for more than 30 years,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “GUNDAMVERSUS capitalizes on that heritage with the fast-paced strategic action the series is known for along with beloved pilots and Mobile Suits that will have fans battling against each other in epic battles around the world.”
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
ONE PIECE®: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition Launches for Nintendo Switch
Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are Yours to Command at Home or On-The-Go
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (September 29, 2017) – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., the leading publisher and developer of interactive anime entertainment, has released ONE PIECE®: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition for the Nintendo Switch system as a digital download through the Nintendo Switch eShop. Embark on an epic journey with Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat pirates in this action-adventure title remastered for the current generation of consoles with higher HD screen resolution, higher frame rate, and over 40 pieces of DLC included to create the most definitive One Piece Unlimited World Red experience yet. The unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch system allow for exclusive modes of play not possible with other home console systems including the ability to play together with a single Joy-Con controller in Table-Top mode, or while away from home, sailing the seven seas yourself in Handheld Mode
The ONE PIECE franchise celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and is the best-selling manga of all time, with over 400 million volumes sold-to-date due to its cast of unique characters and riveting storylines. ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition brings that level of quality to the video game realm with a game-exclusive storyline and original characters designed by Eiichiro Oda, the creator of ONE PIECE.
In ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition, players will join the Straw Hat pirate crew as they set their sights for the Forgotten Island with their new mysterious raccoon friend Pato. After landing on the island the Straw Hat pirates are kidnapped by The Red Count; a powerful pirate who escaped the depths of Impel Down, an infamous underwater maximum-security prison for the most dangerous criminals in the world. Monkey D. Luffy must explore the Forgotten Island, accept quests from residents, and take on enemies as he attempts to save his kidnapped friends. Players will be able to use local co-op mode to play story mode missions and side quests with a friend or battle bosses together in Battle Coliseum. Players will be able to select from a large roster of popular ONE PIECE characters, each with their own unique attacks which fans of the show will instantly recognize.
“The Nintendo Switch version of ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition not only provides the great gameplay and an original story, but also the ability to play it anywhere they may be with the system’s unique Handheld and Table-Top Modes,” said Randy Le, Associate Brand Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition provides a treasure trove of exhilarating content for ONE PIECE fans young and old whether at home or on-the-move.”
ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and carries a MSRP of $39.99. ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition is also available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PC via STEAM®. For more information regarding ONE PIECE: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition and additional titles from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., please visit https://www.bandainamcoent.com, or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS or join the conversation on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BandaiNamcoUS.
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About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
Sydney, 29th September 2017 – Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has reached an agreement with the Italian football club AC Milan to become the club’s Official Football Video Game Partner. The new deal expands on KONAMI’s long standing license agreement for its renowned Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series, and affiliated titles for mobile platforms.
The agreement comes as KONAMI continues to add the world’s best teams to its roster of global partners. AC Milan is a historic club, renowned for its quality, creative talent and silverware success. It’s one of Italy’s top teams, with a great history and heritage in world football.
Since its inception in 1899, AC Milan has consistently finished near the top, if not at the top, of Italy’s Serie A league which it has won 18 times. It is officially the most successful Italian club internationally having won the UEFA Champions League seven times, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup twice and it’s the five times winner of the UEFA Super Cup.
The agreement will see KONAMI use its proprietary 3D scanning systems to create the in game models of the AC Milan club, including the stadium and players, in PES 2018. This technology will ensure all players are virtually photo realistic and KONAMI will be given extensive access to measure the San Siro stadium to reproduce its exact dimensions within the videogame. At the same time, the technology will also accurately recreate the sounds and atmosphere from the stadium to give the user the most realistic recreation of San Siro as possible.
This 3D scanning system recreates the first team squad with incredible detail. KONAMI will capture not just the appearances and builds of players like Leonardo Bonucci, Gianluigi Donnarumma and André Silva but also their playing styles, on and off-the-ball movements, and tactical abilities so that they are instantly recognizable within the game.
KONAMI will also enjoy a high level of visibility within AC Milan’s ground, San Siro. The company will enjoy prominence across the San Siro’s match-day LED sponsor boards, and PES 2018 will also be promoted via the ground’s giant LED screen. Additional promotions will take place in official partner zones in the ground, the Milanello Sport Centre where the players train, and the Vismara Sport Centre.
“We welcome KONAMI as a worldwide partner who can truly showcase our on-field prowess in its world-renowned PES series,” said Lorenzo Giorgetti, Chief Commercial Officer of AC Milan. “We look forward to offering the talented teams behind the games incredible access to our players and the San Siro, thus allowing our fans to match our match day heroics perfectly within PES titles.”
“AC Milan is one of the most renowned clubs in the world let alone Europe,” commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director – Brand & Business Development for Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “We are thrilled to partner with them. They have an enviable roster of talent in all their teams and we will honour them by replicating their skills and ability within PES 2018. KONAMI is dedicated to working with the true greats and AC Milan is exactly that.”
PES 2018 is now available on PlayStation®4 and Xbox One™. The game is also available via Steam in a version that has undergone substantial improvements in terms of aesthetics and content, ensuring the game enjoys parity with the current gen formats.
KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION was established in 1973, and became a holding company of the Konami Group on March 31, 2006. KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION covers the fields of “Digital Entertainment Business”, “Health & Fitness Business”, “Gaming & Systems Business” and “Amusement Business”. KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION went public on Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988 and the London Stock Exchange in 1999. Home Page URL: www.konami.com. Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. is a wholly-owned subsidiary, responsible for popular franchises like Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and Pro Evolution Soccer amongst other top sellers. Konami Group is also the manufacturer of the wildly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, which has sold more than 25 billion cards worldwide. For more information concerning Konami Digital Entertainment and its products, please visit www.konami.com.
All copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used under permission.
Paramount Picture (Mother!) released the first look at the upcoming film Annihilation. The sci-fi thriller is based on the first book of Jeff VanderMeer’s wildly popular Southern Reach Trilogy. Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later) serves as the film’s writer and director. Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson star as the biologist, the psychologist, the anthropologist, and the surveyor who enter an environmental disaster zone as part of the latest expedition. The biologist (Portman) hopes to discover clues about her husband (Oscar Isaac), who had gone missing in a previous expedition.
Annihilation is set to hit cinemas in Australia on February 22, 2018.
Ubisoft is making a big push to educate gamers about Ancient Egypt with Assassin’s Creed Origins by working with historians and Egyptologists. This isn’t the first time Ubisoft have worked with academics for their games, as they teamed up with anthropologists and linguists to create a setting for Far Cry Primalthat is rooted in current knowledge. Ubisoft announced today that Assassin’s Creed Origins post-launch update will introduce the Discovery Mode to the game. This dedicated mode allows players to explore Ancient Egypt at their own pace to learn about Ptolemaic Egypt through dozens of tours curated and designed by historians and Egyptologists.
The collaboration with academics is going one step further this time around. Ubisoft has partnered with Google and academics to create the Hieroglyphics Initiative Project to help further our understanding of Hieroglyphics. Google and Ubisoft are harnessing the power of machine learning to identify specific hieroglyphs, help decipher damaged writing, and hopefully translate Hieroglyphic writing.
Assassin’s Creed Origins is set to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on October 27, 2017.
Bethesda released a brand new trailer for The Evil Within 2that introduces viewers to another human that inhabits the nightmarish world of STEM. Father Theodore is a priest whose charisma has twisted the minds of his followers, turning them into obedient Harbingers that happily do his bidding. In STEM, Father Theodore plans on using his flamethrower wielding Harbingers to control the new world and become the god of STEM.
The Evil Within 2sees the return of Sebastian Castellanos, years after the events of the first game. Now a drunken former cop, Sebastian is forced to work with his old nemesis Mobius and enter STEM in hopes of rescuing his daughter who he believed to be long dead. The Evil Within 2 is set to launch on Friday the 13th, October 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
There are not many RPGs that can satisfy my need to snoop through (mostly) abandoned locations and loot whatever I can find. Vaporum gives me one gigantic location with a lot of secret areas, lockers and containers to pillage from. Killing many enemies along the way and trying to stay alive is only a bonus.
Story
Vaporum puts us into a place of unnamed castaway waking himself near a grim, gigantic tower. Still, it seems far more welcoming than the ocean we’re in. We set to explore its interior and soon enough we find one of the three available exosuits that we can hop in. Now it’s on us to uncover the rest of the story by exploring the tower, moving up and listening to occasional audio logs we find on our journey. Despite playing as one character during the game, we’ll hardly feel alone since our protagonist has a habit of narrating as we explore.
Gameplay
As we put on the exosuit and step deeper into the tower, we find out that we’re not exactly alone. The tower is a home to many enemies and traps. Enemies range from mechanical spiders & drones to mysterious humanoids and there is always a danger of falling into a pit if you’re not careful where you step on. To not make it so simple as going from one room to another, sometimes there are doors we need to open by finding a specific key or solve a puzzle. Regarding enemies, there are plenty of ways how to dispatch them. Our arsenal (that we build up from looting) ranges from melee weapons to guns and later on, we even get access to certain gadgets that we can equip on our exosuit. Some provide us useful defensive buffs while others can unleash devastating area effects on multiple enemies, which saved my life on more than one occasion. As for the weapons, there certainly is a lot to choose from. Blades, blunt weapons, pistols, two-handed rifles…..there is always something new to try on enemies and see which one brings them down easily. There’s no such thing as winning combination that you can set up and just steamroll through the game so a lot of times you’ll switch from various sets to deal with different enemy types. As you defeat them, they’ll drop a substance called “fumium”, which is just a fancy form of experience points. Getting a lot of fumium enables you to level up your exosuit and assign points to better weapon usage and defense.
Visuals
Having a game in a steampunk setting with mechanical enemies was more than enough for me to start reminiscing about first Bioshock as I explored the tower. Nevertheless, Vaporum’s design and art contain a lot of its own identity. For a grid-based dungeon crawler, it manages to escape from repetitive level design and monotonous locations. There is a map that you can summon at any time but I rarely had any need for it since the levels and paths are easy to memorize. I never had a moment to think “hm, this room looks kinda the same as the one from 10 minutes ago, have I been here already?”
Audio
Considering Vaporum hits all the good spots so far, I was slightly disappointed that I couldn’t find anything to say about the music. There’s hardly any of it as you explore but as I mentioned above, at least you’re not alone with the main character often narrating. There are some ambient sounds coming from broken pipes, electricity buzzing and they do a nice job of spicing up the atmosphere. There is an excellent theme on the main menu of the game so it makes me wonder why something similar wasn’t included at least during intense battles. On the bring side, the ambient audio does a superb job, especially at making me feel nervous at some points and culminating in self-inflicted jump scares. In 90% of times, there really was nothing behind my back (and in the room I just cleared) but it’s always something you realize far too late.
Overall
Vaporum is a tricky piece of work. On the surface, it doesn’t show anything to lure you in instantly. However, as you continue to play more, you catch that common virus of “just one more room to explore and loot”. Combat manages to be surprisingly intense, especially at later stages where you get to use a combination of gadgets along with standard attacks. It is a game that doesn’t try hard to pitch itself to you since the atmosphere and addictive gameplay speaks for itself. A lot of the gameplay elements click perfectly resulting in you spending hours exploring every nook and cranny it than you intended. Not that it’s a bad thing.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of Lost Boys before I saw it on the In the House line up when they announced the new season. Although I skimmed over the synopsis on the Wikipedia page, I largely went into it blind so I could bring you my opinion completely fresh. I was confident that the good people at In the House had good taste in the cult classics they screen and wouldn’t steer me wrong. So I donned my leather jacket and eyeliner and headed on down to George Street cinemas to see what all the fuss was about.
The MCs for the evening were Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis and David ‘Quinny’ Quinn who kicked things off with a quick bit of cross-promotion before sitting down to talk about the film. Said cross-promotion included giving away jetboating tickets for correctly answering a piece of horror movie trivia. After this brief interlude, the two sat down to talk about the film we were about to see. An interesting piece of trivia which stuck with me from Quinny is the fact that the leader of the vampire gang, David, says the name “Michael” over a hundred times in the film. After that, it was time for the screening proper to begin.
Story
The film’s plot starts off with a family moving out to the small beach town of Santa Clara in California. Unlike the wholesome stereotype of small towns in America, this West Coast town immediately sets itself up as a hotbed of seedy behaviour and danger. Into this world steps the young and impressionable Michael who, chasing the approval and affection of peers who egg him on to do more and more dangerous things, ends up inadverdantly becoming a half-vampire. It’s then up to his younger brother, Sam, to use his nerdy know-how to figure out a way to bring his brother back from the brink of undeath.
The story’s actually really straight forward in regard to its arcs with each of the leads set up in the first act and completing their personal arc by the time the credits roll. The older brother realises that there’s more to life than the approval of his peers and the younger brother learns to appreciate the older one. There really isn’t too much that’s groundbreaking in this story which you’d probably be able to guess the narrative direction it follows with ease but there are certainly some excellent bits of writing here and there in the script. Alongside this, I wasn’t particularly impressed with performances by most of the actor’s performances but I’d figure that more as being a fault of the shallow screenplay.
That being said, the stand out performances here are definitely Kiefer Sutherland Corey Feldman as the enigmatic leader of the vampire youths and the nerdy adolescent vampire hunter respectively. Sutherland brings to the role a sort of smouldering intensity which I’d seen previously in Stand by Me and suits him just as well here. It’s easy to see why he was cast as this cast as he carries the role of a teenage punk with ease even if it is a bit one note at times. His performance, nonetheless, is memorable and will stay with you long after you forget his last “Michael”. Feldman on the other hand plays a nerd who is intensely passionate and territorial of his chosen hobby. His over-the-top performance ventures into the territory of delightfully camp and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nonetheless, both these characters will be immediately recognisable to anyone who has spent any amount of time interacting with teenage boys.
One thing that this film certainly broke ground on and ultimately set a new cinematic standard for is the depiction of vampires as seductive and youthful. It’s hard to imagine vampires as anything but these days but back in the day, they were pretty much treated like most horror monsters as terrifying creatures of the night with a human disguise. There’s certainly examples of that in this film, especially in the film’s ultimate climax, but what really draws people and makes this film so seminal is how it compares vampirism to other rebellious teenage pursuits like drinking and thrill seeking. It grounds the mythology in a much more relateable context and makes being a vampire seem much more fun than just becoming immortal. It’s not hard to see why so much modern fiction involving vampires takes so much from this film.
Visuals & Audio
The visual direction of the film does pretty well for a production from it’s time. The special effects are generally all above board and the make up similarly holds its own but there are some flaws which might be noticed by eagle-eyed audiences. One of the special effect sequences gets played out twice with the second one playing out in reverse and although it can generally be looked over, I was somewhat irked by it. In all likelihood, you won’t notice these things but if you do it may mildly annoy you.
One thing which stood out in this film is the awesome costume design of Daniel and the other vampires. I’ve always had an appreciation for the aesthetics of alternative subcultures like goths and punks and this film does a decent job at showcasing some pretty cool costume design in that regard. Although some elements are no longer fashionable (vis-a-vis, mullets), there’s a lot that they wear which would still be quite trendy in certain alternative circles. I can certainly imagine that pretty much everything worn by these teen vampires would be on the wishlist of many a friend’s “dream aesthetic”.
The music was distinctly 80s with plenty of synth and pop covers besides the standard orchestral score. It gives the film a very upbeat and grungy film but I do feel it does date it somewhat. That being said, it does fit with the film’s overall 80s aesthetic which can certainly be part of it’s charm. One particular stand out for me was a cover of The Doors People are Strange which played during the opening credits and I’ve come to realise probably was homaged in the opening of the True Blood series.
Overall
Overall, I had a great time watching Lost Boys and was very glad to have been able to make it to the In the House screening of it. It’s reimagining of what vampires could be like was seminal for it’s time and it is easy to see how, with performances like Sutherland’s, sexy vampires would become a staple. Part of the film’s vampire appeal is the aesthetic of vampire characters which remarkably still holds up as cool even by today’s standards (the mullets are questionable however). The film’s soundtrack features some memorable pieces which will probably leave a good impression on you (and possibly motivate you to find them yourself). There’s a lot to love in this film and I can easily see how this film can become some people’s favourite but as for me: I’d recommend watching it at least once for most film and pop culture geeks to see it’s influence on other vampire fiction.
For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule for the next season here. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Gamers have been collectively dying for more after 
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