Expelled from Paradise

Expelled from Paradise

Studios: Toei Animation, Graphinica and Nitroplus
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Platforms: DVD (reviewed) / Blu-ray
Release Date: December 7, 2016
Price: DVD $29.95 – Available Here / Blu-ray $34.95 – Available Here

Overview

In the distant future, nearly all humans have left the Earth following an incident referred to only as the ‘Nano Hazard’ and have also left their physical bodies behind. They transferred their minds and their genetic codes into digital files and now live new lives in a virtual society known as DEVA. DEVA is meant to be a perfect society, however a person known as ‘Frontier Setter’ has been hacking into DEVA to deliver a message to its citizens. System Security’s Third Officer Angela Balzak is assigned to a mission to prevent further hacks, and her partner on the mission is a human known as ‘Dingo’. She must first adapt to living in the body that was artificially produced to allow her to be able to travel to Earth. Once the maturation process is complete, albeit only to the point where Angela’s body is that of a 16-year-old’s, she must work with Dingo to locate Frontier Setter and determine its motives.

Story

Like all good sci-fi stories, Expelled from Paradise is mostly character driven. Angela Balzak is the first character we are introduced to. She initially comes across as a carefree person who just wants to relax, but it is quickly revealed that she is quite the capable security officer. When Frontier Setter hacks into DEVA’s communications network, she attempts to track it down and stop it. She is eager to do well at her job, and as such, she immediately accepts her assignment to go to Earth. She has an extremely high opinion of DEVA and the reality she has chosen for herself. It is for this reason that she initially finds Earth to be uninteresting and dull, although she eventually finds that there is more to life than contributing to the prosperity of a virtual society. Despite not seeming like the type to be able to cooperate with an apparently untrustworthy operative she has never met before, she is able to work effectively with her partner. Dingo introduces her to the uniquely human ability to truly enjoy music, and also explains to her what being a human is really about. It means doing whatever one can to survive, and at times just hoping to have good fortune. No genre of fiction provides writers with the opportunity to explore the true meaning of humanity and physical existence like science fiction, and this film truly has a lot to offer in this regard. It also avoids being predictable, as seen in the character of Frontier Setter and its interactions with Dingo.

Frontier Setter is the remnant of a long-forgotten project to send humanity into outer space. Although it started out as a simple AI, it eventually became sentient and developed an appreciation for, of all things, rock music. Dingo has an affinity for rock music as well, and the two are able to bond and even jam together as if they were both human. In a world that is already developing robots and artificial intelligence, the question of what defines humanity is becoming a difficult one to answer. It is one that has been explored before, to be sure, but its exploration here contributes to the thematic depth that this film has. The questions are thought-provoking not just for the audience, but for Angela as well. She goes through an extraordinary amount of character development in the two weeks in which this story takes place. At the same time, one gets the impression that her journey towards reaching an understanding of what it means to be human has only just begun by the end of the film. It is a shame that the sequel novel to the film has not been released in English, and that the world has largely moved on from the existence of this film, but it should be remembered. It may not be a Studio Ghibli film, nor is it entirely original, but it is one of the most engaging sci-fi stories produced in the last decade.

Visuals

The visuals of this film deserve both high praise and strong negative criticism. The scenery looks amazing and helps to convey the sense of desolation that exists in this dystopian version of Earth. The contrast between the digital paradise of DEVA and the devastated physical planet is highly effective. Going from the bright, colourful setting of the virtual world to the near-lifelessness of the desert helps bring the viewer along with Angela in her questioning of Dingo’s choice to remain on Earth rather than transcending to a digital form and having a ‘perfect’ life. Much of this film is spent depicting the characters engaging in covert missions and simply talking, and it helps that the visuals hold up so well during the quiet, calm expository scenes. Director Seiji Mizushima has a background in action-packed series, but he helps make even the most simple dialogue-driven scenes stand out. They are just as memorable as the flashy action sequences, if not more so.

The two elements of the visuals that do not work are present throughout the majority of the film. The first one is the fan-service, which is unsurprising given that this was produced in collaboration with Nitro+, but a major reason why it will likely remain a film for otaku instead of becoming a mainstream classic. Angela’s breasts bounce a little more than is perhaps realistic. Her outfit, as seen in the cover art above, is stated by the director to merely be a test for the capabilities of 3DCG animation. Finally, her buttocks are basically permanently on display. The second problem is the animation itself. The animation is fluid in the action scenes, which is where it really counts, but it drops to about three frames per second when characters are moving in the rest of the film. The unrealistic movements are enough to seriously impact on the emotional depth of one scene towards the end, and they constantly make the characters look stiff. If the animation team just drew and rendered enough frames to give the illusion of realistic movement, one might be convinced that 3DCG animation could realistically become a major part of the future of anime. To make matters worse, though, Angela’s hair looks terribly fake. Hair can look realistic and be made to move realistically with 2D animation, but evidently the 3DCG designers did not want to animate more than a few giant noodles of hair. The animation should not have such a major impact on the quality of the film, but in the end, the only reason the visuals work at all is because of the detailed settings.

Audio

The voice acting in the English dub is top notch. Experienced voice actors Wendee Lee, Steve Blum and Johnny Yong Bosch portray Angela, Dingo and Frontier Setter, respectively, and they all give standout performances. It takes a bit of time getting used to Wendee Lee, who sounds like she is playing a different character to the one on screen at first, but it soon becomes clear that she was the right choice for the role. Steve Blum helps convey Dingo’s character brilliantly, and Johnny Yong Bosch’s performance really enhances the human quality that Frontier Setter has. The Japanese voice cast does a great job too, although the English dub feels more appropriate for the film. Fortunately, the English dub script and the subtitles do not have a tendency to deviate in meaning; only a few minor exceptions are noticeable. The music is great, albeit often understated. There are no grand piano pieces or orchestral pieces in this film, but rather techno music in the action scenes and both acoustic and rock music throughout the rest of it. The rock music plays a significant part in the story as well, and it fits perfectly. However, despite this being set centuries into the future, the overly simplistic techno music feels out of place. The audio may not be perfect overall, but it complements the film well for the most part.

Extras

Included in this release are two Japanese teaser trailers for the film and a “Making of” featurette. The latter presents a series of interviews with the film’s main staff and behind-the-scenes footage. It provides an insight into the production of the film, and is worth watching for anyone interested in the animation production. While not advertised on the product packaging itself, this release also includes French audio and subtitles for the film and French subtitles for the “Making of” featurette.

Overall

Expelled from Paradise is undoubtedly one of the better anime films out there, even if the visuals are not even remotely close to the standards of any Studio Ghibli film. Its premise is immediately engaging, its characters are fascinating and portrayed well, the story never once loses its momentum and its deep, thematic exploration of what humanity is truly about is superb. The almost consistently low frame rate is a major detractor from the emotional impact of certain scenes, but there are still some emotionally engaging moments despite the fact that two out of three main characters are not technically human. The world-building is not perfect, and the lack of explanation about the history of this version of Earth raises an important question, but what we do get is highly effective and complemented by fantastic background design. One can immediately get a sense of how desolate and arid the Earth has become since the unexplained disaster, and the action scenes never feel out of place despite how advanced DEVA’s technology is in comparison to what is available on Earth. This is an excellent film.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

TIGER KNIGHT: EMPIRE WAR FROM OASIS GAMES JINGLES IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH CHRISTMAS TREATS

Press Releases

-

December 23, 2016

TIGER KNIGHT: EMPIRE WAR FROM OASIS GAMES JINGLES IN THE HOLIDAYS WITH CHRISTMAS TREATS

Oasis Games Ltd, a leading independent Chinese publisher, today announced that Tiger Knight: Empire War, its massively multiplayer online tactical combat game, is celebrating the holidays with special treats for players, a new DLC pack and a sweet deal through December 27. There’s no better way to have a joyful Yuletide than charging into battle on a horse wearing reindeer antlers, jingle bells and a Santa hat!

First off, players can change their hall to a winter wonderland scene with snowmen. Extending the celebration into gameplay events, four new holiday-themed events are now available: Soldier Compassion, Protect the People, Display of Power and Merry Christmas.

Perhaps the ultimate way to share holiday joy as a tiger knight is to earn the new Reindeer Costume, which can be achieved by playing through the new events. With the costume equipped, players can exchange solstice greetings as they ride down opponents from atop a steed decked out in antlers, bells, Santa hat, and all the trimmings! “It’s a wonderful life here in Tiger Knight,” they’ll shout. Now come join my reindeer games so we can have a holly jolly Christmas!

After the battle is over, players can toast their defeated opponents under a fir tree decorated with gifts. Should they wish to expand their military power and dominate the battlefield even more, a new arms DLC is available, containing 5X Extend Barrack cards, 5X Soldier Seal, and 50,000 copper. New players can jump into the action as well with a new best offer that combines the existing four DLC packs released thus far into one bundle available at a 40% discount.

Tiger Knight: Empire War is an Unreal 3-based game that immerses players in third-person battles combining action gameplay with player-controlled mounted warriors and strategic, large-scaled MMO battles. War has broken out with four factions vying for control and deception is the name of the game. Players take complete control of their warfare experience by choosing to command troops or take the field on their own to become the sole conquering hero. Deep customization includes over 400 weapons, 400 armor types and 75 arm types, allowing players to truly personalize their character.

Victory and loss is experienced in numerous modes including PvP, in which up to five players per faction control up to 40 warriors per side including high level tiger knights. In battle, communication, strategy and tactics are as important as individual performance and battlefield skill. Mounted combat is a historical part of combat for the era and players will rely on their horse to triumph over the enemy, just as real knights did. Climb atop your steed and get ready to charge into battle in Tiger Knight: Empire War!

Tiger Knight: Empire War is developed by NetDragon and is published by Oasis Games in North America and Europe for PC via Steam. Early access to the game, which includes the Three Kingdoms and Rome, is now available on three servers via Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/534500. The launch date will be announced at a later time. This game has is not rated by the ESRB.

Keep in touch with the latest news including the upcoming update for Rome by Liking Tiger Knight: Empire War on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tigerknight.en, and Follow @TigerKnightGame on Twitter. Complete details about the game can be found at the official website at: http://tk-en.oasgames.com.

OSIRIS: NEW DAWN TRAILER REVEALS FROZEN WORLD OF AZIEL, LETHAL WEAPONRY, AND MECHA CRAB MOUNT

Press Releases

-

December 22, 2016

OSIRIS: NEW DAWN TRAILER REVEALS FROZEN WORLD OF AZIEL, LETHAL WEAPONRY, AND MECHA CRAB MOUNT
The first major content update for Osiris: New Dawn – ‘Dawn of Aziel’ – has launched on Steam delivering a plethora of weapons, scientific utilities, rideable Mecha Crabs, and most of all, the new frozen world Aziel. As seen in this new trailer, space explorers can now travel from Proteus II to Aziel discovering vastly different mineral resources, alien creatures, and new terrifying dangers.

Watch the new ‘Dawn of Aziel’ trailer HERE: youtube.com/watch?v=UrNXsqwAD_A

‘Dawn of Aziel’ key features include:

New World: Aziel – Travel to the frozen moon of Aziel, three times the size of Proteus II, and discover new resources and alien creatures.
Proficiency and Skill Tree System – Level your character and spend points specializing in combat, engineering, mining and other skills to suit your play style
New Craftable Weapons – Four deadly melee weapons and the powerful Heavy Asssault Rifle have been added.
Landmines – Whether it’s for base defense or setting deadly traps, having a landmine in the inventory is always useful.
Outdoor Utilities: Chemistry Lab & 3D Printer – Craft advanced materials and equipment without the need of building the Hab.
Functioning Habitat Furniture – Make use of furniture to get advanced buffs toward speed and endurance before each mission.
New Mineral Resources – New minerals have been added, including rare Azurnium.
Osiris Armored Mech Unit – The most powerful vehicle in the game at this time is fully craftable and ready to unleash its lethal arsenal.
Random World Events – From radiation storms, meteor showers, and downed satellites, the unexpected is to be expected.

Winner of ‘PAX West Best Indie MMO’ from MMORPG and ‘PAX West Best Survival Game’ from MMOGames, Osiris: New Dawn is now available for the promotional price of $19.99 on Steam. To learn more details about the upcoming ‘Dawn of Aziel’ content update, join the mission of Osiris: New Dawn by following the game development on Twitter, “Like” the game on Facebook, and watch for the upcoming livestreams on Reverb’s Twitch channel.

Crytek’s Robinson: The Journey Coming to Oculus Rift in January

Press Releases

-

December 22, 2016

Crytek’s Robinson: The Journey Coming to Oculus Rift in January

Explore the VR world of Tyson III in an adventure like no other

Frankfurt am Main (Germany) December 22, 2016 – Crytek announced today that its sci-fi VR adventure, Robinson: The Journey, will launch on Oculus Rift in January.

Leveraging the immersive power of VR, Robinson: The Journey invites players to step into the shoes of Robin – a boy left stranded on an extrasolar planet in the aftermath of a doomed space voyage. Accompanied by AI unit HIGS and baby T-Rex Laika, Robin must use his wits to survive in a world full of adventure, secrets, and breathtaking dinosaurs. Rift players will feel truly present in another reality as they search for fellow survivors and unravel the mystery at the heart of Robin’s journey.

To see the game in action and read up on the development process behind it, visit the official website for Robinson: The Journey at http://www.robinsonthegame.com .

About Crytek
Crytek is an independent videogame developer, publisher, and technology provider dedicated to pushing the boundaries of gaming with its cutting-edge 3D game development platform CRYENGINE. With headquarters in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and studios in Kiev (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai (China), and Istanbul (Turkey), Crytek has created multiple award-winning titles, including the original Far Cry, the Crysis series, Ryse: Son of Rome, Warface, and The Climb. Crytek delivers fun and innovative gaming experiences for PC, consoles, and VR and continues to grow its reach in the games-as-a-service market. Every Crytek game is created with CRYENGINE, which can be used by anyone to create games on a Pay What You Want business model.

For more information visit www.crytek.com and www.cryengine.com .

Experience the post-apocalyptic world of NieR: Automata in playable demo available now

Press Releases

-

December 22, 2016

Experience the post-apocalyptic world of NieR: Automata in playable demo available now

New Trailer Showcasing Iconic Weapons from FINAL FANTASY XV and DRAGON QUEST

LONDON (22^nd December 2016) – Square Enix Ltd., today announced that its playable demo for the upcoming exhilarating action-RPG, NieR: Automata™, is available to download now from PlayStation®Store for the PlayStation®4. The free playable demo takes players to an abandoned factory, following android 2B’s mission to destroy a massive enemy weapon that lies within.

In addition, a new trailer was also released showcasing some iconic weapons in action – with 2B wielding Noctis’ Engine Blade from FINAL FANTASY® XV as well as the Cypress Stick from the DRAGON QUEST® series. To watch the trailer now, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71LyPV2bSO4

NieR: Automata will be available in Europe on 10th March 2017 for the PlayStation®4. For more information, visit: http://nier-automata.com.
A limited “Black Box Edition” is also available to pre-order now. The coveted Black Box Edition will be available in limited quantities from the Square Enix Online Store. Housed within a sleek black Collector’s Edition box, the Black Box Edition will include Android 2B Figurine, Artbook, soundtrack and a selection of bonus DLC content.

Related Links:
Pre-order the Black Box Edition: https://store.eu.square-enix.com/uk/product/435101/nier-automata-black-box-edition-ps4
Pre-order the Day One Edition: https://store.eu.square-enix.com/uk/product/311208/nier-automata-day-one-edition-ps4
Official Page: http://nier-automata.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NieRGame ;

Story of NieR: Automata
Invaders from another world attack without warning—unleashing the machine lifeforms. In the face of this seemingly insurmountable threat, the human race is driven from the earth and takes refuge on the moon.

Humanity develops an army of android soldiers to fight back against the mechanical horde, but succeed only in slowing its advance. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad.

In the forsaken wasteland below, the war between the machines and the androids rages on. A war that is soon to unveil the long-forgotten truth of this world…

About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics®, and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 68 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 46 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://eu.square-enix.com/en

NieR: Automata © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Developed by PlatinumGames Inc.
NIER, NieR: Automata, the NieR: Automata logo, FINAL FANTASY XV, FINAL FANTASY, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Musou Stars Adds Marie Rose, Honoka, Rio, and Zhou Cang to the Roster

-

December 22, 2016

Musou Stars Adds Marie Rose, Honoka, Rio, and Zhou Cang to the Roster

A number of new characters have been officially announced as part of Musou Stars‘ roster. Koei Tecmo has revealed that Marie Rose and Honaka from Dead or Alive, Rio from Super Black Jack, and Zhou Cang from Dynasty Warriors will be joining the rest of the previously announced characters as playable fighters in the title.

Marie Rose is described in the game as being a girl with a devilish smile with a background shrouded in mystery. While she may appear small and cute her master of the military martial art Systema allows her to trick her opponents with fluid movements and attavcks. Honoka wields a mysterious power that hides beneath her gentle exterior and she possesses the ability to memorize almost any move she sees but keeps this a secret from the rest of the fighters. Rio is called the Goddess of Victory thanks to her skill and good luck and Zhou Cang was a subordinate of the Yellow Turbans and Zhang Bao who is extremely swift-footed and quit strong while also being a skilled commander.

Musou Stars is currently set to be released on March 2nd in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita and you can check out the new screenshots for these characters below.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Launching on PlayStation 4 in Japan on May 25

-

December 22, 2016

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Launching on PlayStation 4 in Japan on May 25

Falcom announced during their shareholders meeting that they are planning on releasing a PlayStation 4 version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana in Japan on May 25, 2017. This release comes roughly eight months after the game was released in Japan for the PlayStation Vita and will feature a number of improvements such as being able to run at 60 frames per second, new actions and improved controls, and various improvements to the graphics of the title.

The game will also feature an additional scenario that looks into the unknown past of the game’s second protagonist, Dana. You can check out the official website as well as the first screenshots for the PlayStation 4 version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana below.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III Revealed as PlayStation 4 Exclusive

-

December 22, 2016

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III Revealed as PlayStation 4 Exclusive

Last year The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III was announced during a shareholders meeting and now a year later at another shareholders meeting the company has announced roughly when we can expect the game to be released in Japan as well as our first look at the game through a few screenshots you can find below.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III will be the first entry in the series to be released for the PlayStation 4 and only for that console and will be released in Japan in fall 2017. The title will feature a number of new elements but will continue the story and strategic combat mechanics from the first two games.

Persona 5 Trailers Introduce Three More Confidants

-

December 22, 2016