It’s been a tough few months for No Man’s Sky, some of their own making, some of circumstances beyond their control. Indie developers Hello Games fell silent for three months, which spawned a charity event to raise money for Cancer Research UK run by members of the No Man’s Skysubreddit. Finally, the silence is broken with update 1.1, known as the Foundation Update
The Foundation Update introduces three game modes. Normal mode reflects the experience that No Man’s Sky released at launch. Creative mode is designed to remove dangers, allowing players to focus more on building large bases. Finally Survival mode is set to challenge the most hardened gamers. The basic foundation of base building has been implemented in the game, allowing players to choose a planet and start an outpost where they can farm and research new technologies. A new camp system has also been added to the game so players can establish waypoints, build basic items, and create save points. Freighters are being introduced to help players transport and trade goods.
The full patch notes can be found at the official No Man’s Skywebsite.
THQ Nordic and KING Art Games released a brand new trailer for their upcoming tactical RPG The Dwarves. The latest video in a series called “Meet the Dwarves,” the trailer introduces viewers to Narmora. She is an agile assassin that excels in one on one combat; however smart use of her Assassinate and Shadow Death abilities means she can kill up to 10 targets in rapid succession.
Developed with the funding through Kickstarter, The Dwarves is a story based tactical RPG inspired by The Lord of the Rings. The game features large scale battles with giant armies that players will fight through, instead of around. The game is set to launch on December 1st, 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Australia is getting some love with the new Resident Evil 7 biohazardCollector’s Edition. It will be an EB Games exclusive that costs $299.95 AUD. Pre-orders are available now, though no word how many units will be released across the country.
The package contains the same mansion replica that will be bundled with the North American Collector’s Edition, along with an art book celebrating 20 years of Resident Evil, a 16GB USB drive that looks like a severed finger, 5 lithographs, a copy of Resident Evil 7 biohazard, a digital copy of Resident Evil 4 Remastered, “Survival Pack 1” DLC, and “Survival Pack 2” DLC. It appears that Australian fans won’t be able to get a VHS tape box that is packaged with the North American edition, but they are being rewarded with a USB drive that is four times larger.
Resident Evil 7 biohazard is the long running franchise’s first horror game set entirely in the first person perspective. The game is set four years after the events of Resident Evil 6 and takes place on a plantation in Dulvey, Louisiana. The plantation is owned by the Baker family, who have mysteriously disappeared. The player takes on the role of Ethan whose search for his missing wife takes him to the plantation where numerous unspeakable horrors await.
My.com (World of Speed) and NetEase released a new trailer today showcasing the Swordmage class in Revelation Online. While the Swordmage wields a falchion, her real skill is providing one of the highest ranged DPS in the game through a variety of elemental magics. Her blade serves as a focus so she can create magical blades to strike down enemies. She can engage enemies at both a range and close up thanks to a variety of crowd control abilities.
The MMORPGRevelation Online is in the midst of running a series of closed beta tests. Founder Packs are available now starting from $17.99 USD that grants instant access to all upcoming beta tests, exclusive costumes, Premium subscriptions and more.
Sydney, Australia – November 29, 2016 – The Australian Collector’s Edition for Resident Evil 7 biohazard is available to pre-order from today and includes an array of themed items for players to get their fingers on.
Included in the Resident Evil 7 biohazard Collector’s Edition:
Highly detailed 7” tall replica of the Baker Family Mansion
20th Anniversary Resident Evil Artbook
Dummy Finger 16GB USB Drive
5 Lithographs featuring art from Resident Evil 7 biohazard
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Limited Edition:
Resident Evil 7 biohazard game (PS4 or Xbox One)
Resident Evil 4 Remastered (Download Voucher)
Lenticular sleeve
Survival Pack 1: DLC – which includes Shotgun, Handgun, recovery, Burner, and Chem Fluid Sets.
Survival Pack 2: DLC – which includes several useful consumable items, a mysterious lucky coin and an instant unlock of the challenging ‘Madhouse’ difficulty setting
Premium Packaging
The Resident Evil 7 biohazard Collector’s Edition is available to pre-order in Australia at EB Games exclusively, while a Steelbook Edition for the game will be available to pre-order exclusively at JB Hi-Fi. The Survival Pack: Action Set DLC is exclusive to the Collector’s Edition and Steelbook Edition of Resident Evil 7 biohazard.
Assets and further information on Resident Evil 7biohazard are available on the Capcom Europe press site.
About Resident Evil 7 biohazard
Players experience the terror directly from the first person perspective for the first time in the Resident Evil series. Embodying the iconic gameplay elements of exploration and tense atmosphere that first coined “survival horror” some twenty years ago, Resident Evil 7 biohazard delivers a disturbingly realistic experience that will define the next era in horror entertainment. Returning to the series roots, signature gameplay features including exploration, puzzles and a realistic tense atmosphere awaits players. The classic inventory system returns but with limited space meaning players must choose what they carry with them carefully, making sure they remember to pack their green herbs!
ABOUT TURN LEFT DISTRIBUTION
TLD is a privately owned independent software and accessories distributor providing quality, innovative interactive software titles and accessories across Australia and New Zealand. The company’s main objective is to provide its clients and customers with category leading software and accessories brands that deliver a highly satisfying entertainment experience. Visit www.turnleft.net.au
ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games including ground-breaking franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Monster Hunter™, Ace Attorney®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Tokyo, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-unity.com.
Capcom, the Capcom logo, Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Monster Hunter and Resident Evil are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
The Crew: Calling All Units is the second expansion to Ubisoft‘s racer The Crew and has just been released. As you can imagine it has a heavy focus on police chases and street racing and the developers have compiled a list of all the new features, updates and changes they have made to the game with this newest expansion so here is everything you need to know about The Crew: Calling All Units, straight from the developers at Ivory Tower.
Main elements
Crates – New gameplay in Freedrive. As a Street racer, players can see and pick up crates in the world. Once a crate is collected, the player will be chased by the police. By delivering crates, players will be able to win car fragments, and these fragments will allow them to unlock new vehicles.
New prologue missions – They introduce the police gameplay, through the eyes of a new character, Clara Washington. Players will be able to learn the new gameplay mechanics from The Crew Calling All Units add-on.
Player level increased to 60 – All players will benefit from a new progression system allowing them to reach level 60. Through any activities in the game, players will earn new parts to improve their vehicles through the smart loot system.
Bounty – The crates gameplay will introduce players to the Bounty system. The Bounty value reflects the individual skill of a player as a Cop, or as a Street Racer. This Bounty value is also used to determine the reward at the end of a chase. If a player wins a chase against another one, he receives Bucks corresponding to the Bounty of the defeated player, and increases his own personal Bounty.
New story missions
In order to help players dive into the new police experience, The Crew Calling All Units will be introducing a new story mode, with a prologue (introduction missions) as well as additional story missions. The Crew Calling All Units prologue is accessible to everyone, after playing The Crew prologue. Police missions are accessible to The Crew Calling All Units owners after completing the prologue. An appropriate vehicle spec will be required to complete those missions – implying having the required player level for this spec. The police missions introduce a new character, Clara Washington, a police driver who needs to arrest a rising gang of Street Racers: the Harvesters.
Chase gameplay
Players have the possibility to drive different police vehicles, with different specs such as Raid, Monster trucks, Perf, and access different police gameplay features. The main gameplay for police players will be to chase Street Racers and arrest them, using their driving skills as well new special abilities. As a Street Racer, players need to pick-up and deliver crates found all over in The Crew world, while being pursued by Police AI and players.
The chase feature has 2 types of gameplay:
Chase when the Street Racer picks up a crate – delivery gameplay
Chase when the Street Racer destroys objects – escape gameplay
Police gameplay
As cops, players while have access to the chase gameplay, which starts instantly when a Street Racer picks up a crate. The chases can start seamlessly, if close enough, or through a chase alert.
Different vehicles are available for the police, with different Specs for all kind of terrain. From Perf, Circuit and Street for asphalt, to Raid and Monster Truck for bumpy off-road chases.
As a cop, the main objective of the player is to arrest the Street racers during the chase. In order to do so, the police players need to have the target (Street Racer) in a 30 meter range for 7 seconds. If the Street Racer exits the range within 7 seconds, the arrest timer is reset.
Street Racer gameplay
As Street Racers, players have access to all the crates in the world. Their main objective is to pick-up crates and deliver them to a given destination on the map. Once they pick-up a crate, they will instantly be pursued by police AI as well as police players. If they successfully deliver the crate, they will have a chance to gain the content and rewards of the crate – car parts to unlock new vehicles as well as Bucks and experience. The Street Racers have access to all the vehicles from the game, to adapt their driving to the terrain on their way to the destination. As Street racers, players also have access to a set of abilities to help them escape from Police.
New gameplay abilities
While in a chase, the police players have access to specific abilities to use in order to arrest Street Racers:
Speed Hack – This ability breaks the acceleration of any Street Racer in a range of 150 meters.
EMP Field – The EMP Field can deactivate the brakes of any Street Racer in a range of 150 meters.
Jammer – When used, this ability deactivates all UI items (BreadCrumb, Radar, crew widget, 3D tags etc …) of the target in range.
EMP Shock – the EMP Shock makes every opponent in range lose control of their vehicle.
Back on target – if the players are too far away from their target, they have the possibility to use the back on target ability to reduce the distance.
As Street racers, the players have access to the following abilities:
Flashbang – this ability blinds the cop players and AI in range, and removes their UI elements for few seconds.
Unlimitro – gives unlimited nitro to the caster and his support players in range.
Guardian – This ability is a protective one, once launched, it will cleanse all the abilities sent by Cops for few seconds.
EMP Shock – the EMP Shock applies a single shock to the target and makes the opponent’s car lose control and grip for a few seconds.
Back on target for support players – if a support Street Racer (i.e, non-crate holder) is too far away from the crate holder, he has the possibility to use the back on target ability to reduce the distance.
The players have the possibility to choose 2 abilities from the menu before the chase, and also change them anytime during the chase gameplay.
New vehicles
With the new Calling All Units add-on the players will have access to new vehicles and specs:
Handling update for ALL bikes: better turning rate and improved suspension settings.
Bug fixes
Manual clutch issue: the possibility to force the clutch in manual mode has been fixed.
Dashboard issue: some car’s dashboards weren’t properly displayed depending on the time of the day, this has been fixed.
The global behavior of traffic AI has been refined.
AI police stickers: some AI police vehicles weren’t displaying the proper sticker of their associated region of the USA, this has been fixed.
Disabled AI police vehicles: some AI police vehicles were still moving after being disabled, this has been fixed.
Frame rate improvement when in a session of 8 players, especially in cities with high traffic density.
“Experimental” Award: the award that requires to use all the features of the demo mode in the HQ has been fixed and can now be properly obtained.
Players’ names properly displayed in video mode: while using the video mode, players’ names were sometimes inaccurately displayed.
Vehicles’ sound properly exposed.
Vehicles’ stats are now properly displayed in car dealers, car tuners and HQ.
Cars’ interiors were not properly displayed during the short cinematic when leaving the Circuit tuner in Los Angeles.
Audio issue: some players weren’t getting their audio options when logging back into the game. This has been fixed.
If you purchase The Crew: Calling All Units as your first copy of The Crew you will also get the base game and Wild Run expansion included at no extra cost. The expansion is out today and can be downloaded in game after downloading the newest patch.
Vic has an anthology of stories to share. Some of these stories take place during Project Freelancer, some are set in Blood Gulch and some take place before the Blood Gulch Chronicles began. Such questions as: ‘How did Sarge become the leader of the Red Team?’, ‘What were Felix and Locus like before the events of the Chorus trilogy?’ and more are answered in this anthology of stories from different writers and directors.
Story
The Reds and Blues have always been a part of something much bigger than their perpetual feud against each other, but we now see for the first time who was pulling the strings. Many of the stories come across as distinctly American, especially the introduction of Sarge and the people competing to become the leader of the Red Team. Even with many great bits of comedy thrown in, the story is serious and dramatic, bringing to mind the seemingly harmless fun of the Blood Gulch Chronicles that evolved into so much more. Somehow, the antics of the Reds and Blues never get old, so calling this series a breath of fresh air would be to say that it had grown stale in the first place. We learn more about Epsilon and the other AIs, although it feels as if there is still so much more that is left for us to learn about Blood Gulch and Project Freelancer.
Many minor characters are introduced; some of them are killed off, while others are dumped in an isolated corner of the universe. The season ends with the impression that there is enough material for there to be another anthology season. The two episodes featuring the crew of Funhaus, including Joel Rubin but lacking Spoole, are hilarious and fun to watch for Funhaus fans and anyone who laments the ‘death’ of Joel. One can only hope that James Willems returns to write another episode in the future; he has created roles that perfectly suit his colleagues and himself. A certain subgroup of Funhaus fans will certainly be amused by the reference to the Cult of Pe/\ke. Some interesting characters from Project Freelancer are introduced in another episode, resulting in an entertaining but thought-provoking story about the members of the project who do not have what it takes to be the incredible agent that Tex is. One can hope that the new characters return in future installments of Red vs Blue.
One of the most unique stories in this season by far is the three-part story about the mercenaries Felix and Locus, set before the events of the Chorus trilogy. They are presented here as good guys just trying to make a living. This story features a dramatic shift from the average episode of Red vs Blue, and it has a level of emotional depth that is not always present in the rest of the series. Miles has portrayed these characters in a surprisingly engaging way, so it would be a shame if they do not return in the future. The various live-action segments stand out as well; the fake RvB movie trailer is excellent and the special episode of Immersion is a very nice surprise. The most interesting live-action episode, however, is the final episode of the season: “Red vs Blue vs Rooster Teeth.” In it, the Reds and Blues find themselves at the Rooster Teeth office in Austin following a bizarre accident. Geoff seems to be a caricature of himself, which may be an intentional joke from episode writer Matt Hullum, but the story works well despite the risks that are associated with doing such a crossover episode. Furthermore, it is a testament to Matt Hullum’s writing ability that he is able to do something that utterly failed in Red Dwarf: Back to Earth. There is a lot to discover in this anthology, and it is all fantastic.
Visuals
Many different visual styles are used throughout this season. Every iteration of the Halo series is used for the machinima portions of the show, and a video included in the extras goes into detail about the features of each of the Halo games that are relevant to the machinima process. Live-action footage, two styles of 2D animation, 3D animation similar to that used for RWBY and the 3D animation featured in previous seasons of RvB are all utilised to tell different stories, and every style is effective. In particular, the 3D animation used in the three-part mercenaries story stands out as unique and carefully designed. It is colourful yet dark, and the cel-shaded look of the characters gives it a distinct feel. This and RWBY make Rooster Teeth stand out as one of the most creative companies that produces animation in the west.
Audio
There is an unusual amount of variety in the styles of music used throughout this season, which is by no means a bad thing. The background music is nothing but an enhancement of the already great story and is never overused. In regards to the music, the standout episodes of this season are the musical episodes, which effectively capture the fun of the Blood Gulch Chronicles. This is just one of many examples of the many great things the writers can do with this series. The voice acting is spot on and hilarious as always; Joel Heyman and Matt Hullum have the most comedic and entertaining roles. The Funhaus team are great in their roles too; in many cases their characters sound distinct from their respective voice actors.
Extras
This release includes nearly 40 minutes of extras, including behind-the-scenes footage from the shooting of Freddie Wong’s fake RvB movie trailer and the shooting of the special episode of Immersion, a look at Joe Nicolosi and his work on the Lego-based episode “Brick Gulch Chronicles,” interviews with the crew and more. The video featuring Joe Nicolosi presents an interesting look at what it takes to produce a full episode using Lego, stop-motion animation and live-action footage. In another video, the crew explains what it was like for them to record machinima footage from different Halo games for episodes within the same season. Miles also gives an insight into the episode featuring the mercenaries Felix and Locus, which is one of the most outstanding episodes of the season. Anyone interested in the production of Red vs. Blue will find much to like in these 40 minutes of extras.
Overall
This season of Red vs Blue is unique, even for a Rooster Teeth production. Choosing to produce an anthology season comes with plenty of risks, and those risks absolutely paid off in this case. Few series can go through so many different styles of visual presentation and storytelling in such short succession and pull it off so well. Miles Luna, Matt Hullum and the guest writers and directors all tell their own interesting stories, and the anticipation of what the next episode will look like and what story it will feature is exciting. It goes from comedic to dramatic to emotional, but at the end of the day, it is all excellent RvB content that draws on the best elements of all of the previous seasons. Although there are references to previous seasons that will not make sense to those new to the series, this may be the best entrance point to it, aside from the very first season. Whether you are a new fan or a long-time fan of the show, this will provide some of the best entertainment produced for the internet. With a season as exciting and entertaining as this, one is left to wonder where Rooster Teeth will go with season 15.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
FINGERSOFT’S HILL CLIMB RACING 2 ARRIVES ON ANDROID TODAY
Multiplayer sequel to the physics-based Hill Climb Racing, downloaded over half a billion times, launching on iOS Devices in December
KEMPELE, Finland – Nov. 28, 2016 – Independent games publisher and studio Fingersoft has released the physics-based racer Hill Climb Racing 2 on Android devices. A sequel to the original Hill Climb Racing, downloaded over half a billion times worldwide, this totally new game introduces asynchronous online multiplayer, 30 unique stages at launch, bright visuals and a robust physics engine that makes races a blast.
“Multiplayer has been the number one request from our fans since Hill Climb Racing first debuted, and we’re thrilled to announce it’s finally here for the sequel,” said Fingersoft CEO Teemu Närhi. “Whether you are challenging your friends or the top of the leaderboard, Hill Climb Racing 2 is full of new ways to prove your skills to the rest of the world.”
Players in Hill Climb Racing 2 can compete in cups to gain ranks and unlock new levels, challenge friends to compete in races, or try to best the world’s top race times on the leaderboards. From mountaintop to valley to cityscape, new stages with dynamic environments deliver fresh gameplay surprises to overcome. It also features the original endless adventure mode from the first Hill Climb Racing, with more content arriving in free updates after release.
In addition, Hill Climb Racing 2 lets players upgrade their vehicle’s engines, tires, suspension, roll cage, paint job and more while customizing their driver’s appearance by swapping hats, shirts and trousers.
Hill Climb Racing 2 is available today as a free download supported by in-app purchases on Android through Google Play. Hill Climb Racing 2 will make its debut on iOS devices via the App Store later this December.
About Fingersoft
Fingersoft is a Finnish game developer and publisher focusing on fun-filled content for mobile devices. The company is famous for its hit mobile game Hill Climb Racing, which has over half a billion downloads globally. Together with Hill Climb Racing and other popular apps and games, such as Benji Bananas,Fail Hard, and Make More!, Fingersoft’s products are installed 500,000 times a day. Fingersoft’s products are available for iOS, Android, Windows devices and Amazon Kindle devices.
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD! ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF – WELCOME amiibo HAS ARRIVED AT RETAIL
New packaged version offers the complete Animal Crossing: New Leaf experience; including new features such as amiibo functionality, a new area and new items
28th November, 2016 – Pack your cares away and escape into a world of fun and friendship in Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo for Nintendo 3DS family systems, available now across Australia and New Zealand. This new packaged version of the game incorporates the recently released Welcome amiibo update, which adds amiibo functionality*, a new campground area, two action-packed additional games and a wealth of new items for players to decorate their homes with.
A well-loved franchise with over 27 million units sold worldwide, Animal Crossing invites players to take up residence in an idyllic village, whiling away blissful hours with activities such as fishing, bug-catching and home decoration – not to mention becoming pals with a colourful cast of friendly animal neighbours they live alongside. With global sales of over 10 million units**, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a fan-favourite title on Nintendo 3DS family systems, and allows the player to become mayor of his or her town and engage in creative features such as Public Works Projects to improve the lives of residents in town, while of course maintaining the stress-free, relaxing gameplay that is the series’ hallmark.
Furthermore, in this new packaged version of Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo, players can use the extensive range of Animal Crossing amiibo figures and amiibo cards***. This includes the 50 new Animal Crossing amiibo cards released on 10th November, one of which is included in this retail version to get players started.
The most varied Animal Crossing experience to date, Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo features all-new activities, games and items, including:
Wisp’s Wishes: By finding the magic lamp in game, players will be able to use their amiibo. The lamp can be used once a day to summon the ghostly Wisp. If players tap an Animal Crossing series amiibo card or figure, Wisp will give players the choice of inviting that character to the campground or receiving a new item, depending on the amiibo used.
The campground: This new area offers different interactions with special villagers and new shopping opportunities, as well as Harvey, a hilarious new character that will assist with all campground needs. In this relaxing area players can meet a character summoned via Wisp, and see them in their stylish custom camper where they can purchase unique items and furniture. Even without amiibo, an animal will still show up in their custom camper each day.
Cool amiibo collaborations!: The Sanrio Collaboration pack of amiibo cards allows players to bring animal friends with Sanrio-themed clothing and accessories into the world of Animal Crossing. What’s more, players who own select Splatoon or The Legend of Zelda amiibo can invite characters from those series to visit the campground – and some may even move in to their town!
More to Play!: By obtaining a Wii U item or New Nintendo 3DS XL / New Nintendo 3DS item, players can unlock two new games to play in their home. The Wii U item unlocks the Desert Island Escape game, while Animal Crossing Puzzle League can be accessed with the New Nintendo 3DS XL / New Nintendo 3DS item. The Wii U and New Nintendo 3DS items can be obtained via fortune cookies at the Nooklings’ shop, but it’s be much easier to obtain these items by scanning any of the 16 Animal Crossing amiibo figures and purchasing via the campground.
MEOW Coupons: By earning new MEOW (Mutual Exchange of Wealth) coupons via completing simple tasks around town, players can then spend their MEOW coupons on unique in-game items at the campground.
Happy Home, Happy Transfer: Players with Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer save data on their Nintendo 3DS system, can transfer it to purchase giant furniture in Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo. This new furniture is huge and will definitely make an impression in any home!
With new items, locations and an abundance of new features, newcomers to Animal Crossing have the perfect chance to enjoy the peaceful town life in the new packaged version of Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo, out now at retail locations across Australia and New Zealand.
On this coming Tuesday, the 29th of November, 2016, Sentai Filmworks will be releasing the second season of Knights of Sidonia in North America. The season, subtitled Battle for Planet Nine, will be released separately on DVD and Blu-ray and in a premium edition DVD and Blu-ray combo pack.
All 12 episodes and the season 1 compilation movie will be presented with Japanese, English and Spanish audio tracks and English, French and Spanish subtitle tracks. The extended version of episode 12 is included. The on-disc extras include: the textless opening and ending animation sequences, “Decisive Battle” (on-air version), “Blame”, a TV trailer, a TV preview, a movie teaser and a movie trailer. The physical extras included in the premium edition set are: a poster, six art cards and a 24-page booklet. These items will all be contained in a chipboard box.
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