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EMBRACE YOUR INNER FOODIE WITH THE SIMS 4 DINE OUT

EMBRACE YOUR INNER FOODIE WITH THE SIMS 4 DINE OUT

New Game Pack Lets Sims Build, Design, Dine at, Own and Run Their Own Restaurant


Tired of eating at home? Looking to pursue a new endeavor? Well now is the time with The Sims™ 4 Dine Out*, introducing a slew of new gameplay possibilities, ranging from sending your Sims out for a delicious meal out on the town, to opening up a restaurant of their very own.

Now you can expand your Sims’ palate with an assortment of new experimental cuisine, in addition to creating and managing a variety of restaurants. Hire staff, set the perfect menu, evaluate your sim’s chef skills, and invest in advertising to grow their business and turn a profit.

A complete list of key features include:

  • Creating or customising unique restaurants, ranging from a classic diner to an upscale Italian bistro;
  • Owning and managing a restaurant, while hiring staff, setting the menu and prices, and chatting up diners to improve customer satisfaction;
  • Sending Sims out to enjoy a delicious meal while on a romantic date, spending quality time with family, or playing it solo;
  • Stepping outside your Sims’ comfort zone with an assortment of new experimental cuisine that looks almost too good to eat!

The Sims 4 Dine Out Game Pack is now available as a digital download for $29.99 (AUD and NZD) on PC and Mac via Origin™. For more information about The Sims 4, follow us onTwitter, Like us on Facebook, and visit our homepage at http://www.thesims.com .

To view the official trailer, please visit: https://youtu.be/fEg8IR8DNlk

*REQUIRES THE SIMS 4™ GAME (SOLD SEPARATELY) AND ALL GAME UPDATES TO PLAY.

PES CLUB MANAGER Celebrates 11 Million Soccer Clubs in One Year Anniversary

PES CLUB MANAGER Celebrates 11 Million Soccer Clubs in One Year Anniversary 

KONAMI reveals 725 million goals scored and more than 600 million matches played


SYDNEY AUSTRALIA, June 8thKonami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today celebrates the one-year anniversary of its soccer management title, PES CLUB MANAGER. With more than 11 million teams created on iOS and Android devices, Konami commemorates this milestone with a series of player appreciation events and giveaways.

PES CLUB MANAGER reveals that in the past year, more than 725 million goals have been scored across the span of over 600 million matches. Based on the statistics pulled from those matches, Club Managers from Germany scored a near 49.2 million total goals, while Italy follows hot on their trail with a respectable 27.7 million. In the Americas, Brazil sits at the top with 21.6 million shots made while the United States follows at 11 million.

While Neymar Jr, put his prolific ability on display, helping his club win its second consecutive La Liga title, in PES CLUB MANAGER, Neymar Jr. has logged a record 54.8 million matches, dishing 21.5 million assists and scoring more than 40 million goals, which accounts for 1.26 shots made every second.

Beginning Friday June 3-10, PES CLUB MANAGER will be running its “Win a Dream Player” contest from the official PES CLUB MANAGER Twitter (www.twitter.com/officialpescm). To enter, Club Managers will be asked to share a screenshot of their current starting lineup and comment with what “Dream Player”, of the choices given, they would like to add to create a winning roster. Daily winners will be chosen at random and will be awarded their “Dream Player.”

In addition to the PES CLUB MANAGER “Win a Dream Player” event and to show appreciation to the millions of Club Managers, there will be a bevy of community giveaways, including a chance to receive an autographed jersey signed by FC Barcelona’s Neymar Jr. and Spanish striker Álvaro Morata. Details on the event can be found on the PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER Facebook fan page.

Additionally, as part of Konami’s ongoing Legends Campaign which saw the recent additions of Filippo Inzaghi and Luis Figo, PES CLUB MANAGER welcomes Nigerian soccer legend, Tijani Babangida to its roster. The legendary winger is available now for players to add to their clubs through in-game scouting and the limited-time “Goal for High Star” event.

PES CLUB MANAGER is available in 18 localized versions, including U.K. English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, U.S. English, Russian, Turkish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Swedish, Greek, Brazilian Portuguese, and Korean..

XCOM® 2 Coming to Consoles on September 8, 2016

XCOM® 2 Coming to Consoles on September 8, 2016 


Join XCOM to free humanity from the aliens’ rule and experience the critically-acclaimed sequel on consoles for the first time  Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #XCOM2

Sydney, Australia – June 8, 20162K announced today that XCOM® 2 is coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One on September 8, 2016 in Australia and New Zealand for AUD$99.99/NZD$109.99. Additionally, 2K and Firaxis Games have partnered with industry veterans The Workshop, now a dedicated subsidiary of Skydance Media, to bring the title to consoles and ensure that the XCOM 2 experience meets the same high standards of the beloved series.

“Firaxis has successfully enhanced the XCOM franchise, as XCOM 2 has earned both massive critical and fan acclaim,” said Matt Gorman, vice president of marketing for 2K. “Many console gamers have been vocal about bringing XCOM 2 to their platforms, and now they can look forward to joining the resistance this September.

XCOM 2, is set 20 years in the future where humanity lost the war against the alien threat and a new world order is in place. XCOM, formerly a secret paramilitary organization, is largely forgotten and must strike back from the shadows to reclaim Earth from the aliens’ rule and free mankind from its evil plans.

“The incredible reception of XCOM 2 has been rewarding and humbling for the team, and we’ve known console fans have been clamouring to play the game too,” said Jake Solomon, creative director of XCOM 2 at Firaxis Games. “As avid console players ourselves, we’re excited to work with The Workshop to bring XCOM 2 to all of our fans.”

Players who pre-order XCOM 2 will also receive the Resistance Warrior Pack, offering additional soldier customization options such as bonus outfits, headgear and custom facial war paint. The Resistance Warrior Pack also includes a “Survivor of the Old War,” a new XCOM recruit who will appear in the Avenger’s barracks.

XCOM 2 for consoles is not yet rated in Australia and New Zealand. For more information, please visit www.XCOM.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter or subscribe to XCOM on YouTube.

*Xbox Live or PlayStation®Network account as well as Internet connection is required to download certain add-on content at no additional cost. Copy of XCOM 2 also required for play.

Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).


About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K.  Our products are designed for console systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services.  The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

About 2K

Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games and 2K China. 2K’s stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier’s Civilization series, the innovative Evolve™, the genre-fusing hero-shooter Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise**. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2k.com.

**According to 2008 – 2016 Metacritic.com and The NPD Group estimates of U.S. retail video game sales through April 2016.

About Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games™ is one of the world’s premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning PC and video games on the market today, including the award-winning Sid Meier’s Civilization® series, featuring the recently released expansion pack for Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth™ for Windows PC, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide for Windows PC, Sid Meier’s Civilization V for Windows PC, as well as the critically acclaimed expansion packs, Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World and Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods and Kings for Windows PC. Firaxis also released the 2012 Game of the Year award-winning XCOM®: Enemy Unknown for Windows PC, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Apple iOS, along with the critically acclaimed expansion pack XCOM: Enemy Within for Windows PC, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and Apple iOS. Firaxis Games is owned by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and is part of its 2K publishing label. For more information about Firaxis and its games can be found at www.firaxis.com.

About The Workshop

The Workshop is a leading outsource studio working on today’s top franchises and rooted in genre defining games. The Workshop was founded in 2008 by its President, Peter Akemann, General Manager Chris Busse and Chief Technology Officer Charles Tolman. The company launched the PS3 game “Sorcery” and has developed “Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage” for “Borderlands 2,” “Rekoil: Liberator” for Xbox 360, “The Evil Within” for PS4 and Xbox One, “Armored Warfare PvE” and “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons: for PS4 and Xbox One. The Workshop has roughly 60 developers and is based in Marina del Rey, CA. Akemann previously co-founded the studio Treyarch, which in 2001 was sold to Activision and now leads the “Call of Duty” franchise. The Workshop is a subsidiary of Skydance Interactive, a part of Skydance Media which creates elevated, event-level entertainment for global audiences for film, TV, games and Virtual Reality.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “will,” or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company’s future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, including the risks summarized in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and the Company’s other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

MEET THE CHAMPIONS OF ANTERIA IN OUR BRAND NEW TRAILER

MEET THE CHAMPIONS OF ANTERIA IN OUR BRAND NEW TRAILER 


YOUTUBE LINK Click here

Watch this brand new trailer and get to know the five eccentric Champions who want to free the magical lands of Anteria from a nasty horde of enemy factions. Vargus, Brother Anslem, Nusala, Oona and Baltasar are impatient to put their combat skills and magical abilities to the test.

In an unfortunate series of events, a bloodthirsty horde of enemies decides to make Anteria their home sweet home, enslaving its people and plotting deeds more evil than you can imagine. This epic tactical real-time strategy extravaganza invites you to unleash the powers of five Champions to defeat the enemy, reclaim the kingdom, and make it back home in time for dinner. Champions of Anteria will be available digitally for Windows PC on August 30, 2016.

Fans awaiting the Champions’ arrival can pre-order now to receive an exclusive Weapons Starter Pack including one weapon for Vargus, Brother Anslem and Nusala. Players will get to choose between two different editions:

Standard Edition – Choose your Champions, infiltrate the enemy territories and free the enslaved people of Anteria using the elemental powers of fire, water, nature, lightening and metal. Use active pause mode to change your tactics on the fly and deliver punishments strong enough to make a grown monster cry.

Gold Edition – Includes the Standard edition plus Season Pass content and the original soundtrack of the game in digital format. Players also get access to three Dungeon DLCs revealing rich background stories about the characters encountered in the game.

By completing these new campaigns, players will get exclusive rewards including:

  • Two additional Champions
  • One special building that will grant unique items

Season Pass is also available separately.


Editions and Season Pass can be pre-ordered on Uplay Shop by visiting http://store.ubi.com/champions-of-anteria.

For more information about Champions of Anteria, please visit: http://championsofanteria.com

For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit the UbiBlog: http://blog.ubi.com

CELEBRATE THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF NINTENDO eSHOP WITH UP TO 50% OFF SOME OF ITS BIGGEST HITS FROM THIS FRIDAY

CELEBRATE THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF NINTENDO eSHOP WITH UP TO 50% OFF SOME OF ITS BIGGEST HITS FROM THIS FRIDAY


Discounts available on select Nintendo 3DS and Wii U download software and

Virtual Console titles until June 23


7th June, 2016Nintendo eShop first launched on Nintendo 3DS on June 7, 2011, and to celebrate its fifth anniversary, some of the most popular download-exclusive titles for both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will be available at up to 50% off from June 10 to June 23 in Australia and New Zealand.

Those who wish to enjoy great adventures while on the go will be able to get 50% off classic Link adventures like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. Pokémon fans meanwhile can get 50% off Pokédex 3D Pro and Virtual Console title Pokémon Trading Card Game. Indie game enthusiasts should also keep an eye on Image & Form’s SteamWorld Dig and Hörberg Productions’ Gunman Clive, which will both have discounts of 50% off.

For anyone who wants to discover – or rediscover – some classic Wii titles, both Metroid Prime Trilogy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are available at half price on Wii U. Those looking for a futuristic racing experience can put their pedal to the metal and enjoy 25% off Shin’en Multimedia’s FAST Racing NEO and 50% off F-Zero.  Players seeking a truly retro experience can enjoy NES™ Remix and NES™ Remix 2, both on sale at a half price discount, as is SNES Classic Earthbound, which made its debut in Australia and New Zealand via the Wii U console’s Virtual Console service.

For the full list of discounted titles, please visit the official Nintendo website.

Celebrate five years of Nintendo eShop with discounts on select Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Nintendo eShop and Virtual Console titles from June 10 until June 23 in Australia and New Zealand.


Additional Links:
Nintendo Australia website: http://www.nintendo.com.au 
Nintendo Australia Twitter: https://twitter.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo Australia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NintendoAUNZ
Nintendo AU on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LAUNCHES ATELIER SOPHIE: THE ALCHEMIST OF THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LAUNCHES ATELIER SOPHIE: THE ALCHEMIST OF THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK 


Celebrated ‘Atelier’ Series from GUST Debuts on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita with a Heartwarming Entry, Featuring a New and Improved Synthesis System

Hertfordshire, 7th June 2016 — KOEI TECMO Europe are proud to announce the upcoming release of Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book on the 10th June 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and digitally for the PlayStation® Vita handheld system.

The Atelier series’ latest standalone installment follows the adventures of young novice Alchemist Sophie Neuenmuller, who discovers she is the owner of an enigmatic book imbued with a soul. This Mysterious Book seems to hold all the secrets to the art of Alchemy, even going on to become Sophie’s mentor. As Sophie experiments with Alchemy throughout the story she unravels the book’s forgotten memories, and eventually sets out to uncover the strange tale of its origin.

Experience a pleasant journey alongside Sophie, her friends, and a diverse cast of townspeople that help with their adventuring needs. Uncover the multitude of mysteries of Alchemy that have been hidden away and forgotten alongside Plachta, the Mysterious Book. Experiment with the brand new Synthesis system to uncover Platcha’s memories and learn new alchemy recipes at any pace!

In a series first, two key illustrators were involved in the making of Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book – NOCO and Yuugen. Their distinctive work brings the in-game world to life and creates a dynamic environment where time, weather, and relationships play a key role in the adventures of the young new Alchemist and her trusted allies.

A variety of new screenshots, and a gameplay video, were revealed today showcasing the Dollmake feature, where players are able to create new bodies for Plachta, the Mysterious Book. Also released was a delightful new trailer, featuring the game’s heart-warming opening song, to celebrate its upcoming launch.

For more information on Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book, please like us on www.facebook.com/ateliergames and follow us on twitter @koeitecmoeurope or visit the official site at www.ateliergames.eu/Sophie.


ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive® and Ninja Gaiden®series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com  

©2016 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved. Atelier Sophie and GUST are registered trademarks or trademarks of KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

The “PS” Family logo, “PS4” and “PSVITA” logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Adventure Time Collection 10 Will Be Available on DVD Tomorrow from Madman Entertainment

Madman Entertainment is releasing a new collection of Adventure Time episodes on DVD in Australia tomorrow. This is the tenth collection of individual episodes. It has been given the subtitle “The Enchiridion”.

The set contains 16 episodes. Madman’s website does not state which episodes they are. It is likely that they are all contained on one disc. The collection has a suggested retail price of $19.95 AUD (Australian Dollars). It can be purchased from Madman’s official online store here.

For those who are unfamiliar with Adventure Time, a review of the box set collection of the first five seasons can be read here. A review of the miniseries, Stakes!, can be read here.

The List of Madman’s Anime Releases of June 8, 2016

Madman Entertainment is releasing several highly-anticipated anime titles on home video in Australia tomorrow. The following list details all of those releases.

  • Assassination Classroom Part 1 – Standard and Limited Edition DVD and Blu-rays. Episodes 1-11 will be featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include episode commentaries, an interview with the cast, episode 0 “Meeting Time”, the textless opening and ending animations, episode previews, the U.S. trailer and trailers. Physical extras included in the Limited Edition box include art cards and a Kunugigaoka Academy student handbook and diary.
  • Black Butler: Book of Circus (Season 3) – DVD and Blu-ray. All 10 episodes are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include episode commentaries, the U.S. trailer and trailers.
  • Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Episode IV: From the Memories of Hatred – DVD only. The episode is featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. On-disc extras include the Japanese trailer and promotional videos.
  • Fairy Tail Guild Collection 4 – DVD only. Episodes 143-175 are featured with dual language options.
  • Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie – DVD and Blu-ray. The film is featured with dual language options. Trailers are included as on-disc extras on both sets. The following features are only included as extras on the Blu-ray disc: “Inside the World of Ghost in the Shell Part 2″, Special: “Arise Explained in 25 Minutes” (Extended Director’s Cut), Special: “25 Years Reviewed in 25 Minutes” (Extended Director’s Cut), the promotional video and the teaser.
  • Kamisama Kiss Season 2 – DVD and Blu-Ray. All 12 episodes are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include episode commentaries and the textless opening and ending animation.
  • Maken-Ki! Two – DVD and Blu-Ray. All episodes are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include episode commentaries, the OVA episode and the textless opening and ending animation.
  • Mekakucity Actors – DVD only. All 12 episodes are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The textless song animations are included as on-disc extras.
  • Naruto Complete Collection – DVD only. All 220 episodes are featured with dual language options.
  • Re:_Hamatora: The Animation – DVD only. All 12 episodes are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include the textless opening and ending animation.
  • Sailor Moon R Part 2 DVD only. Episodes 69-89 are featured with dual language options.
  • Wizard Barristers Complete Series – DVD only. All episodes are featured with dual language options.

The first collection of Sailor Moon Crystal episodes will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in Australia this September. No release date has been announced for the home video release Sailor Moon S.

Major Xbox User Experience Update Arriving Soon

xbox-one-screenshot-011

Xbox One is getting another major update to its user experience. As usual, those part of Xbox Preview programs will be able to get an early look at the upcoming changes this week on Xbox One and later in the month for the Windows 10 Xbox app. Microsoft has announced this is the first of a two part update that will continue to blur the line between Xbox and Windows gaming.

The Xbox and Windows Games stores will be merged into one and PC games will be featured side by side with Xbox titles on the Game Hub. Additionally, the update will bring Cortana to Xbox One in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. The rest of us in the English-speaking Commonwealth nations will have to wait a little longer.  Improvements have been made to the GameDVR app on both Xbox and Windows 10, particularly the addition of 60 FPS recording and full screen Windows Game bar support for six new games.

The change list is a pretty beefy one and is worth a peek at the official Xbox blog.

One Piece: Burning Blood Review

one-piece-burning-blood-box-art
One Piece: Burning Blood
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PS Vita, PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 US – Available Here $99.95 AUS – Available Here

Overview

Running since 1997 and showing no signs of stopping anytime in the near future, the One Piece manga has is a massive property and one of the most popular series to date. This means that it is of course a great source for video games to pull from but only in recent years have many of these games been released in the West. Now with a fresh fighting game in the form of One Piece: Burning Blood arriving overseas, does this anime fighting game offer more than just a colorful cast?

Story

One Piece: Burning Blood ’s storyline is designed a bit different from past One Piece titles. Rather than try and provide a glimpse at larger story arcs while progressing through various stages, this title focuses entirely on one of the most memorable, character action packed arcs of all, the Marineford Arc. Titled The Paramount War here in the game, this features material right from when Luffy arrives with the freed prisoners from Impel Down in order to put a stop to Ace’s execution alongside the Whitebeard pirates and many others who have joined their cause.

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The story follows the battle from four viewpoints, with each one being unlocked after completing the previous one, as the pirates battle the Marines and the Shichibukai. This includes three from the pirate’s side as well as one Marine. I must say that although the story mode progresses through fights that range from being incredibly simplistic to spiking the difficulty to a massive scale, the actual content is told in an incredible manner.

Every story node either features cutscenes that completely recreate the story as it was presented originally with the character models replacing the manga/anime models in a fashion that fits perfectly. This means a story node might begin with two cutscenes, allow the player to fight and complete a battle, and then enter another cutscene before being considered complete. This is then extended a bit by dialogue and still images from the anime portraying smaller events that aren’t highlighted through the aforementioned cutscenes.

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The intense focus on creating the emotional Marineford Arc shows as the quality is exceptional. Unfortunately this focus is also something of a downfall as the game provides barely any extra content outside of this arc. In fact, the only way players will gain any extra story knowledge of events before or after this arc (that just so happens to be exactly where the English dub of the anime is currently in the middle of), is from the small bits of character dialogue that occur when certain fighters are selected to either team up or fight one another.

This limited focus means that although there are fighters and support characters from all the way up to the conclusion of the Dressrosa arc that are given little context so those who aren’t completely caught up with the Japanese version of the series will find themselves lost regarding some of these characters.

Gameplay

When beginning the game the only option available from the start will be the Paramount War story mode. As previously discussed, this story mode follows the Marineford arc through a number of different perspectives with battles ranging from simply defeating your opponents or surviving an onslaught of attacks for a certain period of time. Certain battles will contain special conditions such as winning with a certain percentage of health left and completing these will unlock a bonus fight.

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Each of the story stages range from being incredibly simplistic to incredibly difficult depending on what characters are being paired off against one another, though it is worth noting that bonus fights do have a much harder level of difficulty compared to the standard fights. This unfortunately means that players will find themselves occasionally butting up against a difficult fight with little recourse other than to continually attempt to win the fight or take advantage of a few exploitable mechanics to clear a level. Unfortunately even if you do get caught up in a difficult battle you can expect to clear this game’s story within four hours.

The combat in One Piece: Burning Blood appears far more complicated than it really is, at least for the most part, as it features a few standard mechanics such as a basic combo chain for every character that culminates in a flashy move that launches your opponent, three special attacks that are taken from the character’s repertoire of moves, a few unique attacks that can be combed together, a standard guard break, an easy to exploit heavy guard break, the ability to “Awaken” when the “Burning Gauge” is filled and then unleash a “Grand Impact” finishing move, and finally the Special button. Players can also make use of the aforementioned Burning Gauge to call in a partner for either a Unity Assist to break up an opponent’s combo, Unity Attack to swap and continue a combo, or Unity Clash to prevent their opponent from performing either of the former two and dealing a large amount of damage at the same time.

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In One Piece: Burning Blood the focus of the game is combat and with a roster filled with Logia users that are otherwise incapable of being harmed, there are also many Haki users, including a few that possess Conqueror’s Haki, that are capable of damaging them. When using a Logia user, players can press the special button to cause normal attacks to pass through them, doing no damage to the user unless the opponent also activates their Haki ability. Thankfully this is balanced out through the use of a special gauge that, when depleted, means that the fighters cannot enter their special forms and the fact that even non Haki users can still activate their special and hit these opponents.

That being said, One Piece: Burning Blood is far from a balanced game. Although the title does make an effort to limit the way characters are balanced out by placing a price on each fighter,  with the best costing up to 3000 and the weaker ones only priced at 1000 and most modes only allowing 9000 in total, the moves of many of these fighters can easily sway a fight with little effort. With every battle outside the story mode allowing for players to bring up to three fighters and three support characters with them, there are a lot of combinations available to those who wish to delve into the roster but thanks to the aforementioned balance issues, many lesser characters will likely be passed over unless you decide to simply stick with your favorites.

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This is primarily due to the fact that battle and support characters that aren’t unlocked in the story mode must be purchased using Beli earned through fighting. The primary way to do this is to take on the other modes that are available in the game, the single player Wanted Versus that places players up against various Wanted posters featuring certain characters that must be defeated and reward the player with money, and fight online through the Pirate Flag Battle and standard online fights through ranked and player matches.

The standard online fights are about what would expect from a game like this and thankfully I can report that after taking part in a large number of battles I never noticed any form of slowdown, though attempting to find a player match can take a bit of time even at launch. As for the Pirate Flag Battle, players can select various factions that they wish to join and then fight for that faction over the course of a season, attempting to gain as much territory as possible in that time frame in order to help their faction win.

Visuals & Audio

As mentioned before, the story in One Piece: Burning Blood has been taken directly from the manga and anime and recreated in executional form. With traditional cel-shading styles that fit the source material and characters appearing exactly as fans remember them, these fights can turn into completely ridiculous looking battles since many of the attacks these characters can unleash are extremely large and flashy and thankfully I never noticed any slowdown despite the amount of action going on at any given time.

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The stages in the game are rather large, to the point of almost being too large if you don’t account for the fact that certain fighters, such as Usopp, require a larger arena to be effective, and although there are only nine in total, these stages are taken from the Marineford arc and beyond to provide some variety. The voice work in the game is presented entirely in Japanese and thankfully all of the voice actors from the original cast continue to reprise their roles in the game and considering the large amount of voiced cutscenes in this game, this will be quite a boon for fans of the series.

Overall

One Piece: Burning Blood presents players with a massive roster of fighters to choose from and support characters to mix things up as well as a flashy combat system that appears complicated but is easy to learn once you grow comfortable with the mechanics. That being said, the limited focus of the story results in a short experience only padded with the Wanted posters and online fights to extend longevity and while the roster may be vast, the lack of balance in certain characters is quite evident.

As such, One Piece: Burning Blood is a great game for fans who want to witness the most memorable arc in the story once again but be prepared for a flawed experience that only truly shines thanks to its fiery fighting mechanics creating an experience that truly captures the chaos that many of these fighters can bring to a battle.
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