It appears that Koei Tecmo will be giving Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 a similar treatment that they gave Dead or Alive 5. The company has announced through Famitsu that they will be releasing a “basic free play version” of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune for the PlayStation 4 and Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Venus on the PS Vita in the early summer for Japan.
No extra information was given for this announcement but if it is treated like Dead or Alive 5‘s “Core Fighter” mechanic then it will feature a few playable characters and most of the game’s modes for free and additional elements and characters that can be purchased separately.
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 is set to be released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan on March 24th and the Asian release, featuring English subtitles, can be pre-ordered through Play-Asia.
Aksys Games and Spike Chunsoft have announced that they plan on releasing Zero Time Dilemma, which for those who haven’t been following the title is the third entry in the Zero Escape series, on the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS on June 28th in North America and Europe and on June 30th in Japan.
The title will be available at retail and digitally in North America and Japan and digitally in Europe. Although Aksys has not stated exactly when they plan on doing so, they have stated that a PC release is also in the works.
To go along with this announcement the first trailer for Zero Time Dilemma as well as screenshots and character art have been released and you can check those all out below.
Earlier in the year Activision and Platinum Games announced that they were working on a third-person action game for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Today the company has released a video showing off many of the colossal bosses that players will have to face off against as Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo in this new adventure.
Many popular villains such as Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady, and General Krang make an appearance including the first reveal for a few other enemies such as the ninja Karai, mutant-alien bat Wingnut, and mutant-snapping turtle Slash. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan is currently set to be released on May 24th for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC.
Learn About The Crushing Power of an Elite Class of Vehicles
Amsterdam, The Netherlands – March 17, 2016 – Developer Obsidian Entertainment and global publisher My.com are pleased to showcase an important class of vehicles: the Armored Fighting Vehicles. The Armored Fighting Vehicles are the scouting stars of Armored Warfare, with an extremely good view range, along with being very fast and hard to detect thanks to their generally limited sizes. At the top of the food chain, in the war for vision, is the Combat Reconnaissance Assault Buggy (CRAB), developed by Panhard, a French manufacturer of light tactical military vehicles. Its main role on the battlefield is to seek enemy vehicles for their teammates to target and destroy.
See the CRAB in action in Armored Warfare’s latest video below:
Armored Warfare is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online tactical military game that puts the player into the world of modern warfare. In Armored Warfare, players get a chance to try the most powerful tools of destruction invented by mankind – from modern main battle tanks, to scouts and wheeled vehicles. Using modern defense systems like anti-missile protection and smoke grenades, along with various types of armor and ammunition, players can jump into fast paced battles both in PvP mode and a vast amount of PvE missions.
To learn more about Armored Warfare and to download for free today, please visit aw.my.com. ‘Like’ the game on Facebook, and follow its development on Twitter@ArmoredWar for all the latest developer updates and news.
SYDNEY, Australia – 17th March, 2016 – Tru Blu Entertainment in association with games development company, Wicked Witch, are very pleased to announce that “Rugby Challenge 3” for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox One and Microsoft Xbox 360 will be released on the 22nd April 2016. Alternative Software will be the official distributor in UK and Ireland.
This next game in the highly successful “Rugby Challenge” series now includes many of the best Rugby players and teams in the World, including the Wallabies, England, the Springboks and many, many more, all under official licenses. As well as a myriad of new features, improvements and fresh content.
“Now with some great new features, we have the Rugby game fans have been sweating to play. We feel that all the thrills and excitement of top-flight Rugby have been truly recreated in Rugby Challenge 3.” said Tru Blu Managing Director, Sebastian Giompaolo.” A multitude of elements have been skilfully reworked, to ensure the fans get the best Rugby gaming experience.”
The Rugby Challenge 3 feature list has been driven by the fans of Rugby Challenge 2 and includes features such as:-
· NEW! Rugby Sevens – this first time addition brings all the realism and fast-paced action of live seven-a-side Rugby to the Rugby Challenge series.
· NEW! Take total control in Be a Pro mode. Join a club team as a rookie and control your own destiny over 13 action packed seasons. Complete match goals to improve your skills as a player and work towards becoming the captain of your club. Work your way up the domestic ladder, and impress selectors to play for your national team on the world stage!
· NEW! FanHub – the interactive Player Creator allows you to create yourself as a player and play then through the ranks. Players and teams can be shared online across all supported platforms.
· BRAND NEW! Crisp next gen graphics – increased resolution and textures.
· Real-time commentary from seasoned rugby commentators Grant Nisbett and former All Blacks turned commentator Justin Marshall. French language commentary from Eric Bayle and Thomas Lombard.
· Play in different game modes including: Single Match; multi-team Competition; extensive multi-year Career Mode; Be a Pro Mode; and Online Multiplayer Mode.
· Play over 11 competitions including Super Rugby, the NRC and Currie Cup!
About Tru Blu Entertainment.
Tru Blu Entertainment is the video game publishing arm, of Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty Ltd (HES) who specialise in the distribution of games, video game consoles, and accessories throughout the Australian market and throughout the world. Established in 1984, HES are the exclusive Australian distributors of Mad Catz and Tru Blu Games. Tru Blu games include Rugby Union, Rugby League and AFL franchises on both Microsoft and Sony Gaming Platforms.
About Wicked Witch Software
Wicked Witch is a provider of exceptional interactive games and applications of games technology and art. The team at Wicked Witch are united by a love of games. Wicked Witch is driven by creating engaging experiences that embrace and contribute to the science and art of digital games.
About Alternative Software
First established in 1985, Alternative Software is now celebrating its 31st Anniversary and is considered one of the major companies in the UK computer industry. The company is still a growing global success, having over 400 titles to its name, releasing several “Top Forty” video games on console, handheld and PC. www.alternativesoftware.com
“Rope Racers” reaches 1 million downloads on iOS and swings onto Google Play
The free-to-play rope swinging game “Rope Racers” by Small Giant Games is already a success on iOS and has reached over 1.000.000 downloads worldwide in less than a week.
Helsinki, Finland – March 17, 2016 – “Rope Racers“, the addictive new multiplayer game by Finnish Mobile Developer Small Giant Games is now available for free for Android on Google Play via http://bit.ly/RopeRacersForAndroid. A version of the game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has been available for a week, and already managed to swing to high positions on the download charts. The game, featured by Apple in over 131 countries, reached over 1 million downloads in less than one week. During the featuring week the game was the most downloaded iPhone racing game in 56 countries, including Germany, UK and France and reached the Top 10 iPhone game downloads in 67 countries. The version for iPad reached the Top 10 in exactly 100 countries.
In the game, the players swing, run, and race in various locations and levels against nine other people from around the world, with the goal of becoming the best Rope Racer of all time! Players race by throwing ropes with a simple touch-and-hold mechanic. Swinging is used to jump over dangers and to gain that extra speed needed for victory.
The multiplayer element is an integral part of the gameplay from the start. The game uses intelligent matchmaking to find opponents of similar skill level to make the racing experience smooth but challenging.
To increase the competitive aspect of the game, the players bet virtual currency as a participation fee for the races. Your position at the finish line defines whether you lose or multiply your bet. One key aspect of the game is building your team by collecting funny and cool characters, whose skill and appearance can be upgraded with the coins earned in the races.
In addition to the Career mode, the game sports an exciting Friendly Tournament feature, which allows the players to challenge their real life friends to find out who is the ultimate Rope Racer!
Features:
An addictive rope-swinging game!
Compete against real people from around the world
Tens of exciting levels spread in 20 challenging leagues
Insanely fast gameplay with simple controls
Impressive graphics with gorgeous locations such as Paris and Las Vegas
Large roster of cool and funny characters that can be unlocked and upgraded
Friendly tournaments against Facebook friends
Available in 9 languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Italian, Russian, Turkish
Small Giant Games is a mobile games company based in Helsinki, Finland. The company was founded by a team of game industry experts, who were the core team members and pioneers of free to play game development at Habbo Hotel. Small Giant focuses on creating beautiful and deeply engaging character driven multiplayer mobile games for advanced casual gamers.
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Gamers Invited to See If They Have What It Takes to Survive the Wastelands at SXSW
AUSTIN, TX, USA – Thursday, March 17, 2016 – Independent developer Skyshine Games in partnership with indie publisher Versus Evil, today announced that turn based strategy game Skyshine’s BEDLAM has undergone a major update, with improved gameplay mechanics and several new features, all based on months of community feedback. The updated version of the game is also available for gamers to play this week at SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin which runs 17th-19th March (Skyshine Game’s booth #629).
“This massive REDUX! update features an all new campaign and a new ‘arcade’ gameplay mode,” said Jeff Johnson, CTO at Skyshine. “Over the past couple of months, we have been revisiting almost everything in the game that we initially launched with in an effort to improve the base game experience and update it with new features that the community has asked for. We are really proud of the updated mechanics and strategies we’ve been working on and can’t wait for gamers to try them out. It’s a complete REDUX!”
Skyshine’s BEDLAM: REDUX! offers gamers a challenging and rewarding turn based strategy game set in an over the top post-apocalyptic wasteland with a unique art style, tons of character and hours worth of replayability. The game puts players in the role of the revered and mysterious Mechanic, whose mission is to safely escort passengers and crew in a massive rolling fortress called a Dozer while cleansing Bedlam of chaos and reaching a distant utopia known as Aztec City. In this post-apocalyptic wasteland, with deadly factions threatening you at every turn, it’s not going to be easy.
“The team at Skyshine has proven their dedication to fans and their belief in the game by spending months of hard work and effort improving it, to the extent that Skyshine’s BEDLAM: REDUX! is almost a different game to the one that launched last year,” commented Steve Escalante, General Manager at Versus Evil. “The game plays so much better, is very rewarding and offers so much more in the way of features.”
In celebration of this overhaul, the team also put the game on sale on STEAM from today, Thursday, March 17th through March 20th for $9.99 – 50% off the regular retail price.
Arch Creatives And UK Games Talent Inspire Next Generation Of Game Developers
Leamington Spa, United Kingdom – 17th March, 2016 – The Arch Creatives has been confirmed as the West Midlands Regional Hub for UK Games Talent’s flagship graduate development programme, Tranzfuser™.
Designed to provide a platform for creative leaders of the future, Tranzfuser is aimed at graduates looking to create and release their own games. Successful applicant team leaders will be awarded a £5,000 budget and invited to develop their ideas into working prototypes over the summer. The initiative culminates in a national showcase event in September 2016. Selected teams will be invited to pitch for follow-on funding of up to £25,000 from the UK Games Fund to commercialise their game and launch a company.
The Arch Creatives has been selected to co-ordinate West Midlands applicants, providing office accommodation, mentoring and support to the teams. The project will be heavily supported by other local organisations, including: Lab42, 26HT, Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council and Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Steve Stopps from the Arch Creatives, said: “Leamington Spa has a culture of innovation which has been inspiring talented minds for decades. The local development community are keen to nurture the next generation of developers. Our teams will have access to some of the brightest minds in UK game development.”
“The way in which Tranzfuser will become a fresh talent pipeline for the UK Games Fund is a genuine first. Tranzfuser teams that win our funding will become the top tips for future success,” said Paul Durrant, pioneer and veteran of previously successful schemes in talent and funding.
About UK Games Talent and Finance CIC
UK Games Talent and Finance CIC is a not for profit Community Interest Company that has been established to serve a UK’s early stage games development community including companies and individuals. The company plans a wid range of support and intervention projects to support the games development community.
About Arch Creatives
Based in Leamington Spa, an area with a rich culture of innovation attracting investors from across the world, Arch Creatives exists as a games co-working space designed to bring talent together in a vibrant and supportive community.
The Arch Creatives is home to several award winning game developers including Modern Dream, Micro Macro and Team Lumo.
Fans of Dark Souls come in all shapes and sizes. From the die hard gamers to the sadistic masochists and even the musically gifted. Well popular YouTuber Smooth McGroove is a perfect example of the latter and has put his musical talents to good use with his acapella rendition of Premonition from the soundtrack of Namco Bandai’s upcoming Dark Souls III.
through careful and clever audio recordings and layerings, Smooth manages to create a downright epic rendition of the song, and you can check it out below. You can also check out our recent hands-on preview of Dark Souls III by clicking here. Remember that Dark Souls III is set for release April 12th so make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the epic news as it becomes available.
Overview A couple of years ago Nippon Ichi Software tried something a little bit different by developing and releasing The Witch and the Hundred Knight which was quickly localized and released in the West. While the original left many fans wanting, the company wasn’t about to let the title fall by the wayside and have returned with a re-done PlayStation 4 release of the game, The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition. Is this upgraded version of the original game worth your time?
Story The Swamp Witch Metallia has been unable to grow the borders of her swamp for an incredibly long time to the point that she has been held in check by the Forest Witch Malia. Finally pushed to her limit, Metallia chooses to summon the powerful champion, The Hundred Knight in order to push back against any force of good and transform the entire world into a swamp that she can rule over.
Hundred Knight is as malleable of a creature as they come since it cannot speak nor really question any orders it is given and thanks to being incredibly powerful he is a force to be reckoned with and unfortunately for everyone else, his master Metallia is as evil as they come. Throughout the course of the storyline players, as the Hundred Knight, will encounter a number of different characters but unfortunately there really isn’t a whole lot of detail spent explaining much of the world or delving into these characters other than to occasionally display Metallia’s evil demeanor and try to get players to see what motivates her.
One of the first acts she performs helps set herself apart from a standard cartoonish villain and sets herself up as a disturbing villain which is a bit unique considering how most NIS games like to portray themselves. It is worth noting that outside of the new Tower of Illusion, players shouldn’t expect too much revision to the game’s storyline here so don’t expect anything fresh in that regard for The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition even if you go through a few times for the multiple endings.
Gameplay Similar to the story elements, the gameplay elements of The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition have also remained the same with some additions to help pad the game out a bit and make things easier. Players spend the game controlling The Hundred Knight as he set sout into the field and takes on opponents in an action RPG styled game that sees him conquer opponents using a stylized multi-weapon combat system.
The Hundred Knight brings five weapon types with him into combat and can swap between them in mid-combo to try and unleash as many attacks as possible while also targeting an enemy’s potential weakness considering certain foes can be incredibly resilient to certain weapon types but desperately weak to others. This means that swapping from a magic staff to a hammer, spear, sword, or pike often allows for a flurry of devastating attacks that can annihilate groups of opponents if set up properly. This is done by setting up your combo strings and weaponry in the menu prior to a fight of course and then simply attacking away at the foes as the weapons are swapped in order.
It may take a bit of time to understand how certain weapon combo strings work together, since improper combos can be rather slow and leave the Knight open to counter attacks but once you learn how to properly set up your weapon combos then things will be much easier as your attacks will flow faster. In fact, players can even set up three different weapon combo stacks at a time, swapping between them with the L2 and R2 buttons to best fit whatever opponents your facing off against.
There are also various Facets that the Hundred Knight can use which change the attributes of your fighter to boost various stats and even Tochkas that serve as support units to help provide the player with plenty of options in combat. This is something that is essential thanks to the punishment that death brings and an ever-persistent Giga Calorie counter.
These Gigacals start at 100 and continually tick away for every action the player takes out in a field. This means fighting enemies, recovering health, attacking buildings, and everything else uses these Gigacals and while it is possible to consume opponents to restore some points, doing so at the wrong time leaves you open for attack. That being said, there is some risk and reward here as the longer the Hundred Knight is out in the field the more rewards the player will likely stumble across and the stronger the Hundred Knight will become, as any time he returns to Metallia’s home to rest and eat, these bonuses will vanish.
This doesn’t become too much of an issue however thanks to the Tower of Illusion that unlocks a little bit into the game. This is the entirely new area that allows players to sacrifice a weapon to unlock a set of levels to battle through with the difficulty set to the level of the weapon sacrificed. The tower serves as a useful tool to help test out what your Knight’s current equipment is capable of handling against numerous enemies but it also serves as a way to easily overpower yourself as the Tower of Illusion generally rewards the player with high powered equipment as well as experience that can make formerly challenging enemies a cakewalk.
The Tower of Illusion also allows players to take Metallia, though not your Metallia, into battle at times as Metallia can be summoned to the battlefield once filling up a meter. She has quite a few powerful attacks and it is nice to see her actually fighting for once, something that I hope is continued in the planned sequel, but ultimately doesn’t offer too much variety since most of your time will be spent in the Tower either gaining gear and catalysts to enhance that gear or simply leveling up.
Visuals & Audio One thing that is a decent upgrade for The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition over the original PlayStation 3 version is that the graphics this time around are far crisper than they were originally. The original title featured areas that made it incredibly difficult to follow the action especially in areas that featured overgrowth that would often obscure the action and with everything being improved a bit, keeping track of the diminutive Hundred Knight and all of the enemies is much easier this time around.
As for the rest of the graphics, there doesn’t appear to be any noticeable difference in the character portraits and the like other than appearing a bit more colorful. The voicework found in this title is very similar to what was found in the first game and there is a nice mixture of background music to keep things feeling fresh throughout the title.
Overall The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition is a satisfying upgrade to the original PlayStation 3 release that offers a bit of extra content and cleaned up visuals but those who are have played the original won’t find much in the way of new content here. The combat system remains enjoyable and thanks to the Tower of Illusion allowing players to grow stronger without grinding older areas the pace of the game flows much better than before.
These types of adjustments have made the Revival Edition a decent upgrade to the original game, though there are still plenty of nagging issues from the original, and if you haven’t picked up the original version, you’ll find that The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition offers a different style of narrative than what one would usually find paired up with an enjoyable, albeit somewhat repetitive, combat system. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
