The sequel to the popular PC visual novel NEKOPARA will be coming out quite soon, at least in Japanese. NEKO WORKs, the developers of the game, have released the opening video for NEKOPARA Vol. 2 and with it comes the announcement that the Japanese version of the game will be released in February 2016.
The second volume has already begun English translation, though no release date has been set for this version, and as you can tell by the opening theme, this volume will primarily focus on Coconut and Azuki while still including Chocola and Vanilla with the rest of the cast, outside of the main character, likely playing more of a background role this time. It is worth noting that upon release the Japanese version of the title will feature sexual content but similar to the first volume, it will later be released in English in All-Ages format and in Adult format.
Fans of Omega Force and Koei Tecmo‘s Warriors series have been treated to quite a large number of spin-off titles as well as numerous versions of the most recent version of Dynasty Warriors, Dynasty Warriors 8. However it has been almost three years since Dynasty Warriors 8 was released and now fans are hoping for a Dynasty Warriors 9 announcement and it seems that it may be on its way.
The official website for Dynasty Warriors has been updated saying that there will be a big announcement made this year for the series, despite the company missing the 15th anniversary of the series last year. No exact information has been given so far, but producer Akihiro Suzuki does state that it will be “a big announcement” and that fans should “look forward to it.”
Kingston’s gaming division HyperX announced at CES 2016 that they have become officially licensed by Microsoft to develop headsets for the Xbox One. Their first product from this new partnership will be an Xbox One version of the HyperX Cloud II headset. The closed-back HyperX CloudX will be sporting the same 53mm drivers and memory foam ear cushions as the Cloud II, but is instead designed to support the new Xbox One controller’s 3.5mm port. We can also expect in-line volume controls, detachable microphone, and a hard shell carrying case from the HyperX.
“We are proud to work with Microsoft on its Xbox One gaming platform and bring our headset expertise to the console world,” said Anders Willumsen, general manager, HyperX Division. “We have always known we would enter the gaming console market since releasing our first headset for PC gamers almost two years ago. There are natural synergies between our two companies as HyperX has a strong PC presence and the Xbox One console provides deeper integration with PC gaming via the Xbox App on Windows 10.”
Microsoft will be featuring the HyperX CloudX headset at their Xbox listening stations during CES 2016. Unfortunately, the event won’t be open to the public. The plan is to ship the headset in late Q2 2016. No MSRP has been provided at this time and more information is expected as the release draws closer. Since the HyperX CloudX is build on the HyperX Cloud II design, it would be reasonable to expect the CloudX MSRP to be close to the Cloud II’s $149.99 USD MSRP.
Overview After being released in 2012 in Japan, fans of the Yakuza series were left wondering for quite some time whether or not Yakuza 5 would ever be released in the West. Then after years of waiting it finally was announced that the game would indeed be released in English. Now a full three years after the game was originally released in Japan, has the wait for Yakuza 5 been worth it?
Story
Before we begin, it is worth noting that while it is possible to just jump into Yakuza 5 without any experience with the series, those who do so will be finding themselves rather confused at points, especially since the story picks up after the events of Yakuza 4 (with the Dead Souls spin-off being non-canon), and missing out on a number of emotional moments that only hit home thanks to events that have previously taken place in the series. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something here for newcomers looking to step into the series for the first time.
Similar to past games, Yakuza 5 is set in a heavily detailed world where players find themselves delving into a world filled with criminals and those who simply are trying to get by. The story continues to follow the mainstay, Kiryu Kazuma, as well as four other characters, a couple of which are returning from Yakuza 4, another who pursuing her dream and becoming playable for the first time ever despite being another mainstay for the series, and finally a brand new character.
Despite splitting up the story into one that follows these five different characters, the cast comes in a wide range of personalities and every one of them has a unique story path that helps keep the title feeling fresh while also providing plenty of variation to keep the storyline from feeling plain. This is quite an accomplishment at this point as the company has managed to prevent Kazuma’s continuing journey from feeling stale by avoiding old territory and mixing him up with a number of enjoyable characters that come from numerous walks of life. This creates a storyline where character interactions always feel like they are playing out in a relatively realistic manner and also one of the best ones that I’ve had the pleasure of playing in the series.
Although Yakuza 5 may be the slowest starting game in the series, as it takes nearly four hours to really get off the ground in any form, once things do begin to open up players will find themselves in for an enjoyable experience that delves into a the world of organized crime and tradition while also offering numerous themes that the series has been known for, such as honor and friendship but also the pain of betrayal. While things may take a bit of time to get going, those who stick with it will find themselves immersed in a heavily detailed world where almost every element has some form of history to it in an effort to please fans of the series with a layered storyline that.
Gameplay While Yakuza 5 may follow the story of more characters than ever before, it still retains the same type of experience that fans have come to know and love; only far more refined than before. The basic of the game still remains the same, players will find themselves usually able to freely roam the streets as they either head towards where they are supposed to if they simply feel like advancing the game’s highly enjoyable storyline or get side-tracked by the massive amount of activities that the title has to offer.
You see, while players will still find themselves gathering up side-quests from various people they come across, with these side quests offering quite a lot of variety to keep things feeling fresh, there are also numerous mini-games, collectibles, and little novelties to enjoy. With the game now offering players more mechanics than ever, players can sink hours into playing the classic Virtua Fighter 2, racing in a taxi that can be souped-up, messing around with claw machines, bowling, playing darts, fishing, hunting animals, visiting the cabaret club, and much more. If there is an activity that seems like it is possible in Yakuza 5, then you’ll likely be able to do it, even if it is something as simple as reading through the first chapter of a manga that was running in 2012.
This means that while it is of course possible to focus entirely on story elements, those who do so will be missing out on what makes the Yakuza series so enjoyable, the fact that it takes place in a believable world where there is just so much to do and so many people to interact with. Of course while traveling between game parlors or clubs there will be various street thugs and other toughs that will pick a fight with the character, allowing players to partake in an extremely satisfying and easy to handle combat system.
The fights in Yakuza 5 feel faster than before and as players level up through fighting they will be able to unlock various attacks, buffs, and finishing moves, most of which are unique to each character, these fights become something spectacular. This is mainly due to two reasons, outstanding character animation and the arcade-like handling of the fights. Every battle feels fun despite some being a bit on shorter side and every finishing move feels absolutely brutal as your opponents are pummeled or crushed into the ground in ruthless fashion. Of course, a certain young girl is exempt from that type of action as she instead takes part in rhythm based dance battles that play well and feel like they take some inspiration from Sega’s other rhythm franchises.
Earlier I did mention that Yakuza 5 does start out as perhaps the slowest game in the series so far, but once you get into the world and see what there is to offer on the streets of Kamurocho as well as a number other new locales to visit, it is easy to understand why players are eased into a world with so much potential. In fact, it is entirely possible to lose hours of time simply enjoying the various side-activities without even touching the plot, allowing an already impressive game to become a massive experience that you should not pass up.
Visuals Although Yakuza 5 was developed for the PlayStation 3 and was released back in 2012; it is really hard to tell at times due to how impressive this title looks. While there is some slowdown during larger fights and basic crowd animations can look rather stiff, this is a title that probably pushed the PlayStation 3 to the limit back then. The five total locations in the game are all meticulously detailed to the point that they feel like actual locations that you can go and visit and with such a heavy amount of attention being paid to make these cities feel alive, it is hard not to explore every possible inch.
The characters themselves vary in appearance here, with the main characters and prominent NPCs featuring an impressive level of facial detail while most of the standard side characters haven’t been given nearly as much detail. As mentioned earlier, a big highlight of the game’s combat system is how visceral things look and this is thanks due to some impressive animation work and the amount of detail put into making finishing attacks really feel like your opponent won’t be getting back up again.
Audio It is worth noting that, like most previous Yakuza games, that this one is presented with only English subtitles to accompany the original Japanese voice track. This shouldn’t bother fans of the series and is in fact perhaps the best choice the company could make as the entire world of the game just oozes Japanese flavoring, making it impossible to truly replicate in English and considering how impressive the Japanese voice actors are here then it would truly have been a shame to replace them.
The soundtrack found in this game mixes up a variety of different genres and works out quite well as there are numerous types of locations to visit and a wide variety of events that will take place. This means that while there is of course a fair share of J-Pop, there are also plenty of rock themes and softer tunes to fit more dramatic scenes.
Overall There is a reason that fans of the series were clamoring for Yakuza 5 to be released in English and that reason couldn’t be more clear than to those who have sat down and immersed themselves in the world that is presented here. While it may have a few hitches, Yakuza 5 is easily one of the best, if not the best, game in the series so far and offers an immense open world allowing players to spend hours messing around or delving into the impressive story on offer here and still return to find more waiting for them even after sinking well over fifty hours into the game. Trust me when I say that those who might pass up Yakuza 5 simply due to its age will be doing themselves a great disservice as it stands as the best game in the series and one that deserves your attention.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Sonic is a franchise we all love and is best compared to an electric wire. You can appreciate it from afar for all of the deeds it has done for you, but if you grab it – you may pay for it. This article isn’t about the few duds in the past two years with Sonic however, as it truly is time to celebrate. Sega have released a shiny new logo for the mascot’s 25th anniversary and it is pretty exciting stuff.
I personally can’t see the year going by without getting a new Sonic title of some sort, be it a collection featuring the mostly wonderful Generations with the classics thrown in or the often rumored “Sonic Adventure 3” that will probably never happen, I am extremely optimistic for the blue hedgehog’s future in 2016. For now this is just a logo, but who knows, this might be the logo we see plastered on a great little game in the future.
Zombies are still a thing in the horror genre because there are still creative ideas out there for the medium. Sorry I started with an answer, but most of the time I mention a zombie flick of any kind I get the “ugh. zombies” rebuttal, but Scream Factory have an upcoming release that is sure to grab your attention fast. Zombie Fight Club takes Japanese cinema and combines it with the worldwide fad of zombie slaying for a movie that is sure to catch enthusiast’s eyes quickly when it hits Blu-ray and DVD next month.
Here are further details:
In a corner of the city, in a building riddled with crime… there is an outbreak of zombies. When one young woman (Jessica C, Double Trouble) witnesses her boyfriend falling victim to the zombie horde, she must team up with a police officer (Andy On, The Viral Factor, Special ID, Cold War) in order to stay alive and escape the building. But the once warm-hearted chemistry teacher, Wu Ming, is now the zombie leader following the chaos, which has transformed him into a cruel, vicious and formidable opponent.
Ratcheting up the terror, an evil organization has begun pitting humans against zombies in a malicious killing game. The good side of humanity has seemingly all but vanished and a world of uncertainty awaits…
Terence Yin (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Special ID), Michael Wong (TRANSFORMERS: Age of Extinction, Firestorm, Seven Swords), Jack Kao (Shinjuku Incident, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate) and recording artist MC HotDog also star in this no-holds-barred, martial-arts-meets-walking-dead masterpiece!
Features include:
· Both Blu-ray and DVD editions boasts English and Mandarin audio tracks, English subtitles and insightful bonus content.
· Zombie Fight Club stunts
· Theatrical Trailer
This package is due out February 2nd so give it a look and you can also now pre-order at Amazon via this little link from Shout! Factory.
PLAYSTATION®4 (PS4™) SELLS THROUGH 5.7 MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE DURING THE 2015 HOLIDAY SEASON
PS4 Software Sell through 35 Million over the Same Period, PlayStation®Plus Subscribers Increase by 60% at the end of 2015
Sydney, 6 January 2016 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that the PlayStation®4 (PS4™) computer entertainment system has sold through more than 5.7 million units*1 during the 2015 holiday season*2. PS4 has now cumulatively sold through more than 35.9 million units globally as of January 3, 2016.
With robust support from users and partners from around the globe, PS4 software sales also remained strong during the 2015 holiday season*2 with more than 35 million*3 copies sold in retail stores worldwide and through digital downloads on PlayStation®Store as of January 3, 2016.
In addition, 60% more users subscribed to PlayStation®Plus (PS Plus) at the end of 2015*4 compared to the same period the previous year*5. Subscribers to PS Plus have access to a wide variety of features such as “Monthly Games”, which allow members to play full versions of popular titles from third party developers and publishers, as well as from SCE Worldwide Studios, with no time limits or extra costs. PS4 owners have also been enjoying online multiplayer with PS Plus.
“We are absolutely delighted that so many customers have selected PS4 as the best place to play throughout this holiday season and that the PS4 community is growing more than ever,” said Andrew House, President and Global CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver innovative entertainment experiences, and look forward to bringing an unprecedented games portfolio from third party developers and publishers and SCE Worldwide Studios, including UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End, Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last Guardian, this coming year.”
Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment ANZ said, “I am so pleased to see the strong momentum PS4 enjoyed during the holiday period globally was also reflected in ANZ. 2016 is set to be a great year as our line up of games looks fantastic, and we continue to expand on our already robust line up of movies, TV and music content ensuring PlayStation has something for the whole family.”
SCE will continue to expand the world of PS4 to deliver entertainment experiences that are only possible on PlayStation.
The PS4 system is currently available in 124 countries and regions*6 worldwide.
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*1 Number of retail sales to consumers is estimated by SCEI. PS4 sales data in Japan and Asia collected 11/23/2015 – 1/3/2016, in North America, Europe and Latin America collected 11/22/2015 – 1/2/2016.
*2 11/23/2015 – 1/3/2016 in Japan and Asia, 11/22/2015 – 1/2/2016 in North America, Latin America and Europe.
*3 Number of retail sales to consumers is estimated by SCEI. Sales data in Japan collected 2/22/2014 – 1/3/2016, in North America collected 11/15/2013 – 1/2/2016, in Europe and Latin America collected 11/29/2013 – 1/2/2016, and in Asia collected 12/17/2013 – 1/3/2015. Does not include add-on content.
*5 11/24/2015 – 12/22/2015.
*5 11/24/2014 – 12/22/2014.
*6 As of 11/16/2015.
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About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as a global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes, develops and markets the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, and the PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system. SCEI has revolutionized home entertainment since it launched PlayStation® in 1994. PlayStation®2 further enhanced the PlayStation® legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) broadened the entertainment experiences into the portable arena. PS3 is a computer entertainment system that incorporates the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PS Vita is a portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity. PlayStation®4 redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalization and deeply integrated social capabilities. PlayStation™Network, that includes PlayStation®Store, delivers unparalleled online gaming experience to PlayStation users. PlayStation™Now, a streaming game service that leverages cloud-based technology, enables users to instantly enjoy a wide range of PS3 games on numerous Internet-connected devices they use every day. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI, along with its affiliated companies, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and its division company, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia, develops, publishes, markets and distributes hardware and software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in their respective markets worldwide.
Hanabee Entertainment announced yesterday that they will be releasing Rooster Teeth’s animated series X-Ray & Vav in Australia on DVD and Blu-ray. Both sets will feature the complete first and second seasons on a single disc. The release date is January 26, 2016, just two days after the upcoming RTX Australia event.
Both editions have a suggested retail price of $24.99 AUD and are currently available for pre-order from the official Australian Rooster Teeth store here. Fans in the U.S. can purchase a DVD and Blu-ray combo pack at the Rooster Teeth Store here. This release costs $24.95 USD. All releases mentioned above include a behind the scenes featurette, outtakes and cast and crew commentaries as on-disc extras.
The Global Financial Crisis is one of the major events of the last decade with the collapse of a housing bubble in the US leading to a drop in the global market. It was a serious event which led to tragedy around the world as many lost homes and jobs. It’s been less than a decade since the event and The Big Short has now come along to give us one perspective on the world changing event. Directed and written by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Ant-Man), the film is his first attempt at a creating a drama. Fortunately for us, the comedic spirit is strong with Mckay and I found myself laughing more than crying during the screening. Read on to find out what I thought of the film (spoiler: I loved it).
Story
The film, based on a book of the same name, basically deals with the events leading up to and immediately after the Global Financial Crisis of 2007 and 2008. It follows a number of protagonists including a one-eyed financial savant named Michael Burry (Christain Bale), a rage-aholic fund manager named Mark Baum (Steve Carell), a morally bankrupt banker named Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), and a pair of young venture capitalists named by Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Charlie Geller (John Magaro) as they all learn about the impending meltdown. As they investigate more and become more certain of the event, they each manoeuvre themselves into positions where they can profit off of this collapse. Although we as the audience know that the crash did happen, the suspense lies in whether or not the characters can hold their nerve and see through their plans to a fruitful conclusion. This creates an interesting build up for the audience where we wish for the protagonists to succeed… even if it means the collapse of the global economy.
The script has amazing dialogue throughout the film and alongside the performances of the actors it becomes a hilarious piece of storytelling. Most of the characters are interesting with their own sets of values, virtues, and flaws. In particular I found the characters of Michael Burry and Mark Baum to be quite interesting and unique with Bale and Carell both pulling out superb performances. Carell particularly surprised me with his performance of Baum who, as a character, is quite nuanced in how he exhibits the (sometimes) righteous rage of a man at odds with the financial system… but who ultimately is still profiting off of it. His relationship with his deceased brother is also skilfully used to emotionally manoeuvre the audience down from the comedic high about halfway through the film. Bale’s performance of Burry, on the other hand, is interesting in how he portrays a character with asperger’s in a way which is very restrained but dripping with sympathetic social awkwardness. The first scene with him is strong enough that you’ll be charmed by his off-putting demeanour. Kudos to McKay for bringing these performances out of these actors!
One aspect which I particularly enjoyed in this script was the use of vignettes and asides throughout for both comic and educational effect. Throughout the film, whenever the characters encounter some new (to the audience) concept or financial jargon; the film cuts away from the action of the plot to a vignette featuring a cameo by a celebrity. One particular example involves having the explanation of the definition of “sub-prime” being given by a very attractive someone (no spoilers) in a bubble bath… it’s certainly an interesting technique for discussing financial markets. Another aspect of the script which was used quite effectively was the use of asides where characters would directly address the audience and talk about some specific aspect of the scene and generally whether it correlated to reality. In one scene Shipley and Geller come across the presentation notes of Jared Vennett predicting the crisis in the lobby of one of the big banks. Magaro turns to the camera, in character, and states to the audience that they actually learnt about the impending crash through mutual acquaintances but that this was a more interesting way to represent it cinematically.
While it has this element of reality, the film largely engages with these events from the perspective a conventional fictional film narrative with conceits like an easy to follow plot, outrageous coincidences (such as the one above), and expository dialogue. It engages with these aspects in a very self-aware manner to great comedic effect. It also draws upon styles and techniques from popular documentaries such as the works of Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore in giving expository dialogue. It works in making the film interesting as well as making the subject matter palatable.
Unfortunately the slick editing starts to lose its pace about two thirds of the way through the movie. I felt that that about the halfway mark, we experience a number of anti-climaxes which took the wind out of the sails of the narrative a bit. There is still a sense of expectation and baited breath as we know that the events the characters are predicting turn out to be completely accurate, but it still has an effect on the film’s flow. This might have been the result of the film trying to stay relatively accurate to events as they unfolded but I feel my point remains.
Despite what the marketing for the film prominently featuring his name, Brad Pitt is not given a central role within this film. His character is at least given one of the more important and sobering lines of dialogue in the whole film but to a large extent his role is to the sidelines of the main action. It’s not something which I consider to be a flaw, but this may disappoint fans of his work and I feel that to a large extent he may have been given his role as a method of adding more star power to the film.
Another aspect which is noticeably absent in the film is the presence of female leads. None of the protagonists are women and I believe I could keep count of the number of named female characters in the script. This is somewhat disappointing as according to Wikipedia, the book it is based on recounts the efforts of several women investigating and predicting the crisis. It is a shame that McKay could not then find a way to place them within his narrative.
Visuals
The film presents us with some interesting images and montages to convey symbolic, albeit perhaps in a somewhat heavy-handed manner. Seeing a young woman, who we know works for one of the institutions that regulates banking transactions, in the embrace of a banker is a not so subtle representation of how the regulators and regulated were largely in bed with each other leading up to the crisis. A number of montages are used throughout the film largely to show the passage of time which is done largely through sampling various snippets from a number of cultural touchstones. Overall, McKay’s direction and visual style is vibrant and fun to watch.
Audio
The film’s soundtrack is wonderfully eclectic in the pieces it brings to bear. You’ll find everything from the Gorillaz’s Feel Good Inc. to pieces from The Phantom of the Opera. These largely compliment the mood of the scene as it develops and is mostly kept to songs which were released during that period to further reinforce the sense of being in the late 00s. The music selection does hit a lot of my nostalgia buttons and I can say quite honestly that I did enjoy the soundtrack.
The film makes interesting use of diegetic music as well which is particularly prominent with scenes involving Burry. The music which plays is generally hard rock or metal which juxtaposes quite well with quiet nature of the Burry character and helps to reinforce Bale’s portrayal as a man who is not heard… in a very audible sense. As a fan of metal myself, I fully endorse giving this feature to Burry’s persona.
Overall
Overall, I very much enjoyed this film and found myself laughing pretty much throughout its run time. The script and editing are slick, sleek, and (most importantly in a comedy) witty with excellent performances from all the cast. The visual direction and sound design are both similarly of a high calibre working to reinforce the narrative. This is a movie which is very much for and of our time so I’d recommend that if my opinion has piqued your interest, then you should go see it as soon as you can. I don’t believe it’ll have the same impact on an audience the further we get from the events it portrays… but it’ll still be as well made. With this last note I will conclude; I think this film is damn near perfect and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone and everyone.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
SteelSeries is going a little retro with their new Rival 700 Smart Gaming mouse by bringing back displays and vibration motors. SteelSeries experimented with displays on their old Sensei line of gaming mice, though it was rather awkwardly placed on the bottom side of the mouse. Several manufacturers have have also experimented with vibration motors in all sorts of mice in the past, though the idea has yet to take off. SteelSeries is banking on new technologies will help these features take off.
The Rival 700 boasts notification and tracking abilities more commonly found in smart phones. The Rival 700’s OLED display is located in a much more usable position on the left hand side of the mouse, making it easy to see with a quick glance down. The vibration motor has been designed to provide tactile alerts without disrupting the 16,00 CPI optical sensor. Using the SteelSeries Engine, custom alerts can warn players of in-game events like low health.
Customization is the big theme for the Rival 700, which extends beyond the mouse’s notifcation capabilities. The USB cables can be swapped out, giving players the choice of a laptop-friendly 3 foot rubber cable or a desktop-ready 6-foot braided cable. The sensors can be swapped out, providing an upgrade path in the future without the need for a brand new mouse. Finally, the mouse cover can be swapped out for different shapes and surfaces.
The Rival 700 Elite Performance Gaming Mouse along with optional sensor and mouse cover accessories will launch in Spring 2016. The MSRP for the mouse is set at $99.99 / €109.99. No word on price for the sensor upgrade or mouse covers.
