BREAK Evolution now available in the newest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, XY—BREAKthrough and Level 50 Zoroark distribution at GAME from November 6
London, United Kingdom — November 4, 2015 — The Pokémon Company International welcomes its latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion to the franchise as well as a new BREAK Evolution game mechanic, in Pokémon TCG: XY—BREAKthrough, now available in UK stores.
Pokémon TCG: XY—BREAKthrough introduces the new BREAK Evolution game mechanic which features an HP boost and a new attack or Ability when a Pokémon evolves, and also retains its existing attacks. Pokémon BREAK cards are distinctive with a landscape design, unique foil pattern, and uniquely rendered art. Six new Pokémon BREAK cards are available in the expansion including Chesnaught BREAK and Zoroark BREAK.
Alongside the launch of Pokémon TCG: XY—BREAKthrough, the crafty Pokémon Zoroark will be available as a Level 50 special character distribution, only at GAME, in the UK during a promotional period starting Friday, November 6 and ending Thursday, November 26. Taking Zoroark’s Illusion Ability to the next level, Zoroark will leave opponents mystified with moves common to other popular competitive Pokémon. Zoroark maintains the subterfuge as the Pokémon itself comes in an Ultra Ball instead of a Cherish Ball.
The Level 50 Zoroark can be obtained for free from the serial code printed on receipts in GAME stores, no purchase necessary. Players can then redeem and utilise Zoroark’s Sucker Punch, Sludge Bomb, Flamethrower, and Dark Pulse moves inPokémon Omega Ruby, or Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, in addition to the Pokémon X orPokémon Y video games . *
Zoroark is also featured as the star Pokémon on an exciting blister pack containing three Pokémon TCG boosters and special Zoroark pin. This package can be found only at GAME in the United Kingdom during this promotional period and will be available at other retailers subsequently.
Pokémon TCG: XY—BREAKthrough brings eight new Pokémon-EX including four new Mega Evolution Pokémon, plus 20 Trainer cards, complete with two full-art rare Ultra Trainer cards. Also, two new theme decks with 60 new cards, including one foil card, as well booster packs with 10 new cards in each pack, will provide the ability to increase the size and strength of your deck.
Pokémon TCG: XY—BREAKthrough theme decks and booster packs each include one in-pack code card that unlocks a virtual deck or 10 virtual cards from the XY—BREAKthrough expansion in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online at www.pokemon.co.uk/tcgo . The Pokémon TCG Online is also now available on iPad via the App Store.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a collectible and competitive trading card game. In the competitive Pokémon TCG, each player constructs a deck of 60 cards and uses it to battle against other players in fast-paced, strategy-oriented play. Since the debut of the Pokémon TCG in 1996, more than 21.5 billion cards have been shipped to 74 countries around the world.
* There is no purchase necessary to collect the special gift, but players do need to have a copy of Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby or Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, as well as a system in the Nintendo 3DS family to obtain Zoroark in their game .
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit: www.pokemon.co.uk
The first Microsoft Flagship Store outside of North America is opening in Australia next week. Today, Microsoft announced that the hotly anticipated Surface Book and the updated Surface Pro 4 will be available exclusively in Australia at the brick and mortar Microsoft Flagship Store and at microsoftstore.com. The Surface Book will be priced at $2,299 AUD for the base model sporting 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and an Intel i5 processor. The Surface Pro 4 will start at $1,349 AUD for 128GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, and an Intel Core m3 processor.
The Microsoft Band 2 will start at $379 AUD and will only be available through the brick and mortar store. There will only be a limited number of units in stock and it is unknown if the wearable will be available online in Australia in the future. The Base Body Babes will be leading a fitness workshop for the first 20 buyers of the Microsoft Band 2.
Microsoft #SurfaceCreates Fan Event Photographer Adam Yip.
Microsoft also announced more plans for the Microsoft Flagship Store grand opening. The Base Body Babes, Kerrie Hess, Master Chief, and Spartan Locke will be making appearances at the store. Kerrie Hess will do a live drawing demo on a Surface Pro 4 in the store’s window. The first buyers of a Surface book or a Surface Pro 4 will get a bespoke illustration by Hess. The Australian artist specializes in fashion illustration. She has worked for both major fashion brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton and in fashion magazines like Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.
Croatian indie developers Dreamatrix (Legends of Dawn) will be bringing their open world RPGWave of Darkness out of Steam Early Access on November 5th, 2015. Dreamatrix was hard at work during their Early Access phase, announcing that they released over 70 fixes and 15 new features during that time. The company plans on continuing development post-release, promising to release updates at the same pace.
Wave of Darkness is a dark fantasy set in the corrupted world of Narr. The epic clocks in at more than 70 hours of gameplay, with plenty of side quests to complete. The game boasts a flexible class system that allows players to mix and match classes to create the perfect min/maxed character or have the freedom to experiment with new gameplay styles with little penalty. The game is available now on Steam for $21.99 USD.
Team Blacksea Odyssey has released a free alpha demo of their upcoming game Blacksea Odyssey. The demo is a teaser of what is to come, containing over 10 enemies, 75 items and runs, and three giant bosses to fight. The game runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows. The demo is available to download from the official website.
Additionally, Team Blacksea Odyssey has announced they will be starting their Kickstarter campaign next week to fund the development of their game.
Blacksea Odyssey is a rogue-like top down shooter that pits the cybernetically enhanced Old Man in a tournament against massive bosses in hopes of earning the right to battle the Titan of the Stars. The game is set to launch on Linux, Mac, Windows, and consoles in Spring 2016. The exact consoles will be announced at a later date.
Kate Hoshimiya is a young child who has always dreamed of conquering the world. She is the leader of the Zvezda organisation, known to her underlings as Lady Venera. World domination has never before been achieved in history, but to Kate, it is inevitable that she will accomplish this goal. By chance, middle school student Asuta Jimon meets Kate after he runs away from home. He is given the option to either starve to death or to join her cause. Asuta chooses to accept Kate’s offer of food and slowly becomes accustomed to his new life as Dva, a member of Zvezda.
Story
Kate is not always portrayed as a serious leader of the organisation that is intent on achieving world domination. Being a child, she is prone to relying on her instinct and frequently falling asleep. Her childlike nature is also exemplified by the way in which she shares her snack with Asuta in the first episode. Asuta’s reasons for running away reveal a lot about his past, and it is revealed that the majority of the main members of Zvezda have gone through something awful in their lives. It is during the recounts of those moments that it is possible to forge an emotional attachment to the characters who seemingly appear out of thin air on a frequent basis. This is even in spite of the fact that many characters are familiar archetypes; Lady Plamya is a tsundere archetype who wears an eye patch, Roboko is shy when in her ‘middle school girl mode’ and Yasu attempts to be a ‘cool’ bishounen. General Pepel is not archetypal, however, and the flashbacks from his past prove that he is not just a person who randomly shows up with a plate of cake but rather a well-rounded character. Professor Um is also an unusual character with an even more interesting past; she used to be completely isolated from the outside world but is a very kind-hearted person. What connects all of their lives is Kate. She showed them kindness in their moments of need, and that is where their devotion to her stems from. Anime series feature all kinds of friendships, and this series portrays the importance of friendship in a surprisingly thoughtful manner.
The theme of running away from home is downplayed for a significant portion of the series. Asuta reluctantly participates in Zvezda missions, but he does not miss living at home with his father. This and many other plot details are eventually explained towards the end of the series, and they are always explored poignantly. It is at these moments that the series can be taken seriously, even if for only a few brief moments. It is virtually impossible to take anything seriously the rest of the time. Just about everything has to be some kind of joke or parody of something. For example, a scene involving tentacle molestation is transformed from disturbing to downright ridiculous when a tentacle monster picks up Dva as well as White Robin, a member of Zvezda’s mysterious enemy organisation White Light. This is not quite the right series to be watching if you want to see the idea of running away from home explored realistically.
Randomness is abundant in every episode. To name just one example, there is a large group of monkeys bathing in a hot spring together with humans in one episode. How these monkeys got through the entrance and into a hot spring is anyone’s guess, but they are there and three of them even end up in a van. Matters can also get a little confusing at times with the constant shifting of alliances. Asuta is easily persuaded into joining Zvezda, but others are not so easily coerced into joining. Members of White Light, the mysterious organisation that represents justice, whatever justice may be for each individual, switch sides on more than one occasion. Few series can throw in as many plot twists as this one does and manage to get away with it. Few Japanese series dedicate an entire episode to the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes either, and this one takes the phrase ‘if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing’ as a challenge. It portrays cigarette smokers as non-human on more than one occasion, and in a rare move for Japanese media, Asuta discusses reasons why public smoking is bad for everyone’s health during Yasu’s bishounen fantasy sequence at the end of one episode.
Visuals
The visuals are colourful and A-1 Pictures’ animation is consistently high quality. The action sequences are fluid and well-detailed. There are many visual gags, all of which are intended to be quite obvious. The aforementioned monkeys are one such example of this. Character designs are a mixed bag, however. Asuta’s design is stock standard for a male lead in a comedy series, but the outfits of each of the characters are quite imaginative and help to make each character unique and easily distinguishable. Unfortunately, there are some perverted scenes throughout the 12 episodes of the television season. The shower scenes and bath scenes are clean for the most part, but Kate’s body is sexualised during a scene in which Asuta is carefully avoiding looking at her naked body when they end up in the same hot spring together. The aforementioned tentacle molestation scene is also uncomfortable despite going out of its way to be ridiculous and to make sure that the viewers know that it is, but the series is at its most disturbing when Professor Um is naked and restrained with chains when she is kidnapped by White Light. Sexual objectification is perpetually present in this series.
Audio
Tatsuya Kato’s light orchestral music adds to the surreal feel that is present right from the beginning of the series, and it draws attention to the fact that everything going on in Asuta’s life is perfectly ordinary for members of the Zvezda organisation. Kato’s music also does an excellent job at evoking a sense of anxiety, a theme that becomes more and more prominent as the series progresses. Both the opening theme song and ending theme song are significantly better than the usual pop songs featured in anime series. Even when things are getting dire for the ‘protagonists’, the songs never feel out of place at the beginning or end of the episodes and are a lot of fun to listen to. The voice acting is great as well, although there are no voice actors that stand out. The translation is mostly fine, but there are a few instances where the subtitles disregard English grammar rules and use Western phrases that are not suitable as translations of the Japanese dialogue. It is not clear why, but the opening and ending songs are only subtitled in the extras menu.
Extras
This release features the textless opening and ending animation, the preview for the OVA episode, the OVA episode itself and trailers and commercials for the series. OVA episodes can sometimes be relatively pointless, but this one provides character development for Roboko, which is a welcome surprise. It unfortunately does not explore what happened in the period of time between when Hoshimiya conquered West Udogawa and when she eventually conquered the whole world, but it is well worth watching for anyone who enjoyed the television series and its characters.
Overall
World Conquest Zvezda Plot is a memorable series that stands out despite its use of overused tropes, character archetypes and sexual objectification of its female characters. It is original, unique and often just downright bizarre. It simultaneously manages to be impossible to take seriously and while being consistently engaging and entertaining. Few concepts are as well executed as this one is, and few Japanese series depict a group of people in which there are more capable female fighters than male fighters. Seeing the ‘villains’ win is a lot of fun.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
LEGO® Dimensions™ Gets Even Bigger withRelease of Five Expansion Packs Based on Doctor Who, LEGO Ninjago, The Simpsons and The LEGO Movie!
New “Hire-a-Hero” Feature Lets Players Sample Characters
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today the release of five, highly collectible LEGO Dimensions expansion packs based on Doctor Who, LEGO Ninjago, The Simpsons and The LEGO Movie. Players can customize their gameplay experience with the purchase of these Wave 2 Level Packs, Team Packs and Fun Packs which provide an additional level, buildable characters, vehicles, and gadgets with special in-game abilities. Plus, any expansion pack character can unlock the corresponding Adventure World of the same brand to provide players with additional open-world gameplay content based on that entertainment property.
Additionally, new to LEGO Dimensions is the “Hire-a-Hero” feature update that allows players to sample a selection of Wave 1 expansion pack characters using studs collected in the game. Players can select the hologram minifigure near certain hint stones to unlock characters for a limited time to try out their special abilities to solve problems and complete puzzles. Characters from subsequent waves of expansion packs will be added in the future.
Fans who want more of the Whoniverse beyond the Doctor Who level in the LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack can purchase the Doctor Who Level Pack which includes “The Dalek Extermination of Earth,” an additional mission-based Doctor Who level, along with a 12th Doctor LEGO minifigure, TARDIS and K-9 – all playable in the game. The Doctor must prevent the Daleks from taking over London by travelling through time and space and even to the furthest extents of the galaxy. Equipped with his TARDIS, he is able to navigate the passageways of time and space to solve mysteries and avert hostile alien invasions. Players can activate the Doctor’s special Hacking, Technology, Fix-it and Doctor Regenerate option to help him solve in-game puzzles and defeat menacing enemies. The TARDIS and K-9 models can each be physically built and then rebuilt twice to do entirely different things in the digital game for massive variety.
The LEGO Ninjago Team Pack with Kai and Cole LEGO minifigures lets players use their golden Ninja weapons, unleash their Spinjitzu skills and activate other special abilities to overpower any enemy who stands in their way. Players can also rebuild Cole’s Builder Bomber into a Boulder Blaster and Cyclone Jet and Kai’s Blade Bike into a Flying a Fire Bike and Blades of Fire vehicle.
Players can add a touch of mischief to their LEGO Dimensions gameplay with their choice of The Simpsons Fun Packs featuring Bart Simpson and Krusty the Clown. In The Simpsons Fun Pack with Bart Simpson LEGO minifigure, players can activate Bart’s Target and Mini Access abilities to solve puzzles and battle enemies. They can also get on the move in Bart’s awesome Gravity Sprinter that rebuilds into a Street Shredder and Sky Clobberer for extra in-game powers. In The Simpsons Fun Pack with Krusty the Clown LEGO minifigure, players can activate his special Growth and Hazard Cleaner abilities. When Springfield’s favourite entertainer needs a ride, players can use his Clown Bike and rebuild it into a Cannon Bike and Anti-Gravity Rocket Bike to upgrade its powers in the game.
Players wanting to bring a hop, skip and a dance to the crazy mash-up multiverse of LEGO Dimensions can add The LEGO Movie Fun Pack with the Unikitty LEGO minifigure. Players can activate her special Rainbow LEGO, Master Build, and Big Transform abilities to solve puzzles and defeat destructive enemies. Her Cloud Cuckoo Car can be rebuilt it into the X-Stream Soaker and Rainbow Cannon for upgraded in-game powers.
LEGO Dimensions is now available for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation4 and PlayStation3 computer entertainment systems and the Wii U system from Nintendo.
2K Announces New Monster – Gorgon – Available Now for Evolve™
Free Blitz Markov and Rogue Val adaptations available in coming weeks Evolve: Ultimate Edition, including all currently available and announced playable characters, now available for purchase
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #EvolveGame
Sydney, Australia – November 4, 2015– 2K and Turtle Rock Studios today announced that Gorgon, a cunning and ghastly Monster, is now available for Evolve™, the 4v1 shooter in which four Hunters cooperatively fight to take down a single-player controlled Monster. Gorgon is available individually or as a part of Hunting Season 2*, which also includes Lennox (Assault class), Jack (Trapper class), and two additional Hunter characters. All Hunting Season 2 content will be made available before March 31, 2016.
Gorgon is a sly and hideous killer that enjoys watching her prey struggle. Gorgon makes up for her small health and armor pool with ranged attacks that deal damage over time and can be especially effective when stacked onto a single opponent. Gorgon uses her Web Sling traversal method to quickly pull herself across the map and allows her to stick to walls to hide and ambush unsuspecting Hunters. Gorgon’s abilities include:
Acid Spit – coats a target in burning acid and can be sprayed onto the environment, making areas too dangerous for Hunters to cross;
Web Snare – slows a target’s movement and deals damage, making Hunters easy prey for additional attacks;
Spider Trap – can be deployed at range, snatching Hunters and slowly digesting them while carrying them away;
Mimic – is a glowing husk that Gorgon sheds and controls remotely that traverses, melee attacks and detonates manually like a remote controlled bomb.
In addition to Gorgon, two free character adaptations will join the Evolve lineup in the coming weeks. Similar to the previously released Meteor Goliath, these adaptations provide an alternate character variant that combines new looks, effects, audio and gameplay into unique new playable Hunters. Blitz Markov trades damage reliability for increased damage potential that grows over time. Rogue Val excels at keeping multiple teammates healed at short range and increases her damage output, at the cost of decreased healing range and item utility.
About Evolve
From Turtle Rock Studios, creators of Left 4 Dead, comes Evolve, the shooter in which four Hunters face off against a single, player-controlled Monster in adrenaline-pumping 4v1 matches. Play as the Monster to use savage abilities and an animalistic sense to kill your human enemies, or choose one of four Hunter classes (Trapper, Support, Assault and Medic) and team up to take down the beast on the planet Shear, where flora and fauna act as an adversary to man and Monster alike. Level up to unlock new Hunter or Monster characters as well as upgrades, skins, and perks. Earn your infamy on the leaderboards and become the apex predator.
Evolve is available worldwide for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 system, and Windows PC. Evolve is rated MA15+ in Australia and R13 in New Zealand. For more information on Evolve, follow uson Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and visit http://www.Evolvegame.com.
*Xbox Live, PlayStation®Network, or Steam account and Internet connection required. Copy of Evolve required to play. On Xbox One, Xbox Live Gold membership required for some game modes. Additional in-game content available (sold separately).
2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
A new teaser trailer for The King of Fighters XIV has been released during Sony’s Korea press conference earlier today by SNK Playmore and with this teaser trailer comes the confirmation that both Leona and Chang Koehan will be appearing in the next iteration of the title as well as how they will look with the new art style.
The trailer also shows off more footage of the previously confirmed fighters of Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami. You can check out the footage below and can expect The King of Fighters XIV to be released on the PlayStation 4 sometime in 2016.
As we know, Capcom is planning on releasing the remastered Resident Evil 0 early next year and alongside this version they will also be selling the Resident Evil Origins Collection, which will contain both the remaster of Resident Evil as well as Resident Evil 0 on one disc for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Now for those who want to pre-order this retail copy, Capcom has announced a bonus.
Those who pre-order Resident Evil Origins Collection before it is released on January 19th will obtain a pair of bonus costumes for Rebecca and Billy for Resident Evil 0. Rebecca will be given a nurse’s gown that previously was featured in RE The Mercenaries 3D while Billy will receive the fitting outfit of Cody’s prison garb from Street Fighter.
Overview
So where should I start? I guess I should begin this review by explaining a bit of my history with what is now 2K Games’ WWE franchise. I first found this little wrestling game by the name of SmackDown 2: Know Your Role on the Playstation years ago. I was already a big wrestling fan at the time and fell in love with the easy to learn gameplay as well as the deep customization for the creation modes. There were just so many unlockables that the game’s season mode seemed limitless. I recall spending hours going through cutscenes just to unlock Scott Hall’s moveset. Days to find the proper “Unknown” template so I could create Rob Van Dam. Yes, I was in love and for about a year, and played the game every single night.
Since then I have purchased every installment in the franchise. There have been ups and downs, with terrible releases coming out the door such as Smackdown vs Raw 2008 and WWE ’12, as well as brilliant ones with the likes of Here Comes the Pain and WWE ’13. I guess as a fan I expect two steps forward and one step back as that is what we usually get, but last year the fans were given a demo, and not a game – so it wasn’t just a step. The developers got in a car and drove backwards at 90 miles per hour, slamming into every great thing that fans had come back for time and time again with WWE 2K15. I lost a lot of faith in the brand, but things always can change. WWE 2K16 promises to have the largest roster to date with a newly revamped creation system, a few new modes, and more. With low expectations I put my disc into the console, and well – I guess here are the results from a passionate fan who loves his wrestling games and virtual thrills.
Gameplay
I feel that the best place to start with WWE 2K16 is to tell you about the gameplay. If you played 2K15 you probably noticed that the gameplay was revamped, but the rest of the game was mostly gutted. Well, that has completely changed as this title is a complete product this time around, maintaining the improved mechanics and building around them to create a much better experience. It isn’t all rainbows, but we will get to the flaws in a second. Grappling, striking, and the general in-ring fare all feel great this year, with smarter AI taking part in the overall flow of a match, allowing the player to tell a story with their actions. I guess this is due to the small touches that were applied. I was in a match early on and was fighting Seth Rollins in a simple exhibition match. It was a back and forth contest that lasted around ten minutes – with my character dominating for most of the show. Rollins eventually gets frustrated and gets out of the ring, attempting to be counted out, like the heel he is on television. This is just one of many minor improvements that allow for those going in solo to have unique matches and create moments just about every time the game is played. Exhibition matches are actually the strongest part of the game as a whole, as with the large roster, players can use their imagination and create some truly “edge-of-your-seat” matches with the decently varied line-up that Yukes/WWE Games have offered this year.
There is Hell in a Cell, Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and many other specialty bouts that both the men and women are allowed to participate in (albeit not together aside from management fare). I do need to take a pause to say its time we lift the gender restrictions as well. I understand that Divas should not bleed, but for a game that tries to wear heritage on its sleeve, not being able to do inter-gender match-ups is something that needs to be lifted. It doesn’t kill the game to ensure someone like a Bella fights The Miz, but it does restrict some of the wonder that WWE has created with the likes of Chyna, Jacqueline, and Beth Phoenix in the past. That rant aside, I honestly like most of the general match types. Table matches feel balanced and require actual ringwork to complete, ladder matches now have the belts instead of a briefcase if that is the prize, and Falls Count Anywhere are definitely wild experiences that could go on for hours between two players. That said, 2K needed to fix the Royal Rumble. I do not like playing Dance Dance Revolution to knock someone out of the ring. It doesn’t feel realistic to see Big Show fighting Simon Gotch like crazy just to tip him over the rope. Make some exclusive moves or finishers that work away from the rope or just go back to not having a mini-game to knock someone out, I’d say. I think I speak for a large group of people when I say that even though we as the fans see the point of having a stalling mini-game, we would much rather see this important bout handled with more fluidity that an annoying quick-time event.
Speaking of mini-games, I cannot even finish the topic without speaking of the amount of mini-games that are in this title. Pins. Submissions. Anyway to win a match is some sort of quick-time event that requires you to suffer through a tedious motion to either kick out of or execute a finish. The submission system this year is an incredible joke. I know that fans have complained about button tapping to get out of a lock, but having to play cops and robbers in a circle with two colors is just fucking stupid. Yes, I apologize I have to be so blunt, but come on, you literally have to run from the other color to not tap. The pinning is still a frustrating time release fare, but I feel like the circle allows for more precision, and while I am still not in love with the gesture, it doesn’t bother me near as bad as it did during the past few years. I do like a lot of the little touches that were put in to show some faith to the product when it comes to those match-ending memories. It takes a long time to get up sometimes as…well – we will get there, but when you and your opponent are out of stamina and drained, you can throw your arm over them to end the match. It makes for an incredible end result when all goes right, and there are a lot of other little tweaks that have never been seen before in this franchise also worthy of praise. I haven’t seen the ability to interrupt entrances since Raw 2, but WWE 2K16 nails it as you can catch your opponent in mid-taunt and wail them as the audience looks on in horror. The core game, despite its frustrations works very well. I just wish the modes could be a bit sharper.
My Career is something we saw last year. You remember when you turned it on to Bill DeMott yelling at you for the first few matches and then went to something else? Well, its better this time as while the same NXT to WWE Champion approach is still forefront to the experience, we get Albert to warm us up to what is at least a more organized card. This mode works almost exactly like WWE Universe mode, but with you using your created character to move up the ranks and eventually retire after leaving a legacy of great matches. This mode actually is interesting, but has a few drawbacks that hold it back entirely. The first is the card. I like NXT as much as the next guy, but starting in a federation that has less than 15 participants most of the time gets a bit stale after a while. I know everything about Tyler Breeze, Hideo, and so on more-so now than ever – so I guess that is a plus, but I had the same type of feud repeat three times – and these are no week to week feuds but instead rivalries that last for a month or two at a time.
The next flaw is the way the “new reversal system” works into the game mode. Ok, I get it. We need to make sure chain reversals don’t happen and limiting reversals in matches in theory works. The problem is that reversing an opponent is tough work when the inputs don’t read correctly. No, I am not bad at it as I have perfected the art of timed reversals in past games. These inputs literally do not register half the time, even when you still have a bar of reversal up. It doesn’t help that you start with a lower attribute for all stats, including reversal – and have to BUY A $10 DLC “STARTER PACK” IN ORDER TO BE AS BALANCED AS THE NXT SUPERSTARS! I was absolutely appalled by this as I lost a lot for hours before being able to stand up against minor opponents. I was not able to springboard, I was not able to dive off a rope as a high-flyer I created, because of a DLC wall. Sure, you get better after around seven or eight months of story, but who loves to lose for that long aside from a lucky bout here and there? This DLC is not even in the season pass either, and is absolutely sickening as it killed my mood for a mode that could have made this game a must have instantly. Its not cute on the iPhone and it isn’t cute here, 2K.
Moving on, I do need to speak a bit about the WWE Showcase, which this year focuses on the career of Stone Cold Steve Austin. I will be honest, I have never bought into the Showcase all that much as sure, I liked it as a one-off during the Attitude Era themed WWE ’13, but in the end you are just doing objectives to “relive” moments while video footage is pasted in-between the situations. It really isn’t any different here, but a lot of detail did go into making this mode as we get to see so many minor and more forgettable aspects of Steve Austin’s career celebrated that normally we would not see otherwise. If you’re a fan of the Texas Rattlesnake or even that part of the Attitude Era, well – this is for you without a doubt. Having JR and King back on the commentary booth is reason enough to play through the mode, but I will say I really hated suffering through submission moves from Bret when I am trying to complete tedious objectives when the submission system is so bad as it stands.
The Creation Suite last year was gutted, with no divas, limited options, and nearly everything outside of moves missing. This year we get a much better product that has actually seen significant change. Instead of sculpting the scale of each body part, you can now use a mocap styled dot system to mold the shape of your created Superstar. It works exactly as it sounds, with the player controlling dots to shape facial features, sizes of limbs, and body parts. We also have a lot more customization with new pieces of clothing to dress your superstar up with, so with the logo imports and even facial capture (that is on the way), this is definitely a refreshing step up from last year’s mess. You cannot age a Superstar though, and that may not sound like much, but it definitely hurts the mode as imagine trying to sculpt out a Legend just to find out that they will be a plastic-looking babyface. I suppose creative fans can work around this, but for those who do not enjoy spending a lot of load time to add wrinkles with a paint tool, well – you might want to import some actual headshots later on to make your older guys. Also, and I am adding this in right here because I can. Why would you take out The Worm, take away THE WORM motion, just leaving the chop, and then still label it The Worm? I promised myself I would mention that. Move along.
The next big addition is Create a Show. This mode is one for those who want to lose hours upon hours into the main game as you can create every aspect of your own show, down to the logo for the brands within. Assigning matches, Superstars, and so on along with the extra slots for created wrestlers means one could literally recreate an entire era or company if they would like, and I definitely am excited to see this now decent addition to be something truly great in the future. Online mode is much better as in you can play it without waiting an hour. There still are no entrances online and that needs to change, but aside from that the whole “WWE Tonight” and “WWE Live” matchmaking options definitely make that portion feel more complete despite not being able to see the entrances for our wrestlers that we spent so much time making.
Visuals
Well, I will say that the graphics in WWE are decent. The models look fine in the ring and most look smooth. The lighting in arenas is also well done and some of the faces look right on. For instance, Billy Gunn looks fantastic this time around and so does a lot of the NXT superstars who are making their debut here. Renee Young looks…I can’t. I have never laughed so hard at a character model as I have with Renee Young and her awkward animations. You will understand when you play and get interviewed but between her face and Shane McMahon’s “face”, I can’t honestly tell you which one is worse. That is kind of the theme with the visuals. Some are great. Some are terrible. A lot of work went into making new reversal animations and these are great and exciting to see. Getting your hand stuck in a Superstars chest due to a glitch or watching screen tears and other abnormalities however are not that wonderful to see or experience. This is a glitchy game but its glitchy in a Red Dead Redemption way where it will make you laugh and not angry due to the visual mess-ups. Can you forgive fighting an invisible opponent? Well, that did happen to me once and I did, so its all about perspective.
Perspective.
Audio
I was watching Lillian Garcia announce the rules for a Royal Rumble and noticed how her cheeks looked like she was in a wind tunnel as her lips failed to match up to the dialogue she was saying when she randomly shouted “D-Generation X!”. I was Adam Rose. She then shouted it again during the next entrance instead of announcing my opponent, who was Kane. Not here is Kane, not as part of ______, KANE! – but just “D-Generation X!”. That is kind of what you get with a lot of the audio. It is fluid 90% of the time and the other bit is a bit harder to take. The commentary as usual is hit or miss as while I think its better, JBL sounds so bored while reading his lines that he comes across as unbelievable. The in-game soundtrack is better. Not great, but easier to enjoy with a wider variety than the country/rock rubbish we got last year.
Overall
After bring rather critical during this writing, I think most would think by now that I would frown upon this release, but I honestly found the core of WWE 2K16 to be a blast to play. The gameplay itself and the pacing of the matches lead to some unforgettable moments that are sure to capture any fan’s excitement as they pick their favorite superstars. That said, just because the game is better (by miles) than last year’s abomination does not mean this game is perfect or even great for that matter, as shady practices hurt one of the finest modes in the game while other mechanics have been applied without any thought or merit, acting as wet band-aid that is supposed to “fix” problems that us fans have been vocal about for years.
WWE 2K16 is a completed version of what should have been WWE 2K15, but somehow still manages to be full of bugs that at this point should not exist. This isn’t the debut of a WWE video game on a console and it should not be given a “better luck next time” jab to the cheek just because it managed to be better off this time. Full of flaws, frustrations, and fun – WWE 2K16 is sure to be one of the most polarizing releases in history, as it still isn’t good enough to represent the brand for this generation, but is just good enough for a fan to spend countless hours on as they patiently wait with hope for a more polished product in the future.
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