I sense a great disturbance in the force, like millions of players cried out in joy and were suddenly moved to a brand new planet. Star Wars: Battlefront has been out for a little while now, and while we here at Capsule Computers have been enjoying it, there is definitely room for more. Enter EA’s Battle of Jakku free update.
Set in the time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, the Battle of Jakku mission puts the new republic (formerlly rebel) soldiers against the last remnants of the Galactic Empire on the desert planet of Jakku.
Players who pre-ordered Battlefront have access to the new Battle of Jakku content now while everyone else will be able to join in on the action on December 8th. If you are stuck waiting then check out the launch trailer below, and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the awesome Battlefront news as it becomes available.
Overview
Over the years, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon has evolved from what could have easily been a one-off Pokemon title to an entire series that has its own loyal following. Those who crave rogue-likes and dungeon exploring can definitely get their fix here, and since the series has moved to the 3DS, we have also seen a large improvement in the way of storytelling. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon allows players to do more and see more Pokemon than ever before, featuring 720 Pokemon on the roster as well as a lot of new narrative to sink into. How does it fare? Lets find out!
Story
For the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, the narrative has usually remained close to the same for the overall experience. The player mysteriously wakes up as a Pokemon and quickly gets thrown into a new world with talkative friends who are Pokemon that live in their own little world. This time around, a Nuzleaf finds the player (who will become one of the entire roster of starters or mascot Pokes) and brings them back to a small town, quickly trying to enroll them into a school for Pokemon. It sounds silly enough, but there is another plot involving legendary Pokemon coming to Earth, as well as other Pokemon mysteriously turning to stone. At first, you will be doing very innocent little rescues that are mainly used to flesh out the characters within the game. As you progress however, the large and meaty plotline begins to unfold, tying everything together perfectly for what in my opinion is the strongest this story has ever been.
Its not just about the story – even though that alone is fantastic. The writing is marvelous in Super Mystery Dungeon. Every Pokemon has their own little personality, with some even having accents as well as other little quirks that really bring out the charm to the roster within, making every interaction memorable. I still remember the Pokemon from the start, middle, and end of the game due to their little quirks, like how Pancham and Shelmet are brainless bullies, and Deerling has had it up to “HERE” with their antics. There are so many Pokemon that just keep coming that you would think it would be hard to keep up, but this title has a way of making them all fit despite having an average sized home base. The themes are also important as Gates to Infinity definitely brought out more mature dialogue with its stories of death and growth, and this title takes that writing and twists it a bit – delivering excellent lessons within the narrative that make it feel as if the player is watching a great Saturday morning cartoon. I am sure this entry could have gotten away with being shallow in terms of story as the gameplay does a lot, but it really shows how much value this title has once you are thinking more about what is next in terms of cutscenes than the Pokemon infested dungeons that lie ahead.
Gameplay
Dungeons. Yes, there will be dungeons. The core gameplay has not changed much – and still works better than ever with the player having to go into dungeons and find the next staircase to move to the next floor – usually with a friend attached. If you are playing a story mission, the game will select your team for you. If you are doing a standard dungeon, you can recruit any Pokemon in the roster. Yes, all 720 can eventually be recruited- but do keep in mind that takes a bit of time to unlock. Like other Mystery Dungeon titles, the player moves one square at a time at a speed of their choosing, but they also must keep in mind to choose their direction carefully as enemies also move at your pace, meaning you will definitely run into some foes based on the path you take. By holding down the shoulder button, the player can choose from one of four moves on the fly, launching an attack that works by type and distance. For instance, a razor leaf can hit a straight forward target from a few spaces away, while something like tackle requires close combat. Your team also attack when you do, with AI that is allowed to be altered to best fit the players own liking.
Items are a big deal as well – as managing the stuff you find plays a large role in survival. Apples and other food items fix your hunger stat, which drains based off of every step you make. Once the hunger is depleted, your HP will follow unless you use a healing item such as a berry. Other items boost PP and other stats, ensuring you can continue to use those effective move while also keeping the main strategic elements in check by not keeping a heavy load of those items in the dungeons themselves. Blocks can be found on the floor to eliminate status effects that the enemy has bestowed on your team, so finding these before heading into a new area is usually a good idea even though most status effects disappear on the next floor.
It wouldn’t be a new entry without something new to hang onto as well. Players can now take advantage of “Looplets”, which act as a belt or an accessory of sorts that can hold gems known as “emeras”. Each emera you find has a special power that can boost a stat, or even cause Mega Evolution later in the game. The drawback of these little items is that they are timed upon finding and if you are pacing the floors you will more than likely see one shatter in front of you and be forced to gather up the remains in order to get a power. Its a nice little addition that definitely encourages exploration, as later in the game the difficulty ramps up and these Looplets are nearly a requirement to ensure the player will make it out in one piece. Yeah, this is still Pokemon and isn’t punishing on many fronts, but I definitely was surprised with the challenged this title had compared to the more lax difficulty of Gates to Infinity.
If the player fails a dungeon, they can call for help from other players with passwords, QR codes, and so on – keeping that natural communication with other players in tact that had me running to forums over ten years ago in Blue Rescue Team everytime my beloved Pokemon fell. The main town is also a joy to explore and even though it takes a long time to get away from the story – one could easily sink in at least sixty to seventy hours in this experience due to the very high amount of replay value. Yes, this is still a Pokemon game at heart and it beats boldly with everything that the fans could ask for.
Visuals
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is a weird title to me, but I will say that however misplaced those words are, there is still a stunning game underneath. The 3D models look exceptional as Nintendo are not trying to shove the 3D elements down our throat – but instead polishing every color and environment in order to make some great eye candy for the player to feast on. I will say it again that this title really has the look and the feel of a cartoon that you would wake up and watch as a kid, and with the chipper and emotive pictures and animations, its very easy to immerse yourself into this wonderful spin-off.
Audio
The music is also exceptional. Every track is just happiness in a bottle, ready to break and spread joy to all those that hear it. I don’t want it to sound like the game is overly cheesey, but the music is so chipper that is makes the player feel good and upbeat despite the fact that more serious situations are featured, in turn letting the light-hearted atmosphere take hold. The Pokemon don’t have voices or cries but the written dialogue is much preferred, and most will not even think about those classic cries once they dive into all of the many characters’ personalities.
Overall
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is a shining gem on the 3DS that honestly took me by surprise. I usually enjoy this line of games to start with, but this entry seemed to go above and beyond – setting a new mark with its excellent narrative, sharp writing, and solid gameplay. It isn’t often when a spin-off can stand right beside its originator on its own two feet, but Super Mystery Dungeon does just that, stepping out of the shadow of the much loved RPG franchise and into the limelight where it finally feels like the series has come full circle with its own identity. Those who love Pokemon and are looking for a lot of gameplay in a fresh and imaginative world, look no further as Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon may just be one of the finest Pokemon titles to ever hit a handheld.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
It has been several years since Rico Rodriguez, the dictator disposal specialist, parted ways with The Agency. Now Rico is putting back on his parachute and returning home to the Mediterranean island of Medici to put his skills to good use. General Di Ravello has ruled the country with an iron fist that would make a South American dictator proud. Armed with an improved grappling hook and a new wingsuit, Rico is ready to destroy Di Ravello’s strongholds and take him down.
Story
Rico is bringing his many skills he’s learned while working for The Agency home in hopes of setting Medici free. Reunited with his childhood friend Mario and his old mentor Sheldon, Rico plans on systematically blowing up General Di Ravello’s strongholds one by one to help support the rebellion. While previous games were more focused on the island, Just Cause 3spends a little more time focusing on Rico as a character and the relationships he has developed over his lifetime.
Just Cause 3 plays out like an explosive summer action flick. Avalanche Studios shows quite a bit of self-awareness on how over the top and ridiculous the whole premise of Rico’s skillset is and has created a plot to match. They have taken the classic American action hero and have gone a step further, with Rico riding missiles and generally blowing up nearly everything in sight. While the plot won’t win any Oscars anytime soon, Just Cause 3’s quirky cast of characters will likely win your heart. Like Rico, many characters fill in a standard action movie role, but almost all have some twist to them that makes them incredibly endearing and likable. The writing is top notch for the most part, though some of the lines for the civilian populace are a bit odd. For example, when Rico pulls a civilian out of a car to “liberate” it for the rebellion, it is rare for the civilian to express any outrage. Instead, gamers are met with comments like “careful, it sticks on 2nd.”
Gameplay
Just Cause 3 is an open world action game that build on the series’ signature grappling hook/parachute combo with the new wingsuit. The nation of Medici is actually composed of a main island with two smaller islands and a series of tiny rock outcroppings. The islands are split into provinces, each composed with military bases, military bases, and oppressed towns. To liberate the provinces and kick Di Ravello out, Rico will need to systematically destroy Di Ravello’s military hardware. Of course, as Rico wreaks more havoc, the alert level steadily rises and more powerful enemies are hurled in his direction. The rest of the game is all pretty standard open world fare. There are tons of collectibles scattered across the world to collect, challenges to complete, vehicles to ride around in, and missions to complete.
Rico starts out with a pretty basic arsenal. The first three slots are for weapons and the fourth weapon slot is an unlimited supply of Bavarium powered explosive charges. Rico is able to use flares to fast travel around the map or call in supply drops, but they are limited in number and must be replenished. As military bases are conquered and collectables are found, more special weapons are unlocked. For every challenge the player completes, they are awarded up to five gears based on their performance. The gears go into a pool that unlocks mods for weapons and vehicles. These mods can turn the simple time based grenades into more complex behemoths or provide a better zoom on weapons. The mods can be enabled or disabled instantly at will, which encourages players to experiment. The mod system is a great way to give players a chance to equip themselves based on their personal play style without overloading the game with too many weapons and equipment serving very specific niches.
Just Cause 3’s movement system is excellent. Rico switches between the grappling hook, the parachute, and the wingsuit smoothly. It is incredibly easy to zip around the map, blazing away with weapons one second then grappling onto a helicopter and hijacking it the next. The fact that Rico handles so well is what makes it so jarring when things go wrong. The game sometimes has a bit of problems with shooting the grappling hook at high objects and some ledges. Sometimes Rico struggles to jump up onto the ledge, other times, the grappling hook hits the completely wrong area. The controls are extremely responsive on both controllers and mouse and keyboard combos. The mouse and keyboard struggles a bit with the wingsuit controls, as the wingsuit is much better suited for an analog stick versus the binary nature of movement keys. The PC controls are missing a separate slider for camera sensitivity in vehicles, as vehicle turrets seem to be set at half the sensitivity as the on foot camera.
I had a blast with the story missions. Avalanche Studios has created some epic moments with the story missions that are really enjoyable. Things aren’t nearly as rosy outside the main storyline. Just Cause 3 suffers the same problems as most open world games these days, as it can get really repetitive. Play through some of the challenges, liberate the first island, find a few collectibles, and you have pretty much gotten the gist of the entire game.
Just Cause 3’s map is designed with the movement system in mind. There are plenty of high spots to leap off, making it easy to wingsuit around. The mountainous terrain also makes for interesting driving conditions, with plenty of winding roads to challenge high speed daredevils. The towns tend to look the same after a while, but the military bases provide some interesting layouts.
Visuals
Medici is a beautiful Mediterranean island. The environment feels like it is torn out of a travel magazine with the shimmering seas and beautiful Italian style villages that dot the coastline. The world is colourful, vibrant, and very lively.
Just Cause 3 is a next-gen only game and clocks in with one of the highest minimum specs for PC games this year. Even at the lowest graphic settings on the PC, Just Cause 3 looks fantastic. The animations are incredible smooth, with Rico transitioning between the parachute, grappling hook, and wingsuit smoothly. The destruction in the game is procedurally generated and results in some visually impressive explosions that behave quite naturally. On the flip side, sometimes Rico’s ragdoll animations seems a little unnatural at times, especially when hit gently with slow moving vehicles. The game does struggle a little with some clipping in busy sea fights and some lag when loading demo videos during challenges, but otherwise delivers a solid technical performance.
Audio
Just Cause 3 delivers an excellent audio experience. The sound effects are top notch and the voice acting is excellent. The music is excellent; I really love how the Spanish guitars kick in during combat, which suits Rico’s combat style nicely.
Overall
Just Cause 3 takes the best of the series and then brings it to the next level. The game’s high speed movement system is responsive and a pleasure to use. As expected of an AAA title, the audio/visual experience is solid. The game’s plot is worthy of a summer blockbuster and has a cast of loveable characters. Although Just Cause 3 can’t escape the repetitive nature that plagues many open world games these days, the game is still incredibly fun.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Start Cyber Monday off right with a brand new indie bundle. The Indie GalaEvery Monday Bundle #88 packs six indie games for only $1.89 in the first 24 hours of the sale.
Out There – A rogue like game that challenges players to survive deep space.
Princess.Loot.Pixel.Again – A retro styled platformer that mixes rogue-lite mechanics with a combo-based combat system.
Miracle Fly – A puzzle platformer packed with more than a hundred unique levels.
Fine Sweeper – A reimagining of the classic computer game Minesweeper.
Shutter – Played completely through the eyes of a CCTV camera and a RC surveillance unit, Shutter is inspired by old school horror games like Resident Evil.
For the first 24 hours of the sale, the bundle is only $1.89, so grab your bundle at Indie Gala today.
Overview The concept of bringing people from a normal world into a fantasy land is nothing new and in recent years it has been on a big rise in the anime industry as the many light novels that have taken this approach are starting to be created. No Game No Life happens to be one of these but puts a bit of a twist on things and when it first aired back in 2014 many people were pleasantly surprised by what the series had to offer. So now that it has been released in English, is No Game No Life worth your time?
Story While many series using the hero from another land premise gift their summoned or reincarnated hero a special power in order to save the world, No Game No Life starts with two people as far from functional as possible. The eighteen year old Sora and his eleven year old sister Shiro are self-proclaimed NEETs that have become known as the ruthless gaming group known as Blank. No matter what type of game they play and no matter how their opponents may cheat or how outnumbered they are, the pair have always overcome the odds as long as they work together and have remained undefeated in the world.
Unfortunately this gaming prowess hasn’t translated into a successful life for these siblings as they refuse to participate in the game such as normal life. Calling it a “crappy game” where people are punished regardless of what they do, the two shut themselves away and spend all of their time online gaming. That all changes when they are suddenly invited to an online chess match and sent an email asking if they are happy with their current world.
After spending quite a bit of time winning the chess match, their opponent reveals himself as a god named Tet. Tet extends an invite to the world of Disboard where all no one is allowed to kill anyone and all violence has been outlawed after Tet found himself the only god left standing after an extended period of war. In Disboard everything is upheld by ten pledges and all types of conflict are resolved through games.
In a world such as this, Sora and Shiro find themselves taking a liking to the concept and although they find themselves confronted with a number of challenges right off the bat, such as finding a place to eat and sleep, their gaming prowess allows them to quickly overpower practically anyone who stands in their way. After taking part in a number of games and taking over the last bastion of humanity in the world of Disboard where sixteen total races reside, the pair find themselves eager to take on the rest of the world, even if it means betting everything to do so.
Taking a pair of characters and dropping them into a situation where they are unbeatable may not make for the most enthralling of series but No Game No Life handles this situation perfectly thanks to two elements of the story. The first happens to be that despite Shiro and Sora being geniuses in their respective fields, the two turn into nonfunctioning train wrecks when separated for a fairly good reason that is actually explored, and that their personalities create an absolutely hilarious combination that shines throughout this season as the two experience the various elements of the fantasy world, especially whenever Sora’s ego takes a bit of a beating when he starts to fantasize about the girls and is knocked down a peg by Shiro.
Put their personalities alongside a cast of side characters that are similarly well handled, with the prideful but airheaded daughter of the previous king of humanity Steph and an angel-like being with powers created to eliminate god but simply adores learning anything she can while also seeking to please make up the usual present cast of characters that keep everything feeling fun, though the ecchi requests of Steph does become a quick running joke that some may not like at first even though it is worth noting that she does have a number of shining moments in this first season.
The serious approach that Sora and Shiro take to winning and the delight from crushing their opponents through incredibly well planned out events involving various manipulations and some rather twisted thinking at times makes up the other part of what makes No Game No Life work so well. Although viewers are given very little doubt that Sora and Shiro will win their games, the way they go about it makes for an enthralling experience. The pair state that a “game is won before it starts” and this becomes a running theme as players see them compete in games ranging from simple rock-paper-scissors set to extremely fantastical games that see chess pieces responding to a player’s charisma, a world destroying word-chain game against an unstoppable being, and even a Galgun referenced game against a tiny warbeast.
While I will not go into more detail about how exactly the pair manage to win these games, they are all handled in unique and well thought out ways that are spectacularly over the top in nature making it impossible to look away while also never being able to guess what will happen next. Put together the way these games are handled with the outstanding humor and colorful cast of characters and you’ll find No Game No Life to be a series that is as fun as it can get when it comes to this premise, though a few may find the lack of development for the core cast a bit lacking.
Visuals I must say that while there are options to purchase No Game No Life in DVD format, the approach that the animation studio Madhouse took towards No Game No Life practically requires that the series is seen on Blu-ray. This is due to the fact that the series is packed with bright coloration in every aspect of the world with only the environments occasionally taking on a slightly dulled down look to the color saturation in every other aspect of the series which I find to be an absolute treat that I would like to see more of down the road from other series willing to take such a vibrant and colorful risk.
The characters are very well designed with a number of unique looking appearances to be found here and there is a surprisingly high level of quality to be found during the action sequences that occur during the final game in the season as the characters find themselves partaking in the aforementioned shooting game where the many fast paced shooting scenes never take a drop in quality. It is worth noting that although the title does try and get a bit of fan-service in here and there, it is extremely limited to the point that Sora mentions that their friend steam is there to block all the naughty bits and even in a separate game this manner is handled in a way that sticks true to the rules laid down before the game began.
Audio This release of No Game No Life features both the original Japanese voice track as well as the new English voice track recorded by Sentai Filmworks. The English voice cast does a great job fitting into the personalities of their characters though it is worth noting that a few aspects of Izuna’s dialogue have been altered to fit the English track but for the most part viewers will find themselves pleased with the way that the English dub handles the series.
As for the soundtrack, background music is used impressively well at times as it is usually used either to help make a dramatic moment all that more impactful or to add comedic tone to a humorous scene. The opening theme for this release is “This Game” by Konomi Suzuki which is an excellent theme that I found difficult to skip past at times while the ending theme is “Oracion” and is performed by Shiro’s Japanese voice actress Ai Kayano. The ending theme is a bit softer in tone and does reflect certain changes that occur during the series, especially during a certain set of episodes to play up the fact that something has gone amiss.
Extras With the release of No Game No Life on standard Blu-ray Sentai Filmworks has included a few standard bonuses as well as a collection of shorts for the series. The standard features of course are things such as clean versions of the opening and ending theme, Japanese promotional material, trailers for other series from the company, and the rare inclusion of Japanese commentaries for a select few episodes.
As for the collection of shorts, we have six on offer with this release. These six shorts run around three to four minutes each and take various stylized approaches to side-events that take place throughout the series’ storyline with a heavy emphasis placed on humor and unique designs.
Overall No Game No Life may have been a series that people had overlooked back when it aired as it’s basic premise didn’t make it sound overly special due to the number of titles with the same approach coming out recently. Thankfully this title has proved itself to be truly exceptional thanks in part to the personalities of the characters and the humorous scenes that come out of their interactions with one another but primarily due to the handling of the games that Sora and Shiro play against the other residents of Disboard. No Game No Life is presented in gorgeous fashion and those who pass on this series will be doing themselves a rather large disservice as this is a series that will leave you asking for much more after the last episode wraps up.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview After waiting for nearly four months fans of Game of Thrones have finally been able to see how the story of House Forrester will come to a head in the final episode of the season. With five episodes already under our belts and with Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series: The Ice Dragon now available has Telltale Games managed to find a proper conclusion for this episodic series?
Story Now before reading further I will note that there will be spoilers discussed in this review for events that took place during the previous episode, A Nest of Vipers, since a certain decision does play a major role in the way events unfold in The Ice Dragon. That and since this is the final episode of the series means that only those who are caught up with the series at this point should continue to read on.
For the entire season players have been following the members of House Forrester as they’ve struggled to stay alive after the turbulent events that saw the previous lord of Ironrath fall during the Red Wedding. We’ve seen many deaths and now only three playable characters have been left standing in The Ice Dragon. Gared who has seen his journey take him to The Wall and beyond it in order to find the mythical North Grove, Mira who is stuck in the capital of political backstabbing Kings Landing, and either Rodrick or Asher depending on your decision in A Nest of Vipers who now must face off against Ludd and the rest of the Whitehills in order to defend Ironrath and protect House Forrester from falling to ruin.
Though these story segments are broken up over the course of the episode in true Game of Thrones fashion, I’ll be going through them by most satisfactory to least and starting off we have the events that take place at Ironrath. Telltale Games dropped a major choice on player’s last episode that saw either Asher or Rodrick fall to an ambush and the surviving character escaping from Whitehill clutches to continue home. While this choice could have been something that only resulted in cosmetic changes, there are a number of sequences and events that are exclusive to each of these two characters.
Certain combat sequences and plans of attack are locked to either Asher or Rodrick which helps encourage players to experience the story more than once for, if nothing else, to see these differences. Of course, since the battles with the Whitehills serve as the biggest highlight of the season it also means that the climactic battle sequence plays out the same way regardless of who was actually chosen as it serves as a way to get player’s back on track for the Forrester storyline.
North of the Wall we find Gared’s journey for the North Grove come to an end as he finally manages to arrive. Unfortunately players are given barely any explanation as to why the North Grove is important nor are any of the actual decisions made during his sequence carry any weight for this season. There is only a small reveal about the North Grove and the hint that it is indeed powerful, but other than an “emotional” choice to be made about a comrade and the fate of the North Grove, none of it has any weight since players are given no closure or are even shown the outcome of their choices here.
Unfortunately Mira’s storyline isn’t handled any better in The Ice Dragon. While her storyline has seen players having to politically maneuver and outtalk certain main characters in the series while playing politics to stay alive, it all eventually turns out pointless, though not before players are given the option to betray or assist a close friend. Mira’s story does culminate in the reveal of yet another enemy of House Forrester but depending on player’s choices here it also serves as a method that will either bring her story to an end or leave it to continue on in a potential second season. In fact, Mira’s influence on the aforementioned battle at Ironrath is only mentioned briefly in passing, making her part of the Telltale’s Game of Thrones feel miniscule at best.
Of course in the end players are treated to one hell of a climactic scene that features the most violence and gore that Telltale Games has ever used in a series. Players will witness many characters falling in battle one after another in true Game of Thrones fashion but in the end practically every storyline is left open for a continuation, again depending on player choice, in another season which only ends up hurting The Ice Dragon’s impact due to Gared’s story lacking any solid pay off and Mira’s sputtering out at the end.
Gameplay
The gameplay throughout The Ice Dragon remains the same as what fans can expect from Telltale Games as they make various dialogue choices while talking with characters and then partaking in intense combat sequences that make use of quick time events to either dodge or attack an enemy. As mentioned before some fight sequences are locked to certain characters which is a nice touch to encourage replay value.
Visuals & Audio It is interesting to note that The Ice Dragon is perhaps the most brutal episode of Telltale’s Game of Thrones so far. Not only are certain player actions rather gross looking but the battle sequences result in some very gory deaths for those involved. The entire oil painting aesthetic remains a key point in this episode though this time around it is more hit and miss as some environments turn out rather gorgeously here while others are either blurred or look terrible thanks to the art style choice.
The voice work and soundtrack continues to be fairly impressive as the voice actors handle their roles perfectly at this point and the numerous dramatic moments are portrayed well.
Overall It has been a fairly long wait and now that the wait is over, Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series: The Ice Dragon closes out the series with an impressive action sequence that unfortunately puts too much stake into hoping that the series will continue into a second season resulting in many story elements lacking impact. The developers have really nailed the universe of Game of Thrones quite well with this series and we can just hope that if a second season does come about, that these hanging threads can be wrapped up then. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Right when you thought it was ok to take a breath and recover from the epic saga that was Jessica Jones, Disney and Marvel have decided to hit us with their hype-train immediately after with the official trailer for next year’s HUGELY anticipated superhero flick; Captain America: Civil War.
Civil War, based on the comics event of the same name, follows on from the events of Age of Ultron and sees our favourite heroes and villains squaring off against one another over a very divisive issue. How this will play out in the Marvel Cinemativ Universe, we have to wait until May to figure out but for now let us watch the trailer below and speculate endlessly!
The new DLC doesn’t stop as Project CARS receives yet another DLC pack following on from the release of the Japanese car pack.The Classic Lotus Expansion pack features four Classic Team Lotus cars, three new locations to drive them on and two expansion races for Career mode, the Lotus Vintage GT Challenge and the Lotus Vintage Formula Challenge. While those cars and trakcs are locked behind the paid DLC, every owner of Project CARS will receive the 1970 Lotus Type 49C Cosworth for free.
Descriptions of the five new cars and three new tracks can be found below as well as a trailer for all the new content that is now available for purchase. The pack cost $3.50 US and is available for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
1970 Lotus Type 49C Cosworth
The Lotus Type 49C was the last evolution of the Team Lotus ultra-successful Lotus 49 car that took Formula One by storm in 1967. Once again powered by the proven Cosworth DFV V8 engine and equipped with front & rear wings, the 49C bridged the gap between the original wingless design of the Type 49 and the new aerodynamic design approach that would kick off with the Lotus 72.
1965 Lotus Type 40 Ford
The Lotus 40 marked the last attempt of Team Lotus in sports car racing. An improved version of the Lotus 30, the open-top car was designed primarily with competition in the North American Can-Am series in mind. Powered by a Ford 351 Ford V8 engine, three Lotus 40 chassis were built, being driven by Lotus drivers Richie Ginther and Jim Clark as well as American racing legend A.J. Foyt.
1963 Lotus Type 25 Climax (F1)
Designed by Colin Chapman for competition in the 1962 Formula One World Championship season, the Lotus 25 was the first ever race car to use a monocoque chassis, setting a standard that is still used in racing to this very day. Powered by a Coventry Climax engine, the car made its debut at the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix and helped Jim Clark to his first Grand Prix win at Spa later that year. The 25 was raced until 1965, winning 14 races and clinching 17 pole positions along the way.
1966 Lotus Type 38 Ford (Indy)
The Lotus 38 became famous as the first mid-engined car to win the legendary Indianapolis 500. Designed by Colin Chapman and Len Terry, the car was powered by a Ford V8 fuel-injected engine putting out around 500hp. Jim Clark took the car to Victory Lane at the 1965 Indianapolis 500, proving the superiority of the mid-engine concept and ending the days of front-engined roadsters in Indycar competition. A total of ten Lotus 38 chassis were built and many of its design elements were carried over to the Lotus 49 Formula One car.
1967 Lotus Type 51 (FF)
Based on the Lotus 31 Formula Three car, the Lotus 51 Formula Ford became one of the company’s most successful race cars. The 51 offered Lotus’ engineering and racing experience to young drivers looking to make their way up the open-wheel ranks. The car became a massive commercial success as a total of 218 chassis were built and gave racers access to a durable and technically-sound race car for a budget price.
Rouen les Essarts
Rouen les Essarts was a legendary motor racing venue near the French city of Rouen that was a fixture on international racing calendars from the 50s to the 70s. Using public roads, the circuit was considered to be one of Europe’s finest and most spectacular racing venues back in the day, its 6.5 kilometre layout included challenges like a cobblestone hairpin and several blazingly-fast blind corners with little to no run-off areas, punishing driver mistakes instantly. While racing at Rouen has unfortunately stopped a long time ago in real life, Project CARS will enable everyone to test their courage by racing on what is one of the most thrilling venues racing has ever produced.
Hockenheim Classic
While the German Hockenheimring is still a popular venue for touring cars and formula machinery alike to this very day, the classic Hockenheimring was a vastly different beast than the modern Grand Prix venue. The track’s classic layout combined a twisty stadium section called the “Motodrom” as well as long straights cutting through the German forest as the classic Hockenheim track had a reputation for creating some of the most thrilling slipsteam battles ever seen in racing. The combination of two very different track characteristics asks racers to make a major decision: Will you go for maximum top speed or sacrifice some of it for more grip in the twisty bits? The right answer to this question is the key to a successful race at the classic Hockenheim track.
Silverstone Classic
Vastly different to today’s super-modern Grand Prix venue, the classic version of Silverstone will take Project CARS racers back to the days when the British Formula One venue still had much more of its original airfield-track character. Back in the day, Silverstone was a blazingly-fast high-speed track, challenging racers with a very fast 4.7 kilometre lap with legendary corners such as Becketts , Abbey, Woodcote and Copse – Names that have become synonymous with great racing in the UK and beyond.
Those who were concerned that they may have another massive wait on their hands for the third Utawarerumono game will be happy to hear, courtesy of Gamer.ne.jp, that Aquaplus has announced during the 20th anniversary celebration for the series that the third and final game in the series, Utawarerumono: The Two Hakuoro, will be released in Japan on September 21, 2016.
Despite making the announcement, Aquaplus did not state what platforms the title will be released on nor did they state how the game will play, though it is worth noting that the title has switched from being a PC eroge visual novel strategy RPG to a more standard visual novel strategy RPG with Utawarerumono: False Mask‘s release on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita.
Today Koei Tecmo has announced that the Omega Force developed Attack on Titan video game will be released in Japan sometime in February 2016 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita. Alongside this announcement came news that all launch copies of the game will include early access to “Erin and Levi’s Cleaning Costumes” as well as the “Duster Blade” weapon.
To top that off the company also released their second official trailer for the Attack on Titan game, which is still waiting for an official name. It is worth noting that Attack on Titan’s game has already been announced for Western release sometime in 2016.
