Superbeat: Xonic Review

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November 27, 2015

Superbeat: Xonic
Developer: Nurijoy
Publisher: Acttil
Platform: PS Vita
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Price: $39.99 – Available Here

Overview
Rhythm games have certainly been on the rise lately with a number of high profile titles being localized over the course of the year but a certain series of games known as DJMax had long held a place in many hearts thanks to being one of the few great rhythm titles being released in the West. Unfortunately once the developers shut down many were disappointed that they would never have the chance to play such a game again, but thankfully many of the team has reassembled to create Superbeat: Xonic. So, now that a few years have passed, does this spiritual successor still have what it takes to be worthwhile?

Gameplay
As with many rhythm games, Superbeat: Xonic employs the style of having notes appear at the middle of the screen and then slide towards the edge of the screen with the player having to hit the note at the proper time or end up missing it entirely, resulting in lost power (health), a broken combo, and of course the chance to score points. With proper timing players will often result in “Super Beat” (Perfect) hits as well as Good hits that will keep their points going and contribute to a higher letter grade at the end of the song.

Now while Superbeat: Xonic may use a very standard formula, it does spice things up a bit by offering a number of challenging note types as well as the ability to play the title using two different styles. The standard notes can be hit by either simply tapping on the touch screen or using their pressing the corresponding face button as there are modes that feature four areas, called 4TRAX, that notes can slide through as well as modes that introduce six areas, simply called 6TRAX.

There are then buttons that require the player to either swipe the screen in a certain direction or slide the analog stick in that direction, hold notes which are self-explanatory, hold and drag notes that are by far the iffiest of the set, and at the hardest difficulties even the shoulder buttons get worked into things. While it is entirely possible to play Superbeat: Xonic using either method or a mix of both, the game feels specifically designed with touch screen in mind as forcing the player to switch between buttons and then sliding the analog stick can often result in an easily missed note, especially since even on the most basic difficulty the dragging notes register extremely poorly regardless of what input method the player chooses.

The difficulty level does grow to be rather extensive at times as even the basic 4TRAX difficulty does have a number of songs that require very rapid presses at times and if you aren’t careful it can be easy to fail here. This of course becomes even more challenging when you enter into the 6TRAX difficulty and eventually the much harder 6TRAX FX that can only be unlocked after the player hits level twenty, requiring the player to play quite a bit and familiarize themselves with everything the game will throw at them.

Of course there are some modifications that players can use at times, with players being able to change the speed that notes appear. This allows players to slightly adjust how fast the notes will fly from the center of the screen with the highest values offering an extreme challenge and the slowest allowing players to familiarize themselves a bit with a song’s patterns.

Now onto the gameplay modes on offer, players will find themselves only being able to partake in Stage Mode and World Tour. Stage Mode offers players a chance to play through a set of selectable songs that they must complete in order to pass at the aforementioned difficulty levels with various letter grades ranging from the obvious F to the best S++. Songs that are unlocked and then played in Stage Mode are then added into the Free Style mode that allows players to have a bit more choice when it comes to what they play and earn the best score possible to try and grind away at their DJ Level, which is also used to unlock songs and various elements of customization.

The World Tour mode places players in the same style of play as Stage Mode but this time the songs are all chosen for the player and on top of simply clearing them, the player must now meet a certain task at the same time. This starts off as simply being “60 Combo” to being far more difficult and not completing a task will result in failure even if you did great with the songs, though generally doing great and completing a task are one in the same.

Other than that there is unfortunately very little depth to what Superbeat: Xonic has to offer outside of those two modes. There are some very minor customization elements such as selecting a DJ image, comparing your ranking with other player’s in the game, a stat tracker, and options to change what tone is played when hitting a note, there really isn’t much more depth to this rhythm game.

Visuals & Audio
Generally most rhythm games aim for a nice mixture of songs to keep the soundtrack fresh and allow a wide variety of songs for people with different tastes to enjoy. Unfortunately in Superbeat: Xonic‘s case they have casted that net a bit too wide as there are a wide variety of genres here with songs from Metal, Easy Listening, Latin, various styles of Pop, R&B, and much more. This means that while there is something for everyone, there are also plenty of songs that players will absolutely dread, forcing them to either avoid them entirely or begrudgingly play through when forced in World Tour.

At the same time the player’s also will find that outside of some rather enticing looking artwork for many of the songs covers, Superbeat: Xonic offers a very simplistic stylized visual experience. The minimalistic style chosen mostly features various colors and shapes in the background to provide a simple aesthetic experience to not detract from the notes. This is a nice change from rhythm games that can be far too busy in the background and may cause a missed note.

Overall
Superbeat: Xonic is a polished title that sets itself apart from many of the other rhythm games currently on the market but also lacks the same type of attraction that those games offer. Although it may not offer a wide depth of modes or impress visually, Superbeat: Xonic does offer fairly solid gameplay mechanics and a wide range of songs that offer a wide range of genres that will please many fans of rhythm games while also annoying those who are looking for a more targeted collection.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Star Wars: Battlefront Review

Andrew Day

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November 26, 2015

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Star Wars: Battlefront
Developer: DICE
Publisher: EA Games
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PS4, PC
Release Date: Out Now
Price: AU$99.95 – Available Here | US$59.99 – Available Here

Overview

Ten years after the release of Star Wars: Battlefront II, EA and DICE have brought us back into the world of Storm Troopers, Jedi, TIE-Fighters and Imperial Walkers with the rebooted Star Wars: Battlefront. The multiplayer-centric title has the look and feel of the Star Wars universe, all perfectly bundled up. This title is definitely the epitome of “Style over substance,” as many of the nuanced mechanics that define FPS games have been stripped away for a more accommodating game. While it has its fair share of flaws, Star Wars Battlefront is one of the more enjoyable FPS experiences I have had in some time.

Story

Star Wars Battlefront foegoes the traditional story-based campaign in favour of its multiplayer aspect. Normally if there is no campaign or story-mode we will cut out this section of the review, but I wanted to take a second and discuss it because I feel that the lack of single-player (or even co-op) campaign has really held this game back. While there are still plenty of “Missions,” these don’t form a cohesive story and are more of a way to give players the ability to play offline.

The focus on multiplayer isn’t exactly a surprise; games like Titanfall, Black Ops III and even Need for Speed: Rivals were centered around their online multiplayer but managed to integrate a narrative campaign into it (Need for Speed less so), but Battlefront has opted to forgo this and instead is a game that is purely about the multiplayer skirmishes. This results in a game that feels like it is missing a key part, a soul if you will. I want to be able to sit down and play through an epic Star Wars saga with my buddies instead of just having to go into battle against hordes of enemies with them.

Gameplay

Star Wars: Battlefront is an FPS through and through. I’ve said before that I’m not the biggest FPS guy. This is normally because there is such a wide divide between the friendly players and the serious ones, which normally leaves people like me in the dust. Let’s be real; winning is fun, and getting killed 15 times in a row isn’t. Well much to the chagrin of others I have discussed with, Battlefront seems to forego the more complex mechanics that you usually see in the genre in favor of a more free and accessible approach. Now, don’t get me wrong there is still a bit of a learning curve present in the game but it pales in comparison to the likes of Titanfall or the Call of Duty franchise.

The lack of depth may come back to haunt Battlefront though if players get bored in a few months and put the games down forever, but I am betting that the opposite happens and even if there are no dedicated esports events run around the game, that it will continue to prosper purely on the fact that players can hop into the game for the first time and still have a better than decent chance of getting a few kills in.

Battlefront offers possibly the most diverse range of multiplayer modes that I have seen in a game in a long time. With nine distinct modes, each that completely change the way you play the game – there is a tonne of content available for those looking for it. Going from a 7 vs 1 “Hero Hunt” mode, to an epic 20 v 20 full-scale battle almost feels like you are playing a completely different game and I absolutely love that.

Since this is a Star Wars game, vehicles are an incredibly important part of the action. As you might expect, the type of vehicle you can pilot is determined by your faction, the planet you are playing on, and whether you can get to one or not. Hoth Snow Speeders, X-Wing Fighters and TIE-Fighters are just some of the vehicles you will be able to jump into and fly around in. The flight controls are all really smooth and responsive, although I did have to tweak a few settings to get them juuuust right for how I like to play, but once I did I wouldn’t have hoped for a more fun experience in the air.

The game (currently) features 12 playable maps and while these all feel awesome to fight on (or fly through, lets be real – that’s what we all wanted to do anyway) I could have done with a few more. As time goes on will will be getting more maps and planets to explore so hopefully these will satisfy my hunger for more.

Visuals & Audio

Star Wars is undeniably one of the biggest cultural icons of the modern era and every piece of media that is released under its banner; be it movies, cartoons, books or video games represents this world-beloved franchise, and that means some things are sacrosanct when it comes to the Star Wars brand. One of the most important things that makes Star Wars what it is, is the presentation – to fans young and old the look, the feel, the sound it all has to be just right or things start to fall apart at the seams. While it is very easy to screw up this aspect, especially when creating a video game, Star Wars Battlefront while not perfect, is undeniably impressive and the developers really should be commended for the care and love they have put into their game.

Visually, Battlefront manages to perfectly capture the look and feel of the Star Wars universe. From the massive, sweeping maps that look like they are the film sets themselves, to the suits of the Storm Troopers or the intricate detailing on the X-Wing fighters; everything looks fantastic and while this may sound cheesy – really makes you feel like you are in the middle of a Star Wars film. Beyond that, the high level of detail in the characters and the worlds themselves makes Battlefront not only the best looking Star Wars game around, but one of the best looking games period.

While the look of the game is something to write home about, the audio is a little more lacking. While there are some iconic sound effects present, like those of a blaster rifle being fired or the unique sound a TIE-Fighter makes as it whirls past, there are some audio choices that feel a bit hollow and lacking. The best example of this is the voice of Darth Vader. While Vader’s voice actor, Matt Sloane has played the character several times (including this year’s Disney Infinity 3.0) his performance here just feels shallow. The same can be said for other characters like Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. It creates this weird disconnect when those characters sound… unusual while others like C-3PO, Yoda and Palpatine sound far more authentic and true to the rest of the Star Wars media.

Overall

There is no arguing that Battlefront ops for “style over substance,” stripping back some of the more complex and nuanced mechanics that you usually see in the FPS genre in favor of creating an almost cinematic Star Wars experience is likely to create a bit of a divide between the casual shooter players and those looking for a game to play competitively. Many multiplayer games are kept alive by their online communities and I’m not sure if the lack of depth will cause fans to get tired and jump ship in a few months, or whether the inverse will happen and this will become one of those games that you can log into 12 months from now and still find a match within seconds.

I’m far from a competitive FPS gamer, so in the end the most important factor to me was whether or not I had fun with the game, and I have to be honest – I’m having a tonne. The wide variety of game modes is keeping me interested and the fact that I don’t immediately die as soon as I start playing is awesome. Not only that, but it is clear to see the painstaking efforts that DICE have gone through to make this feel like a Star Wars game, and it has absolutely paid off. If only a well-crafted campaign had been added as well, then this would be an absolute must-buy game, but without it we have an epic, enjoyable albeit imperfect shooter.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Lara Croft GO GETS A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE, “The SHARD OF LIFE” in free expansion releasing TODAy

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 26, 2015

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Lara Croft GO GETS A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE, “The SHARD OF LIFE” in free expansion releasing TODAy

Twitch Plays Lara Croft GO Event and 40 Percent Discount to Celebrate New Content Update

SYDNEY, 26^TH November 2015 – Square Enix Montréal today announced that Lara Croft GO™, the 2015 Best Mobile/Handheld Game of the Year nominee from The Game Awards and follow-up to the award-winning Hitman GO®, will receive a free expansion titled “The Shard of Life” on Nov. 26. The new content tasks Lara Croft® with solving the mystery of the Shard of Life, and will be available on all supported iOS and Android devices. In celebration of the release, Square Enix Montréal recently launched a week-long Twitch® Plays event, in which fans are invited to join in and collectively work to complete each original stage of Lara Croft GO in order to unveil the new content!

In the new expansion, Lara Croft charts a path into the depths of the Cave of Fire in search of the fabled Shard of Life. With 26 new puzzles to solve, numerous new cursed monsters to battle, two new costumes to earn, artifacts and gemstones to collect, the free new content will provide hours of additional gameplay for this unique turn-based experience.

To mark the occasion, Square Enix Montreal is hosting a limited-time flash sale of 40 percent off, and hosting a Twitch Plays LCGO event that will end with the discovery of the new content. The entire Twitch community is invited to come together surrounding Thanksgiving to aid in solving the harder-than-ever puzzles. Those wishing to participate can do so by logging into Square Enix Montréal’s official Twitch page located at: http://www.twitch.tv/squareenixmtl.

Lara Croft GO is now available as a premium download on the App Store, Google Play. and Windows Marketplace.

About Lara Croft GO

The turn-based puzzle adventure casts players as the iconic Lara Croft as she explores the ancient ruins of a long forgotten civilization. Over the span of six chapters, players must help Lara fight menacing enemies, overcome dangerous obstacles and traps, and ultimately, uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom. Along the way, players can collect ancient relics hidden throughout the game world to earn extra Lara Croft features and costumes for the most nostalgic fans.

For more information on Lara Croft GO please visit:

Official Facebook® Page: https://www.facebook.com/laracroft

Follow @SquareEnixMtl on Twitter®: www.twitter.com/SquareEnixMtl

Square Enix Montreal on Tumblr: http://squareenixmtl.tumblr.com/

Hard West Review

Mateja Simovic

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November 26, 2015

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Hard West
Developer: CreativeForge Games
Publisher: Gambitious
Platforms: PC (reviewed)
Release Date: 19th November, 2015
Price: $19.99 USD – Available Here

Overview

Hard West is a crowdfunded title with an interesting ‘weird west’ premise that amalgamates Gothic horror with Cowboys. After having a release date which was pushed back to avoid conflict with bigger titles like a certain post-apocalyptic RPG; the game is finally released. So, how did I go playing as a man with no name/half a face? Read on and find out.

Story

The campaign goes through a number of different stories featuring a diverse cast of characters and complications. On the one hand you have what can be described as the ‘main’ story focusing on the trials and travails of the Truss family as they deal with the machinations of the devil himself. Another scenario has you search for a lost Mayan city of gold while another has you attempt to bring scientific advancement to the chaos of the Weird West. What remains constant throughout all these scenarios is the Weird West setting itself.

The fictional universe that is created in Hard West is quite an interesting amalgamation of gothic fantasy and Western tropes. In the same world that you have greedy railroad companies stiffing frontier families, you’ve got devils setting up their own sinister cults. Your protagonists also range from half-dead cowboys, to cursed undertakers, and possessed treasure hunters. If you’ve seen it in a spaghetti western, then it’s probably in this game and has some supernatural twist to it. It’s certainly different to many other fictional universes I have seen. I do feel however, that the game doesn’t really explore these supernatural elements as deeply as it could have.

The story is largely told through voice-over narration with an actor whose voice is so gravely that it sounds like he had been chewing cement before the take. The performance isn’t very nuanced (although that isn’t a bad thing) and neither are the stories told throughout the scenarios (that IS kind of a bad thing). At the start of each scenario we get (largely) static drawings featuring the voice over explaining the action and introducing characters alongside their motivations. None of the characters feel particularly developed as they move from one melodramatic, over-the-top beat to the next. Their motivations and actions are generally quite simple and one-dimensional. The story itself within the game is actually fairly weak but does a solid job of framing the action.

Gameplay

The game breaks down into two sections; the meta-game which involves choosing where your posse will travel to next, and the turn-based tactical map. The latter would probably be more recognisable to those amongst you who have played an isometric turn-based strategy games like the XCOM series. You control your individual posse members and have a limited amount of action points with each of them to use in moving, shooting, reloading, and activating special abilities. Movement and cover are especially important as getting shot without some manner of cover to hide behind means you’ll take the maximum amount of damage (which can be quite heinous) from a weapon if you are hit. The combat is generally quite fast, exciting, and generally hits my turn-based buttons.

During some maps, the enemies aren’t alerted to your presence and don’t start off actively hostile. This adds another layer of strategic planning to the game, wherein you can move units around to complete objectives and prepare ambushes for enemies. My one gripe with this mode is that my posse occasionally decides to walk across the map instead of running and it frustrates me to have to wait as they move from point A to point B slowly. It would have been a useful feature to allow me to speed up the walking animation here.

The meta-game, by comparison, feels quite lacklustre. The map is basically a static image with a number of nodes you can visit. Most of these are either ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ style encounters which allow you a limited degree of roleplaying by giving you a limited selection of choices, or combat scenarios which you play out in the aforementioned tactical mode. Alongside these are nodes for shops of various descriptions and functions. This presents the veneer of choice within the game, with the player being presented with various side quests that unlock better gear, more resources, or stat bonuses. Overall, it appears to be quite shallow with less polish applied to it than other areas of Hard West.

That being said, Hard West does make up for lack of depth by giving player’s breadth in the variety of scenarios. Each scenario has its own separate and generally unique mechanic which players have to deal with in turn. Sometimes, players will need to manage food for their posse as they move about the map, and at others their managing an entire expedition as they search for Mayan gold. There’s certainly enough variation that you’ll be able to look past the fact that these variations are relatively shallow compared to other games involving resource management and strategy. Luckily, each scenario is short enough that you shouldn’t be too put out.

One aspect which I found to be particularly interesting in the game was its use of a card-based system to allocate abilities and bonuses to members of your posse. Basically, this adds another element of inventory management to the meta-game. This works out to be quite sophisticated however, as when you combine these cards on one individual into poker hands (pairs, full house, etc); the individual in question gets a bonus to various stats. It effectively means that all the members of your posse are flexible enough to fit any role but also largely interchangeable when it comes to combat. They do get differentiated somewhat by the injuries they sustain which can provide bonuses and penalties, but you’ll largely recognise them more by their equipment more than anything else.

Visuals & Audio

The visuals aren’t anything in particular to write home about as the tactical and strategic maps are both static and unimpressive. Most of the maps recreate your traditional Wild West locales (as seen in Western movies) like towns and ruined missions, mixed in with things like Aztec temples. These maps sometimes entire into ‘nightmare mode’ wherein everything gets darker and the scenery takes a macabre turns with gore and viscera turning the map into a hellscape. It’s an interesting idea, which I didn’t see really being explored too much in my playthrough. The (largely) static drawings presented at the start of each scenario are similarly solid but forgettable.

I actually quite enjoyed the soundtrack and audio design of the game. The music largely sounds reminiscent of classic Spaghetti Westerns with plenty of horns and Spanish guitar. It’s somewhat limited however, with a lot of the tracks sounding similarly dreary and dirge like. I feel that it would have been to the game’s credit to have a wider array of tracks with various emotions behind it. The audio design is also pretty good and I always found it enjoyable to hear guns being loaded, fired, or bullets ricocheting into their targets.

Overall

So there is a lot which Hard West does well and a lot which it missed (as you may have noted from the length of this review). The setting is interesting, but the story it features is lacking. The tactical gameplay is awesome while the strategic level feels underdone in a lot of areas. It’s varied enough to keep things interesting across multiple scenarios. The visuals aren’t impressive but the sound design is pretty swell. The only thing I can conclude with is that for all its flaws, which I only nitpick because I f#$%ing love Westerns AND Lovecraft, I actually had quite a bit of fun with this title. I feel that it’s worth a fistful of dollars (or 20 USD to be exact) it has now just for the good tactical and varied but somewhat shallow strategic gameplay. A caveated recommendation is one I’d give to fans of the new XCOM series or Westerns but it’s understandable if you wish to hold off until a sale.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

This War of Mine On Board – Tabletop Game Announced

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 25, 2015

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This War of Mine On Board – Tabletop Game Announced

11 bit studios is teaming up with veteran board game designers to bring This War of Mine to the tabletop, adapting the drama and tension of distraught civilians trapped in a war-torn city.

This War of Mine The Boardgame features a multiplayer experience for up to 6 players, as well as a solo variant. You will be able to play as the well-known characters from the video game and face hundreds of new challenges and difficult choices.

The boardgame significantly broadens the original game’s universe and emphasizes the depth of the plot, yet its main focus will be on human interactions driven by survival instinct and group decision-making.

All we can say thus far is that this project will be extremely ambitious because it aims to omit the usual boardgame threshold – This War of Mine the board game will be an INSTANT-PLAY game, with no need to read the manual before starting the adventure.

This War of Mine The Boardgame is in the hands of an experienced team, consisting of a veteran board game designer – Michal Oracz (designer of Neuroshima Hex, Earthcore: Shattered Elements, Neuroshima RPG, Theseus: The Dark Orbit, De Profundis and more) and Jakub Wisniewski (translator and story designer for Earthcore: Shattered Elements, Dying Light and others).

The additional app with digital content will enrich the player’s experience with features like the soundtrack, live story updates, scenario-triggered scripts, cutscenes, game-related puzzles, mini-radio plays, hidden secrets, unlockable content, hand-drawn concept art for in-game locations and much more.

The story of This War Of Mine will be continued in 2016.

Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Now Available as Digital Download and iBook

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 25, 2015

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Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Now Available as Digital Download and iBook

The Pokémon Company International is excited to announce that Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction is now available for digital download from iTunes and Amazon and Pokémon Super Story! Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, an interactive companion to the movie, is available on iTunes. The movie is also available on Google Play.

This animated adventure takes place in the underground Diamond Domain where the Mythical Pokémon Diancie rules over the Carbink. The land is beginning to fall apart and Diancie is not strong enough to stop the destruction. Ash and his friends must help Diancie discover its true power and save the Diamond Domain.

The 48-page, A Pokémon Super Story! Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction interactive iBook will contain 15 video clips from the movie and features a dynamic layout so fans can easily explore the book. It’s the first Pokémon digital reader of its kind, with exciting animated action featured alongside the beautifully illustrated story. A Pokémon Super Story! Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction can be viewed on any device that supports iBooks, including Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction can be downloaded here:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/pokemon-movie-diancie-cocoon/id1057747516?ls=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pok%C3%A9mon-Movie-Diancie-Cocoon-Destruction/dp/B017YFQKBG/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1448030037&sr=1-1&keywords=Pok%C3%A9mon-Movie-Diancie-Cocoon-Destruction

Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Pokemon_the_Movie_Diancie_and_the_Cocoon_of_Destru?id=JeTC0quwR3Q

A Pokémon Super Story! Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction can be downloaded here:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/pokemon-super-story!-diancie/id1058012787?ls=1&mt=11

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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 .

PLAYSTATION®4 (PS4™) SALES SURPASS 30.2 MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 25, 2015

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PLAYSTATION®4 (PS4™) SALES SURPASS 30.2 MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE

Content and Network Services Expand Based on the Record Growth of the PS4 system

Sydney, November 25, 2015 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia today announced that the PlayStation®4 (PS4™) computer entertainment system has cumulatively sold through more than 30.2 million units^*1 worldwide as of November 22. PS4 continues to demonstrate the fastest and strongest growth in PlayStation® hardware history.

PS4 is a uniform system on which gamers everywhere can enjoy the same high-quality digital entertainment experiences. The rapid expansion of the PS4 platform further reinforces the foundation of delivering compelling entertainment experiences. Customers can choose from multiple offerings available on this most favored platform that ranges from games on discs or through digital download to a variety of services available on PlayStation™Network, including PlayStation®Plus membership service, apps for streaming video, music and TV content. The 30.2 million PS4 owners around the world are spending more time playing games and enjoying entertainment content as the company further enriches content and services.

“We are sincerely grateful that gamers across the globe have continued to choose PS4 as the best place to play since launch two years ago,” said Andrew House, President and Global CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “We are committed to bringing engaging games and entertainment services to users worldwide. Thanks to the support of our partners, PS4 continues to be the premier platform for game and interactive entertainment innovation.

The PS4 system’s games portfolio will continue to broaden this holiday season and beyond with highly anticipated titles such as DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS (SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.), Ryu Ga Gotoku　KIWAMI (SEGA Games Co., Ltd.), Bloodborne The Old Hunters Edition, Gravity Rush Remastered, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (SCE Worldwide Studios). The independent development community will also continue to deliver innovative new titles for PS4 including GALAK-Z (17-BIT) and Super Time Force Ultra (Capybara Games).^*2

SCE will continue to expand the world of PS4 to deliver entertainment experiences that are only possible on PlayStation. Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia said “We are really excited to continue to make PlayStation the best place to play and be entertained with our ever growing suite of endless entertainment options such as Stan, Netflix, Spotify, ABC iview, PLUS7, SBS On Demand and Quickflix. This Xmas will have something for everyone in the PlayStation eco system and our plan is to expand our entertainment offering throughout next year”.

The PS4 system is currently available in 124 countries and regions^*3 worldwide.

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*1 Number of retail sales to consumers is estimated by SCEI. PS4™ sales data in Japan collected 2/22/2014 – 11/22/2015, in North America collected 11/15/2013 – 11/21/2015, in Europe and Latin America collected 11/29/2013 – 11/21/2015, and in Asia collected 12/17/2013 – 11/22/2015.

*2 Title line-up as well as the number of titles differ by region.

*3 Number as of 11/16/2015.

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.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.. “PS4” is a trademark of the same company.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Ubisoft® Announces New Content for Just Dance® Unlimited

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Philip Federico

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November 25, 2015

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Ubisoft^® Announces New Content for Just Dance^® Unlimited

Meghan Trainor’s “Better When I’m Dancin’” Available

Sydney, Australia — November 25, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft^® announced the latest batch of new content for Just Dance^® Unlimited, the new subscription streaming service available on new-gen consoles. Starting on November 25, subscribers will be able to enjoy a suite of fresh content including:

One exclusive track – “Better When I’m Dancin’” by Meghan Trainor
New Dance Quests and avatars
Six classic Just Dance tracks:
- “Rock N’ Roll (Will Take You To The Mountain)” by Skrillex
- “Starships” by Nicki Minaj – Alternate Charleston version
- “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley – Alternate Line Dance version
- “Mashed Potato Time” by Dee Dee Sharp
- “Prince Ali” by Disney’s “Aladdin”
- “Turn Up The Love” by Far East Movement Ft. Cover Drive – Fanmade version

More exclusive content will be added to Just Dance Unlimited this year, bringing players additional new tracks and fan-favourite hits from previous Just Dance games.

Just Dance^® 2016 is now available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™ and Wii U™. Standard editions of Just Dance 2016 on new-gen consoles include a free one-month trial of Just Dance Unlimited.

For the latest information on Just Dance 2016, please visit: www.justdancegame.com. Follow Just Dance on Twitter.com/JustDanceGame and use hashtag #JustDance2016.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2014-15 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,464 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2015 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Just Dance, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii and Wii U are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2012 Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

JUST DANCE UNLIMITED is an online streaming service that grants you unlimited access to an ever-growing catalog of more than 150 songs, playable via JUST DANCE 2016 for the duration of your subscription.

Just dance 2016 offer on Wii U™, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One includes JUST DANCE 2016 game + 1 month subscription to JUST DANCE UNLIMITED.

The Crew Wild Run Review

Nathan Farrugia

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November 25, 2015

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The Crew: Wild Run
Developer: Ivory Tower
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 17th, 2015
Price: $24.99 USD – Available Here / $39.99 AUD – Available Here (Also available on PSN, Xbox Live and Steam)

Overview

The Crew launched towards the end of 2014 to mixed reception. The map was highly praised for its gigantic size and variety but much of the games other aspects fell flat among reviewers and the game was often mocked for being hard to find people to play with despite the “Never Drive Alone” tagline. Now The Crew Wild Run expansion has been released, focusing on extreme specs such as Drift, Monster Truck and Drag as well as adding Motorbikes and all new Summit event along with some other new features but does this expansion do enough to bring people back to The Crew? Please note, this review will focus largely on the contents of the Wild Run expansion only. For our full review of the initial game which still largely reflects the quality of the game even a year on, head here.

Story

The Crew: Wild Run does not contain any new story elements outside of a few tutorials provided by the lead female undercover agent from the original title. This is a bit of a missed opportunity to expand upon the 510 faction story and maybe focus on some of the other characters that were introduced, but considering anyone coming back to The Crew after a long break probably doesn’t remember a thing about the story I’m sure this isn’t an issue for most.

Gameplay

Wild Run adds a decent amount of new content to The Crew and perhaps the most exciting one is The Summit, a multi-day timed event that pits players against one another over eleven different events for a chance at a substantial reward. The Summit was exactly what The Crew needed to bring players back, encouraging real life constant competition and gameplay variety in the events. I can’t praise it enough. To compete in the monthly summit you have to earn a qualifier medal from at least one weekly qualifier event. If you manage to earn enough medals from the monthly Summits, you will be invited to participate in the Finale Summit which will take place in one year from now. Each summit seems to take place in a different section of the map, which is a great use of the games best asset.

The game encourages you to compete in each of the different events at least once, however if you’re a fan of say time trials you can continue to run that as even shaving off a second could see you jump several 100 spots on the leader board and each event also has it’s own positional leader board. A constantly updated leader board provides you with your current medal rank which will ultimately decide your chance of getting a reward, with the ultimate reward being an exclusive car not yet released in game for the top percentage of players, each rank lower then that gives you a lower chance to win the car but the other rewards aren’t that bad either. A nice bonus of The Summit is that it has made finding multiplayer matches much easier as a lot of people are gathered around the event.

Unfortunately there are a couple of obvious hackers who have stolen top places on the leader boards but most of it is legit. A few exploits in the events also attempts to ruin the fun, I for instance am currently ranked 39th out of 10,000 or so players in the Monster Truck event, basically because I figured out sitting in front of a ramp constantly doing back flips was the most efficient way to earn points. This is the first summit so hopefully problems like this will be ironed out in the future.

The other major addition to the game with the Wild Run expansion was new vehicles. We now have several new motorbikes to choose from which fit into the games five previous specs such as dirt and performance. The bikes are a welcome breath of fresh air to the experience and while I would have liked them to handle a little “looser” they are very fun to drive and allow you to do things you couldn’t in cars such as jump from a waterway onto the freeway for example. My only problem with the bikes is the way they are handled in some situation. Most crashes just result in you unrealistically stopping dead as there don’t seem to be any crash physics implemented for the bikes. Also when coming down mountains with tight turns, riding the barriers is by far the most efficient way to turn the corners as it comes with no speed drop what so ever which is ridiculous in a racer.

In addition to bikes three new specs have also been introduced which all vary wildly. Easily my favourite is the Monster Truck spec. Nearly every car, even a small hatchback can be turned into a Monster Truck and while these are pretty boring to drive around the world (you can’t crush other cars sadly), they are heaps of fun to drive in the designated arena area which is full of ramps, half pipes, steps and raised areas which are all as fun to drive up as they sound. The Monster Truck spec really shines in PvP, where the Crown game mode challenges you to hold on to a crown to gain points while everyone chases you trying to steal it for themselves.

The Drag Spec is next best and has a huge focus on going extremely fast in straight lines. These cars top speeds will easily pass even your best performance or circuit spec and are fun to drive although a little limited because of their unique functionality. The actual drag races are executed well, with what is basically a combination of two mini games testing your reaction time and accuracy to get that perfect run. These are good fun the first few times but do get repetitive quickly. You can also take these cars out in to the real world to get some massive speed and do awesome jumps such as the ramp that has been added to the grand canyon so you can try and replicate that moment from The Simpsons where Homer tries to jump the gorge.

Easily the worst new spec in my opinion is the Drift Spec. The Drift Spec basically makes it so your car’s tyres are made of ice in what should really be called Slide Spec. This is a long, long way from the satisfying and challenging to pull off drift’s seen in the recent Need for Speed game. The gameplay creates it’s own sense of challenge as there is some slight skill in maintaining a drift but it just looks and feels wrong and it’s too long before you come completely bored with the spec.

Apart from the big ticket items a few new cars, some new skills and Freedrive Stunts and Freedrive Challenges have been added to the game. Freedrive Stunts can be activated at anytime during free roam and challenge you to a random task such as drive in oncoming traffic for 2km or overtake a certain number of cars. These are fun distractions you can partake in while free roaming around the map and you have a Freedrive Stunt level you can increase although

Freedrive Challenges finally give players a much requested feature and that is the ability to create their own race. Users simply place checkpoints anywhere on the giant map and then challenge their crew or anyone around to the track (unfortunately you can’t race these on your own for whatever reason). You get rewarded with an appropriate amount of cash dependent on the races length once you complete it which gives some reason for you to do this outside of fun which is a nice bonus. You are limited to sprint races but could probably make a circuit race if you got creative. Like the summit, both these Freedrive additions play to the games greatest strength in it’s awesome world map.

Apparently the physics and car handling have been adjusted with the expansion although I can’t honestly comment on how different they are from before as it has been a while since I played the basic game. The handling system we have now though feels pretty good and I seldom struggled to feel like I was in complete control of my car at all times. There is some questionable and glitchy physics bugs that pop up every now and then but they are seldom seen and more during moments when you were probably driving poorly anyway.

In my original review I mentioned the evil of the games stingy economy and Crew Credits, the games form of alternate currency which is purchased with real dollars. Wild Run does little to alleviate this problem and in fact adds to the problem, with the new extreme specs costing around $500,000 per spec, per car making it very hard to just jump in a drag spec car and start enjoying it. For veteran players who have acquired some good means of making cash through rep and perks it isn’t too bad, but I feel sorry for new players just starting out as most of this new content on the games cover will be many hours away from being accessible. The game does let you choose one extreme spec starter kit at least so there’s that at least. The new way loot is distributed also makes it much harder for new players to gain max level parts as players only get slightly better parts (or now even stickers or visual car customisation parts which you didn’t used to get before) each time they complete a skill or mission. Be prepared for a lot of grinding if you want the best parts for your car.

Graphics & Audio

Like the physics the graphics have also received an overhaul with the Wild Run expansion and this time the difference is a little more noticeable. Everything has a more realistic feel to it, most in part to what appears to be a new lighting system. The graphics aren’t at the level of say Driveclub or Forza but I stand by the fact they are very good considering the size of the world and can still look superb at times, especially during sunset when the light catches the puddles that have been left on the road after a sun shower.

A big addition was the inclusion of dynamic weather. While it is rather limited to what seems to be sunny, raining, sun shower or cloudy this adds to an already impressive amount of variety with the world map. Weather isn’t just cosmetic as rain effects both paved surfaces and off road making driving a different experience in the conditions.

As for audio nothing of note has really been added here. The Monster Trucks sound mean and the bikes sound like bikes. I think Need for Speed spoiled us a little bit with it’s excellent sound design making the car sounds in The Crew seem underwhelming. Party tracks play while your in The Summit making it feel like a music festival car meet mash up which helps set the atmosphere but isn’t anything to write home about. No new music tracks have been added which is a shame as the track list was very weak to begin with.

Overall

The Summit is the key feature of this expansion and a very strong draw card, but if you’re not interested in multiplayer or competing for whatever reason then you can easily skip the Wild Run as the other features, while strong distractions, mostly center around The Summit and give you very little more to actually do in game. That being said if you’ve been wanting to get back into this massive open world racer then I think now is the time to do it as the game has more content then ever. The Crew has come a long way since it’s initial release and most of the games teething problems have been ironed out, offering a very solid open world, arcade racing experience. The price is one of my biggest problems here with the amount of new content here really pushing the value of $40 AUD, but if that is not an issue for you and you want to compete in the monthly Summit events then The Crew Wild Run is a solid and worthwhile expansion.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Batman: Arkham Knight November DLC Content Available Beginning Today – Includes 2016 Batman v Superman Batmobile Pack and Two New Arkham Episodes

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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November 25, 2015

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced the next series of add-ons for Batman™: Arkham Knight. The latest update includes the free 2016 Batman v Superman Batmobile Pack, and will be available beginning today for fans who have purchased the Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, or PC, and are connected to the Internet. The content can also be purchased separately beginning today on the PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE online entertainment network from Microsoft and STEAM.

Season Pass holders receive early access to the 2016 Batman v Superman Batmobile Pack, which includes the Batsuit and Batmobile from the highly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Owners of the game who do not have the Season Pass can download the pack beginning Dec. 2.

Also available today are two new Arkham Episodes, which give players the ability to control two of Gotham City’s most well-known characters, Catwoman and Robin. Catwoman’s Revenge takes place after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight and puts players under the cover of darkness as they seek revenge on the Riddler. Flip of a Coin lets players take control of Robin as he looks to take down Two-Face’s lucrative money laundering operation. Both Arkham episodes also include two AR challenge maps.

To view the new Batman: Arkham Knight November Update Trailer click here

Additional downloadable content available today:

Crime Fighter Challenge Pack #4: Get this Crime Fighter Challenge Pack to receive various challenge and invisible predator maps featuring Batman, Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman and Azrael. This expansive challenge pack allows focused training in Freeflow Combat and Invisible Predator stealth incursion.
Arkham Episodes AR Challenges: a collection of six new AR challenges including Freeflow Combat and Invisible Predator, taking place in environments from the Arkham Episodes GCPD Lockdown, Catwoman’s Revenge, and Flip of a Coin.
WayneTech Track Pack: Test your skills behind the wheel with these two cutting edge WayneTech themed racetracks.
Robin and Batmobile Skins Packs: Get this Robin and Batmobile skins pack to don the original Tim Drake Robin costume and speed through Gotham City with the Robin themed Batmobile skin.
Riddler Themed Batmobile Skin: Puzzle your enemies with this Riddler themed Batmobile skin.
Free Update: Character Selection in AR Invisible Predator Challenges.

Batman: Arkham Knight is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license and is available now for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

Batman: Arkham Knight brings the award-winning Batman: Arkham trilogy from Rocksteady Studios to its epic conclusion. Developed exclusively for the new generation of consoles and PCs, Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady’s uniquely designed version of the Batmobile. The highly anticipated addition of this legendary vehicle, combined with the acclaimed gameplay of the Batman: Arkham series, offers gamers the ultimate and complete Batman experience as they tear through the streets and soar across the skyline of the entirety of Gotham City. In this explosive finale, Batman faces the ultimate threat against the city that he is sworn to protect, as Scarecrow returns to unite the super criminals of Gotham City and destroy the Batman forever.

For more information on Batman: Arkham Knight, please visit www.batmanarkhamknight.com, https://www.facebook.com/BatmanArkham or https://twitter.com/BatmanArkham.com.