Call of Duty: Black Ops III is only a month away and already many are hyped for what looks to be another solid offering from Treyarch and Activision. One of the most important aspects of the game of course is the story, which seems to have a lot more details this time around.
A new video has emerged displaying an overview of sorts for the mode, which you can check out below. Its a nice preview for those who want a bit of info before dropping in, and of course won’t apply to those who are just going in for the multiplayer. Tune in and get ready, folks. You can pre-order your copy today if you are inept from walking into a store at this link.
GUITAR HERO® LIVE PITS JAMES FRANCO AGAINST LENNY KRAVITZ IN AN EPIC ROCK BATTLE WITH THE PREMIERE OF THE “WIN THE CROWD” LIVE-ACTION TRAILER
Veteran Comedy Director Jonathan Krisel Directs the Brand New Spot
Sydney, Australia – October 6, 2015 – With just a couple weeks to go until the highly-anticipated return of Guitar Hero, Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is kicking off the launch for Guitar Hero Live with the release of a new live action trailer starring James Franco and Lenny Kravitz. Helmed by director Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia, SNL), the “Win the Crowd” spot features the hilarious actor and the legendary rock-star going head-to-head to see who truly is the king of the music festival circuit in Guitar Hero Live. The trailer features Kravitz’ hit track “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” which will also be playable in the game. The full 90 second version of the spot is live now. The start of the campaign sets the stage for the release of Guitar Hero Live, which marks the beginning of a new era in music games and introduces two exciting new ways to play the game: GH Live, in which you play in-front of real crowds who react to your performance, and GHTV, the world’s first playable music video network.
“Guitar Hero Live gives you the chance to live out your rock star fantasy in front of a real audience that reacts to how you play, so watching James Franco and Lenny Kravitz challenging each other to win the crowd in the game brought that excitement to life in a really cool way,” saidTim Ellis, CMO, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Some of the best moments captured on film were purely spontaneous between James and Lenny. They had great chemistry and had a lot of fun with the game. We just let them loose.”
Guitar Hero Live includes two all-new modes, including a first-person point of view where you are up on stage as the star of the show. A quantum leap forward in immersion and realism, GH Live is a live-action experience that delivers the full emotional roller coaster of being on stage, with players performing in a real band, in front of real crowds, who react in real time to how well or poorly you play. The game also includes GHTV, a revolutionary new way to play Guitar Hero. The 24-hour playable music video network lets fans play along to a continually-updated collection of official videos, from the newest releases to favourite hits. GHTV is a living, breathing platform that will continue to grow, serving as an ever-expanding source for music discovery while bringing the party atmosphere back to the living room.
Guitar Hero Live will be available on October 20 in Australia and New Zealand on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Wii U™ console as well as iOS devices including iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. For more information, please visit http://www.guitarhero.com, www.facebook.com/GuitarHero, www.youtube.com/guitarhero, or follow @guitarhero on Twitter and Instagram.
About Activision Publishing
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment.) Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website,www.activision.com or by following @Activision.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about Guitar Hero Live™, including with respect to its launch date, features, gameplay and playability, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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ACTIVISION, FREESTYLEGAMES, GUITAR HERO and GH are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. “PlayStation” and “PS3” are registered trademarks. “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
Microsoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. “PlayStation” and “PS3” are registered trademarks and “PS4” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Its rare when we actually bring you news about a controller, but there are a hefty number of people who are hyped for the New Xbox Elite Wireless Controller from Microsoft, which will offer customization with almost an unlimited amount of options that will assist in performance and comfort alike.
Today a new video surfaced for the device, and I must say even though it is expensive, it is definitely as top shelf as you can get if you are someone who has been craving options or simply modding for a controller of any sort that is actually legal. Watch the clip below and gawk at this Xbox One beauty, and remember that you can get yours on the 27th of this month.
STRIKE VECTOR EX NOMINATED FOR FIVE AWARDS AT GAME CONNECTION EUROPE 2015
Vote for Ragequit’s Aerial-Combat Shooter in the People’s Choice Award and Play the Game at Paris Games Week
PARIS, FRANCE – October 5, 2015 – Independent video game developer Ragequit Corp is proud to announce today its upcoming first-person aerial-combat game Strike Vector EX has been nominated for four gameplay awards and one People’s Choice Award in the Game Connection Europe 2015 Development Awards, with the winners being announced October 28-November 1, 2015 in Paris, France.
Disrupting the air combat genre via precision mechanics, imaginative aircraft, and stunning, fast-paced multiplayer fights, Strike Vector EX was nominated in the Best Console/PC Hardcore, Best Hardcore Game, Most Creative and Original, and Most Promising IP categories. Fans and enthusiasts of air-combat, indie, and original games can vote for Strike Vector EX in the People’s Choice awards by going to the Game Connection Facebook page and clicking and “liking” the image HERE.
Strike VectorEX is a competitive first-person aerial-combat game that hosts dizzying dogfights with battle-heavy aircraft. Bursting with customizable mech-inspired ships, Strike Vector EX disrupts the air combat genre through a combination of precision mechanics, imaginative aircraft, and stunning, fast-paced multiplayer fights.
RageQuit Corporation’s debut Xbox One and PS4™ game has been fine tuned to provide instant feedback and tight console controls for players to light each other up amidst futuristic, industrial structures. Players gear up their ships to deploy specific strategies for each mission (paired with personal, bada$$ styles) to engage in frenetic multiplayer skirmishes.
Strike Vector EX uses the Unreal Engine 4 and is slated for takeoff on PS4™ and Xbox One in 2016. For more on RageQuit Corporation, like it on Facebook, follow it on Twitter, and check it out on YouTube and Twitch.TV.
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ABOUT RAGEQUIT CORPORATION RageQuit Corporation is a small independent video games studio based in Paris, France created by veterans of the industry. The team is composed of passionate gamers who want to create fun, hardcore games. The core members have worked for renowned studios such as Sony Liverpool (formerly Psygnosis), Evolution Studios, Quantic Dream, Dontnod, Darkworks, Nadeo, Ubisoft, Atari, Ankama and Infogrames. The team has contributed to big license games such as Motorstorm Apocalypse, Remember Me, I am Alive, Coldfear, the Amerzone, SSX, Rayman, Ghost Recon, Tony Hawk, Moto GP, Burnout, Trackmania, Shootmania and Harry Potter.
ABOUT REVERB TRIPLE XP An extension of interactive entertainment agency Reverb Communications, Inc., Reverb Triple XP provides a spectrum of services customized to focus on the needs of indie game developers. Reverb Triple XP powers up titles that stand out with excellent gameplay, creative design, and that elusive fun factor. Once chosen, our team of game industry veterans works with the game developers to fully understand and play the title, then execute on world class marketing, PR, social, production and distribution services that are fitting for games of the highest quality.
Swedish indie developers Fatshark released a new trailer today for Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintidetoday. Markus Kruber, the Empire Soldier, gets his own action real that introduces players to his heavy hitting tactics. He’s a former Empire Soldier who is now a hired gun for the Witch Hunter Victor Saltzpyre. Markus specializes in heavy hitting melee weapons like war hammers and great swords. If he needs to put some space between him and his enemies, he can fall back to a variety of guns. Gamers can learn more about Markus Kruber at the official Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintidewebpage.
Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide is a co-op FPS set in Games Workshop’s long running fantasy franchise. The game launches on October 23 for Windows for $29.99 USD. Those who pre-order on Steam will net themselves a 10% discount.
Did you know the Interstate 80 highway in the United States snakes all the way from San Francisco, California on the west coast to New York City on the east coast? Indie Gala’sEvery Monday Bundle #80 might not use as much gas as a cross country road trip, but it’s just as fun. This week’s bundle contains six great indie games.
Home is Where One Starts… – A non-linear exploration game inspired by books like East of Eden and The Tree of Life.
Braveland – A turn based tactical strategy game set in a hand drawn fantasy world.
Braveland Wizard – The story continues with the introduction of a young Wizard who has just graduated from the Academy of Magic.
One More Line – A simple, yet insanely addictive action game.
Mayhem Triple – Shoot up hundreds of enemies with a wide variety of guns in this super stylish and hyper-violent shooter.
The Logomancer – A JRPG that substitutes violence for logical discourse and persuasion.
For the first 24 hours of the sale, the bundle is only $1.89. Grab your bundle at Indie Gala today.
LONDON, UK — October 5, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft® announced a Windows PC closed beta for The Crew® Wild Run, the expansion to the action-driving MMO The Crew®. The beta will start on October 15 at 11am BST and last until October 19 at 11am BST.
The closed beta will allow players the first opportunity to participate in “The Summit”, a gathering of thousands of drivers and mechanics from around the world, taking place in iconic locations all around the USA. It’s an event where car culture is celebrated across a multi-dimensional competition with the widest variety of vehicles, from heavily tuned cars to agile bikes or more exotic concept cars. The Summit is the largest challenge in a driving game to date, where players will showcase their talents across a wide range of skillsets and terrains.
During the closed beta players will also have the opportunity to complete PvE and PvP missions to raise their ranking and unlock new features to customise their vehicles. FreeDrive activities will also be playable, as well as speed and skill challenges, stunt competitions with brand new trials created exclusively to fit new vehicle specifications.
Players will be able to test their skills with dragsters, designed to reach incredible top speeds; drift cars that demonstrate impressive control; unstoppable monster trucks that can perform dangerous backflips and insane jumps; or a range of agile motorcycles from prestigious brands, geared to take on the fastest cars on and off-road.
The beta will also showcase the graphical update that the expansions brings, creating stunning environments enhanced by new lighting effects and redesigned areas adapted for all types of vehicles. Existing owners of The Crew will also have access to this graphical update free of charge
The Crew Wild Run expansion will be available for download starting from November 17, and in a bundle with the base game and the expansion, in stores November 19.
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.
Avalanche Studios and Square Enix were not kidding, when they promised more explosions in their upcoming open-world action adventure, Just Cause 3. The third installment of the award-winning franchise promises fans the ultimate combination of chaotic sandbox fun and unlimited firepower, so much so that the world of Just Cause is going to burn to the ground this December.
Just Cause 3 marks the return of Rico Rodriguez, the badass you gotta love, whose job is to cause complete anarchy in areas that need new governance. With the third installment, players will get to know more about the protagonist, as he takes charge against an evil military dictator, to save his homeland within the Mediterranean archipelago.
Over the weekend at EB Games Expo 2015, Just Cause fans got first-hand experience of the creative destructiveness that makes this game so unique. Let me break it down for you. Imagine how much damage you could do in 1 minute and 30 seconds? This mini mission in Just Cause 3, serves as the perfect example of what Rico Rodriguez is capable of doing under pressure. Essentially, players need to destroy whatever they can reach within the time control, and will be rewarded with a greater score if they cause bigger explosions. Rico starts at the top of a building, with a rocket launcher strapped to his back, and all the C4 he could ever need at his fingertips. How can you possibly fail?
The best part of this mini mission, is that the timer only starts ticking after the first explosion you make. Therefore, players can explore their surroundings before kicking things into action. While playing at the Expo, I decided to venture away from the industrial area and take a drive across the gorgeous landscape. For the first time in Just Cause, the map has never been bigger for players to traverse, with an impressive 400 square mile Mediterranean island of Medici.
However, travelling too far from the main area and going out of bounds can result in a loss, that’s if you don’t make it back to the playing-field in time. Not going to lie, I spent more time exploring the area and trying to determine the best starting point for Rico to cause the most damage.
There is much more to look forward to in the next installment of Just Cause, with the new wingsuit enabling Rico to deal all sorts of chaos and mayhem, and travel at a greater speed over the Mediterranean island. The improved grapple, means that players now have multiple tethers they can deploy at once, which, if used right, causes bigger explosions.
As a new player to the franchise, I have to say, it was great fun blowing up everything possible in Just Cause 3 at EB Games Expo 2015. I am excited to see more of the game, when it is released at the end of the year. Just Cause 3 will be available on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC on December 1st. For those who pre-order via Steam, don’t miss out on the Air, Land and Sea Expansion Pass, with an exclusive Flame Wingsuit and Parachute Skins.
The creators of such classics The Neverhood turned to Kickstarter back in May 2013 in hopes of funding the game’s spiritual successor. Made in the same Claymation style as The Neverhood, Amikrogfollows Tommynaut and Beak-Beak’s adventure into space.
Story
Three astronaut brothers were sent into space in hopes of recovering enough P-tonium to power their home planet. Unfortunately, two of the brothers have gone missing during their quests, leaving Tommynaut the last remaining hope. While preparing the land on Spiro 5, Tommynaut’s ship hits an asteroid, sending him crashing into Armikrog fortress. With his sidekick Beak-Beak, Tommynaut discovers a mysterious baby that he promises to protect.
Although the premise of Armikrog has a ton of potential, the game is about as deep and as interesting as a puddle. The game is painfully short, leaving little time for plot or character development. There is very little interaction between Tommynaut and Beak-Beak, which really hinders character development. The entire plot is crammed in the last 15 minutes of the game. The writers attempt to use common plot tropes to shock some life into the story, but the attempts feel flat and forced.
Gameplay
Armikrog is a mess. Upon booting up the game, players are introduced to the standard game menu, which provides buttons to start a new game, change some options, and so forth. The problem is this menu never seems to change. To continue a previous game, the player must go into options and load their last save from there. This is only a hint of the mess that follows.
The game is a pretty standard point and click adventure. Players wander around levels solving puzzles that will let them explore a new area. Unfortunately, the puzzles almost always boil down to noticing some detail in one area, traveling to another area, and then recalling those details to solve a puzzle. Generous use of the screenshot function or a notebook is highly recommended. There are a small handful of puzzles that have a little more creativity in their design, but are quickly ruined by unnecessarily being drawn out or being repeated ad nauseum.
I couldn’t help but feel like developers Pencil Test Studios were constantly looking to extend the length of the game with ridiculous mechanics that force players to backtrack to discover the answer to puzzles or repeat the same puzzle several times over the course of the game. This tedious need to extend game time results in a puzzle that actually requires the player to walk back from almost the beginning of the game to find the answer. Keep in mind that the game itself is only three to five hours depending on how quickly players can slog through the puzzles.
Armikrog’s controls are pretty terrible. There is absolutely no tutorial in the game, leaving players to figure out that the game actually needs only one action, a left mouse click. The game’s hotspots that trigger actions are unintuitive at best, with many logical spots being unresponsive. The leaf pod controls are probably Armikrog’s lowest point. Trying to get in and out of them requires players to stay still and not click anything until they are sucked out, which runs against the idea of clicking to move or perform an action. The leaf pod needs player input every time it hits a rotating puzzle piece, even though there is no fork in the track. Moving around on rails that are particularly curvy can send the leaf pod zipping along in the wrong direction.
Armikrog is in deathly need of testing. The team offered beta test access to Kickstarter backers, but the game is still riddled with bugs. They range from minor visual glitches to serious game breaking bugs that prevent players from completing the game. It’s hard to shake off the feeling that the game is currently a really expensive beta test.
Visuals
Armikrog is clearly a labour of love. It is a beautiful game in an animation style took a lot of physical labour to complete. The hand worked clay is colourful and has a really unique texture that just can’t be digitally replicated. The cinematics have a wonderful 90s feel to them, which I suspect is from actual stop motion animation being used. The bug-filled nature of the game extends to the graphics, as I noticed a good bit of clipping and animation bugs.
Audio
Armikrog’s audio experience is good. The sound effects are solid, the voice acting is excellent, and the music is a pleasant jazzy soundtrack. The highlight of the game is definitely the 90’s Saturday morning cartoon-styled song that serves as the game’s opening cinematic. Unfortunately, Armikrog suffers from sound bugs, too. They are mostly minor, but expect things like the music cutting in and out at times to happen.
Overall
I can’t recommend Armikrog. The game is extremely short and feels like it is purposely being dragged out. The story fails to impress. The puzzles are bland and lack creativity. The controls are clumsy and unintuitive. The game is riddled with bugs and is in need serious patching. The beautiful Claymation work and solid audio experience just isn’t enough to save Armikrog.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Inari is a middle school student who has feelings for her classmate Tanbabashi. She begins to wonder if he may have a romantic interest in Sumizome, a mutual classmate of theirs. One day, Inari saves a fox from falling into a river while on her way to school. Uka-sama, the god of the Inari shrine, is grateful for this act of kindness and later tells Inari that she will grant one wish for her in return for saving one of her familiars.
Story
Inari decides that she wants to become Sumizome. Her wish is granted, effectively removing Inari from the face of the Earth and replacing her with a doppelgänger of Sumizome. She runs into Tanbabashi while her appearance has changed and finds out that he feels guilty for avoiding her. Inari has an opportunity to give him the charm that she bought for him, but she finds that even though she has physically changed, she has not changed on the inside. Realising her terrible mistake, she goes to Uka-sama and asks her to turn her back into Inari. This is where things start to go terribly wrong, or perhaps terribly right, for Inari.
This is a series where character interactions and character development are just about everything. It is all too common for a manga series or an anime series to make it seem as if changing one’s physical appearance is a guaranteed way to make one suddenly have some kind of appeal to the person they have feelings for. It is not common, however, for a Japanese series to show that superficial changes to one’s appearance are meaningless. Inari learns that she must find the courage to talk to Tanbabashi herself without the help of anyone else or divine power.
The greatest strengths of this series are the ways it handles the interactions between the characters, the depth of their personalities and their emotional development. It explores the unfortunate fact that some people, whether through their own actions or because of external influences, find it difficult to make friends and accept new people into their friendship group. It explores what it is like for someone to accept their own shortcomings and try to get over them. It also carefully explores the many difficulties and anxieties that come with having romantic feelings for someone. Morohe Yoshida has created a series that is more touching and feels more natural than many other anime and manga series do. Few of them feature characters with such depth and with realistic and familiar personalities.
Visuals
Production IMS has done a fantastic job with the animation and the visuals. The scenery is given a detailed, natural look, while the external appearance of the Celestial Plains is stylised to give a surreal feel to the home of the gods. Alternatively using both of these styles helps to create a unique feel, one that is always pleasant to look at. It also helps to distinguish the Celestial Plains from Earth, a distinction that becomes quite important as the series progresses.
It is always important for characters to be distinguishable from one another and fundamentally more so in this series. Inari looks like a normal human being instead of being the kind of cookie-cutter girl that is commonly depicted in many Japanese series. Uka-sama has the appearance of a wise god, or at least that is how she appears most of the time. Her tendency to play otome games allows for opportunities for her to be portrayed more like a human, a point that is the cause for significant concern on the parts of her creepy, incestuous and overprotective brother and the rest of her family. Inari’s other friends are all clearly distinguishable from one another, which helps when Inari transforms into one of them for one reason or another. Maru’s character design in particular is quite refreshing; issues involving being overweight are rarely discussed in Japanese series in such a realistic way. The male characters, however, are as bland as male characters are in any given harem series. Still, Tanbabashi’s bland appearance is not really a problem; it is his initial lack of personality that is the problem. In the latter half of the series, his feelings are briefly explored, helping him to become somewhat of a proper character, and Touka goes through some development as well.
This series does not push fan-service as much many other series do these days, but it is nonetheless present with the sexual objectification and humiliation of Uka-sama. There are also creepy men that hit on the two of the girls when the main group of friends goes on the contractually required beach trip. All of the ‘fan-service’ exists to humiliate or seriously frighten the female characters. It is not at all appropriate and detracts from the innocent feel that the series otherwise has.
Audio
The background music, composed by Takashi Senoo, is beautiful and fun to listen to, and it never feels like it is used inappropriately. One thing that is particularly effective is the use of atmospheric sounds. Ethereal atmospheric sounds can be heard instead of conventional background music when Inari is discovering Uka-sama‘s house for the first time, adding to the mysterious feel of the scene. The opening and ending theme songs are better than the usual pop songs used in anime, and the insert songs are pleasant as well.
The performances of the voice actors are convincing. Unfortunately, FUNimation still found ways to change the meaning of what is being said even without producing an English dub. The subtitles frequently use North American slang terms and phrases when they are clearly not appropriate for such a distinctly Japanese series. If you know enough Japanese to understand what is being said, you may wish to turn the subtitles off so as to avoid the unnecessary and inappropriate Americanisms introduced in the subtitles.
Extras
Although none of the episodes feature conventional previews for the following episode, nine special previews titled “Pub Fox Theater” are included. In these shorts, the foxes Shishi and Roro and later Uka-sama‘s sister Miya discuss random things while shots from the next episode of the main series play on a TV in the background. The commercial collection, promotional video, textless opening and ending animation and U.S. trailer are included as well. The textless opening and ending scenes in episodes 9 and 10 are not included, a common move for English releases of anime. The OVA episode is included. While it does not really further the story, it is one final chance to see the characters animated and doing things together, even if most of it takes place chronologically in the middle of the 10 episodes of the TV series.
Overall
Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha is figuratively a hidden gem among the vast majority of the manga and anime series that make it into the English speaking world each month. It has a surprisingly natural and often mystical feel to it; when a character reveals something very deep and personal about themselves, it feels real. These moments have a real emotional power that is unfortunately rare in Japanese series. Although the main plot is resolved by the end of episode 10, much is left unresolved. This is because of two reasons: the anime adaptation finished over a year before the original manga concluded, and there are only 11 in total. The friendship issues were resolved throughout the course of the 10 episodes broadcast on Japanese television, and while some future developments are implied, enough is left unresolved to warrant another season being produced. Sumizome certainly deserves more screen time than she got after her powerful revelations in the middle of this adaptation, although it is unlikely that a second season will actually be produced. As it is, this adaptation provides a delicate, albeit brief, insight into the lives and minds of a group of mostly realistic characters.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
