THE ICONIC MOVIES CELEBRATED WITH NEW LIMITED EDITION INDIVIDUAL BLU-RAY™ STEELBOOKS
Each Film Presented in Unique, Collectible Character Steelbook Packaging available 11th November 2015.
Also Available Newly repackaged Star Wars: The Complete Saga to be released on 11th November 2015.
Sydney, AUSTRALIA – As the galaxy prepares for the next generation of Star Wars, the six epic films will each release as commemorative Blu-ray steelbooks on Wednesday 11 November. These highly collectible films will be available for a limited time only and can be pre-ordered beginning Friday 7 August. In addition, Star Wars: The Complete Saga will also be released in newly repackaged artwork on Wednesday 11 November. The announcements were made today by The Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Each film from the Saga is presented with new character packaging allowing fans to choose their favorite or collect all six for a limited time. Characters include: The Phantom Menace – Darth Maul; Attack of the Clones – Yoda; Revenge of the Sith – General Grievous; A New Hope – Darth Vader; TheEmpire Strikes Back – Imperial Stormtrooper; and Return of the Jedi – Emperor Palpatine.
In addition to the collectible steelbook packaging, each single disc Blu-ray includes existing audio commentary with George Lucas and the film crew as well as audio commentary from archival interviews with the cast and crew.
The newly repackaged Saga includes all six feature films on Blu-ray, along with three additional discs containing more than 40 hours of previously released extensive special features.
About The Walt Disney Studios
For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™, Digital HD and VOD. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, a 21st Century Fox Company.
German Tech Tree Prepares to Set Sail in World of Warships
German cruisers to hit the high seas
August 6, 2015 — Wargaming today announced that the German Tech Tree is preparing to cast off for World of Warships. This new lineup will set sail in October, with visitors to this year’s gamescom getting exclusive hands-on experience with famed German warships, including the iconic Dresden and Admiral Hipper, far ahead of their release.
The World of Warships zone within the massive Wargaming gamescom booth will be the only place where players can test the versatility of the Dresden and Hermelin cruisers, as well as discover the might of the Bismarck and Tirpitz battleships. Visitors will also get the chance to see how these warships operate while pitting them against other nations already in game for the very first time.
The German cruisers making their in-game debut boast remarkable endurance, especially at higher tiers, making them great for surviving tough encounters. Heavy German cruisers also feature solid armor and devastating weaponry fitting for any battle at sea. The German line has strong penetration, but even better damage per minute and outstanding missile velocity, which makes for an intimidating force in close-range combat.
“The World of Warships team is really excited to be adding the German national line into the game,” said Danila Volkov, World of Warships Development Director. “German shipbuilding has produced truly daunting and diverse warships. These vessels open up a whole new set of tactics for players and add additional depth to gameplay.”
The World of Warships Open Beta saw over two million prospective captains engage in thrilling naval warfare on the high seas with players around the world averaging 190 minutes or 12 battles per day. Of the dozens of ships offered, player favorites included aircraft carrier Langley, battleship Michigan, cruiser St. Louis and destroyer Wakatake.
To stay up-to-date with all the latest developments, visit our official website.
The highly anticipated World of Warships is the latest free, historical online combat game to be added to the Wargaming’s catalog. Command a massive naval fleet featuring history’s most iconic war vessels, level up important tech modules and prepare to dominate the oceans in World of Warships.
With four classes of ships, a plethora of upgrades, strategically designed environments the action never ends and every match is a unique experience.
Endless hours of strategy, tactical gameplay and pulse pounding combat await all who take the helm in World of Warships!
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped more than 15 titles. Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to the mid-20th century warfare that will include the armored World of Tanks, the flight combat World of Warplanes, and the naval World of Warships. The three intertwined titles will form a common gaming universe integrated within the portal www.wargaming.net.
As part of its multiplatform line-up, the company has introduced World of Tanks on Xbox and World of Tanks Blitz on mobile and tablet. Launched in 2014 and 2015, World of Tanks on Xbox introduced epic tank-on-tank battles to console gamers and offers the first cross-platform gaming experience between Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The mobile MMO game World of Tanks Blitz has opened up Wargaming’s trademark team-based military IP to smartphone and tablet users worldwide.
NEW STARCRAFT® II, HEARTHSTONE®, HEROES OF THE STORM™, AND OVERWATCH™ CONTENT REVEALED AT GAMESCOM 2015
Latest additions to current and upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games playable on show floor; new World of Warcraft® expansion to be announced tomorrow
SYDNEY, Australia—August 6, 2015—Epic Heroes and knightly cards are just a few of the exciting new things Blizzard Entertainment revealed overnight at gamescom 2015, taking place at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany from August 5–9. And there’s more to come: the epic new expansion for World of Warcraft® will be unveiled on the Blizzard stage in Hall 7 tomorrow, August 7, at 2:00 a.m. AEST. Players around the world can tune in to a live stream of the announcement at www.blizzgc.com.
StarCraft® II: Legacy of the Void™
Blizzard also revealed the first details for Allied Commanders, a brand-new cooperative game mode in Legacy of the Void, the upcoming final chapter of StarCraft II. In Allied Commanders mode, players take on the roles of legendary StarCraft commanders and team up to defeat a host of enemies in a series of objective-based missions, levelling up their commanders as they progress.
Each commander has a distinct play style and devastating abilities, as well as new cooperative powers exclusive to the Allied Commanders mode. New abilities, units, and upgrades are unlocked as the commanders work together to dominate each mission.
Three commanders have just been revealed and are playable at gamescom:
Jim Raynor represents the heart and fighting spirit of the Terran Dominion, leading an army that focuses on infantry and Terran war machines, including the ability to call down the power of the Hyperion Battlecruiser, the flagship of his fleet
Kerrigan takes to the battlefield alongside her Swarm, which comprises some of the most iconic Zerg units from the StarCraft franchise
Artanis commands the Protoss forces from high above in the Spear of Adun, and can quickly reinforce his allies anywhere on the map, including calling down orbital strikes with deadly precision
Professional StarCraft II players will be demonstrating Allied Commanders at gamescom on the Blizzard stage in Hall 7 from 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, until 12:30 a.m. AEST on Sunday, August 9, and from 9:00–10:00 p.m. AEST on Sunday, August 9.
Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™
Dashing knights and their trusty steeds join gamescom this year with a preview of The Grand Tournament™, the exciting new expansion for Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™ due out later this month. Along with 11 new cards revealed overnight, Blizzard showcased a new “jousting” gameplay mechanic, which gives certain cards the ability to reveal a minion in each deck and win a special advantage for the player if their revealed minion has a higher mana cost than that of their opponent.
Heroes of the Storm™
The influence of Sanctuary within the Nexus continues to expand as part of the ongoing Eternal Conflict™ in-game event, with the unveiling of a new Diablo®-themed Hero and Battleground:
Kharazim, Monk of Ivgorod, is a versatile melee support Hero who can be either a healer or a fighter
Infernal Shrines is a three-lane Battleground on which teams compete to call forth a massive Punisher demon that hunts down the opposing team’s Heroes
Two additional Heroes have also been revealed:
Rexxar, the famed half-ogre, half-orc beastmaster from Warcraft®, is a ranged warrior who fights in tandem with his trusted bear companion, Misha
Artanis, the first StarCraft warrior for Heroes of the Storm, will be made available to those who purchase or pre-purchase StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void
Overwatch™
The world could use a new hero, and two new maps, and that’s exactly what Blizzard revealed for Overwatch, its highly anticipated team-based shooter:
Lúcio, an acclaimed Brazilian musician, supports his comrades by using his musical talents to heal them and boost their speed
In Numbani, an African city where omnics and humans live together in peace, players escort Doom Fist’s gauntlet to the Numbani Heritage Museum—or prevent their opponents from doing so
In Volskaya Industries, a Russian manufacturing centre near Siberia where the hostility between humans and omnics remains strong, opposing teams battle over control of the map by capturing or defending critical objectives
Lúcio and the two new maps are playable on the show floor at gamescom, along with Zarya, McCree, and Soldier 76, three heroes announced earlier this year.
In addition to tuning in to www.blizzgc.com for tomorrow’s World of Warcraft expansion announcement, be sure to return to the website at 2:00 a.m. AEST on August 8 and 9, and at 1:00 a.m. AEST on August 10, to watch live chats with Blizzard developers about the latest announcements at gamescom and more.
BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE ANNOUNCES SWORD ART ONLINE RE: HOLLOW FRAGMENT AVAILABLE NOW ON PLAYSTATION®4
Relive The Adventures in Aincrad on the PlayStation®4
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe today announces that Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment is now available through PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®4.
“Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment and Sword Art Online: Lost Song are both poised to bring the action and rich story of the highly popular Sword Art Online anime to life on the PlayStation family of consoles. The popularity of anime and novel has been growing at an astonishing rate and we’re excited to add the Sword Art Online franchise to our company’s illustrious roster of popular anime games.” said Herve Hoerdt, Vice President of Marketing & Digital at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe.
Both Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment and Sword Art Online: Lost Song feature original stories based on the light novel and anime Sword Art Online. Both games follow the simulated Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (VRMMORPG) gameplay from the Sword Art Online storyline. In Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment, players will play as the main character, Kirito, and fight through all the levels of Aincrad to break free from being locked within the virtual game world. Players with save data from the PlayStation®Vita version of the game on will be pleased to learn that some items from that game will be transferrable to the PlayStation®4; additionally DLC from the PlayStation®Vita title will be unlockable on the PlayStation®4 at a later date.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song is taking route to Europe, Middle-East and Australasia on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita with subtitles in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
With an original story based on the Alfheim Online realm including new and returning characters and exclusive environments, fans will be more than happy to spend more than 50 hours questing in the ultimate Virtual Reality universe! To make it even more exiting, Lost Song will feature all new Aerial Battles and plenty of customization features.
Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment is available now for the PlayStation®4 (via PlayStation®Network) in summer 2015. Sword Art Online: Lost Song is slated for a retail release on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®Vita in late 2015.
Overview The Deception series saw quite a bit of success on the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles due in part to its trap-oriented gameplay that no other title had ever attempted before vanishing for nearly ten years. Then Koei Tecmo revived the franchise with the release of Deception IV: Blood Ties which brought back the type of trap oriented gameplay that fans remembered. Now with Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess offering new content on top of what was already included in Blood Ties, should fans step into the trap filled dungeons once again?
Story Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess includes not only the original storyline following Laegrinna, the daughter of the devil, as she is assisted by three demons who work with her father in order to revive the devil by collecting Holy Verses that have been passed down for generations by the heroes that originally sealed him but also a hundred new quests that follow another princess named Velguirie.
Unlike Laegrinna, Velguirie has a number of unique powers as she is capable of haunting the nightmares of humanity allowing her to torture them in their dreams. With a sadistic personality, Velguirie is capable of attacking opponents with kicks to set them up for the disastrous traps that lay in wait. She is assisted by an automaton named Ephemera who assists Velguirie in restoring her lost powers as well as reviving the devil, even if it means she must defeat Laegrinna and others from the past to do so.
While this means that there is still an issue with there not being too much of a set-up for the actual storylines in Deception IV, both Blood Ties’ story and The Nightmare Princess’ quests hold up well enough on their own even if it happens to be your second time heading through Laegrinna’s storyline since there are many different ways it can play out while Velguirie feels like a fleshed out story that manages to hold together well despite the odd decision to relegate her storyline to the quest mode.
Gameplay The real core experience for Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess remains the same as what was found in the original game and you can read all about that in our original review. As a brief summary however, players find themselves facing off against a number of opponents in stages where they must use traps that they have cleverly laid out in order to kill all enemies.
The new twist with The Nightmare Princess is that Velguirie can do something that no protagonist could ever do in a Deception game, she can physically attack enemies. Of course this doesn’t mean that she can simply kick an enemy to pieces but by utilizing a well-timed kick (which is limited by a recharge meter) Velguirie can temporarily stun an enemy and make them stagger backwards into an area that may have a trap waiting to be activated by the player. Of course if you’re feeling extra sadistic you can also stomp on downed foes for a bit of a coup de grâce if they are on the verge of defeat or just got put through the ringer of a ridiculously long trap chain.
While Deception IV already had more traps than you could ever think to try out and combine with the various stage traps, The Nightmare Princess adds even more to that number though it is worth noting that most of these special traps require the player to unlock them via the 100 mission long quest mode. Of course once a number of these traps have been unlocked, the only limitation to what you want to actually do with them is your imagination (and the number of traps that you can use at any given time which must be increased by completing the aforementioned story modes) as your foes’ demise can be as gruesome or hilarious as you want it to be, especially with a new customization option.
As mentioned before, this serves as Velguirie’s storyline and while every quest requires the player to usually defeat every enemy, there are also additional challenges that range from finishing off an enemy with a certain trap, hitting a high trap combo, or at least utilizing a certain trap in said combo. By completing these side-objectives not only are enhanced versions of already unlocked traps unlocked but so are new traps as well as new customization pieces.
Alongside offering the new storyline quest mode, The Nightmare Princess also includes the addition of Studio mode. Studio mode allows players to not only craft their own victims by creating enemies that can be customized using various pieces that can be unlocked in the aforementioned quest mode but also given specific weaknesses and strengths. These opponents can then be placed in pre-existing stages for players to run through any different number of fun scenarios to see how things will play out. These scenarios can then be uploaded for the community to play and it is entirely possible to download other player created stages to see if you can manage to tackle the challenges they have placed before you.
That being said, while the new story following Velguirie is enjoyable and the addition of even more traps to utilize is a great addition, those who have already picked up Blood Ties may find it hard to pick up an entirely new version of the game only for the aforementioned additions. Those who never picked up Deception IV obviously won’t find issue here but those looking for a simple upgrade may not be satisfied with everything on offer in The Nightmare Princess.
Visuals & Audio By being released on the PlayStation 4 Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess actually hasn’t been given too much of a graphical overhaul. The character models do look a bit better than before (with fan-service breaking clothing still included) but unfortunately most of the already included stages look the same as before. Thankfully a number of modern stages and traps have been added into the game to spice things up a bit and move away from the medieval aesthetic that may have been dragging on players for a bit too long.
This means that characters wearing gym uniforms can be subjected to both medieval traps as well as modern day ones such as toilet geysers, flying soccer balls, out of control playground and exercise equipment, and more especially since their outfits can now be changed to fit whatever theme feels right in the Studio mode.
As with the original release, Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess does not feature an English voice track and has retained the original Japanese dub. This isn’t an issue however as Koei Tecmo has provided proper English subtitles for every bit of spoken text in the game, including the oft hilarious introduction and dying speeches given by your victims while the Japanese voice actresses and actors have done a great job fitting into their sadistic sounding roles.
Overall Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess serves as a great addition to the franchise by not only upgrading the title to the PlayStation 4 but also offering a bunch of new content to attract newcomers. Unfortunately the move to the PlayStation 4 does very little to upgrade the original graphics found in Blood Ties and those looking to upgrade may find the new content a bit lacking. Nonetheless I found Velguirie a worthy addition to the game and with plenty of new traps to utilize, new modern stages to spice things up, and plenty of content to unlock for the Studio, Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess is definitely worth it for fans looking for more great content with a bit of extra polish.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
DC UNIVERSE ONLINE’s EPISODE 15 FEATURING DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS AND BLACK LANTERNS now available
DC Comics Bombshells Make Their First Appearance in a Video Game
SAN DIEGO – Aug. 5, 2015 – DC Universe™ Online’s (DCUO) Episode 15 is now available for Members on the PC, PlayStation®4 system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, marking the first-ever video game appearance of DC Comics Bombshells. Episode 15 also signifies the debut of Black Lanterns and Indigo Tribe in DCUO.
Episode 15 features two adventures for players to embark on – The Bombshell Paradox and Corrupted Zamaron:
The Bombshells Paradox – In this eight-person Operation, players travel through a rift in time and space to the world of the DC Comics Bombshells to battle the “Bombshell” Talia al Ghul. In her attempts to alter their timeline and change the outcome of World War II, “the Lady al Ghul” has created a tear in reality that must be fixed. Players must stop her and set the universe back on its correct path.
Modeled after DC Comics Bombshells, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Talia al Ghul Bombshells make their first video game appearance together in The Bombshell Paradox. The Operation introduces a new environment – Russian Gulag turned Secret Munitions Factory – and marks the beginning of the League of Assassins narrative in DCUO.
Corrupted Zamaron – A continuation of the War of the Light storyline, “The Black” has re-emerged in the universe and has targeted the Predator entity inside the Central Power Battery on Zamaron. Because of this threat, Indigo-1 of the Indigo Tribe has now joined the War of the Light. In this duo, players help Carol Ferris defend Zamaron from the Black Lanterns and will purge the Black Lanterns’ Corruption from the Battery.
Episode 15 is now available as a free download for Members and will be available for purchase by non-members on Aug. 12, 2015 via the PlayStation®Network, the in-game Marketplace, or for PC players via the DCUniverseOnline.com website.
In addition to being featured in Episode 15, DC Comics Bombshells Harley Quinn is now available as a playable Legends Character. Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Catwoman Bombshells will be available for purchase as Legends Characters on Aug. 12, 2015.
DCUO is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on behalf of DC Entertainment. For more information about DCUO, visit www.DCUniverseOnline.com.
About DC Universe Online
Lex Luthor has traveled back through time with news of a dire future: While the heroes and villains spent years battling amongst themselves, Brainiac has been feeding on their powers, building strength to return to Earth and destroy humanity. To change the future, Lex has come back to set off a device that bestows super powers to thousands of every-day citizens and give humanity a fighting chance. Can Brainiac be stopped, or is this another nefarious Lex Luthor plot?
For the first time, players and fans will be able to enter the DC Universe as an active force for good or evil. A massively multiplayer experience, DC Universe Online delivers unparalleled high-energy, physics-powered combat that brings the player’s extraordinary powers to life.
DC Universe Online was created in the artistic vision of legendary comic book artist Jim Lee, and set within a world created by famous DC writers including Geoff Johns and Marv Wolfman.
Rated T for Teen with Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes and Violence, DC Universe Online is now available for the PC, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. DCUO Legendary access is available for a $14.99 monthly fee.
About Daybreak Game Company
Daybreak Game Company LLC is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games and emergent gameplay. Best known for its blockbuster hits and franchises such as EverQuest®, EverQuest®II, PlanetSide®2, DC Universe™ Online, H1Z1™, Landmark™ and the highly anticipated EverQuest Next™, Daybreak creates, develops and provides compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.
Quick warning, unlike my last few Life is Strange Reviews this one will contain some slight indirect spoilers. Episode 3 of Life is Strange was a relatively slow episode, failing to do much to further the plot and was honestly rather forgettable outside of that fantastic ending. Luckily, Life is Strange Episode 4: Dark Room brings with it plenty of intense moments, character development and a heap of twists you most likely won’t see coming. Is Dark Room the penultimate episode this series deserves? Read on for our full review.
Story
Where as episode 3 focused a lot on missing girl Rachael Amber and her history, main characters Max and Chloe didn’t get any closer to finding Arcadia Bay’s missing angel. Episode 4 feels like its trying to make up for all that, continuously keeping the ball rolling with intense or shocking sequences while not straying too far from the series roots.
Mad Max and Chloe on another whirlwind adventure.
Episode 4 starts up right where the third episode left off where we get to see a great alternate reality and a new, darker side to the story that represent the harsh consequences of Max’s last time bending escapade. Unfortunately you kind of feel any decisions you make in this alternate world are pointless as it’s a little obvious that things will return to normal based on how you arrived in the alternate reality in the first place, but this game has surprised me before so I wouldn’t be shocked if those decisions do make their way back into the main story.
The Rachael Amber and Prescott family storylines continue to give strong motivation the player to continue delving further into the story as the great pacing in this episode gives you one piece of the puzzle at a time. The ongoing mystery of the extreme weather effects and supernatural occurrences are still lurking in the background but are starting to weave their way into the story.
Something serious is going down at Blackwell Academy.
Max remains her shy, dorky self and her inner thoughts on her surroundings continue to bring more depth to this likable main character. The rest of the cast is equally believable and many of the characters are very fleshed out, with a lot of their back story coming through from objects found in the environment or conversations you have with them. It’s easy to feel for these characters and relate to them as a lot of different personalities are present. It’s perfect for a game like this as you feel yourself treating different types of people as you would in real life based on their attitude or even just how you’re feeling that day.
As for the actual dialogue, I feel it’s improved here overall from Episode 3. There are still a few awkwardly delivered lines from the main cast and there are some rare lines that are laughable (a stoner guy at one point says he “vaped some dank OG bud”), but these are few and far between they’re more hilariously bad rather than just bad.
Yep.
The choices made so far also seem to be having a fair impact on the story. That is not to say that the story won’t play out essentially the same way for everyone but the journey will most certainly be different for many, to the point where some players may not experience entire scenes due to a character being otherwise occupied for whatever reason. Smaller effects such as dialogue that is effected by your choices are also peppered around the game, leading to moments where you’re like “oh cool, my actions made them say that.”
As with past episodes, some of the best features that have remained staples of the series also return here. This world is again so full and lovingly crafted and really feels lived in, making the small town of Arcadia Bay feel believable and allowing us to relate to the struggle it’s going through. Arcadia Bay is littered with intractable objects that all come accompanied by Max’s inner thoughts, giving the player insight in to how Max thinks and interprets the world in her head.
The environments in this game are fantastic and filled with objects to interact with.
Max’s diary that contains text messages, diary entries, character biographies and more also makes a welcome return. The game does a great job at providing you with the necessary information to understand the main story upfront, but for those who are interested in really delving into character histories, past events and Max’s thoughts on everything you can do just that. The diary (along with the main script) hold heaps of fun pop culture references from movies to popular memes which are fun to find. The main diary entries and text messages can also aid in gameplay especially during the detective part of the game.
Episode 4 answered a lot of questions but be assured there is still heaps of mystery left to be revealed in the final episode and Episode 4 somehow manages to add that with some shocking, yet pleasing, plot twist and revelations. For me the best plot twists are ones that you can look back at the film/game and be like “ahh that makes sense” and I am happy to write that is the case here.
Max’s diary gives a great run down of past events and characters, all from her unique point of view.
Gameplay
Gameplay is very similar to the last three episodes as Max walks around looking for the next prompt to advance the story, investigating the area and taking the odd photo for an achievement whilst doing so. A lot of the time you will have a choice in your actions or dialogue which will effect the story in a minor or major way depending on the gravitas of the situation. The options you have in these conversations often change depending on past actions and you can often rewind them if you are not happy with your answer. Once again your decisions feel important and thanks to Max’s time powers you can always watch out the immediate consequences of one action and then rewind to view the other, allowing you to make a more informed choice before you pick permanently.
Max’s time bending powers really aren’t used much in Episode 4 which can be seen as both a positive and a negative. It’s good that Dontnod aren’t overusing the mechanic and continue to use it smartly, in small doses. However it also means there isn’t as much time involved puzzle solving which is a shame as I had fun with it in past installments. The time puzzles presented here are rather simple, but will get you thinking about the right time to rewind and the spatial awareness of your surroundings.
Get your thinking caps on it’s time to play detective.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t other types of puzzles to solve though and unlike the monotonous fetch quests that were present in Episode 3 there is none of that here. A fun section in the middle of the game has you pasting together a bunch of collected clues to help Max and Chloe identify where they should head to next to continue their mission. The game does a good job at making you feel like a detective as you have to really take a good look at each piece of evidence to link everything together.
The last episode had an instance where I was forced to restart due to an infinite loop bug and unfortunately Episode 4 isn’t bug free either. At first I thought it was just me not remembering the controls properly but after doing some research online it seems many others have had the same problem. Pressing LB on an Xbox control on the PC normally will rewind you back automatically to the start of the last interaction you had, but in Episode 4 it is broken and keeps rewinding. This happens across most of the episode and basically means that functionality can’t be used, forcing you to use the manual rewind. It’s not the worst bug in the world but considering how well the time controls worked in past episodes it is disappointing the game wasn’t tested enough to find this issue.
Visuals
The visuals in this game are kind of like a 3D water colour painting with lots of soft tones and visible brush strokes. It looks great and details on characters and the environment are impressive for an art style that appears simplistic on the surface. Environments are incredibly detailed and have just as much personality as the characters within them. A great example of this is all the graffiti across the dorms and toilets which is mostly hilarious and a solid representation of how some kids act these days.
The interface is very clean and intuitive. Hand drawn lines pop up to represent objects you can interact with and also when the game is saving or you have made a consequential decision. When you perform a rewind the visual effects used are really powerful, user friendly and aren’t slow or clumsy. The freedom of the camera movement is fun to play with and allows you to set up cool screenshots in lieu of a proper photo mode.
The lip syncing issues from past episodes are gone!
I have slammed the past episodes for their bad lip syncing and it seems Dontnod and Square Enix have put the money earned from the series success to good use. The lip syncing is FIXED and while still not perfect is a gigantic step up from the past games. On a quick performance note, the PC version has plenty of visual settings to adjust and even on my only decent PC running max setting I suffered no performance issues while playing.
Audio
The game doesn’t have a big soundtrack however the licensed tracks used in the game are perfectly melded to the visuals. The soundtrack largely takes an indie vibe with obvious inspiration from films like Juno. Then there’s the party scene featuring a good mix of licensed songs that I thought fit a teen party really well. In terms of score, calm scenes have soothing music while intense moments have an equally fitting tone. As for the sound effects, none are out of place and aid in the completion of the wonderfully detailed world.
Their moves might not be in sync with music but the musics still great.
The voice acting is really good for the most part, with lines delivered well and character’s voices matching their personality. Sometimes the match is a bit stereotypical such as the dumb jock speaking slowly or the ‘bimbo blonde’ speaking with high afflictions, but those problems luckily don’t affect characters that speak a lot.
Overall
Life is Strange Episode 4: Dark Room continues on from the magnificent ending of Episode 3 and keeps the intensity up throughout the entire episode, right up to the shock ending of its own. The best of the series is present here with a great cast of likable characters, well detailed environments, meaningful choices and stimulating challenges. Tied together with fantastic visual and audio presentation, most players should easily be able to overlook some of the ridiculous dialogue and few bugs that try to interrupt your gaming session. If Dontnod nail it with Episode 5 they could have a surprise Game of the Year contender on their hands with this excellent original series.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
It’s only been a few weeks since Victor Vran left Steam Early Access, but Haemimont Games announced today that they will be teaming up with the band Motorhead to create a new expansion pack for Victor Vran. The Bulgarian developers will be creating a new area that mashes together inspiration from the Wild West, the Dark ages, Motorhead’s lyrics, and the band’s style. The new story will focus on religion, politics, and oppression.
Victor Vran “Motorhead Through the Ages”is set to launch sometime in 2015. No price has been announced. Victor Vran is available now for Linux, Mac, and Windows on Steam and GOG.
Lego Dimensions is one of my most highly anticipated games for this year (even if it will do nasty, unspeakable things to my wallet) but with the game a little over a month from release, I still had some questions (as I’m sure many of you did too). Questions like “just how much content IS there in the game?” Well thankfully, Warner Bros via a brand new trailer have gone a long way to answering that.
The new information provided in the trailer suggests tha aside from the main campaign and the levels available through Level Packs, that each of the represented franchises will have massive playable worlds to unlock. While you can send any character you like into any world you like, you will need a character from that franchise to unlock it in the first place.
Check out the new trailer for yourself below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the awesome Lego Dimensions news as it becomes available
Corsair announced two new keyboards, three headsets, and a new mouse for the gaming market at gamescom 2015 today.
The marquee announcement is the STRAFE RGB Silent and the STRAFE RGB Mechanical Keyboard.
Both keyboards use the standard layout and come with three switch options. The Strafe RGB Mechanical Keyboard is available in the gaming mainstays of Cherry MX Brown and Cherry MX Red. The STRAFE RGB Silent keyboard, however, is the first gaming keyboard to use the new Cherry MX Silent switches. Additionally, the board has been designed to be as quiet as possible and is up to 30% quieter than other mechanical keyboards. Both keyboards feature fully RGB lighting and support for CUE (Corsair Utility Engine). The keyboards will be available in October 2015 with an MSRP of $149.99 USD.
Corsair also announced their new top of the line gaming headset, the VOID. The headset is available in wireless, USB, and analog stereo configurations. The USB and wireless configurations support Dolby 7.1 surround sound, EQ settings, RGB lightings, InfoMic status LEDs, and the CUE control dial. The analog stereo configurations comes with Y-adaptor cables for with with consoles, mobile devices, and PCs. The headsets will launch in late August 2015 with an MSRP of $129.99 USD for the wireless model, $99.99 USD for the USB model, and $79.99 for the stereo analog model.
MOBA and MMO players are finally getting their own Corsair mouse model with the introduction of the Scimitar RGB, which sports a 12,000 DPI optical sensor. The mouse is the first to feature a patent pending Key Slider control system that lets the user move the thumb buttons forward or backwards by 8mm to accommodate a variety of mouse grips and hand sizes. As a gamer with small hands, this sounds like a brilliant idea! The side buttons are mechanical switches for a consistent and tactile click. The mouse is also compatible with the CUE software.
Finally, Corsair announced a major update to their CUE software. The new update simplifies the UI based on user feedback. The software also introduces CUE Link, which will coordinate the lighting effects across multiple Corsair RGB accessories.
