Devolver Digital has announced a brand new feature to their popular early access title Broforce. The patriotic shoot-em-up has now added a level editor to the movie-themed action game, with an over-the-top video announcement which can be viewed below. This level editor looks to be a powerful tool, offering players a huge amount of customization for the game.
Player generated content will be available in an in-game area aptly called the user generated island. These levels will be selected from a bimonthly level design competition for players, called the Weekend Workshop Brodown. The competition pits level designers against each other to build the best level based on developer announced themes. The winners of these competitions will be rewarded with copies of Devolver Digital games, and the chance to have their level included in the final release of Broforce. Details on the competitions can be found here.
The addition of a level editor to the game is a huge step for the bombastic shooter; the replayability which will likely come of this is huge, and I can only imagine that level designers will likely seek to try to recreate levels based off the in-game character’s movies. Our review of Broforce can be found here.
Independent developer Chilled Mouse has announced that, in conjunction with tabletop gaming juggernaut Games Workshop and Rodeo Games, Warhammer Quest will be coming to Steam. This announcement stated that the digital version of the famous board game will be available on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam.
The turn-based strategy game will be set in hidden dungeons all around the Warhammer Fantasy world. Chilled Mouse stated that the dungeons will be randomly generated, and filled with loot. Enemies will include different long-time Warhammer universe characters, such as Skaven, Orcs, River Trolls, and Goblins.
Players will control hero characters using a number of different class types, such as the Marauder, Grey Wizard, Dwarf Ironbreaker, and more. Heroes will level up skills and gain new abilities, spells, and blessings throughout the course of the game.
The board game remains relatively difficult to find, as Games Workshop doesn’t continually reissue it. This game offers the opportunity to bring what many consider a popular tabletop game to the masses. The Warhammer universe is dripping in rich history, and this game allows fans of the world to experience all of that in a digital package.
The title, which was originally released on mobile platforms, will be released on January 7th next year. It will be available in two versions, a base edition for $14.99 (£10.99) and a deluxe edition with a host of add-on content for $29.99 (£19.99). If the game rings true to it’s mobile version, these add-ons will be available after the release as well. Below is a video and a few screenshots. You can find the the game with a 20% off preorder discount on Steam here.
As we know, Capcom is currently working on Street Fighter V and it will be heading to the PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in the future. Now during the weekend at the Capcom Cup Finals, Capcom series executive producer Yoshinori Ono stated that the title will have “lots of secrets” and that a lot of the battle systems will stay hidden for quite some time.
At the event he also shared an extended gameplay trailer as well as the first live gameplay demonstration of Street Fighter V, showing off a fight between Ryu and Chun-Li. It is also worth noting that, if you check out the gameplay trailer, you will notice a teaser for Charlie Nash, Guile’s best friend who hasn’t been seen in a Street Fighter game since Street Fighter Alpha 3 in 1998.
A couple of days ago Bandai Namco revealed that Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 was in the works for the PlayStation 4 and now the company has confirmed that the title will indeed be heading West and for more platforms than initially announced. In 2015 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 will be released in North America and Europe for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Currently few details about the game are known but the developers are promising that the title will feature “blisteringly fast gameplay” and “unbelievable graphics that go beyond anime-quality.” As you can see in the screenshots and artwork below, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 will include the final events of the manga which wrapped up last month.
Today Capcom has revealed that they will be bringing both DmC Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 4 to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next year. The DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition will be released at retail and as a digital download in Europe and North America on March 17th for $39.99 and it will feature the original game, plus all of the DLC including “Vergil’s Downfall” campaign. This Definitive Edition also includes “Vergil’s Bloody Palace Mode” and a “Gods Must Die” level of difficulty alongside “Must Style Mode” and “Hardcore Mode.”
Also in the game will be new costumes for Dante and Vergil based off of the original character designs in the series. A Turbo Mode has also been added to allow players to increase the speed of play and allow for “faster and more intense combat.” As for the Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, it will be released in Summer 2015 and currently very few details have been released about that title but more information will be made available in the coming months.
2014 has been a rollercoaster ride for gamers, with some incredible highs and lows. Games like Dark Souls II, Watch_Dogs, Titanfall, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Far Cry 4 and Dragon: Age Inquisition have for better or worse been entertaining us through the past 12 months. Well with the year winding down, we thought we would take a look at the next year of gaming: 2015. While there are sure to be more games to be announced, and more updates as we move into the year, these are the games from Microsoft that you should keep on your radar:
Currently in open beta for PC, Below is a dungeon-crawling RPG that according to the creators “combines the old-school delights of exploration, looting treasure and subterranean peril with a contemporary approach to storytelling.” Definitely keep your eye out for this one.
Cuphead is one of the many ID@Xbox games currently in development and is a run and gun platformer for one or more players that draws heavy inspiration from 80s cartoon and a bygone era of gaming. Specialising in its boss battles the game places you in the role of Cuphead & Mugman and has you traversing strange worlds, acquiring new weapons, learning powerful super moves and uncovering hidden secrets. Oh, and the soundtrack is entirely original jazz recordings, so that’s cool too.
One of the bigger games on people’s radar is Evolve from 2k Games. Putting players in the role of either giant monsters or a team of hunters, Evolve offers one of the better asynchronous gameplay experiences in a long time. At our recent hands-on we learned how vital teamwork is to the whole package and can’t wait to see how the game evolves at and after launch.
The forest of Nibel is dying. After a powerful storm sets a series of devastating events in motion, an unlikely hero must journey to find his courage and confront a dark nemesis to save his home. “Ori and the Blind Forest” tells the tale of a young orphan destined for heroics, through a visually stunning action-platformer crafted by Moon Studios for Xbox One and PC. Featuring hand-painted artwork, meticulously animated character performance, and a fully orchestrated score, “Ori and the Blind Forest” explores a deeply emotional story about love and sacrifice, and the hope that exists in us all.
I’m relatively new to the Witcher, having glossed over the first and second games, but I have to say that the upcoming Witcher III looks absolutely stunning and like it will play like a true RPG gamer’s dream. With powerful characters and a story that changes heavily depending on your choices, I can’t wait to give this one a whirl.
The Division takes place three weeks after a devastating pandemic sweeps through New York City on Black Friday. One by one, basic services have failed and society has collapsed into chaos. The Division, an autonomous unit of tactical agents, is activated. Leading seemingly ordinary lives among us, these agents are trained to operate independently in order to save society. In a persistent and dynamic environment where exploration and player progression are essential, team up with other Division agents to restore order, investigate the source of the virus, and take back New York.
They may not be the greatest games out there but I love the Fable series. Exploration, journeying, magic and a cool fantasy setting are one thing, but now we can bring our friends in on the action! The first game in the series to offer multi-player co-op, Fable Legends lets you and three friends explore Albion and take down the devilish monsters that threaten it. Not only that, but you can also opt to play as a villain and create the chaos yourself.
Announced at the same time as the Xbox One, Quantum Break is meant to be the next step in gaming: A game that combines what we play and what we watch into a unified product. From the makers of “Alan Wake” and “Max Payne,” critically-acclaimed Remedy Entertainment brings forth the world of “Quantum Break,” blending innovative, adrenaline-fueled gameplay and Time Manipulation features with deep and thoughtful narrative.
After being battered and bruised in last year’s Tomb Raider reboot, Lara Croft is back and her next journey will be exclusive to Xbox One. eaturing epic, high-octane action moments, “Rise of the Tomb Raider” will take gamers to multiple locations around the world filled with exploration spaces that are some of the most beautifully hostile places on earth. In addition, after hearing the cry from fans loud and clear, the game will put the tombs back into “Tomb Raider,” all in the franchise’s gritty Survival-Action style.
Probably one of the most highly anticipated games of 2015 is Halo 5: Guardians. Developed again by 343 Industries, Halo fans everywhere will sure to be clamoring over Master Chief’s next outing. Lets just hope that some of the problems from the Master Chief Collection are ironed out by then.
So there we have it, the biggest games that will be coming out the gate at you in the new year. With all the great titles coming out way, which are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the hottest gaming news any time of the year.
Ho, Ho, Ho everyone! The festive season is upon us and that means it is time to scurry about looking for presents for our loved ones and put them under the tree with care. Well while the rest of us are enjoying roast meals and family togetherness, the guys over at Microsft HQ never stop working, and that means it is time for another installment of the hottest news series this-side of the equator: Xbox Newsbeat! We’ve got four great headlines for you this week including… well it must be a Christmas miracle because we have some Windows-Phone related news! So what are we waiting for!?
Twitch and Xbox Introduce Major New Features for the Xbox One Community
Now I’ll admit that I’m more likely to be playing games than watching others online, but even I know how great Twitch is, and how it has become one of the most widely-used apps on the Xbox One since it became available earlier this year. Well now the service has gotten even better with a tonne of new features The app now uses Xbox Live’s new ability to associate real-time gameplay stats with broadcasts, which enables a massive array of search options. Depending on the game, the filters may include player stats, game modes, maps, player skill level, in-game activity, progress, and more.
So what does that all mean? Well you can custom tune your search results in Call of Duty to only see streams from players with the best k/d ratio, or drivers in Forza Horizon 2 who use a specific type of car. It is a cool little feature that just lets you customise your viewing experience.
ID@Xbox Profile: Threes!
The ID@Xbox program has allowed some incredibly talented indie developers to put together some awesome games for the Xbox One. One of the newest additions to the line-up has been a console port of the crazy popular and scarily addictive puzzle game Threes. Based on the other addictive mobile puzzler, 2048 – Threes has you matching up panels of identical numbers in order to rack up a high score. Available now, the console port not only allows the use of a controller, but also makes use of every facet of the Xbox One software, including the Snap feature to run multiple apps simultaneously – the only ID@Xbox game to do so, so far.
Go Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland with the Minecraft Festive Pack
We here at Newsbeat aren’t the only ones celebrating the festive season Microsoft and 4J have released the latest skin pack for Microsoft: Xbox 360 Edition and Xbox One Edition. Available from now, the new skin pack gets into the festive season with new holiday characters and winter-themed skins. You can grab the pack for a nice $3.95.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition Now Available On Windows Phone
It is a rarity here at Newsbeat but we actually have Windows Phone news! Microsoft have finally ported the popular Minecraft: Pocket Edition onto the platform. Although not as full-featured as its PC or console counterparts, Pocket Edition brings all of the fun of Minecraft to people on the go. Grab it now for $8.99 and start digging!
And there we have another exciting installment of Xbox Newsbeat. Which of this week’s headlines have grabbed your attention the most? Let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the awesome Xbox news as it becomes available.
Nintendo quite possibly has one of the biggest recognisable character rosters in the world, with it’s biggest rival possibly being Disney, who not surprisingly has also jumped in on the physical character additional content bandwagon with Disney Infinity. Mario, Link, Pikachu, Yoshi, Luigi, Donkey Kong, the list could probably reach 50 before we started getting into the more obscure characters in Nintendo’s all-star lineup.
A recent report from Nintendo America claimed that Amiibo, Nintendo’s new physical property, has sold over 710,000 units in the month of November alone. That is equal to sales of arguably Nintendo’s strongest title in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Great news for the company who is well known to be struggling this generation with Wii U sales far behind that of its predecessor in the original Wii console. Not surprisingly, the big sellers were Link, Mario and Pikachu in that order, perhaps Nintendo’s biggest trio of characters and also the Amiibos that had the biggest production numbers. Japan also posted big numbers, with over 104,000 sold within the launch week period, just under half of the amount of copies of Smash Bros. for Wii U that were sold in the nation.
Sales seem to be similar in Australia as Amiibo’s seem to be sold out country wide aside from some leftover Pikachu and Mario figures. No doubt a number of the rarer figures such as Marth, Villager and Wii Fit Trainer that have been rumoured to be discontinued from production were snatched up by those looking to turn a profit on eBay, with some figures selling for 5 times their retail price on the bidding website. We’ve also seen a number of special production error Amiibos fetch prices in the thousands such as Legless Peach and the infamous Dual Cannon Samus. This has no doubt further sparked the search for these factory error Amiibos across store shelves.
Nintendo has very cleverly used it’s vast character roster and has capitalised on the physical toy market at the perfect time, taking a lot less risk than Skylanders had to endure when it first released with Activision hoping people would be willing to shell out $15 for an additional character (interestingly Activision was also trying to utilise the reputation of the Spyro series at the time which has since been surpassed in popularity by the Skylanders brand). The actual in-game features of Amiibo are actually quite weak even if they do work over multiple games. A souped up A.I. opponent in Super Smash Bros., an extra weapon in Hyrule Warriors and a few outfits in Mario Kart 8. Nintendo itself seemed reluctant (and still do so) in divulging more information on how Amiibo actually worked with it’s compatible games and it’s clear to see why.
People often questioned the value of the figures and rightfully so, but there was one reason people always seemed to use the justify the purchase of an Amiibo. These are the first official, mass produced lot of collectible physical figures ever released by the Big N and people have wanted that for a long time. Nintendo is cashing in big time on the nostalgia of older fans as well as the younger generation who simply want to play with some cool looking toys. Older gamers want to proudly display their Amiibo collection by their console or on their top shelf and kids want to have a tea party with Link, Samus and Kirby all in attendance.
It’s the most hardcore fan base that always gets Nintendo through tough times and that looks to be the case with Amiibo as well. Nintendo has merged the hot trend of ‘physical DLC’ with some of the most recognisable characters in the world to create a product people can’t get enough of. It will be interesting to see if sales can keep up as time goes on, but due to the staggered wave releases Nintendo has opted for it’s not hard to imagine the fire will continue to burn for at least the next three or four months. Even after all the characters from Smash Bros. are released, Nintendo can easily keep up the momentum with characters with different poses or limited editions such as crystal or gold Amiibo that come at a higher price point. So well done Nintendo, you’ve struck plastic gold with Amiibo.
Overview Type-Moon’s Fate franchise is one that is well known as it spans across a number of popular visual novels and has been given various anime adaptations and spin-offs. As such it is difficult to imagine that Fate/Stay Night, the first anime adaptation for the franchise, would change hands numerous times in North America before being abandoned completely. Now with Sentai Filmworks picking the license up and releasing the entire Fate/Stay Night series in one collection, does the series still hold up today?
Story In the world of Fate/Stay Night a periodic contest is held between seven randomly selected Magus who must take part in a free-for-all battle called the Grail War. These seven Magus must summon Servants to fight for them and the Magus left standing with their Servant is rewarded with the Holy Grail that will grant them any wish of their choosing. Each Servant is a hero from the past or a historical figure and while there are seven in total, each one fills a specific role and title.
Archer, Assassin, Berserker, Caster, Lancer, Rider, and Saber all must fight one another at their Masters’ behest in order to obtain their wish. With each Servant having a unique specialization as well as a Noble Phantasm trump card that is as flashy as it is powerful, the Masters must choose their fights carefully, especially since if a Master is defeated, their Servant will also suffer the same fate.
The story takes place in a world where the last Grail War occurred only ten years prior and follows Shiro Emiya, a boy raised by a retired Magus named Kiritsugu after his parents were killed in a massive fire that devastated the city. Despite being raised by a Magus, Shiro only has a basic understanding of magic as Kiritsugu avoided passing any talents down to him. However when Shiro finds himself watching a battle between two magical fighters wielding weapons, he is at a severe disadvantage.
Despite doing his best to run away, Shiro finds himself mortally wounded by one of these fighters only to be saved by a fellow classmate. From here Shiro manages to accidentally summon one of the strongest Servants, Saber, to fight for him and protect him. Thanks to Shiro’s somewhat chauvinistic personality however he finds himself at odds with Saber as she constantly throws herself into danger to protect him.
After learning the rules, Shiro decides to take part in the Grail War to prevent anyone with evil intentions from using the Holy Grail. This immediately makes him an enemy of the other Masters, but he soon finds himself allied with his fellow classmate Rin Tohsaka and her Servant Archer who begin to teach him what it means to take part in a war that will see Saber and Shiro fighting against powerful opponents in order to obtain the Grail.
Fate/Stay Night tells the first story route from the original visual novel and it unfortunately struggles to get out of the gate because of the way the adaptation is handled. There are numerous rules and intricacies to the Grail War and the relationships between Master and Servant that are explained over the course of the first half of the series that do a great job establishing the setting and the basis for the battles that will come. However thanks to that, the series is extremely slow going as the few battles that do take place near the beginning are nothing more than simple skirmishes.
Thankfully the action does pick up after the midway point of the series as numerous important battles take place with costly stakes. One thing that is nice here is that the build-up of the main characters over the course of the series up until this point is exhibited in these fights, as Rin, Shiro, Archer, and of course Saber all take part in fights here, leaving only certain side characters to remain as less pertinent roles until a couple of twists are thrown into the story.
Another place where Fate/Stay Night shows its visual novel origins is with the way it handles its character developments and various interactions. Shiro is quite dense but does his best to try and be heroic but as mentioned before, he finds himself struggling with Saber who he wishes to protect despite the armor clad woman being able to fight foes on a completely different level from him. While his starting interactions with her may be annoying, it does make his development over the course of the series interesting to watch as we see Shiro begin to fall in love with Saber and even Saber start to show her knowledge of these feelings.
That being said, there is a bit of a harem feel to Fate/Stay Night thanks to how many members of the female cast begin to gather around Shiro. From the attractive and competent Rin allying herself with Shiro and teaching him the basics while living in his house to the younger Illyasviel switching from being a sadistic Master to one willing to cutely cling to Shiro there are many elements here that could easily lead to such a development.
Thankfully for the case of the story, these elements are simply there to provide viewers some satisfying slice of life character interactions in order to break up the action sequences and instead the story chooses to focus on Saber and Shiro’s developments. Now while some certain events that take place near the end of the series, especially considering the motivations of some of the final opponents that appear, fall flat, Fate/Stay Night tells a satisfying story with a bittersweet ending.
Visuals Now although Sentai Filmworks is releasing Fate/Stay Night on Blu-ray, it is worth noting that this series was first created back in 2006 by Studio Deen and unfortunately it has not aged well. In fact it almost seems like the upgrade to Blu-ray has made some of the flaws in the animation and character designs more prominent. This is due to the fact that while the characters designs are well known and certain ones really do stand out from the crowd, especially in the case of the Servants with Rider, Saber, and Archer standing out as the best examples, there is unfortunately a lack of detail to facial design and even the eyes of these characters appear lifeless more often than not.
This animation issue continues into the battles where there are extremely obvious looking shortcuts used to try and make these sequences look fluid but generally only result in looking foolish. There is a sense of style used with plenty of flashy attacks but unfortunately many of these scenes will be found lacking. As far as graphic violence is concerned, Fate/Stay Night keeps things relatively tame with only a decent amount of blood shed and no actual gore. The same can be said about the fan service which, outside of a few specific character designs, is extremely tame considering the source material.
Audio This release of Fate/Stay Night: Complete Collection uses the original English dub track that was created back when the series was first released in the States back in 2007. This is rather unfortunate thanks to the fact that the original English dub isn’t exactly stellar. They perform their roles adequately enough but this is probably a series that may sound the best using the original Japanese voice track that is provided in the release.
The background music in Fate/Stay Night has some fitting dramatic numbers that help make the action sequences appear more epic but unfortunately these are the only times that the soundtrack really stands out. The opening themes “disillusion” and “Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni” by Tainaka Sachi are fitting enough but the ending sequences are unimaginative and bland.
Extras This release of Fate/Stay Night comes with zero noteworthy extra features. In fact the only extras contained on the discs are disc credits and trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases.
Overall The Fate/Stay Night: Complete Collection manages to tell an relatively enjoyable storyline that is slightly marred thanks to a slow starting story, a few lackluster twists near the end, and some character issues. Plus, while this may be the best way to experience the original series, it hasn’t aged very well and even a new Blu-ray sheen cannot cover it up. That being said, Fate/Stay Night is still a series filled with intricate rules and some nice action sequences that may be worth watching, but one cannot help but feel like the series could have been so much more.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Well it’s been nearly eight months since the last episode, but now it’s the time to rejoice as Sword Art Online Abridge Episode Five is here.
The latest episode was uploaded to YouTube on the Something Witty Entertainmentchannel two days ago, since then it has gotten over 90,000 views and over 6,000 likes. Production for the episode took longer than usual due to the departure of members Jragoswinn and Misanda, who both left the abridged group because of creative differences.
Despite the setback Something Witty Entertainment managed to recast characters and produced a well written, highly entertaining abridged episode. The conflicts between Kirito and Asuna are both natural and engaging, there’s a sweet call back to a previous episode and the voice of “Tiffany” is voiced by the same guy who created the Free! abridged series 50% off (yes that actually exists).
Something Witty Entertainment uploaded their first Sword Art Online Abridged episode last year and have since been producing high quality episodes that anime fans will greatly enjoy. Check out episode five by clicking the video down below and let us know what you think about it by leaving a comment.
