Telltale Games have been almost as tight lipped about their upcoming Game of Thrones based title than George R.R. Martin has been with the book details but it seems someone was sick of the silence and has leaked 12 new screenshots from the game featuring all the characters we know and love with their TV actors likeness. As you can see from the screenshots the game will feature a very similar graphical style to The Walking Dead series Telltale Games also worked on.
Much like the show, the game will feature five different playable characters and allow you to experience those five different viewpoints. These characters will of the House Forrester, a family that has yet to be introduced on the screen but have been present in the books. They live in the north of Westeros in the Ironrath fortress where they control the Ironwood Forest. As one of the five main characters, playing will get to walk around the environment, interacting with objects and other characters. Conversations will have different branches that they can take, allowing the player to alter the story in future episodes. The game has been placed in the ‘point and click’ genre.
The first episode of this six part series is called Iron from Ice and will be released by the end of the year on many different platforms including iOS, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is likely at least one more series of games may be created in the future. The first season will run concurrently with the series and will fit into the story canon of the television show, taking place from the end of Season 3 until the early events of the Season 5. George R. R. Martin’s personal assistant, Ty Corey Franck, is working with Telltale Games as a “story consultant”, ensuring this new work fits into the Game of Thrones world seamlessly.
While many Assassin’s Creed fans have been thrilled to see the release of Unity, others have been met with disappointment. It’s no secret that Ubisoft has received a decent amount of criticism for how it’s handled the release. Firstly, the list of glitches seems to be endless, independent of which platform you’re using, involving issues to do with gameplay, AI and Crowd behaviour, co-op play, menu usability, HUD and overall stability. Not a great start. To be fair, Ubisoft has already released two patches, with a third on the way, to improve this. They have also promised to keep addressing and fixing these bugs into the future. While it’s great that their trying to mend their mistakes, you do have to wonder why Ubisoft has pushed for a quick release rather than waiting and releasing a non-bug-infested nightmare.
If it hasn’t been bad enough, Ubisoft has received further criticism for not allowing reviewers with early access to the game to publish until 12 hours after the game’s release. Seeing the amount of negative reviews since this “cooling off” period, it’s easy to speculate that Ubisoft anticipated the unfavourable feedback. With midnight launches becoming more popular, it seems manipulative of a company to deliberately delay reviews, allowing for customers to buy uninformed until it is too late.
With all said and done, Unity has not experienced the release it’s developers and fans would have hoped for.
The wired Razer Naga was not the only Naga to get a facelift in 2014. The top of the line Razer Naga Epic also received a similar treatment. The mouse was also rebranded as the Razer Naga Epic Chroma, joining Razer’s Chroma line-up of multi-coloured LED PC accessories. The MMO-oriented mouse features a grid of twelve mechanical buttons on the right hand side of the mouse, a four way mouse wheel, two top buttons for adjusting sensitivity, and an 8,200 DPI laser sensor.
The Razer Naga Epic Chroma’s box is rather humbly sized for one of Razer’s top of the line mice, unlike the huge museum style container that the Razer Ourosboros was packed in. Slide off the slip and inside is a lovely clam-shell style box that feels more in line with the Razer Naga Epic Chroma’s $129.99 USD pricing. Inside is the hefty dock, a specially designed micro-USB cable, the mouse itself, and Razer’s usual pack-ins.
Installation is pain free. The Razer Naga Epic Chroma can accept the included micro-USB cable in the dock or the mouse itself. The dock is automatically paired with the mouse and the mouse can be turned off and on with a switch located underneath the mouse. Although the mouse works without any drivers installed, Razer Synapse 2.0 will need to be installed to get the most out of the myriad of buttons on the Naga.
The dock is a sturdy piece of plastic. Between its weight and the sticky plastic on the bottom of the dock, there is no way the dock is moving anywhere. There is a generous curve in the dock design that lets the Naga Epic Chroma drop onto the dock and start charging without much hassle or adjustment. A small nub on the dock corresponds with a small dip on the bottom of the mouse keeps and a small magnet is built into the dock keeps the mouse in place while charging.
The switch between wired/wireless modes is similar to Razer’s previous mice. The user simply needs to unplug the micro-USB cable from the dock and plug it into the mouse. The cable is designed with a very obvious top and bottom, which avoids the usual frustration of having to plug in USB cable a few times until the correct plug orientation is discovered. The plug is also designed to look like part of the mouse design, so when the Razer Naga Epic Chroma is plugged in, the only sign that the mouse is not a wired only mouse is a faint line near the mouse wheel.
The battery is rated to last 20 hours. Though it isn’t confirmed by Razer, it is probably safe to say that the battery is a lithium-ion type pack. Unfortunately, the battery is not user replaceable. Compared to the NIMH battery design the Razer Ourosboros uses, the Razer Naga Epic Chroma sacrifices user serviceability for a longer battery life and a lighter weight.
The Razer Naga Epic Chroma is actually on the smaller end of gaming mice. It is not quite as small as laptop mice, but at 119mm in length and 75mm in width, the mouse is actually usable with a claw-grip with my small hands. The mouse has a pretty aggressive hump where the palm rests and has ditched the three side panels that came bundled with the original Naga Epic. The new side panel design has a nice big groove for the ring finger to rest on and a rubbery panel with a hex pattern engraved for grip. Razer claims the new design is more comfortable for a larger range of hand types. Personally, I found the design to be really comfortable for long periods.
One of the new design features of the Razer Naga Epic Chroma is the new thumb panel. The buttons have been replaced with mechanical switches that have a very nice click to them. The feeling definitely isn’t as crisp as the main mouse buttons, but feel better than most side panel buttons found on gaming mice. The side panel’s design also changed. Previously the Razer Naga Epic Chroma featured a design that curved outwards. Now the panel is curved inwards and the two centre buttons 5 and 8 are positioned higher than the remaining twelve. I was a little intimidated by the thought of using twelve buttons on a thumb panel by touch, but the new design really works! With a little bit of practice I was able to start hitting buttons without much thought. The biggest challenge is actually memorizing all 12 key bindings.
The 8200 DPI laser sensor works like a charm. It is overkill for MMORPGs, but the sensor is accurate and performed without problems. The sensor can be adjusted for polling rates, acceleration, and up to five different stages of sensitivity can be set through Razer Synapse 2.0. X and Y axis sensitivity can be set independently, if that’s what floats your boat.
As part of the Chroma series, the Razer Naga Epic Chroma is armed with multicolour LEDs. The user can select from 16.8 million different colours for the thumb buttons and the middle mouse buttons. Razer Synapse 2.0 is only capable of cycling colours, but the LEDs do a great job of it. Many multicolour LEDs have a very obvious blink when switching between colours, but Razer’s manages to stay at a consistent brightness level and scroll through smoothly. To save batteries, different brightness settings can be set for wired and wireless modes along with the ability to disable lighting when the monitor goes to sleep.
Razer Synapse 2.0 has some extra features designed to leverage the multitude of macros and keybinds that will be used with the Razer Naga Epic Chroma. Each profile stores 8 key maps each. An in-game configurator can be accessed in game to make quick changes to the profile, key maps, sensitivity, and macros. The in-game configurator officially supports most of the biggest MOBA and RTS titles, but I found it worked for many other games not listed on Razer’s support page. World of Warcraft players get an additional in-game addon that will help players configure their Nagas in game. I like the fact Razer Synapse 2.0 allows gamers to bind images to each of the twelve thumb pad buttons, allowing for quick reference in the in-game configurator tool. Profiles can be triggered with specific .exes, though I find it does not play well with some Origin-based games. My biggest complaint is how resource hungry Razer Synapse 2.0 is, as the core process normally eats up 50-80MB of memory and Synapse 2.0 itself eats up another 50-100 MB of memory.
Although the Razer Naga Epic Chroma is designed for MMO gamers, I’ve had a great experience with the mouse in other genres of games. For a small handed gamer like me, this mouse has been a God send. It’s been a refreshing to be able to easily reach all buttons on my mouse and a huge boost to the number of keys I have access to. I’ve finally been able to call in score streaks in Call of Duty games without having to hunt around on my keyboard for the number keys and actually reach more than the ten or so extra keys around my WASD keys.
Razer has knocked it out of the park with the Razer Naga Epic Chroma. The mouse is well designed, the sensor is dead accurate, and the Synapse 2.0 software is feature packed. The weakest part of the package is Razer Synapse 2.0, but not by much, as it’s a tad RAM hungry. At a $129.99 USD, the mouse is an expensive buy, the mouse is absolutely worth the purchase.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Its that time of the year again, football fans. PES 2015 has hit stores everywhere, and seems to be a fresh start for the franchise as it enters a new generation. Boasting new features, upgraded visuals, and much more, this installment does a lot to capture the fans’ attention.
Konami have reiterated the prime features upon release, which include:
Completely reworked performance – Shooting, goal-keeping, precise aim and control over a shot’s power and also unlimited shot styles. Goal-keepers AI have been updated, as well as passing, final ball to the front line, knock-ons, daisy-cutter passes and close control.
Teams are automatically set to play as their counterparts, and a weekly update download will reflect the current form of players.
myClub offers an overhaul of the Master League – detail extending to attitudes of players, agents, preparation and development of their side.
Online play is easier to use, with simpler ranking games, new Online Divisions with relegation and promotions, dedicated 11-vs-11 lobbies and all-new cheat measures in place.
Day one download includes 93 new kits and 8 more licensed teams; including Sparta Praha, FK Partisan, and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Not a bad list at all, and you should do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today. Stay tuned for our own review very soon.
Nintendo are pushing Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire hard before its release this Saturday and The Pokemon Company have now released an animated short about the game similar to the one released before Pokemon Black & White 2 were made available. This new short focuses on the main characters Brendan and May as they begin their Pokemon journey and travel throughout Hoenn advancing through the world very much as the player will do on their adventure.
The other focus was Mega Evolution and Primal Reversion with every Mega form being showcased in gorgeous animated form with many battling each other such as Mega Gallade and Mega Diancie. The animated short is available for your viewing pleasure below and after you watch why not let us know which new Mega Evolution is your favourite in the comments below. It’s a close call between Mega Beedrill and Mega Pidgeot for me. Deoxys among many other legends were recently announced to be present in the new remakes, follow this link to learn more about them.
So this past weekend saw the release of the highly anticipated Halo: Master Chief Collection. To that end, most of the news coming out of Microsoft HQ was about Master Chief, the Halo Ring and all thing space-age… so what does that mean for Xbox Newsbeat? Well, it means we have a very special Halo themed episode! Time to pour some champagne (or sparkling wine, whatever you want to call it), sit by the fire and rap with us as we hit you with two Halo-centric headlines to start your day!
Hands-On With the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta
With Master Chief Collection on the shelves, everyone’s attention is turning towards next year’s Halo 5: Guardians launch. The guys over at Xbox Wire managed to score some hands-on time with the upcoming Halo 5 multiplayer beta that the rest of the world wont get to play until December 29th. Not only did they play the beta, but they also made a slick 10 minute (almost) behind the scenes video which you can check out right here:
The ‘Halo 2: Anniversary’ Original Soundtrack Available Now
One of Halo’s less discussed strengths has always been its incredible music. The ability to set tone and mood has always been incredible in the Halo series, and many of the tracks could be used for ambient music in your own home. Well now they can! 343 Industries have released the official soundtrack of Halo 2: Anniversary to iTunes for you to purchase right now! The two-“disc” digital album comes with 35 tracks for you to kick back and unwind to.
So that’s the end of our Halo-themed edition of Xbox Newsbeat. Which of this week’s two headlines has you the most excited? Let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Halo and Microsoft news as it becomes available.
Are you shaking your tail feather to one of the many awesome tracks that came pre-included with Disney’s new motion and dance game Fantasia: Music Evolved, or are you starting to find yourself tired of the same few songs over and over again. If you fit into the latter category then you are in luck as Disney and Harmonix have announced a brand new line-up of songs that will be available as DLC over the next couple of months.
Below is a list of all the available tracks, and each of them will be available for purchase through the Xbox Live Marketplace between now and January for $2.95:
Avicii – “Lay Me Down”
Avicii – “You Make Me”
Coldplay – “Paradise” – NOW AVAILABLE!
Demi Lovato – “Let It Go”
Ellie Goulding – “Burn”
Flo Rida – “I Cry”
Justin Bieber – “As Long As You Love Me”
Lady Gaga – “Edge of Glory”
Maroon 5 – “Lucky Strike”
Ne-Yo – “Closer”
OneRepublic – “Counting Stars”
E.M. – “The End of the World As We Know It”
Skrillex & Alvin Risk – “Try It Out” – NOW AVAILABLE!
Soundgarden – “Spoonman” – NOW AVAILABLE!
Talking Heads – “Burning Down The House”
The Band Perry – “DONE”
The Cure – “Just Like Heaven”
Zedd – “Stay the Night” (feat. Hayley Williams)
These tracks join the already impressive set-list that came with the game when it launched last month. Do any of these appeal to you? Let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Disney and Fantasia news as it becomes available.
Australian anime fans are going to have a lot less time on their hands thanks to Madman and its online streaming service AnimeLab. A total of thirteen anime, both currently airing as well as older series, have been added to its already-exhaustive catalogue.
The latest crop of additions have something for everyone with sci-fi detective thriller Psycho-Pass II (see what we thought of the original), the virtual reality MMO romp Sword Art Online II (pictured) and the romantic comedy Nisekoi False Love all making the cut. Of course there’s always the more minor shows that have gone under the radar within the last year such as Unbreakable Machine Doll and the cult-hit Mushi-shi: The Next Chapter up for grabs as well.
For the full list of shows along with dozens of others check out the AnimeLab website. If you’re holding out for a disc release, DVD and Blu-ray release dates for the new additions are said to be confirmed at a later date.
Dragon Age: Inquisitionwill be launching in the coming days. To help fans pass the time, EA and Bioware released the official launch trailer entitled “The Breach.” The trailer is teases the violence and chaos that is wracking Thedas since The Breach opened. The many heroes that will join the Inquisitor on his or her journey make an appearance in the launch trailer as they do battle with dragons, demons, and other monsters.
Dragon Age: Inquisition starts a new chapter in the Dragon Age franchise. Players will take on the role of the Inquisitor and lead the Inquisition in war. Dragon Age: Inquisition will launch for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows on November 18, 2014 in North America and November 20th in the rest of the world.
Randal’s Monday is billed as a black humour point and click adventure about a kleptomaniacal sociopath named Randal. The scoundrel steals his best friend’s engagement ring and sells it, resulting his best friend’s suicide. Now, Randal is cursed to relive the Monday over and over until he can fix his errors and save his best friend.
Story
Don’t let the cartoony appearance fool you, Randal’s Monday is crass and makes no apologies for it. The game is looking to appeal to the South Park and Family Guy loving crowd by packing the script full with pop culture references and crude humour. Unfortunately, it feels like the mass of pop culture references serve to distract gamers from the bland and uninspired story. The first half is painfully boring and filled with one-dimensional characters that are easy to dislike. The game manages to pick up a little in the last third of the game for those who manage to survive that long without being bored to death.
Randal is a hard to like character to begin with and does little to change that throughout the game. The writers work hard to make Randal a charming antihero, but Randal spends the entire game as an obnoxious idiot who manages a few decent lines here or there out of sheer luck versus skilled writing. The other major characters do not fare better. Randal’s best friend Matt is stupid and unpleasantly melodramatic, while Matt’s fiancé Sally takes almost the entire game to become interesting. The rest of the supporting cast does not fare better, ranging from painfully annoying like the police sergeant that hounds Randal to the completely forgettable like the pawn shop owner Mel. Although Randal is not exactly the shining example of character development himself, the repeating Mondays put a stop to almost all possibility of character development.
The crudeness is a hit or a miss. I don’t consider myself to be a prude by any means, but I found the crass language and crude humour to generally fall flat. Skilled use of cursing can build a great adult atmosphere in a story, but Randal’s Monday’s cursing and crude humour feels more like an adolescent experimenting with bad language and potty humour in an attempt to shock and be edgy.
Gameplay
If you can manage to get past the train wreck of a story, Randal’s Monday actually hides a decent point and click adventure experience. The puzzles can be a bit tricky, but most follow a pretty reasonable line of logic. The hint system starts things slow with few vague hints on what to do. If the player is stuck, they can press a button to get a full walkthrough of every action needed to proceed, step by step. The walkthrough instructions are almost flawless.
Randal’s Monday provides two control schemes, a classic and modern streamlined control scheme. Both schemes work great. The game can be played completely with a mouse, but hotkeys are provided for keyboard addicts. I do wish that key binds could be adjusted, as I found they were a little too scattered across the keyboard for my taste. The game struggles with its menus. To my frustration, attempting to scroll through long walkthroughs with the scroll wheel closes the player menu. Scroll bars must be clicked and dragged around with a mouse like it’s the early 90s. Navigating between pages of the player menu felt a little awkward, especially annoying was trying to skip through pages of hints quickly and trying to move items in the inventory around. Since the player navigates through the pages of the inventory by click the arrow normally, it is only natural to do the same when an item is selected with the cursor. Instead clicking cause the item to be deselected, which was an annoyance that trailed me through the entire game.
Visuals
Randal’s Monday has a great visual style that oozes with a cartoon look that would fit right in with 1990’s Saturday morning cartoons or the swathe of adult-oriented cartoons that fill the late night TV schedule. The world is colourful, with thick black outlines and flat shading. The game manages to cram a large number of its pop culture homages to movies, video games, and TV all over the scenery. I did notice that the animations are reused quite a bit, causing the odd continuity error here or there. Also, some of the animations took a bit too long to trigger during conversations between characters.
Audio
Randal’s Monday lacks the who’s who of voice acting, unless you count Jason Mewes retaking his role as Jay of Jay and Silent Bob fame, and it shows. For the price point, a fully voice acted game that is conversation heavy like a point and click adventure title is extremely impressive, but some of the voice acting comes across as a bit awkward and forced at times. The sound effects and music are decent, but Randal’s Monday seems to suffer greatly with its volume balancing. Some sound effects are unnecessarily loud at times. Other times, the volume of voices drop to barely audible levels after a scene change.
Overall
Randal’s Monday had a lot of potential. It has great graphics, a decent amount of content, and a good premise. Unfortunately the synopsis of the plot is much more interesting than the story itself. A point and click adventure game without a good story is like playing soccer without a ball and goalposts, pretty pointless. Unless you really want to spot the hundreds of pop culture crammed in Randal’s Monday, you aren’t missing much.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
