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Preparing for GTA V and GTA Online on Current-Gen

November 13, 2014

Rockstar is preparing for the release of Grand Theft Auto V on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 next week. In doing so, they have sent out a new blog entry addressed to the fans, asking for their support in providing feedback early on, and giving general information on what they can expect from GTA Online in particular. Have a read below!

With the advent of First Person Mode, 30-player Online support and other new features made possible by the new systems, your feedback, help and guidance is more important than ever to help us make the game experience all it can be. Whether it’s letting us know what you like and what you don’t like about the new features, reporting any technical issues you may experience during the early days of GTA Online’s next generation launch, or any other suggestions for improvements and tweaks whatsoever – we need your continued help, and, maybe, just a little patience if there are any teething problems around the launch on the new systems. We have, of course, tested the game extensively but there is no way our several hundred testers can be quite as comprehensive as millions of players! Please bear with us should any issues arise – we will be working hard to fix any problems that arise, and generally ensure this launch is as smooth as possible.
To help aid on that front, we want to continue to encourage all players to utilize the following communication channels:
Our dedicated Rockstar Games Support website for help with any and all technical issues that may arise. You can browse the knowledge base of known GTAV and GTA Online issues and subscribe to articles there to get automatic updates of when they’re addressed. And if your issue does not appear as an existing knowledge base item, you can also always create a new ticket to get help.
The [email protected] official player feedback inbox. Over the past year, with each and every Update released for GTA Online were tons of positive changes made as a direct result of player feedback that our development team consulted constantly for input. From specific content added to the game to countless enhancements such as improvements to GTA Online’s RP and GTA$ payouts, insurance system, passive mode, Creator features, damage system – and so much more were all made to the game thanks to your very helpful suggestions. We’ve said since the very beginning that Grand Theft Auto Online is as much yours as the players and residents of San Andreas, as it is ours as Rockstar Games –we’re very excited to continue the collaboration ahead.
Also, expect a Title Update to be made available for download on both PS4 and Xbox One by early Tuesday morning that will include some last tweaks and optimization fixes for game day. In order to experience the game properly, please make sure you install this Update before playing (like all Title Updates, it will be applied automatically as long as you are connected to the internet).
We will be looking closely at your feedback from the initial launch days on the new platforms to help inform other future dynamic tuning changes and Title Updates as always. And get ready for continuing free content Updates for Grand Theft Auto Online, including the highly-anticipated launch of Online Heists (which, to be absolutely clear, will be available for all four consoles to enjoy).
Beyond that, here’s just a few things to get excited for in Grand Theft Auto Online for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One starting next week:
Up to 30 Player Mayhem
Whether it’s mass marauding in Freemode or lining up a proper Crew convoy for an epic GTA Race – there will now be the opportunity for nearly double the player action that was possible on the PS3 and 360.
The Next Generation Character Creator
Give your GTA Online player a dramatic makeover thanks to the new customization options that the overhauled character creator offers. Create a brand new character from scratch or take your current guy or gal for a bit of cosmetic surgery in true Los Santos fashion.
The GTA Online First Person Experience
We revealed the first person experience for GTAV last week, a feature that will be available in both Story Mode and GTA Online allowing you to seamlessly switch between first and third person perspectives while playing. Fancy trying your favorite Team Deathmatch as a first person shooter – or weaving through the turbines at the RON wind farm with a view from the cockpit of your Lazer in glorious 1080p? That’s just scratching the surface of the possibilities that the first person experience will add to the gameplay of GTA Online.
Double the Props in the Creator Tool
To date, the amazing minds who’ve put the Creator Tool to work are responsible for nearly 10 million original custom Deathmatches, Races, Captures and Last Team Standing Jobs. Amongst those are some truly epic experiences including some masterfully imaginative metagames that we never could have envisioned. Now with the possibilities of prop placement doubled, you’ll be able to build enormous arena-style Deathmatches for concentrated chaos, or maze-based Land Races requiring extreme guile, or stack shipping containers around Air Race checkpoints to create large scale obstacle courses for GTA Online stunt pilots… With double the props and up to 30 players, we can’t wait to see the ways in which the incredible Creator community will assuredly concoct brilliant gameplay magic on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Far Cry 4 101 Teaches You All You Need to Know

Zac Elawar

November 13, 2014

Ubisoft have released a new trailer for Far Cry 4 that aims to prepare you for all the absolute craziness that awaits in Kyrat. The ‘101 Trailer’ is hosted by Rabi Ray Rana from Radio Free Kyrat, a character you will encounter in-game.

The 7 minute+ long trailer breaks down the pervading civil war between self-proclaimed King Pagan Min, his soldiers and the resisting Golden Path, showcases some high-powered weapons in your arsenal, explores the many abilities, skills and side missions available to you, previews the PVP and Co-Op play and much more. Check it out below!

Far Cry 4 releases for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC on November 18.

Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers – Garruk’s Revenge Review

Andrew Day

November 12, 2014

Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers – Garruk’s Revenge
Developer: Wizards of the Coast
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Platforms: Xbox One , Xbox 360, iPad, PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: November 5th, 2014
Price: US$4.99 DLC – Available Here

Overview

Earlier this year, Wizards of the Coast released Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers to a pretty lukewarm reception. Gamer’s hated the way that the game’s microtransactions effectively made it pay-to-win by forcing you through hours of slow, grindy gameplay without them. Now, they have released the new Garruk’s Revenge expansion that continues on the story, introduces a bunch of new cards and makes some improvements to the way that you play the game and unlock cards.

Story

Garruk Wildspeaker has been cursed by the necromancer Liliana Vess and is slowly losing control of his mind. He now has the uncontrolable urge to destroy other Planeswalkers , and his power is ever growing – eventually he will reach a point where he will threaten entire planes with his madness and savagery. While Duels of the Planeswalkers put you in the role of a nameless Planeswalker, Garruk’s Revenge puts you instead in the shoes of… yep you guessed it, Garruk. You play as the multiverse’s greatest hunter as he travels around, hunting his allies and kin and growing all the more powerful. It is an interesting juxtaposition to the base game but in the end isn’t that much more exciting and the ending is about as open-ened as you can get.

Gameplay

Garruk’s Revenge doesn’t do all that much to shake up the gameplay of Magic 2015. In fact, it only adds one additional story mission, set on the plane of Alara. Those of you Magic players out there will no doubt remember Alara as the plane that is all about multicoloured creatires (more specifically, it is a world made up of five shards, each of which channels 3 colours of mana). Since we are spending time on Alara, we get a tonne of multicoloured cards from the original Alara block to add to our collection – 51 new cards in total are added, including some real fan-favourite creatures.

Since we only get one new world this time around, Garruk’s Revenge single-player campaign only takes about an hour tops to complete. Unlike the main-game, Garruk’s Revenge gives you a set-deck that improves automatically as you progress through Alara’s four challenges. Initially the deck proved close to useless, but as you play through you get stronger and stronger and instead of getting more difficult, the AI and deck-strength of the enemies plateaus, meaning you can easily steamroll the last couple of matches with ease.

One thing that does bear mentioning though is the fact that the premium boosters have since been abolished. Where with the original game, a bunch of the card’s were locked away behind pay-walls, these are now available in the random booster packs that you get in-game. This means that there is no longer a hefty percentage of the game locked away, but at the same time it does nothing to eliminate the slow grind that Magic 2015 suffers from. Just a quick heads-up, if you have already purchased premium boosters, the expansion is free to download.

Visuals & Audio

I can basically just copy and paste my thoughts on the visuals from the base game in this point, as literally nothing has changed. The UI and Battlefield all still retain that crisp and clean white look that I personally love, and the game still has the whole black/white/splash of colour going on that really just makes the artwork pop. At the same time, the audio is still low key and can provide an atmospheric, yet unobtrusive background to your spell slinging experience.

Overall

Garruk’s Revenge is, as you would expect just a little more Magic 2015. While it manages to fix the pay-wall problem that the base game suffered from, it doesn’t do anything to shake up the formula and the campaign is short and unfulfilling. If you are looking for more Magic 2015, this is definitely for you but don’t expect anything ground breaking.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Play as Handsome Jack in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Today

Andrew Day

November 12, 2014

“Son of a taint!” That’s right folks, you can now officially play as the world’s most villainous-villain in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel with the release of the Handsome Jack Doppelganger DLC Pack. You can download the pack and start hunting vaults today! Jack is armed with two wrist-mounted laser blasters, and can also summon two additional Digi-Jacks in order to distract and take out enemy forces from afar.

Owners of the Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Season Pass can get the Handsome Jack Doppelganger pack for free, and for everyone else he is $13.95. 2K Games have also shared a new Jack-tacular trailer which you can check out below. You can also check out our thoughts on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and for all the latest Borderlands news as it becomes available make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers.

Lords of the Fallen Review

Andrew Day

November 12, 2014

Lords of the Fallen
Developer: CI Games
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PS4, PC
Release Date: Out Now
Price: AU99.95 – Available Here – US$59.99 – Available Here

Overview

Lords of the Fallen is an action-RPG from the minds who brought us the Sniper: Ghost Warrior series. Many people, myself included were quick to dismiss the game as being nothing more than a Dark Souls clone but once you get really stuck into it they are really quite different. Although it is not without its flaws, breathtaking visuals, methodical gameplay and interesting take on the fantasy genre really make Lords of the Fallen stand out as a great game.

Story

Set in a world where crime and sin are unforgivable, Lords of the Fallen puts us into the heavy armored shoes of Harkyn; a man who has committed so many atrocities that he was supposed to be locked away forever. However when an ancient terror returns to the world, the people decide that the only way to combat such evil is with an evil of their own. This is how Harkyn gets freed from his prison and set upon the land. As you travel you will save people from the demonic Rhogar, and fell a bunch of their lords in your quest to keep the world safe.

Like most traditional games, Lords of the Fallen’s narrative is told almost entirely through its pre-rendered cinematic cut scenes. However the lore of the game is left for the player to piece together – mostly from picking up scrolls and engaging with characters. I am a fan of games that require you to work for the backstory, and Lords of the Fallen does this quite well.

The world is well fleshed-out and the story is coherent. Forgoing the usual kind, caring hero in favor of a darker, more twisted protagonist is a great twist on the fantasy genre and one that we don’t often see.

Gameplay

So let’s deal with the elephant in the room – yes this game plays a lot like the Souls franchise. Your controller layout is almost identical, as is the way in which you level yup your character, find loot and gain EXP. It is these similarities that make it easy to dismiss Lords of the Fallen as a Dark Souls clone, but that would not do justice to either game.

At its core, Lords of the Fallen is an action-RPG where you travel through the world slaying monsters and conquering giant lords. Since this is a game so heavily focused on its combat, it is great to see that CI Games managed to completely nail it. Those of you who are familiar with Dark Souls will immediately feel at home with the way the game plays – although in Lords of the Fallen, combat is a lot slower, more methodical and has a lot more weight. Many enemies will be armed with shields, and if you attack into their defense you are likely to not only do close to no damage, but will be left open to attack.

Harkyn is a bit of a bulky guy and even in his lightest armor moves quite slowly. This means that you are the player need to be mindful of when you attack, block and dodge so as to avoid being slammed by an enemy. This reliance on precision and timing really slows down the pace of the game but at the same time keeps you on your toes in every encounter. Each of the game’s weapons also handles differently so you will likely pick a favourite weapon and learn how it plays in order to keep on top of the game.

While the encounters rely on precision and patience, the game itself is not overly difficult. There is an element of trial and error to the game as you learn how enemies attack and how to best handle each situation, but all in all if you keep a cool head, you should not have to worry about dying all that much.

Lords of the Fallen implements an interesting take on the Dark Souls EXP system. Like Souls, you collect EXP by killing enemies and when you die you drop all of your currently collected EXP. However, there is a little bit of risk vs reward at play, as with enemy you kill your EXP multiplier will increase. This multiplier resets both when you die and when you use a checkpoint and level up. This creates an interesting dilemma with the player as you are wondering whether or not you will rest and recover or if you will just keep fighting on for more reward.

Lords of the Fallen has so many great gameplay elements, which is why it is such a shame that the game is rife with bugs. These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill visual bugs either (although there are more than a couple of those), but some that are directly related to the way you play the game and can be potentially game-breaking. More than once I found myself stuck behind a tiny rock or tree and was unable to move out. However the most common bug I found was related to combat – while circling an enemy, if you are in a small corridor the camera would freak out and move uncontrollably, leaving you unable to see what you are doing. Hopefully these kinds of problems will be patched out in the future but in the meantime they are a little more than annoying.

Visuals

Lords of the Fallen may very well be the best looking game currently available. Everything from its character models, to the environments, and even the backgrounds all look amazing. Each area is varied, and pretty memorable. From desolate cathedrals to towering demonic structures everything looks great.

Enemy design is some of the best I have seen in the fantasy genre – with demons, warriors and monsters all looking grotesque and in some cases downright horrifying. Although you will face the same enemies time and time again through your journey, there are always new little details to see if you ever get a moment.

Audio

While Lords of the Fallen is a visually impressive game, its presentation is let down a lot by its audio. Many of the grunts and groans of the enemies all sound the same, what is more disappointing however is the fact that many of the weapons sound the same as you swing and slash them – since all of the weapons feel and handle so differently to one another, the fact that they all sound almost identical is a huge let-down.

Easily the weakest part of the audio is the voice acting. Interactions between characters all come across dry, stiff and lifeless. It is almost as if the voice actors read their lines off the script without any indication of the tone or context of the situation. It almost feels like the game’s sound design was of little importance to the overall development of the game, and it really brings down the whole package.

Overall

While bearing many similarities to Dark Souls, Lords of the Fallen manages to step out from the shadows and become a game that is unique to itself. With some of the best visuals going around at the moment, an interesting take on the fantasy genre and combat that rewards patience over all else, Lords of the Fallen is a fantastic game that is only held back from true greatness by its lackluster sound design and frequent bugs.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

First Tekken 7 Gameplay Released

Zac Elawar

November 12, 2014

The first gameplay trailer for Bandai Namco‘s Tekken 7, coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Arcade in 2015, has made its way online. You can view the trailer embedded at the bottom of this article.

From new modes and characters to fight techniques/abilities, this footage is very telling. Firstly, we get our first real glimpse at newbies Claudio and Katarina in action. Of note, although the trailer is in Japanese, Katarina sounds like she has a Brazilian Portuguese accent. Also highlighted is level destruction, leading to arena-specific transitions. And, though it initially seemed like a take on the breaker/counter, the recently revealed ‘Power Clash’ ability is more akin to enabling one hit of armour; the player still takes damage, but doesn’t flinch, allowing them to attack as the opponent is mid-animation. Juggles also seem to play a bigger part in the gameplay.

Check it out below and let us know what you think!

Power Rangers Super Megaforce Review

Dustin Spencer

November 12, 2014

Power Rangers Super Megafoce
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Price: $29.99 USD – Available Here

Overview
For the past 20 years, I have held the Power Rangers franchise on a pedestal. Sure, I am now 27 and some say that is a bit too old to enjoy a product aimed at kids, but since I was a kid when the first five morphed into action, I think still enjoying my nostalgia is perfectly fine. One part of the namesake however that has always been hit and miss has been the video game releases. Honestly, it hasn’t been since Super Legends since I legitimately enjoyed an adaptation, as the quality just hasn’t been there. Power Rangers Super Megaforce is yet another stab at bringing the latest set of heroes to portables, and has landed on the 3DS. Is this title enough to snag up just for the sake of it, or another disappointment to add to the list? Let’s find out.

Gameplay
I would do a story section in most reviews that actually have a story, but the one within Super Megaforce is so light and slapped together that I can’t exactly recall any dialogue that actually meant anything. Sure, that is to be expected somewhat, but if you have played one you have played them all in terms of a narrative, as this title has the rangers fighting “monster of the week” over and over until the big boss makes an appearance and poses a true threat. Players start the game by selecting not one, but two rangers to take to the streets and bash enemies with. Before you get too excited, this is mainly just to feel like there is a team aspect to the game, and never truly adds anything to the experience. You can set the AI of your partner for close combat or ranged attacks (or go for balanced), but this feature also comes with flaws as every time I used ranged, my ally would just sit from far away and do very little to fight.

You would think that adding two players – even if one was computer controlled would add a a layer, but there are no double team moves, just another ranger on the screen offering extremely mild assistance. To best explain the genre we are dealing with here, Super Megaforce sells itself as a beat-em up. I suppose this is correct as the rangers do utilize their attacks while walking on a side-scrolling path, but for some reason, the developers removed the martial arts from the game, so it is just blasters and weapons that we get to use to attack with. If this were any other series, I could let this pass. Sadly, this is Power Rangers and martial arts have gave the franchise its spirit since Super Sentai was birthed in 1975. That being said, the gameplay is a bit stiff, but playable. Though there are not a ton of attacks and the action is a bit slow, I found myself getting into the rhythm of things for the most part and making it up to the grand boss battle that would follow.

Yes, the boss battle. To defeat a boss, players have to fight through repetition as they pound on a boss with a large HP bar. Bosses are supposed to have a lot of HP, but the ones in Super Megaforce have far too much compared to the standard henchmen, and the game goes from stiff to boring almost instantly once one of these fights presents itself. If there was a special challenge or a unique mechanic attached to the game, sure – I would understand this. However, all that it takes is patience to win as the player’s special moves do little to deal extra damage and outside of changing a technique from time to time, which is not a positive as most bosses do not have much to provide any type of obstacle that the player can feel good about defeating.

The Megazord battles are a bit better because they are over rather quick, much like how it goes down in the television series. The battle system works for these bouts as its honestly just a paper, rock, scissors fight, where players select an attack and hope that the boss is left open to take damage. Sure, its simple and not very thought through, but it services the game and if the stages were better, I would have no qualms with these segments ending each chapter. Players can collect coins as they traverse through the game, which can be utilized in the in-game shop to purchase potions, and unlock bonus features for the game. Sadly, there is a gimmick attached with unlocking rangers by buying special keys separately. If this were a better game, I would dish some cash to play as Rock, Aisha, Kimberly, and Tommy, but asking your consumers to pay more is a bit of a slap in the face for such a boring experience.

Visuals
I don’t want to harp on the visuals even if they are a bit dated, as the rangers still look like themselves and we could have seen worse. The animations however are very limited and choppy at times, and the worlds themselves are nothing to write home about. Its not that the detail isn’t there, its just that it all comes together as plain, dark, and muddy as a whole. Scroll up, look at that boxart. The suits are brightly colored and the logo is sharp as a tack. That isn’t what players are getting with this experience, and its sad to see that more love was not put in.

Audio
The audio isn’t much better. There is a bit of voicework, but it seems poorly done as the dialogue is nothing more than screaming out the colors as well as the team name from time to time, with a bit of grunts specific to the ranger. The soundtrack is terrible. Not all of it is the game’s fault as the mockery Saban has made by trying to remake Ron Wasserman’s tunes is something that is out of Bandai Namco’s hands, but the generic beats in the game itself really paint a picture of how little love went into making what could have been a special piece of fan service.

Overall
Power Rangers Super Megaforce has a small spark to it. I wanted to enjoy it as the blueprint for a good Power Rangers title feels like it is somewhere buried underneath the blandness, but sadly, with no martial arts or personality to speak of, this title ends up feeling boring and stiff overall. I understand that younger gamers are more forgiving, but why should developers cut quality when they don’t have to? There are fans who have been throwing money at Power Rangers for years, and it feels like a slap in the face to myself, and all of those fans who will go out and pick up this release due to the fact that there isn’t another option, just to get a little more entertainment out of their favorite brand. Do yourself a favor, ranger fans. Keep waiting, as Super Megaforce is simply a disappointment.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Roccat Sponsoring Intel Extreme Masters Season 9 Tournament Series

Jamie Laike Tsui

November 12, 2014

Roccat Sponsoring Intel Extreme Masters Season 9 Tournament Series

Roccat announced today they will be joining the Intel Extreme Masters Season 9 tournament series as a major sponsor for four events.

“Our dedication to the eSports community is well-established, with our own Team ROCCAT League of Legends team, and world champion StarCraft II player HyuN representing us proudly. We are heavily invested in the success of the eSporting ecosystem, and are extremely proud to join one of its most lauded representatives in Intel Extreme Masters for these exciting events. We can’t wait to show up in Northern California to be a part of the madness,” said Rene Korte, CEO of Roccat.

Roccat will be sponsoring events in California, Germany, Taiwan, and Poland. Things kick off at San Jose, California’s SAP Center on December 6-7 and culminates at the world championships in Katowice, Poland on March 12, 2015. Check out the full schedule at the official Intel Extreme Masters site.

Game of Thrones – A Telltale Games Series coming to Xbox One and PS4; story detailed

Travis Bruno

November 12, 2014

Earlier today we reported that Telltale’s Game of Thrones series would be releasing sometime soon for the PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360 and now Telltale Games has decided to reveal some more information about the game, as well as new platforms. Now this six episode season will be released on the aforementioned consoles as well as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mac, and iOS.

They went on to say that the game will pick up near the end of the third season of Game of Thrones’ TV show and end before the beginning of season five and it will tell an original tale in the world created by George R.R. Martin. The story will focus on House Forrester “a noble house from the Wolfswood in the north of Westeros” where players will be controlling five members of the house throughout the season, ranging from direct family to servants.

Telltale goes on to say that “Playing as five characters not only reflects the epic scope of Game of Thrones, but is also something that the player needs to be mindful of. This is because the actions of one character can ripple out to affect the rest of House Forrester. Multiply the actions of one character by five, and you’re truly playing the Game of Thrones … where you win, or you die.”

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