Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, a new vision for the future-set timeline in the immensely popular FPS series, is out in two weeks for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC from Activision, but you can view the Launch Trailer right now, which is filled with high-octane action and gameplay. The video is embedded at the bottom of this article.
Kevin Spacey’s involvement as Jonathan Irons, the cunning leader of private military corporation Atlas, has been well-publicised. The player, however, will embody Jack Mitchell, a soldier who dons an advanced exoskeleton and is committed to restoring order after the world is devastated by a catastrophic attack. That exoskeleton provides multiple options in manoeuvrability that drastically changes the usual rules of the battlefield, and all of the abilities it enables – the dodges, dashes and boosted jumps – carry over into multiplayer for an even more intense experience with friends. Multiplayer also features a revamped Create-a-Class and Supply Drops.
Again, check out the Launch Trailer below, and read our hands-on impressions from EB Expo 2014 earlier this month.
Overview Of the many anime series I have watched, I can probably count the series that took place in a College setting on one hand. Usually these series are set in a middle school or high school with graduation being the final goal. Even the most popular series generally find a conclusion once their characters graduate high school. As such Golden Time being set in a college, albeit one focused on freshmen students, is already off to a different start. From the author who brought us Toradora!, will Golden Time get off to a successful start with Collection 1?
Story Tada Banri has just moved to the bustling city of Tokyo to attend a private law school. Despite how challenging this might be considering he is not only late on his first day but also knows no one within the city, he is happy to be living alone and taking a step forward with his life. In fact, his new found freedom is quite the blessing because immediately after graduating from high school Banri was involved in an accident that left him with retrograde amnesia, leaving him with no memories of the past eighteen years.
After spending a year trying to recover, he has moved on with his life, though the past will continue to haunt him throughout the series. After managing to make a friend with fellow law student Mitsuo, he is introduced to a girl that Mitsuo has been trying to escape from for years, his childhood friend Kaga Kouko. Ever since they were children Kouko has planned their lives together and thanks to her wealthy upbringing, she never was given a reason to deviate from her plans… other than the fact that Mitsuo wants nothing to do with her of course.
With Kouko’s die-hard desire to marry Mitsuo and his desire to avoid her and find someone he really loves, problems quickly rise to the surface. Still, after meeting and becoming friends, it becomes clear that Banri and Kouko appear to be meant for one another as Banri is a boy with no past while Kouko wishes to move past hers. However things are never that easy, especially when memories of Banri’s high school crush Linda, who also attends the school and has become quite close to Banri despite knowing he doesn’t remember her, begin to surface.
The first half of Golden Time has its highs and lows but one of these highs happens to be the way that it handles its characters. Rarely do we see any semblance of a realistic relationship in an anime series, with characters usually locking away their feelings until the final moment but in Golden Time there is actual discussion and development that feels believable, giving the cast a human quality that is necessary considering some of the idiotic situations the cast ends up in.
It is also interesting to see a dime a dozen type cliché like amnesia actually be used to create a worthwhile plot point. Thanks to the way Banri’s amnesia and past are explored over the course of the first half of the series we watch as he struggles with the feelings that are warring within him. A certain aspect of how it is being handled leaves much to be desired however as it not only doesn’t fit with the realistic tone of Golden Time but also feels like an attempt to force drama into Banri’s life and new relationships.
Despite the forced feeling that the ghost of Banri’s past has, its existence does serve as a way to represent the conflict between Banri’s new life with his friends and his past memories and relationships as well as a tool to test his faithfulness with Kouko. This results in a number of interesting events, but at the same time the forced feeling of “Ghost Banri” drags down the feel of the series due to its unnecessary existence and the way that it makes a story already plagued with disjointed events and odd occurrences, even worse does the series no favors.
On the other side of the coin, we have Kouko who starts as a character that will easily rub viewers the wrong way but eventually shows character development thanks to legitimate conversations and not forced drama. While Kouko may be an over-the-top character that tends to be clingy and a bit possessive, the reason that she is this way is not only elaborated on but can easily be inferred by the viewer thanks to her past and Banri’s situation. That being said, I can also see her being a character that people will find annoying if they do not understand why she is acting like she is.
Visuals Golden Time was animated by JC Staff which can be hit or miss depending on the property they are working on and thankfully Golden Time just so happens to be one of their hits. Featuring detailed character designs, especially in regards to Kouko’s ever-changing clothing, a gorgeous color palette that is nicely presented in Blu-ray, and nicely detailed environments Golden Time is quite a visual treat.
Character expressions tend to lean towards realistic which is a nice touch, though there are a number of times that they are taken to the extreme to try and pull off some laughs but generally fail to do so. It is also worth noting that there are noticeable drops in quality whenever a mid-range or group shot is used as facial expressions and even character designs dip noticeably.
Audio Sentai Filmworks has released Golden Time: Collection 1 with only the Japanese voice track accompanied by English subtitles, but this shouldn’t disappoint many as the series sports a fitting Japanese voice cast with a large number of series under their belts, except for Banri’s voice actor who is more of a fresh voice.
The background music throughout Golden Time is quite fitting for a series focused more on romance than comedy and it does a nice job of not overpowering any given scene. The opening theme for this first half is “Golden Time” while the ending theme is “Sweet & Sweet Cherry.” Both of these songs are performed by Yui Horie, the Japanese voice actress for Kouko and although the ending theme is a bit sub-standard the opening theme mixes English and Japanese lyrics together to create an enjoyable tune that will be hard to skip past.
Extras As far as bonus features go, Golden Time: Collection 1 is about as bare bones as they come. The release sports a clean version of the opening theme and ending theme as well as trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases and the disc credits.
Overall Over the course of Golden Time: Collection 1 viewers will witness genuine character development and realistic interactions interlaced with forced drama and strange events. Thanks to the way things have been handled in the series so far, it is hard not to fall in love with characters and also become frustrated due to certain events. With the first half of the series leaving off on an interesting note as Banri continues to try and leave his past behind and move on with the insecure but loyal Kouko it will be interesting to see where things will go in the second half. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
So it is that time of the week once again. What time of the weak you ask? The time of the week where we sit down around the camp fire and share stories about the latest and greatest news from Microsoft HQ. That’s right, it is time for Xbox Newsbeat! This week’s newsbeat is a little short with only four headlines, but they are surely going to grab your attention! So instead of sitting around and talking about the news, lets get down to it!
Xbox One ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Bundle Offers Two Free Games
We are coming up to the holiday season and that means that in addition to all of the awesome games being released, that there will be a bunch of cool console bundles designed to get the most value into your hands just in time for Christmas. Ubisoft and Microsoft have teamed up for one of these bundles, the Assassin’s Creed bundle, which from November 1st will give players a brand new Xbox One console, a copy of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flags, and the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Unity. There will be two different versions of the bundle; one that comes with the Kinect Sensor (and will have an RRP of $599) and one without (for $499).
Watch All the Vines You Could Ever Want on Xbox One
Do you want to watch hours upon hours of short videos on your TV? Well you had better head to the Xbox One app store and download the brand new Vine App that will allow you to do just that. Vine is home to a tonne of hilarious and clever videos that make the most use of their limited time, and this new Xbox One app is the first built for TV method to watch them all.
Halo: Spartan Strike Comes to Windows 8 Devices and Steam this December
Do you like Halo? what about top-down shooters? Well looks like Microsoft and 343 have the perfect game for you! Halo: Spartan Strike is set during the time of Halo 2 and has you playing as a Spartan in a real-world, classified ONI simulation that starts on New Mombasa in 2552 and will take you through jungles, cities and more. Using your Spartan skills, an all-new arsenal of weapons, abilities and vehicles, including the iconic Warthog, you must lead UNSC troops through 30 challenging missions and prevent Earth from being overtaken by hordes of Covenant and Promethean enemies. The game will be coming to Steam and Windows 8 devices later this year, and playing the game will award unlockable content for the upcoming Halo: Master Chief edition.
Xbox One System Update: New Friends, Snap and TV Features on Xbox One
Ahh another month and another Xbox One system update has come our way. The latest update brings some highly requested features from the player base, but don’t take my word for it – check out the slew of updates that are being rolled out as we speak:
New Snap and Friends functions –Stay inthe game and in touch with your friends at the same time with improved Snap, SmartGlass and Achievements functions.
Snap Updates – The Snap Center has been updated to include quick access to many of the things fans wanted faster access to when playing a game – Friends, Messages, Game DVR, clock, and battery indicator – as well as making it easier to close and open new snap apps when playing a game. A double tap of the Xbox button on your controller will bring up a menu that allows you to open a new app in snap mode, close the current snapped app, or switch focus between your game and your running snapped app. Additionally, two apps have been optimized for Snap mode:
Friends Snap App – Access your friends list without leaving the game. Quickly check your friends list to see who’s online right now and take actions like send message, invite or join.
Messages Snap App – You’ll be able to open, read and respond to messages in Snap mode, and messages will now be displayed in a threaded conversation view.
Achievements App –Updated to enable sharing of achievements you’ve unlocked with captions, see a list of friends who have unlocked specific achievements, and an updated achievements Snap landing page that that shows Achievements on recently played games, when a gamer is not actively playing a game.
Friends section – The new Friends section enables you to see at a glance what’s going on with your friends. You can stay up-to-date with their current activities, the most popular games your friends are playing, and a Gamerscore leaderboard to see who has improved their Gamerscore over the last 30 days.
New SmartGlass features – You can now see a list of your top games in your profile. You can also see a list of your friend’s most popular games in the Friend’s section of SmartGlass.
Media Player DLNA and MKV support – The latest version of the Media Player app will now have support for DLNA streaming. With this update, you will be able to easily access and play music, watch photo slideshows or movies stored on home media servers and devices that support the DLNA server protocols. Additionally, you will now be able to playback MKV files stored on a USB device or a device on your home network that supports DLNA streaming.
So there we go, another busy week here at Xbox Newsbeat. Did any of this week’s headlines grab your attention more than the others? If so then let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all of the awesome Xbox news as it becomes available.
Magic: The Gathering is by far the world’s most popular trading card game, and now Wizards of the Coast is branching out the Magic brand with the newly announced Magic: The Gathering Board Game. Set for release next Spring, the board game takes the characters and locations from Magic’s wonderful multiverse and presents them in an all new, exciting way. Players will take on the roll of one of five Planeswalkers, and summon powerful creatures against one another. To get our excitement up even further, Wizards have announced that a prototype version of the game will be playable at this year’s PAX Aus, alongside the rest of the suite of Magic stuff that will be on show. If you wont be able to make it to PAX Aus, or you just want some more information now, here are some details about the game that is still shrouded in mystery:
How is the game played?
In the Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game, players customize the battlefield by designing the map then placing terrain and powerful gylphs. Then players choose one of five different Planeswalkers and move their figure and unique creature squads around the map in a race to out-maneuver opponents and gain tactical advantages! Cast devastating spells, summon powerful squads, and tap into your unique Planeswalker abilities to defeat your opponents. Be the last Planeswalker standing to win!
How many players can play the game?
2-5 players.
How long does it take to play through the game?
Between 25 and 45 minutes, depending on the number of players and their level of expertise.
Will the game include any collectible pieces?
Each game will include the same five highly detailed, fully painted Planeswalker mini-figures.
What are the five Magic Planeswalker characters who will be featured in the board game?
Chandra Nalaar, Jace Beleren, Nissa Revane, Liliana Vess. The final character will be revealed at later date.
Does the game include Magic trading card game cards?
No, the game does not include Magic: The Gathering cards, but it pulls directly from Magic lore and includes references to many classic cards.
Does the game work with the Magic TCG system?
No, the Magic: The Gathering Strategy Board Game is a stand-alone experience from the TCG. Many familiar concepts will be present, but streamlined for the board game.
Does the game use any mechanics from the Magic TCG?
Yes, the game utilizes several classic Magic mechanics, including deathtouch, flying, and first strike.
What plane will the game take place on?
The game will take place on the drifting, mana-rich world of Shandalar.
So there we go. I am one for new Magic: The Gathering products, so this new board game really interests me but what about you? Are you interested in the game or do you think that it should remain as a trading card only franchise? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Magic: The Gathering news as it becomes available.
One does not simply livestream Mordor… right? In this episode of CC Impact!, join Senior Editor Jamie in exploring the Sea of Nurnen in Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Check out a little bit of everything the game has to offer, stealth, action, ranged, quests, and the nemesis system. Learn more about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor in our review.
We livestream gameplay footage on our Twitchpage. Our YouTubechannel is updated with content daily. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter, and Facebook. Leave a comment here or head on over to our YouTube page and leave a comment so we know what you think and how we can improve our Impact! feature.
The awesome Dragon Ball Xenoverse doesn’t stop with the confirmation that Super Saiyan 4 Goku will be making a playable appearance according to a recently leaked V-Jump scan. Details are thin, but we do know he will be wielding the 10x Kamehameha. Also confirmed is Vegito both in base and Super Saiyan for but we expected as much as he made a brief stint in the most recent trailer. It is likely Super Saiyan 4 Goku may be a separate character as opposed to a transformation skill for Goku.
Assuming Super Saiyan God Goku is also in, Xenoverse will let us answer the question of who is stronger between the two forms, Super Saiyan 4 or Super Saiyan God! Now that GT characters seem to be making a reappearance, it is likely we will also see Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta, Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta and Omega Shenron. The scan also indicates the Japanese release date for Dragon Ball Xenoverse is February 5th, so hopefully a worldwide release is not far behind. The game will be releasing on all major platforms including PS4 , PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC.
While some titles manage to fly through the Steam Greenlight system, other seemingly more deserving titles remain stuck in the system for longer than they should be. Regardless of how Steam seems to be handling their Greenlight service, or not handling it, there is a certain visual novel that could use your help.
Icebound, an OELVN, also known as a visual novel developed and written by an English developer, is one such title. After a successful Kickstarter and release for PC, Mac, and Linux, Icebound has been made available for purchase through the developer’s own website as well as Desura for $14.99. That being said, the power house that is Steam manages to do wonders for titles that manage to land on its service so if you wish to help give Icebound a hand, you can vote for it on Greenlight here.
As for what the game is, Icebound is a mystery visual novel with different endings that is set in a fantasy steampunk world that has been locked in an ice age for years. An alchemist named Dougal finds himself in an isolated town named Isenbarr with his Familiar as he is looking for a job. In this town he is challenged by a master alchemist to compete with three others in order to obtain a Philosopher’s Stone. If he manages to do this, he will be richly rewarded but in his search he finds himself caught up with a beautiful secret agent.
Those interested in trying out Icebound can download the demo for the game here and it is worth noting that a voice pack for the game is set to be released sometime in the near future.
You may remember that earlier this year Viz Media announced the license acquisition for a number of series. One of these happened to be the prequel to Capcom’s Resident Evil 6 called Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire and now the company is preparing to release the first volume in English.
The first volume of the series, which is being printed using Viz’s Signature label, will be released on November 18th for $12.99. There are five volumes in the series though at the moment the company has not revealed how long the wait will be between volumes.
That being said, fans Resident Evil won’t have to wait until November 18th to at least catch a preview of the first volume as Viz is releasing a free sample of the first volume for Halloween ComicFest, an event celebrated at comic shops nationwide the Saturday before Halloween (October 25).
Overview
The genre of stealth is a really rough area for myself. I personally enjoy a bit of stealth now and then, but many titles such as DARK miss the mark by keeping the player in one hallway – or limiting the experience by making it linear and rather stale. Styx: Master of Shadows is the new kid on the block for the generation, and a prequel to Cyanide’s Of Orcs and Men. With a new direction and a snippy leading character, can Styx’s open world open our eyes to an exciting take on the genre, or is it yet another title that has ambition, but no soul? Let’s find out.
Story
While it isn’t as deep as it could be, Styx: Master of Shadows has a nice little tale within, featuring a thieving goblin by the name of Styx who is out to trek the huge Tower of Akenash and steal the heart of a World-Tree holds amber, the source of magic and power for our goblin friend. To do this our dark hero will have to sneak across hallways to obtain his valued treasure, and perform a good bit of parkour and acrobatics in order to pull off the heist of the century. Yes, its a cohesive and enjoyable little plot hosted by a goblin brimming with personality and charm. I do feel like this character had a lot more untapped potential, as I found him on his own to be quite the character. However, interactions within the game are quick and don’t hold a lot of lasting weight overall. That said, the solo dialogue is sure to crack a smile on even the most dubious of players.
Gameplay
Take a bit of Metal Gear, a pinch of Sly Cooper, and sprinkle in some Assassin’s Creed, and you essentially have the recipe for Styx’s gameplay. Styx himself isn’t a fighter at all, and must sneak his way around the Tower of Akenash utilizing his own skillset, which includes jumping, hiding, and a small set of abilities. Bottles of Amber let Styx temporarily get out of harm’s way with magical spells, and thankfully, the controls while performing the stealth mechanics are tight and very responsive.
Each section of the tower has a specific objective for the player to complete, which usually requires you to sneak to one set location, pick up a required item or key for the sake of progression, and move on to the next mission. Its a very simple formula for a game that never proves to be to much of a challenge, but still offers enough substance on the journey to keep the player entertained. As an example, there can be a room full of guards (or other creatures), blocking a path to a door that is the only exit. Since Styx will be seen in the light, the player must crouch and creep in the shadows, slowly trekking under tables and behind furniture in order to not get caught. Once a soldier or good sees Styx, the player must think fast and hide, or do battle for a quick kill.
Combat however is not Styx’s strong suit whatsoever. While he can scale a wall in seconds, stab an enemy by spinning around their head before impaling, and several other maneuvers, our hero is no fighter. Instead of actual combat, the player has to go head to head by utilizing a “parry” mechanic, where you must hit a set number of buttons in sequence to perform a kill. The problem is that Styx can only take a few hits and if you’re surrounded, you better get ready to restart from the last save point. Since death can happen a lot and checkpoints are not frequent, I highly recommend that players save after ever point of stealth for this reason alone or else you could have some mild frustration. I understand why the developers chose this style of gameplay, as they want you to use your tools and mind rather than your dagger and brawn, but not having the freedom of choice with such a seasoned soul like Styx takes a bit away from the overall package.
As mentioned, Styx does have abilities that he can take advantage of with a bit of Amber running through his veins. Ever wanted to puke up a disposable clone to do your dirty work? How about turning invisible for a few seconds? Styx has both and more, and while they don’t add much combat, they do change up the pace and allow the player to be more creative with their sneaking. Players can also extinguish torches with balls of spit-covered sand, and pull off nice assassinations to unsuspecting targets, but again, this must be done with precision or you will quickly blow your cover. The world within the game is also quite spacious, but that in itself is a bit of an illusion.
Sure, you can go just about anywhere you want, but success honestly only follows one path within the game. Its a lot of fun exploring, but with enemies that respawn after a short time, you’re not doing yourself any favors by jumping ahead to take out a room of enemies that will just be back later, and the rewards of exploration are usually just found in bottles of health, amber, or other small items. I will say that the AI is quite smart in the game, as while they are blind enough to not see a creature with a glowing arm in the dark, they can hear a small pebble crash to the floor, and the likes of a bucket and broom dropping will cause a large stir that can make your heart drop to your stomach in seconds. Sure, its not survival horror, but it is exciting and even satisfying at times.
Visuals and Audio
One of the best features within Styx: Master of Shadows are the visuals. While the color palette is limited, this world is heavily detailed. Styx’s model is one of the most dashing goblins to ever hit consoles, and you can see the heavy amount of work this little team put into the atmosphere to make the world feel authentic. The animations are also on point, but as with any game where you can carry a dead body it seems, there are some clipping issues when it comes to dropping them on a different landscape or up against an item.
The soundtrack for Styx is decent as well, stirring up excitement when the player is caught, and also setting the mood for the classic setting of the grand tower our goblin friend is exploring at the moment. Styx also has a decent voice actor attached, who brings a great deal of charm to the character in a sinister way. The non-playable characters are also voiced, and hearing them tell stories and give us a bit more insight on the surroundings also adds an extra layer, so its quite refreshing to see that Cyanide seemed to truly care about making progression more rewarding.
Overall
Styx: Master of Shadows is a decent stealth title that has a lot of charm and wonder. Sure, there are a few shortcomings in the areas of combat and freedom, but those who enjoy a good steal will be happy to play predator and prey in what was surprisingly a rewarding experience overall. As I said at the start of this review, stealth is hard to pull off and yes, Styx has a few stale (and even frustrating) moments. However, with a little patience and finesse, one can truly dust off minor flaws to discover a gem of a game here that doesn’t just make an attempt, but nails what it sets out to accomplish by simply being a solid product of the stealthy shadows.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Aksys Games has announced that fans of Guilty Gear won’t have to wait for too long after Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign is released in Japan, as it is now set to be released in North America on December 16th, less than two weeks after the game’s release in Japan. When released on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign will offer 3D character models that were built from the ground up to look like standard 2D sprites, creating a never before seen style for a fighting game.
A limited edition will be available for purchase alongside the standard versions of the game, costing $79.99 on PS4 and $69.99 on PS3, and it will include a special outer box that replicates “The Backyard”, a soundtrack featuring the game’s iconic rock themes, as well as character book featuring profiles for all of the characters from not only this game but past games as well. To top that off it will also include a Sol Badguy keychain inscribed with the words “Free” modeled after Sol’s belt buckle.
