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.
Daedalic Entertainment announced that Jason Mewes is joining the cast of Randal’s Monday. Jason Mewes is best known as Jay of Jay & Silent Bob fame. Mr. Mewes will retake his role from the classic film Clerks in Randal’s Monday. He will join fellow Clerk’s cast member Jeff Anderson, who plays the titular character Randal.
Randal’s Mondayis a point and click adventure game jam packed with pop culture references from the 1980’s up to the early 2000’s. Randal is a down and out loser who sells his friend’s engagement ring, resulting in his friend’s suicide. Now Randal is trapped in a Groundhog Day, forced to relive his friend’s suicide until Randal can figure out how to change the course of time and prevent his friend’s death. Randal’s Monday will be released on November 12, 2014 for PC and Mac.
The NES Remix series has already seen two installments on the Wii U, but now Nintendo are taking the fast paced nostalgia blast and shipping both in one package for easy consumption on the 3DS. Ultimate NES Remix will feature both full titles, which feature the likes of Super Mario Bros. (1,2, and 3), Kirby’s Adventure, Balloon Fight, and many, many more.
If you have never played either title, each holds a good handful of classic NES titles, and the player must play through remixed pieces as they try to beat a boss in a fast time, or have Peach rescue herself. Yes, it is a bit insane, but in a good way. Ultimate NES Remix will also feature leaderboards, where players can battle against other players scores from all over the world. If three stars are won in every stage, the player will then get a whole new experience with Famicom Remix, adding new challenges. Mark your calenders, as Ultimate NES Remix hits down under and in New Zealand on the 8th of November, while hitting the U.S. at the start of December.
SCE Aust. has announced PlayStation’s official partnership with Movember, hoping to aid in bringing awareness to men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer throughout the month of November. As everyone is surely aware, the campaign is extremely popular and this year, with PlayStation supporting the cause, the gaming community in particular will hopefully get more involved. Larissa Hazel, Head of Marketing Communications at PlayStation, said of the partnership;
We’re extremely excited to be a part of Movember. In Australia, we have a fantastic opportunity to bring the PlayStation community together and take part in a simple yet brilliantly fun way of raising awareness of men’s health issues.
A series of key initiatives are being implemented by PlayStation in order to encourage male players worldwide, or “Mo Bros” as they are being called, to grow their facial hair out during the month. “Mo Sistas” are also being encouraged to celebrate the magnificent moustache. (Good luck with that!) Galahad, star of the upcoming PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886, will be regrowing his outstanding ‘stache for the cause alongside his team members, who can join at Movember.com. Additionally, illustrator Tom Mac has created a selection of limited edition illustrations depicting fan-favourite characters, such as LittleBigPlanet’s Sackboy, inFAMOUS: Second Son’s Delsin Rowe and The Last of Us’ Ellie, participating in Movember.
‘Staches all-round in The Order: 1886
For those who sign up and take part, anyone who raises at least AU$20 in donations will receive automatic entry into a prize draw to win a PS4, PS Vita and selection of blockbuster titles. JC, Movember’s Co-Founder added;
Our aim is to encourage men to grow moustaches that generate funds and spark conversations around men’s health. Having this opportunity to work with PlayStation to engage with their passionate community will help us drive awareness of Movember.
Visit the PS Blog to keep abreast of all the Movember happenings! Team PlayStation AU is also recruiting for Movember, but if you have a team already or just want to create your own, log in and search for “PlayStation Official” in your Mospace and join to still be a part of the PlayStation Movember network. Finally, check out this specialist playlist featuring a number of the greatest moustache-clad musicians of all time!
A new trailer from Ubisoft features Dan Jeannotte, Catherine Bérubé, Alex Invanovici, Brent Skagford, and Bruce Dinsmore. They provide the voice of Arno, Élise, the Marquis de Sade, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Maximilien de Robespierre respectively in Assassin’s Creed Unity. The trailer sits the actors down for an interview about their characters and will provide players a strong background on the characters they will encounter and their personalities.
Assassin’s Creed Unity will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 11, 2014 in North America and on November 13th in Europe. It will be the first in the series to be released exclusively for next-gen consoles.
If you recently picked up Arcana Heart 3: Love Max when it was released in North America back in September, then you might not be a big fan of this news. Today it was revealed that Examu is working on another Arcana Heart 3 enhancement, though currently it is only slated for Japanese arcades.
The title is called Arcana Heart 3: Love Max Six Stars and introduces one new character named Minori Amanohara and an Arcana named Ichor who mimics blood and has a hidden ability that can draw out lots of power. As for Minori, she is a wannabe hero who has become frustrated with herself since all of the other girls in her school are off fighting saving the world. Currently it is unknown what plans Examu has for Six Stars, though considering the limited contents of this announcement it is entirely possible that these additions might simply be released as DLC for Love Max.
