20 DLC packs. That was a lot of money at the time of release, and a lot of DLC for one title. Sleeping Dogs wasn’t really an ordinary title however (read our original review here), and seemed to have done well enough to warrant a next-gen installment on the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
As previously mentioned, those who make the jump with Wei Shen and company will receive all of that DLC – which is a huge value, along with updated visuals and audio, and a 1080p presentation. Yes, its a nice package, but to prove its worth, Square Enix have released a shiny new trailer for Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, which serves as a nice reminder of what to expect for fans everywhere. Check out the clip below, and get ready to get definitive October 10th in PAL territories, and October 14th for North America.
I was clamoring for more Bayonetta 2 after getting hands on with it at the EB Expo in Sydney last weekend, but now it seems everyone can experience the awesomeness that is Bayonetta 2 as Nintendo and Platinum Games have released a demo on the Wii U eShop that seems to be the same build that has been present at expos in the past.
The demo is available worldwide and weighs in at a decent 728mb with a maximum fifteen play limit. We strongly suggest checking it out as it is one of the few mature titles being released for the Wii U and contains some fantastic action gameplay that could land the title as a contender for Game of the Year. Nintendo have also released a brand new launch trailer to accompany the demo which you can check out below. Bayonetta 2 releases exclusively on the Wii U on the 25th and will include the supposed ‘definitive edition’ of the original Bayonetta as a bonus at no extra charge.
Do you love Adventure Time? How about old-school Zelda games? Then Adventure Time: Secret of the Nameless Kingdom is literally the perfect game for you. Combining elements of Pendleton Ward’s hugely popular animated series with the solid gameplay elements of the original Zelda games (that still stand the test of time) results in a fusion that is fun, exciting and enticing.
I admit I was a little hesitant when I picked up a controller and got my hands-on with the forthcoming Adventure Time game, as licensed video games can tend to be a little… shall we say cheaply made. Nevertheless from the moment I started playing, all of that worry and concern went out the window and I could tell that a lot of love and effort went into the production of Nameless Kingdom.
The Adventure Time games have always had a knack for drawing inspiration from the popular Legend of Zelda franchise (a tradition that started with Adventure Time: Hey Ice King Why’d You Steal Our Garbage being inspired by The Legend of Zelda II), and for being incredibly self-aware. These two trends continue with Secret of the Nameless Kingdom, as Finn and Jake travel to a new kingdom to help find its rightful princess. The game looks and plays like a remastered Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, with its top-down adventure style (which definitely helps separate it from last year’s dungeon crawlerIesq Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW).
You control Finn, and swing your sword against a variety of enemies while also traversing the Nameless Kingdom, getting new gear and becoming the strongest hero you can be. Finn is joined by his constant companion Jake, who in the short demo I played acted as the stalwart hero’s shield (literally, you pressed a button and Jake transformed into a shield. It was awesome). The controls were simple and responded really well. Although that might be because all I could do was walk around, swing my sword and use my Jake-Shield.
Visually, I was really taken aback by the game. The world itself and its many landmarks all looked like they were ripped straight out of a blu-ray copy of the show. Everything was brightly coloured and looked distinctively Adventure Time. The character models of Finn as well as the enemies and NPCs he would encounter were drawn in a much different style. While the surroundings looked HD and straight from the cartoon, Finn looked like he was ripped straight from the 160bit era of gaming. The divide between the two art styles was notable but surprisingly less jarring than I would have thought and in the end it still looked fantastic.
Earlier I mentioned that the game played a lot like A Link to the Past, and that wasn’t only because of its top-down gameplay style. A lot of the enemies have been ripped straight from ALttP and given an Adventure Time makeover. The most common enemy I encountered was one of the Worms (fans of the series will know what I’m talking about) but its movement pattern and method of attacking by using their loud call is very reminiscent of the old Buzz Blob/Chuchu enemy from the Zelda title. I am sure more than just the worms are inspired by old Zelda enemies, and the geek in me cannot wait to find all of the other connections.
As any Adventure Time fan can attest to, the story, the world and the characters are all brought to life with the amazing and talented voice actors behind them, and I can happily say that the game is fully voice acted with the original crew. Hearing John DiMaggio and Jeremy Shada banter as Jake and Finn really helped tie the whole package together.
Adventure Time: Secret of the Nameless Kingdom wears its heart on its sleeve and judging from the (admittedly small) sample that I had, looks like it will be a great experience for not only fans of the Adventure Time franchise, but for anybody who grew up playing Zelda on their SNES. My time with Secret of the Nameless Kingdom was brief, but it was just enough to let me know that I really, really want to play some more when the game launches on November 20th.
For the rest of our 2014 EB Games Expo Coverage including hands-on previews and interviews, click here.
EB Expo 2014 has increased in size and scale every year since it became open to the public in 2011 and this year was no exception. With playable demos of games yet to be released anywhere in the world, massive stage shows, Q&A’s, cosplay contest, retro lounges, movie props, booth babes, the largest EB Games swag store ever and Mexican food stalls selling questionable meats which may have lead to food poisoning. It was a huge few days for the presenters, media and the attendees alike but a fun time was had by all.
Starting off our recap, every big publisher had a presence with the show each having their own booths and playable/non-playable demonstrations of their upcoming or just released titles. The 2K booth was clad in red glass and some sort of weird dome thing to show off Evolve alongside other popular titles like WWE 2k15, NBA 2k15 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The Ubisoft booth probably impressed the most with all its props. There was a car with The Crew logo plastered on it’s side, a model elephant which got gradually more painted as the show went on alongside, a lifesize statue of Assassin’s Creed:Unity protagonist Arno and the Just Dance 2015 stage show which went on the entirety of the show (those poor dancers must have been tired but managed to keep a smile on their face the whole time).
Bethesda was showing off its upcoming horror title The Evil Within with a playable demo and a creepy mini version of the upcoming Horror Maze which will be at Movie World in the near future. This maze was legitimately a nightmare for non-fans of the horror genre, with dead bodies hanging from the ceiling, creepy scientists who chased you and tried to grab you as soon as you got too close and another creepy guy who escapes from his seemingly inescapable cell to chase you out of the maze.
Other booths such as Nintendo and Microsoft’s weren’t as creative but had an excellent section of games people could try out from Super Smash Bros. Wii U and the surprisingly fun and engaging Splatoon to more maturely rated titles such as Insomniac’s Sunset Overdrive and the upcoming Halo: Master Chief Collection which was behind curtains. Sony’s booth was full of PlayStation 4 and Vita titles and also showed off the new Xperia Z3 smartphone which will allow you to play your PS4 games remotely with a cool controller attachment. The Driveclub car out the front was nice to look at as were the two gorgeous girls who were happy to take photos with those not too shy to approach them.
The new Battlefield and Call of Duty shooters proved popular as ever, maintaining long lines throughout the day, with a giant Battlefield 4 tank parked inside the outdoor pavilion which was host to the League of Legends Oceanic Regionals and retro sections featuring tons of timeless classics such Super Mario Bros. All Stars, Donkey Kong, Crazy Taxi and GoldenEye 007 just to name a few. The arcade was another trip down memory lane, featuring pinball machines, Daytona and one of my favourite arcade games of all time, Dragon Punch, where I impressed everyone with my stylish punching technique and score of over 9000.
All five of us at the show struggled to get down to the Robot Wars stage throughout the day but we finally made it down at the end of the second day and man were we glad we didn’t miss it. It was Ripper, a robot with a pressure flipper at the front for rolling its opponents similar to Chaos 2 from back in the days versus Thor, a robot with a giant axe that could swing down with awesomely brutal force. The match ended in a rather amusing way with Rippers low front designed for getting under robots got trapped under a floor panel and when the flipper opened it lifted up the floor trapping the robot underneath. But that wasn’t before some awesome swings form Thor hammer caused sparks flying after coming down on Flipper and some great moments where both robots were getting fried by the flamethrower stage hazard on the side of the stage. Poor Ripper never stood a chance as Thor’s hammer also acted as a spring back to launch the robot back to the correct orientation whenever Flipper would turn it over.
There were also plenty of giveaways, prizes and swag for everyone to collect. From Evil Within boxes, to an infinite supply of posters from Ubisoft, lanyards and even an exclusive Skylanders figure called Gearshift who won;t be available to purchase until 2015! The EB Games Mega Store lived up to its name with plenty of pop culture and video game merch up for purchase like Mario Kart racers, Finn cookie jars, Game of Thrones figures and lots, lots more. Fans of cards games could learn how to play upcoming game Vanguard or get a sample pack from the Pokemon Trading Card Game if you played a match with one of the seasoned demonstrators (who i managed to defeat using some great strategy and a high damage move even though I hadn’t played the game in a while!)
There was also a mini stage which held debates such as the classic Console Vs. PC debate (PC Master Race won this one just) as well as holding talks on topics such as how to make it in the games industry and aspects of level design. An enormous theater down the back of a show with giant projector screens was reserved for the larger presentations, such as Ubisoft’s hour long presentation which included gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Unity, The Crew, Far Cry 4 and Tom Clancy’s: The Division.
Check out what each of the five Capsule Computers writers that attended the expo had to say about their EB Expo experience.
Nathan Farrugia – Editor
I love all things Nintendo so heading down to their stage and trying out games like Splatoon, Bayonetta 2 and of course, Super Smash Bros. Wii U was a big highlight for me with all those games living up to their expectations and Splatoon being surprisingly fun. Also sitting down in a racing chair at Ubisoft’s booth to play The Crew with 3 others was really fun as we took out a mini truck and then raced each other in a very close race. Robot Wars, getting back into Pokemon Cards and The Arcade and Retro Sections were also an awesome trip down memory lane and brought heaps of nostalgia along with it. Also those Driveclub and Razer girls, simply stunning. A great expo with great people, had an absolute blast.
Zac Elawar – Senior Editor
This year’s EB Games Expo was so much more spacious, well laid out, and brought some heavy hitters to the show floor. I acknowledge that there was very little on offer for the “PC master race”, but for us console gamers, it was an extremely impressive selection of hands-on demos and live presentations. As a personal treat, being amongst the first people in the world to play as Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat X, a mere nine hours after he was revealed made me mark out like the true MK fanatic I am. And the lite version of Movie World’s The Evil Within Maze was a nice, terrifying surprise. Girls’ screams could be heard from way across the grounds. They almost drowned out my interview recordings! And finally, thanks to 2K for having an open floor plan for their booth…I got to play WWE 2K15 6 times, 6 times, 6 times, 6 times, 6 times, 6 times!
Andrew Day – Senior Editor
After last year’s EB Expo where we got to try out the then-upcoming Xbox One and PS4, I wasn’t sure if this year’s expo would be able to even come close to matching the quality and level of content. Boy was I wrong! There were more games than I could shake a stick at, and I felt like a kid in a candy store. After sampling everything that was on offer I would have to say that both Evolve and Bloodborne caught my eye (but for very different reasons). Evolve’s new take on multiplayer already has me hooked while Bloodborne fills my need for fast-paced action RPG’s. Although, as great as the games were, the star of the show was without a doubt Warner Bros. The Evil Within Maze Teaser. Even though it was only a short few corridors I was on edge the entire time! The thrills and the scares were so good that I’m already planning my trip to Queensland to experience the full thing!
Vicky Martin – Editor
Being my first time at EB Games Expo, I was surprised at the huge amount of people who turned up on each day. The best aspect of the event for me, was being able to try out the upcoming games, particularly Sunset Overdrive, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Splatoon and Dead Island 2. I particularly enjoyed watching the demo gameplay for Alien: Isolation and Assassins Creed: Unity and cannot wait to get my hands on all of those new games.
Mateja Simovic – Contributor
Well dang. As a non-console gamer I felt completely out of my element at this expo as there was not a PC rig anywhere in sight. I felt a bit outraged by this at first (I honestly couldn’t tell you why) but got over myself very quickly. Instead I decided I would jump in head-first and try as many games as I could that were new to me. This might go some way to explain why the games I covered this expo were so eclectic (for those of you at home keeping track). I am still a bit disappointed by the lack of PC games at the Expo, but I am glad I decided to take a chance and play games I would otherwise have not tried. If you find yourself at a gaming convention, perhaps even next year’s EB Expo, I would definitely recommend trying as many games as you can. Who knows, you could very well end up finding a new genre of games that you didn’t know you liked before.
All up it was a fantastic experience and we can’t wait to see what EB cooks up for the 2015 expo (hopefully some more PC presence for Mateja)! For all of our EB Expo 2014 coverage including hands on impressions, demonstrations and interviews with developers, please follow the link.
From one psychopath to another, the Far Cry universe has gotten a lot more eclectic over the past few years. Now, self-proclaimed king Pagan Min (who is named after a real-life Burmese king, who reigned in the mid 1800’s) is primed to make Vaas look like chopped liver by comparison. Kyrat is his domain, and though it may be dangerous and teeming with trigger-happy Nepali warriors, the player – as native and protagonist Ajay Ghale – will have some allies at his side. One of those is the intelligent and destructive elephant…
Elephants seem more than happy to allow you on their backs and fight for your cause, aggressively and without reprieve. What’d the locals put in their water hole?! Case-in-point, the demo we played at the EB Games Expo 2014, which only lasted maybe five minutes, tasking us with clearing out a ‘Fortress’. The player is given three options for how they want to approach the task: “Sneak”, “Elephant” and “Air”. The first is easily understandable, while the latter would provide a helicopter for the attack. But I chose to ride in, guns-blazing, on the back of my good ol’ grey giant, hoping the foes inside the fortress walls didn’t have a mouse in their back pocket. Fortresses work the same as ‘Outposts’ in Far Cry 3; there are alarms placed at different locations in the compounds that, when triggered, will call reinforcements. The problem with jumping on an elephant as it bathes itself with water, taking charge, and barging into the place, the animal violently head-butting the wooden gate to create an entry point, is that stealth is impossible and reinforcements will get called immediately! And you may feel invincible brandishing a machine gun on an elephant’s back, but you’d be mistaken.
In my first attempt to clear the enemy camp, I threw caution to the wind, which failed. On my second try, I tried to take advantage of the elephant’s abilities, flinging enemies into the air with his trunk and running roughshod throughout the ground, bowling over anyone who stood in our was as the elephant stampeded, achieved by clicking in L3 as you would to sprint on foot. But, it wasn’t long before a helicopter was called in to do major damage and killed me. My final endeavour was more methodical; I busted inside, killed the foes in my immediate vicinity quite efficiently, and then hopped off to get around on foot. Wielding my secondary weapon – the sawn-off shotgun – I sought out the alarms with an aim to disable them. I was unsure how the elephant would react once I had done so, but like a loyal companion, he continued to support my siege without any explicit orders, taking out any and all guards/Nepali fighters in his sight. I proceeded to shoot down the enemy attack chopper, but not without taking serious damage in the battle. Thankfully, whether on-elephant or on-foot, you can still heal yourself by snapping fingers into place, removing bullets, etc., by holding “Triangle” for a short period. Unfortunately, before I claimed redemption for my previously abysmal efforts, our time with the demo was over.
All things considered, this demo is an extremely minuscule slice of the total experience that is Far Cry 4. The game plays and feels like Far Cry 3, as expected, which is a good thing. In terms of other new features, given the brevity of what was on offer, I did not have a chance to sample them. The good thing is that we won’t have to wait much longer to play the finished product ourselves, as Far Cry 4 releases for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC on November 20 in Australia and November 18 in the rest of the world. If you enjoyed the last instalment, there’s no doubt you’ll love Far Cry 4.
If you’re a subscriber of Star Wars The Old Republic, you will have likely received an email today notifying you that a new SWTOR expansion pack is on its way. If you haven’t yet received that email, well, consider this your notification. Bioware and EA have formally announced today the 2nd Star Wars: The Old Republic digital expansion, entitled “Shadow of Revan”. The expansion is already available for digital pre-order via the official Bioware website, or through the game client itself, and is set for a Holiday Season release.
If you know anything about the lore of the Old Republic timeline, or played any of the previous Knights of the Old Republic games, you would know that Revan is THE major of that time period, and one of the most powerful beings to walk the path of both Jedi and Sith. Republic players will have already rescued the legendary Jedi during one of the game’s older flashpoints, and Empire players will have already fought him. The ultimate fate of Revan has been a topic hotly debated by Star Wars fans for years, and it seems that we may finally get the chance to see how his legacy pans out.
Features to be added to the game in this new expansion pack include:
Level cap raised to 60.
Two new planets to explore: Yavin IV, from Episode 4 fame, and Rishi a new world described as a haven for pirates at the edge of the galaxy.
A new discipline system to unlock new abilities for the eight player classes
New Flashpoints and Operations based on Revan’s Master Plan
Along with the bonus features, Bioware and EA are also offering some very shiny looking preorder bonuses for players who get in early, including Early Expansion access, a Revan Stronghold statue, and the almighty x12 experience boost to fast track players to level 55 with newer characters.
NBA 2K15 season has begun, with 2K Sports and Visual Concept’s latest in the top-selling NBA series now available at retail and online in Australia and New Zealand, for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC. Featuring 2013-14 NBA ‘Most Valuable Player’ Kevin Durant on the cover, a soundtrack curated by Pharrell Williams, facial scanning integration, a dedicated in-game program called NBA 2KTV and all the various improvements, NBA 2K15 promises to be bigger and better than its award winning predecessor.
Greg Thomas, president of product development at 2K Sports, stated;
NBA 2K15 is one of the most ambitious sports titles in video game history. We’ve surpassed our own goals to move this franchise in new directions by pushing the boundaries of both hardware and software technologies to create a game that will change what fans can expect from sports simulations.
Here is a full list of game features:
Facial Scanning – All-new in-game technology enables NBA 2K15 players to put themselves into the game like never before through revolutionary 3-D facial scanning. Using native first-party camera hardware, NBA 2K fans can see themselves stand out as individuals while living the life of a player in MyCAREER, becoming the face of a franchise in MyGM, or playing with friends online in multiplayer modes. (Not available for Windows PC).
Gameplay – 2K’s groundbreaking, dynamic gameplay returns with over 6,000 new on-court animations, all-new defensive AI and shooting systems, and an emphasis on more control during offense and defense, making NBA 2K15 the most connected sports simulation experience ever.
MyCAREER – MyCAREER players will experience a whole new story of NBA life both on and off the court, as they develop and hone their MyPLAYER through the journey from undrafted rookie to NBA star. NBA 2K15’s MyCAREER mode features encounters with real-life NBA mentors from all 30 teams, coaching from legendary NBA coach Doc Rivers, an all-new upgrade system, and badges that reflect your on-court status.
MyPARK – NBA 2K’s revolutionary online multiplayer competitive street mode
returns bigger and better than ever in NBA 2K15. This year, the stakes are even higher, with new parks, affiliations, competition, rep system, squads and integration with the MyNBA 2K15 mobile app.
Presentation –NBA 2K15 takes its world-class realism further with an updated broadcast style presentation and pre-game show featuring hosts Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, and delivering more authentic commentary and analysis on the action.
NBA 2KTV – Players can now stay connected to the NBA 2K community better than ever through an innovative, gamer-focused, in-game broadcast program. Hosted by sports broadcast personality Rachel A DeMita, NBA2K TV will be the source for NBA 2K community news giving dedicated NBA 2K players a voice in the content of each show.
Check out the ‘Beginner’s Guide’ video created by senior producer Rob Jones, embedded below, for helpful tips on playing the game.
We still don’t know what they actually do but we know they are launching soon and wave 2 will be coming soon after. Nintendo’s Amiibo figures will be launching on November 29th, one week ahead of Super Smash Bros. Wii U which is the only title we know of that will support Amiibo at launch and what functionality it will provide. Touching the Amiibo to the Wii U Gamepad NFC symbol will bring the figure to life in game! Interestingly, all the Amiibo figures look just like their trophy counterparts in Super Smash Bros. so it really is like they are coming to life. From then on the figure will become an artificial intelligence which you can level up, fight against and fight alongside in any game modes from 1 vs 1 to team battles.
The second wave of figures will launch two weeks later on the 12th of December and will feature Zelda, Diddy Kong, Luigi, Little Mac, Pit and Captain Falcon. Both waves of figures will cost $17.95 each at retail, meaning if you want to purchase all 18 figures when they come it will cost you a little over $323 dollars barring any sales prices. Amiibo will also work with Mario Kart 8 and upcoming titles such as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Party 10 with more compatible titles to be announced in the future. Amiibo can be used with 3DS titles but a stand alone adapter (sold separately) will be required unless you are using the New 3DS or New 3DS XL models. You can check out the wave 2 figures in high detail in the gallery below.
In non-Amiibo related news, Super Smash Bros. Wii U finally got a confirmed release date (December 6th in Australia, November 21st for the States), as well as official pricing and bundle guides. The standalone game retail or digital will set you back $79.95 AUD or $89.95 AUD if you wish to purchase the GameCube controller adapter game bundle which to me seems well worth it. An official black GameCube relaunch control featuring the Smash logo will also be made available for $49.95 and will be made available through Nintendo Australia’s website alongside the adapter.
As expected, Smash Bros. 3DS sold through the roof, with 2.8 million units sold worldwide already, even though the game had only been out for about a day in most countries. Let us know what you think of Nintendo’s Amiibo strategy and if you will be purchasing, one, none or all of them when they arrive. For a closer look at the wave 1 of the Amiibo figures, check out our past article.
Today Atlus USA released a handful of new videos for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and while two of them are character introduction videos, one of them is a behind the scenes interview with the voice actors for Yukikio Amagi and Aigis/Nanako who are voiced by Amanda Winn Lee and Karen Strassman respectively.
As for the characters being introduced this time around, we have a brand new character in the form of Rei who has a voracious appetite and is best paired with Zen as she is a support character as well as Aigis who can deal large amounts of damage from the back row but lacks support abilities.
Nothing is more annoying than having to plug in a Wiimote and a now out of print Wii classic controller to the Wii U, just to play your Virtual Console games that were transferred over from the original Wii. Everything seemed to be fixed as Nintendo’s Gamecube controller “rebirth” was rumored to add support to the backwards compatible set of games, bit alas, the rumor has been squashed today with Nintendo citing that they would only offer compatibility with Super Smash Bros. for the system at this time.
Days ago however, Nintendo offered this statement on their website, which if you’re curious – is why there was so much confusion:
This adapter will allow you to connect your GameCube controller to the Nintendo Wii or Wii U. Connect your GameCube controller to your Wii or Wii U console. Compatible with all games supported by the Wii Classic Controller, Wii Classic Controller Pro and Wii U Pro Controller.
Well, as much as I want to confirm the above, it seems to be no longer true and just a random mix-up. We do need to get this issue fixed Nintendo – as it was my own personal preference to utilize the Gamecube controller on the Wii – and now I am unsure if it is really needed at all considering we have the Pro, Wiimotes, and a Gamepad to play Smash with already.
Earlier I mentioned that the game played a lot like A Link to the Past, and that wasn’t only because of its top-down gameplay style. A lot of the enemies have been ripped straight from ALttP and given an Adventure Time makeover. The most common enemy I encountered was one of the Worms (fans of the series will know what I’m talking about) but its movement pattern and method of attacking by using their loud call is very reminiscent of the old Buzz Blob/Chuchu enemy from the Zelda title. I am sure more than just the worms are inspired by old Zelda enemies, and the geek in me cannot wait to find all of the other connections.
