Guardians of the Galaxy is the biggest film of the year, so it is no surprise that Star-Lord and his motley crew have traveled all the way from Knowhere to take part in Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Superheroes. In a different change of pace from the other two Play Sets (Avengers and Spider-Man), Guardians is an openish-world platformer. None of the Guardians can fly, so they are forced to use their feet and a bevy of intergalactic vehicles to get around.
Story
The Guardians of the Galaxy Play Set mixes elements from this year’s film with some of the Guardians comic books. The Guardians manage to get their hands on an Infinity Stone and are bringing it to the Collector on Knowhere for safe keeping when they are ambushed by Ronan the Accuser. The story is fun and lighthearted, maintaining a lot of the charm and wackiness that Guardians is now known for. Much like the Avengers Play-Set, Guardians dips into some obscure characters for its storytelling, most notably Cosmo – the telepathic Russian space dog (who had a brief cameo in the Guardians film). Cosmo is your primary mission giver and it is awesome to see more unknown characters getting some limelight in this game.
Gameplay
Guardians of the Galaxy takes a completely different approach to its gameplay than either the Avengers or Spider-Man Play Sets. None of the Guardians can fly, so instead you will find yourself in the midst of an epic space-opera platformer. All of the traditional platforming elements are here, from moving platforms through to exhaust vents that blast you away if you spend too much time in one spot. Not only is it a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the Disney Infinity offerings, but it is probably the most fun.
While platforming is the focus, there is still plenty of combat, and each of the Guardians handles it differently. Star-Lord uses his element guns to blast away enemies, while Gamora takes a more direct approach with her broadsword. The fact that the two included characters play so differently from one another really keeps the game feeling fresh. There are also other mission types, such as fetch-quests (everybody’s favourite…) and even a few where you get to jump into a giant turret and blast away some Sakaraan soldiers.
The Play Set does have one overwhelming downside, and that is the fact that it is over too quickly. I managed to complete the whole campaign, all of the side-missions and find all of the cross over tokens in a little under three hours. The time flew by however and I enjoyed every minute of it, I just wished there was more.
Visuals & Audio
Guardians of the Galaxy looks beautiful. The deep-space backdrop really stands apart from any previous Play Set and the fact that you get to play in two distinct locations only helps that. The Guardians themselves all look great, but as I mentioned above they are a mix of their comic and film counterparts.
The voices are all also completely new for the game. Unlike the Avengers or Spider-Man characters, the Guardians don’t use their Marvel Animated Universe voices (possibly because they have only appeared about four times in the animated universe so far) and instead have a voice team that sounds more akin to the films. While Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel don’t reprise their roles, their replacements do an admirable job of holding down the fort.
Extras
The Guardians of the Galaxy figures are a little unusual. They still have the same care and detail as the rest of the Disney Infinity 2.0 line-up, but the depictions of each of the characters varies from one to the next. Star-Lord looks like he does in the recent film, while Gamora looks like she does in the comic book. This spreads to the team itself, who while still look great together, may irk the more die-hard comic book fans and collectors out there.
Overall
Guardians of the Galaxy is easily the stand-out Play Set of Disney Infinity 2.0. It manages to stand-out from the crowd and offer something completely different. The game’s two settings look absolutely gorgeous and there is enough variety in the missions to make it feel like a full-fledged game. The only thing that lets down this Play Set is its incredibly short length, although the fact that playing through it unlocks all the pieces you need to build your own Star Fox style game makes up for it.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Disney Infinity was an absolute massive hit last year, and continued selling Starter Packs, Play Sets, Figures and Power Discs until even today. This time round, Disney decided to add to the formula by making use of their Marvel Comics license to include some of the world’s most renowned super heroes in on the action. This isn’t just a simple character roster addition though, Disney Infinity 2.0 really does feel like a massive leap forward for the franchise and while it stumbles in a few aspects, it still provides a solid offering for kids, kids at heart, die hard collectors, Disney fans and Marvel comic enthusiasts.
Story
There is only one Play Set Piece in the Disney Infinity 2.0 Starter Set and it tells the story of Loki’s attempt to unleash havoc on the streets of New York by summoning an army of Frost Giants. The Avengers all leap into action, aided by Nick Fury and a few lesser-known Marvel Heroes in order to stop Loki and his associate; M.O.D.O.K.
The story is a bit light and childish, but you can’t really complain about that since the target audience is…well…kids. Although one thing I found really impressive was the developer’s not being afraid to delve into some of the more obscure or lesser-known Marvel characters for story purposes. M.O.D.O.K. is the type of villain that likely won’t ever see the silver screen, so his inclusion here is particularly cool. The same goes for characters like Wasp and Ms. Marvel, two of Marvel’s most badass female roles that are yet to make it to the screen.
Gameplay
Disney Infinity 2.0’s gameplay is broken up into three distinct parts: Play Sets, the Toy Box and the brand new Toy Box Games. The only Play Set for the Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes Starter Set (phew, that’s a mouthful) is The Avengers, and lets you pick one of the three included characters; Iron Man, Black Widow and Thor, or one of the additional Avengers characters; Captain America, Hawkeye or The Incredible Hulk and complete missions to stop Loki and his army of Frost Giants from ravaging the city. Many of these missions have you traveling to one part of the city, beating up some enemy thugs and turning in for your reward. If that sounds a little dull, that is because it kind of is. There is little to no mission variety in this Play Set. Not only that but the side-missions that were everywhere in the original Disney Infinity are scarce at best now. This cuts down on the amount of time you can spend in the Play Set actually doing things.
It is a bit of a let-down to get such a shorter amount of time in the Play Set, but that just means that players get to jump into the Toy Box all the sooner. While it is available from the onset, you unlock toys by playing through the Play Set campaigns so you will start off with a few more building blocks than you would otherwise. The new Toy Box mode is an absolute dream to play.
If you are familiar with the original Toy Box, then you will know it was clunky, unresponsive and took a long time to do anything. Well those days are gone with a lot of enhances and fixes (both behind the scenes and at the user-level). Firstly, the maps are so much bigger than before, and can be jam packed with toys, logic connections and other goodies without causing nary a dip in frame rate. Secondly, the way in which you purchase toys has completely changed. Gone is the old random roulette spinner, and in its place are purchase trees. You now purchase smaller items along a tree in order to get to the big goodie at the end. While this can still be a little tedious and time-consuming, it nevertheless makes you feel like you have more control over what you are unlocking.
In-game toys aren’t the only part of the game to get trees now, characters now all have a skill tree to unlock more abilities and attack combinations. Levelling up was originally included in Disney Infinity 1.0 but it offered little more than a way to get spins in the Toy Box, now characters get stronger and gain abilities like flight, web-slinging, wall-crawling and even ultimate finishing moves. The skill trees add a bit more depth to the game, and every character’s is unique. Well, except for the 1.0 original characters. They all have largely similar skill trees and all lack a special move. Some of the added abilities don’t really work for the characters, and it comes off as lazy design. A prime example of this is the fact that Phineas gets a super-jump even though he has no reason to. Original Disney Infinity characters also don’t gain any of the new game’s added abilities like flight or wall-crawling. Even Syndrome, who’s whole plot in The Incredibles film revolves around him being able to make himself fly is unable to in the game. While there is a lot of love shown to the new Marvel characters in terms of sticking to their designs and abilities, the same love isn’t shown to the original characters and the abilities they do have really feel like an afterthought.
Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes also contains new Toy Box Games, which are pre-designed games like the tower defense Assault on Asgard, or the dungeon crawler Escape from the Kyln. These are unlocked by placing the Toy Box Game Disc onto the Infinity Base and offer a LOT of gameplay. To complete either of the two pre-included Toy Box Games will likely take you longer than the Avengers Play Set campaign. The design of these games is fun and will surely spark a lot of creative juices as people play through them, before building their own games.
Visuals
The original Disney Infinity created an art style that was uniquely its own. It managed to capture the spirit and the look of Disney’s various franchises while also making them look like they all belonged together. The bright colours and semi-exaggerated features are what DI is all about. 2.0 continues this trend, presenting some of Marvel’s biggest and most well-known stars in a whole new light.
While the art style fits the super heroes surprisingly well, the Marvel gang all seem to stand apart from their Disney-created bretherin. While the original game’s characters all looked great standing side-by-side, and often looked like they belonged together despite their obvious differences (Mr Incredible, Perry the Platypus and Lightning McQueen could stand side by side and look like a unified team), the Super Heroes kind of feel like their own different team. Sure they all still look great together, but there is a bit less uniformity across the board.
The jump to next-generation has had an impact on the visual quality of the game, but it is not as immediately noticeable as you might hope. Character models and the world are a little more detailed but unless you are playing both the versions of the game side-by-side then it is kind of hard to tell. What the new hardware does do however is change the size and scope of the game.
Maps are now so much larger before and allow for a tonne more toys to be placed in the Toy Box than ever before. Massive city-scapes are rendered easily and even filling an entire game world with Creativi-Toys and logic connections causes little to no performance issues.
Audio
The sound effects and music are much the same as the original, with tracks being lifted from famous Marvel and Disney animated series and movies and put into the game world to really make it feel like a cohesive, shared universe. However voice acting seems like an entire step-up from the previous game.
While Disney Infinity had a lot of voice actors reprising their roles from film and animated series (most notably The Incredibles and Phineas), many characters were voiced by sound-alikes. While they still sounded great, anybody who has spent time watching Disney programming would soon realize that it wasn’t quite right. 2.0 Takes it one step better and gets many (see: almost all) of the voice actors from the various Marvel animated programs to reprise their role in the game.
Kids (and kids at heart) who have watched Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man and Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H. will immediately recognize all of the familiar voices, who have begun to embody their characters. This again helps make that cohesive and unified feel, and also shows a lot of care on the part of the developers to treat these characters right. There is however one particular character who is not voiced by his television counterpart; Nick Fury. Chi McBride does not reprise his role as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and instead the main man is voiced by none other than Samuel L. Jackson. Talk about star power! Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury makes the jump from the silver screen to the console game with ease and really sounds fantastic as he is giving you missions and directions through the Avengers Play Set.
Extras
This is Disney Infinity we are talking about, so lets get down to brass tacks! You get a wide variety of goodies in your Starter Pack and it ensures that you have everything you need to get playing from the moment you open the box. Your Starter Pack will come with a Disney Infinity Base, Avengers Play Set Piece, two Toy Box Game Discs and three figures: Iron Man, Thor and Black Widow.
The figures all look amazing, and they manage to capture the look and feel of their character perfectly. Everything from the poses that the figures are in, to the costumes they wear are just perfect. Well, almost perfect. Iron Man is painted in his traditional yellow and red colour scheme, but due to the mass-produced nature of the figures, he lacks any fine detailing. The separation in his armor while still present, doesn’t stand out and makes the figure look a little bland in comparison (Spider-Man suffers from a similar lack of detailing).
The Disney Infinity Base is meant to be basically identical to the one from the first game, but I found it worked even better. While the original Infinity Base had issues with not reading figures or Play Set Pieces at times, the 2.0 Base has shown none of these problems (and I have already spent about as much time on 2.0 as I did the original game). The added build quality and stability really made my gaming experience all the more better as I wasn’t constantly having to fiddle with my character figures to get them to stay in the game.
All of your previous figures will work in 2.0’s Toy Box Mode, and putting them onto the base will unlock all of the toys that are associated with that character. Play Set Pieces unfortunately DON’T work in the new game, although placing them onto the base will unlock all of the toys that you would have achieved through regular play.
Overall
Disney Infinity 2.0 takes a great concept and enhances it further. Bigger maps, more characters and an insane amount of options for players to spend countless hours building, creating and playing. It is a little disappointing that the Starter Set only contains one Play Set, and that it isn’t quite as long a campaign as you might hope for but the new Toy Box 2.0 and the Toy Box Games will still keep you entertained. It is a little disappointing that the 1.0 characters didn’t really get much love this time around, with lackluster skill trees and without abilities that they really should have (cough, cough: Syndrome). Regardless, Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes is a step above its predecessor and is a fantastic gaming experience for kids, or kids at heart and manages to utilize the Marvel branding with an incredible amount of care and respect creating what is in many ways the ultimate Marvel game. I’ve often said that Disney Infinity was a love letter to Disney as a whole, but Disney Infinity 2.0 is more of a love letter to Marvel Comics with a “P.S. We still kinda like you, Disney” at the end.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today Atlus USA has released a handful of new trailers for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and unlike previous sets, this one includes a story trailer alongside two character trailers. The story trailer focuses on Persona Q’s take on Persona 3’s storyline while the characters introduced this time are Junpei Iori and newcomer Zen.
Check out the videos below and keep an eye out for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth when it is released in North America on November 25th for the Nintendo 3DS.
Overview
FIFA is no stranger to next gen, as last year – we seen a decent port hit the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Sure, it played well, but still felt like a port, trying to deliver something new on something old. Well, FIFA 15 is here to change that. With a good deal of upgrades and an improved Ultimate Team mode, this soccer (or football for you a bit further east) title is here to bring the genre all the way into the next gen. EA still have competition however with PES still on the market, and in order to stake their claim – they had to pull out all of the stops. Does FIFA 15 dribble by with a score, or is it just not ready for primetime? Let’s find out.
Gameplay
I want to jump in and say “Wow! This FIFA feels like a whole new game”. Well, that really cannot be said for the yearly franchise, as while there are quite a few stability tweaks, the on-field experience still feels and controls relatively the same. That said, this new installment does bring a very authentic flare with it, and may be the most realistic title to date. On top of the realism comes a bit more accessibility. I have never personally been the most in tuned with FIFA, even though I have played a good number of the now 21 installments. FIFA 15 however just feels as if it is far easier to pick up and play. The control scheme is simple, the variety of maneuvers for both offense and defense are solid, and it is now easier than ever to jump right into a match and gain control rather quickly with the right tactics. Its as if EA applied just a bit more polish this time around. Sure, the game didn’t need to much more considering not much has changed, but a bit smoother gameplay is never a bad thing.
As far as modes go, career mode leads the pack of the non-online fare, allowing players to manage teams and play their way to the top. Yet again, not much has changed here, but there are a few tweaks such as shorter retirement times that allow the player to stay in the game longer. Players can also participate in matches consecutively with Pro Seasons, which allows animation editing (its a bit less exciting than it actually sounds), as well as your typical sharing options that are a bit forced and probably will not appeal to those who are playing a system outside of the Xbox One and Playstation 4. Oddly enough, I spent a good portion of my time in Skill Games Mode. Think of this as a way to sharpen your passing, dribbling, and other skills, but with some fun, score attack style arcade games. As polished as the gameplay is, this little mode quickly becomes addictive as you slam balls into goals for fun, trying to rank up scores in a set amount of time.
FIFA Ultimate Team seems to be the crown jewel of every installment, and EA tout this fact for good reason. Players can make challenges, play in seasons, and buy up more players with their currency in this mode, where constant upgrades can lead to the perfect squad. Its quite rewarding to build up your deck and watch your spoils become victorious, and those who cannot afford to get ahead can now loan players out through a new system, where one can then be signed – while the other lot head back to the catalog. While this is mode is great, it still is a bit disheartening to see the other modes not receive near the same attention, as EA still needs to learn that there are other markets out there aside from those who want to shell out real and digital currency for a game that already has a full price-tag. Don’t get me wrong, the game is a blast and still worth it, but why not make every mode a spectacle, rather than just side orders?
Sometimes, its easier to notice the details. The AI has been significantly improved with players now displaying an “emotional intelligence”. This means more than changes of moods, as players can literally confront others on the field depending on how the game as played, and seem to react often to fouls- adding even more realism. Goalkeepers are also smarter, and now perform with a lot more flexibility and acrobatics. I did have a few hiccups with the game while competing against opponents, but this one gripe that could be echoed with the same sentiments for the experience as a whole. As fun as one game can be, you still have to ask yourself when upgrading if enough has been done to consider the next year’s version. Gameplay wise, that is a bit hard to do. If you have FIFA 14 and want more polish and a couple of nice, yet filler features, sure – this is a great choice to make. If you are buying FIFA 15 strictly for a glossy, new feeling and are just a casual fan, then you might want to hold off. I am speaking about gameplay in specific here, but those who care less about visuals and more about gameplay may want to contemplate before making the jump.
Visuals
Now, we can discuss those visuals. Yes, as you would expect – FIFA 15 looks fantastic. Animations are fluid, the field looks phenomenal, and the players look eerily realistic. FIFA has never been the series to stand out visually while the player has their eyes on the full field, but if you look for those details, you’re bound to find more than ever before. Replays recapture the action close up to perfection, while weather effects the very grass you step on, with the dew off the grass leaving an imprint upon every step. The animations of simple actions such as tripping and tackles look much better than the last installment as well, as it all happens in one fluid motion, rather than a clumsy plop. Faces have also been scanned in, and while I do think the hair is a bit less detailed in comparison to the actual features, these are the best looking models we have had to date in a modern sports title.
Audio
To be honest, the soundtrack is nothing to talk about. Its a good variety of tunes from semi-popular musicians, and nothing that truly stands out than anything more than background sounds for menus. The commentary is where it is at in FIFA 15. Martin Tyler and Alan Smith recite their lines with passion and accuracy, creating a feel that you’re watching the real product at home. The crowd also sings, chants, and rides on the momentum of your (or the opponent’s) team, and that extra boost can definitely assist in adding another layer of intensity during a close game.
Overall
FIFA 15 really doesn’t need to be special to be sold. EA promises an upgrade every year, and yet again delivers with another fantastic installment. There is always going to be a debate about staleness, as eventually – playing the same game for so many years (no matter how much the visuals have improved) will make a generation look elsewhere for their entertainment. With that said however, you can’t deny the quality the newest version has, as there is a lot to come back for this time around that will keep you busy until FIFA 16 rolls out the next fall. Those who are not soccer fans and looking for a fun game to test out those barren next-gen consoles should know that FIFA has a lot more to offer than kicks, and the die-hards will be pleased to know that FIFA 15 has everything they expect – which is a straight kick right in the net for the familiar yet still welcome franchise.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Thanks to a special social media promotion that Capcom has been running, it appears that there will be two new costumes available when Resident Evil Remaster is released. Capcom will be adding both Chris and Jill’s BSAA costumes into all versions of the game when it is released, and it appears that not only do these costumes change the outfit of the character, but also their physique.
To go along with this announcement the company released a short little clip showing off both BSAA costumes in action and you can check it out below. Currently Resident Evil Remaster is set to be released sometime in early 2015.
Today Seven Seas Entertainment kicked off what they are saying will be a week full of announcements by revealing that they have acquired the license for Atto’s Non Non Biyori manga series. Seven Seas is planning on releasing the first volume of Non Non Biyori in English in June 2015.
Non Non Biyori currently has seven volumes of manga published in Japan and not only has one anime season already been produced, which will be released in North America by Sentai Filmworks in January 2015, but also a second anime season is currently in the works.
With Omega Quintet now available for purchase in Japan, Compile Heart has released the final video in their latest series which has served to introduce each of the five idols to players. While Otoha, Kyouka, Kanadeko, and Nene have already been introduced, this last girl is the silent and difficult Aria. Because of her personality, or lack thereof, it is difficult to understand exactly what she is feeling at times and this can cause a number of issues.
You can check out the trailer below and while it is possible to import Omega Quintet, those with Japanese PSN accounts can also simply download the title on their PlayStation 4s if they wish to play it without having to deal with any shipping hassles.
Get a life. Change your life. Live your life. Those are the three main elements that make up Level 5 and Nintendo’s Fantasy Life for the Nintendo 3DS, which launches later this month (October 24th to be exact). Aside from the stunning art style, a new clip has been released that shows off all of the lives you can live in the game.
Classes, situations, and other properties are all in display in the clip, which you can check out down below. I know some may think the simulation market may be getting a bit crowded on the 3DS, but whether its Animal Crossing, Disney, Tomodachi, or Fantasy Life, it seems all bases are covered no matter what your preference is. That said, this title seems to be packed with features, so the verdict is still out of which one will hold the most weight.
Forensic science holds Sherlock Holmes in a special place in its heart, as he is considered one of the earliest forensic scientists in fiction. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was writing about Sherlock using his microscope to nail the guilty party decades before CSI: Crime Scene Investigation burst onto the scene on CBS. With a modern Sherlock Holmes starring in Elementary in the US and Sherlock in the UK, the time is ripe for a period-correct Sherlock game. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishment is Frogware’s tenth game featuring the legendary detective. The game is powered by the Unreal Engine 3 and features six vexing cases to test player’s deduction skills.
Story
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is comprised of six cases. Though several characters will make their appearance during multiple cases, each of the six are completely self-contained stories. There is an over-arching plot surrounding a terrorist group known as the Merry Men introduced part way through the game, but the plotline plays a surprisingly insignificant role in the game.
Without spoiling too much of the cases, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments’ cases are well written and would feel right at home on most procedural TV shows. Cases have twists, turns, and plenty of possible suspects. Almost all of the suspects have many reasons to commit the heinous murder and many of the criminals are easy to empathise with, which will force Sherlock Holmes to make a moral decision. At the end of each case, Sherlock has the choice to either let the guilty party free with a stern tongue lashing or send them to prison and possibly to the gallows. For the most part, the actual story impact of these choices are next to nil, which make the process feel a little meaningless.
As a mystery game, Sherlock Holmes’ notebook holds all of the conversations, clues, and research picked up through the course of an investigation. There is plenty to read and all of it is well written. I am quite impressed with some of the topics the game manages to cover, from the Roman mystery religion of Mithras to deadly plants.
Gameplay
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is a third person adventure game. Players will control Sherlock Holmes for the most part, as he wanders around crime scenes looking for clues. Objects in the environment that can be interacted with will pop up a nice easy to read graphic. The controls can be a little finicky in close quarters, with Holmes doing pirouettes in doorways or struggling to target specific hotspots are stacked in tight.
What strikes me about the game is how hard Frogwares pushes the whole experience of being Sherlock Holmes. The detective is legendary for his deductive reasoning and his observation skills. Players can occasionally trigger Holmes’ focus to seek out evidence that would be normally passed over or analyze his conversation partner’s physical appearances for leverage. A deduction menu will have players linking two clues deduce the next step in solving a crime or deciding who is the guilty party. When Holmes is hitting a dead end, players trigger his imagination to help organize events and figure out a solution to the mystery. Little things like these distinguish the game from any generic mystery title.
Like any good adventure game, there are a variety of mini-games to augment the mystery solving. The more mundane mini-games are ones associated with the forensic experiments. Those tend to be more concerned with mimicking the motions of the actual act than providing any sort of challenge. The rest are more traditional adventure game affair. The difficulty of these puzzles are extremely easy in the beginning, but do pick up to become more challenging by the end of the game. For those more interested in solving mysteries than solving puzzles, these can be skipped after a short period of time.
The overall difficulty in Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is pretty low. The game will make for a great casual title as it is extremely forgiving. After choosing the criminal, players can discover if their accusations are correct and are given a choice to try making their accusation again. Additionally, there is no punishment for failing to present the correct evidence when interrupting a suspect.
The game does lack replayability, as there is little to do once the six cases are solved. It should take players about 8-15 hours to complete all six cases once. Completionists will have to double that number to get all possible achievements. Unfortunately, I feel almost a half hour could have probably shaved off with some of the design choices. Moving between areas will trigger a loading time, and players will have to revisit areas several times over a case. Although Holmes is able to make deductions and review his case notes during these load times, it does drag the game out a bit considering how small the maps are.
Visuals
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is a great looking game for an adventure title, though it does not hold up nearly as well compared to the latest AAA blockbuster. Most of the animations and textures are well done, though there are a few animations that feel a little awkward.
Under the hood, the game is powered by the Unreal Engine 3. Unfortunately, it means texture popping is a bit of a problem with the game. For the most part, it has been minimized as much as possible with the smaller maps, but there will be times where a low resolution texture is initially displayed and suddenly a high resolution texture pops up in its place. However, the game ran smoothly, without any noticeable frame rate drops.
Audio
The sound effects and music in Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishment is solid. The entire game is voice acted, which puts a lot of pressure on the voice actor’s abilities. For the most part, the actors have provided an excellent performance, though there are a few misses. I find Inspector Lestrade is actually the weakest of the bunch.
Overall
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is a solid adventure game for mystery nerds. Unfortunately, it is an extremely short title with absolutely no replayability, which may be a sore spot for next-gen console owners who have to fork out an extra ten dollars for their copy. However, the game’s writing is solid, the cases are interesting, and there is a great emphasis for making players feel like the great Sherlock Holmes which makes Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments worth a try for adventure lovers.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Yesterday we talked about the various events and panels that Viz Media will be holding during New York Comic-Con on October 9th through the 12th and today the company has announced what type of convention exclusive and collectable items will be sold at Viz’s media both, including some series that will be available for purchase before their street date.
The company will be selling numerous items, including some not listed, but the following items will be available for purchase while supplies last, at their booth which is located at #1944.
Celebrate Takeshi Obata’s New York Comic Con Appearance:
ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Manga Pre-Sale – Grab Takeshi Obata’s stunning manga rendition of the popular Japanese sci-fi novel ahead of its public street date. Price: $15.00
BAKUMAN。Vol. 1 – Do Moritaka and Akito have what it takes to make it in the manga-publishing world? Find out in this dramatic manga comedy! $10.00
DEATH NOTE: BLACK EDITION Vol.1 – A deluxe oversized edition of the bestselling supernatural crime thriller! Price: $15.00
HIKARU NO GO Vol. 1 – Follow Hikaru Shindo as he learns the ancient game of “Go” with the spirit of master player Sai in this classic manga! Price: $10.00
RAL Ω GRAD Vol. 1 – Read to see if Ral and Grad win the fight against the Shadows in this award winning manga! Price: $8.00
DEATH NOTE T-Shirt – Get this exclusive DEATH NOTE shirt based on the anime before it’s available anywhere else! Price: $20.00
Special VIZ Media Manga & Publishing Items:
PRINCESS MONONOKE: THE FIRST STORY (Pre-Street) – Get the inspiration for the award-winning animated film in this oversized, lavishly illustrated storybook featuring original watercolor art by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki! Price: $35.00
KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS Vol. 1 (Pre-Street) – Check out this supernatural romance from the Shojo Beat imprint before its available anywhere else! Price: $10.00
RESIDENT EVIL Vol.1 (Pre-Street) – Join the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance in this action-packed manga prequel to the hit Resident Evil 6 game! Price: $13.00
Perfect Square Books & Manga:
VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO – Celebrate 30 years of awesome giant robots with this special edition collectable book! Price: $50.00
HELLO KITTY, HELLO 40 – Celebrate Hello Kitty’s 40th Anniversary with this hand-numbered, limited special edition collectable story and art book! Price: $50.00
BRAVEST WARRIORS: THE SEARCH FOR CATBUG – A one-of-a-kind art book presented in the style of a classic seek & find. Get the exclusive hand-numbered, limited special edition! Price: $30.00
BRAVEST WARRIORS: THIS WAY OR THAT – THE GREAT CORE CAPER – Be a part of the action and help decide just how the galaxy-traveling heroes and Catbug will save a planet in peril with this new release! Price: $8.00
Special Gift with Purchase!BRAVEST WARRIORS PRESENTS: CATBUG’S TREASURE BOOK – This look into Catbug’s musings comes with a poster featuring Catbug and the teen heroes! Price: $13.00
POKEMON ADVENTURES RED AND BLUE MANGA BOX SET – Capture the excitement of the POKEMON ADVENTURES manga series with volumes 1-7 along with a collectible poster. Price: $50.00
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA MANGA BOX SET – Action and adventure based on the bestselling Nintendo video game franchise. Set contains all 10 volumes of the manga series and a collectible poster! Price: $80.00
WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Exclusives & Specials:
Masashi Kishimoto Reproduction NARUTO Artwork from Japan (Exclusive!) – hand numbered, full-color and limited quantity. Price: $15.00
Eiichiro Oda Reproduction ONE PIECE Artwork From Japan (Limited Edition!) – hand numbered, full-color and limited quantity. Price: $15.00
WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP’S JUMP PACK 3 – Newest Jump Pack Edition comes with a limited edition “Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Evening Twilight” Yu-Gi-Oh! Collector Card and 3 months free to the world’s bestselling weekly digital manga anthology. Special Convention Discounted Price: $8.00
WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Annual Subscription – Purchase an annual subscription and receive the limited edition Yu-Gi-Oh! Card “Ebon Illusion Magician” Collectable Trading Card and a special gift with purchase Game Mat featuring your favorite WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP characters (While supplies last!) along with 52 weekly issues of the online anthology! Special Convention Discounted Price: $20.00
VIZ Media Anime:
GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET Complete Series DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack (Limited Edition!) – A must-watch sci-fi anime series. Find out if Ledo can survive his surprise landing on a seemingly foreign planet! Special Convention Price: $50.00
RANMA ½ Limited Edition Blu-ray Sets 1, 2, & 3 – Rumiko Takahashi’s RANMA ½ anime series is re-mastered and presented on Blu-ray for the first time! Special convention-only price: Special Convention Price: $44.00 each
BLOOD LAD Complete Series DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack(Limited Edition!)– Score the complete series in this Blu-ray and DVD combo pack release. Follow the journey of Staz, an otaku vampire who will resurrect the girl of his dreams by any bloody means necessary. Special Convention Price: $50.00
Additional VIZ Media Exclusive Products & Collectables:
SAILOR MOON T-Shirt (Exclusive!) – This New York Comic Con exclusive is sure to go fast. Don’t miss out on fighting for Love & Justice, just like Usagi and her fellow Sailor Guardians! Price: $15.00
BLEACH Sword Umbrellas (Pre-Street) Stay dry with two designs to choose from, the sword hilt of Ichigo or Soul Reaper Rukia! Price: $30.00 each
DORAEMON T-Shirts (Exclusive!) – Available for the first time, choose between two exclusive designs! Price: $20.00 each
DORAEMON Limited Edition Coin Purse– Keep your money safe with this adorable coin purse! Price: $12.00
DORAEMON Limited Edition Figure – Get this figure of everyone’s favorite cat-type robot from the future that comes with plenty of fun gadgets! Price: $35.00
DORAEMON Belt – Need a handy accessory to keep your pants up? Doraemon has just the gadget for that! Get this belt buckle style belt in its debut. Price: $20.00
TIGER & BUNNY Cosplay Alpaca Plush – Choose between five different alpaca plush in TIGER & BUNNY cosplay or collect them all! Price: $25.00 each
TIGER & BUNNY Keychain and Cell Strap Set – Four different character options available! Special Convention-Only Price: $15.00
K Blind Box Mini Figures – Get a random mini-figure featuring the characters from the captivating anime series, K. Special Convention-Only Price: $8.00
K Clear File Set – Use these handy files at school, at work, or as posters! Set features 5 different clear file designs. Special Convention-Only Price: $20.00
K Poster Set – Set of 2 K posters featuring Fushimi and Yata. Special Convention-Only Price: $10.00
