Call of Duty®: Ghosts Invasion DLC Pack Now Available for Xbox One and Xbox 360
Call of Duty®: Ghostsplayers on Xbox One and Xbox 360 can now purchase Invasion, the game’s third epic DLC Pack. Invasion offers players four new multiplayer maps, plus “Awakening” – the next chapter in the game’s four-part episodic Extinction storyline, and more unique Field Orders, including the Death Mariachi, the Blessing of Anubis – the Half Jackal/Half Human Protector of the Dead, and Ghost Pirates.
Invasion’s four new multiplayer maps include:
– Departed: Set in a rural Mexican town during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, where players who complete the map’s unique Field Order will unlock the Death Mariachi kill streak. Armed with dual-wielding pistols, the Death Mariachi settles scores, with each kill turning enemy players into another member of the band, and a temporary squad mate.
– Pharaoh: The abandoned archaeological site of an ancient Egyptian palace. Players will have to be on the lookout for collapsing monuments and urns full of flesh-eating scarabs, among other surprises in this multi-level map. Players who unlock this map’s Field Order will be handsomely rewarded with the Blessing of Anubis, the half jackal/half human protector of the dead.
– Mutiny:A remote Caribbean island harbouring an eerie pirate hideout complete with abandoned trading posts and prison cells, where speed and stealth are a must as players navigate the narrow and intertwining pathways. Players that unlock “Mutiny’s” Field Order will find themselves escorted by two ethereal ghost pirates who will happily send enemy players down to Davey Jones’ locker on their behalf.
– Favela: A refreshed version of the fan-favourite map from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2, this Brazilian shantytown has seen substantial change since its original release. Buildings once under construction are now complete, while others have crumbled into a state of disrepair. Players must avoid falling to their death as they traverse the map from one building to the next, avoiding enemy snipers taking advantage of the map’s long sightlines. Players who complete “Favela’s” Field Order will be able to call in air support from a nearby Y-8 Gunship.
Anchoring the Call of Duty: Ghosts Invasion DLC Pack is the next instalment in the game’s Extinction mode episodic narrative, “Episode 3: Awakening.” In Awakening, the team descends into the perilous alien underworld to strike at the subterranean fortress of the Ancestors – the mysterious puppet-masters behind the Cryptid invasion. Armed with a range of new hi-tech weapons and equipment, the team must penetrate a series of defensive barriers to reach the Ark and unlock the secrets of the Ancestors’ psychic powers. As the final battle draws closer, the fate of the Earth and the future of the human race hang in the balance.
Invasion is available now exclusively for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, a la carte for a suggested retail price of $19.95, or as part of the discounted* Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Season Pass**. Call of Duty: Ghosts game sold separately and is required to play the Invasion DLC Pack.
Legal Stuff:
ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE and CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
*Based on Season Pass suggested retail price of $64.95 and four DLC Packs at a suggested retail price of $19.95 each.
**Content in the DLC Season Pass may be sold separately. If you purchase the DLC Season Pass, do not also purchase these standalone DLC Packs, as you will be charged for them. DLC Season Pass and DLC Packs may not be available on all platforms or in all territories. Pricing and release dates may vary by platform.
While not perfect, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fit in as a nice addition to the hero’s resume (read the review here), and those who missed out on snagging the once pre-order only “Web Theads Suit Pack” will be happy to know that they can download the DLC today of the Xbox Live Marketplace, PSN, and Steam (sorry Wii U owners, got the shaft this time).
This pack allows players to suit up in the following attire:
New! The dynamo-powered, energy-resistant Electro-Proof Suit
New! The heavily armored Ends of the Earth Suit, perfect for fending off up to six sinister villains at a time
The technological marvel of the Iron Spider Suit
The celestial, Big Bang-infused Cosmic Spider-Man Suit
The sleek, not-of-this-world Black Suit
The shadowy, alternate universe Spider-Man Noir Suit
Yes, I am not a fan personally of paying for something that should have been a nifty unlock – but hey, Spidey fans who want more life out of the game probably won’t spend too long pondering as they can snag the DLC at $6.99 or $1.99 a suit. If Activision are listening however, I think its time to seal this type of content up as unlocks, to reward the player for simply buying the game.
Yesterday, I got to sit down and play Magic: The Gathering. When I say it like that it sounds like a pretty ordinary day but it was something very special. I got to chat with the guys from Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro about the past, present and future of the world’s largest TCG (and one of the world’s most in-depth strategy games), and get my hands on the upcoming Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers.
I made my thoughts quite clear about Wizard‘s upcoming installment of their digital game, and you can check them out herebut I also got to talk about other aspects of the game; physical cards, merchandising, and some of the business side of things. I learned a lot of information so I hope you don’t mind as I rattle off some things about one of the world’s favourite games!
Since Mirrodin Beseiged, Wizards have released at least one new “Event Deck” per set (for a current total of 23 Event decks). These decks are meant to introduce players to a whole new level of the game that the Intro Packs can never hope to accomplish – competitive play. Event decks have combined the latest standard-legal cards to create strategies and decklists that are incredibly powerful, sure they will never have you winning Pro Tours but they are a definite foot in the door and are quite easy to adjust and make competitive.
Well, now they have taken the Event Deck one step further and released the first ever Modern Event Deck. Modern is a competitive format that uses cards from 8th edition onwards. The fact that cards stay legal for as long as the format exists (with the exception of cards that are outright banned for power concerns) Modern is a much stronger format. It also means that it is a much more expensive format. Enter the Modern Event Deck, which takes a pre-existing deck archetype and tweaks it so that players can experience Modern with a relatively low barrier to entry.
The deck focuses on the Black/White Token archetype that has grown extremely popular amongst the competitive scene. Many long-time players of the game have bashed the deck for “not being worth the money” or “not being powerful enough,” but they aren’t the intended target for the deck. This product is meant for new players and is a way to open the door. It isn’t designed to be a tier-1 deck and it isn’t designed to win you the World Cup. What it does is provide a way into the game and something that with relatively little altering, you could take to your local Friday Night Magic and do reasonably well.
The Modern Event Deck is available NOW through your LGS for the RRP of $110. It may seem like a lot of money, especially considering the standard event decks go for about $40 but it is actually a pretty fair price considering you get a few really choice cards in the box. If you still aren’t sure then here is what you get for you $110:
60x Card Black/White Tokens Deck
15x Card Sideboard
1x Spindown Life Counter
80x Custom Card Sleeves
1x Carry Box
Not too bad, especially with some of the cards in the box being worth upwards of $15 or $20 on the secondary market. You can grab the Modern Event Deck now, but if you can’t find any at your local store then don’t worry because it is not a limited product and Wizards have promised that more will be printed if supply doesn’t meet demand.
The Theros block just came to an end and all eyes are on the future. While this year will still see the release of the M15 Core Set and Khans of Takir later in the year, what you really should be excited for is the upcoming supplemental product – Conspiracy. Conspiracy is a set that is designed for multiplayer drafting. It will be sold in booster packs/booster boxes and is designed for playgroups of 6 or more to sit around, draft and then split off into groups of 3-4 for multiplayer battles.
Multiplayer is a staple of casual Magic and I for one love the fact that Wizards are listening to the player-base and implementing some of their ideas into the products they develop. The same can be said for the Commander product that has been released in recent years.
Conspiracy is a 210 card set that features a bunch of new cards with brand new abilities, a tonne of classic reprints and even cards that change the way you draft. The Construct subtype of artifact creatures in the set all have a pretty cool ability that will affect the way the draft is run. Everything from adding an additional booster pack to the draft, or buffing up a creature’s strength depending on how many cards have been drafted. They look like they will make for some awesome combo plays.
In addition to artifacts that affect the way you draft, there is also a brand new card-type being introduced for the set – Conspiracies. Conspiracies allow you to alter the way you play by either changing the number of cards you can have in your deck, or giving certain creatures advantages that they might not normally have.
While at first glance a lot of these cards seem like they will be useless once they have been drafted once, they do encourage players to create their own Draft Cube (a set of cards that a playgroup make themselves for drafting whenever they want). Including the new artifacts and conspiracies into a custom cube will really let you shake things up at home. I personally am creating a cube with cards from Conspiracy, Unglued and Unhinged for maximum craziness.
The set also features a lot of high-value cards that players of just about any format will look forward to. Cards like Stifle, Exploration, Brainstorm and Phage the Untouchable are all making triumphant returns, with some being available in foil or in the modern border for the first time.
Conspiracy will hit store shelves this Friday and is NOT a limited print run. Wizards have promised that they will be printing additional packs of the set should the demand require it, and looking at a lot of message boards and Facebook pages online, it seems like the demand might indeed require it.
Wizards of the Coast have recently expanded on their Magic brand by introducing a line of merchandise! Players all over the world can now get their hands on shirts, belt buckles and phone cases featuring their favourite Planeswalkers. Sadly, us Aussies are a little out of luck with regards to the shirts, but if you are dedicated to the game and really want to show it then you can grab the gear at expos like PAX Aus (where special Penny Arcade inspired shirts are also available).
Shirts are great, but what really interested me are the Pop Vinyl Figures. More specifically this one:
Nissa Revane was a Planeswalker from the plane of Zendikar a few years back but we haven’t seen too much of her since. The rest of the line-up features the primary 5 Planeswalkers that have become synonymous with the game; Jace, Chandra, Ajani, Liliana and Garruk. So why Nissa? There has been much speculation online as to whether or not this means that Nissa will be getting a reprint or a new card in the upcoming M15 Core Set. So, I asked Hasbro about this very question and got the most non-commital answer I could have ever imagined.
So I guess it is time to fan the flames of speculation a little bit; We have a Planeswalker that hasn’t been seen in over 4 years being added to the line-up of the game’s most iconic characters. We have the current green Planeswalker Garruk acting decidedly not-so-green, and we have the plane of Zendikar appearing as the final stage of the Magic 2015 Duels of the Planeswalkers game. At this point I would be very surprised if the Elvish Planeswalker WASN’T in M15.
So there we have it. That is a LOT of writing about Magic: The Gathering. I do just have one final thought to leave you all on though; As of last year, Magic the Gathering has a player base of over 20 MILLION players. It is also Hasbro’s biggest game product – outselling even Monopoly! MONOPOLY! So while you all sit there wondering how that is possible, I will remind you to always check back to Capsule Computers for all the Magic: The Gathering news as it becomes available.
A lot of you out there have written in and asked us whether or not 2-Headed Giant mode would be present in this year’s game. We reached out to Wizards with this question and we got confirmation that the only multiplayer mode would be a new free for all multiplayer game. However if you want to play a team-based game, nothing is stopping you from doing so (after a gentlemen’s agreement with your buddies).
Original Preview below:
With the Theros block behind us, many players have their attentions turned to July and the Magic 2015 Core Set release. Well, along with any Core Set comes a new digital game! Yesterday I got to sit down and try my hand at Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers. New visuals, new mechanics and a whole lot of player choice make this easily the best game in the series to date. So come with me on a journey through the multiverse as I show you what Magic 2015 is all about.
Since their inception, the Duels of the Planeswalkers games have been the primary source of lore for the Magic Core Sets. Last year we followed Chandra on a quest to clear her name, and this year picks up where Garruk’s story left off in Innistrad. After being cursed by Liliana and made semi-mindless, Garruk, once the world’s best beast hunter has turned his attention to bigger and better prey – Planeswalkers. The introductory cut-scene has him tracking down and beheading the player-character of Magic 2014 – DotP, and wearing his mask like a badge of honor. While the Duels games have always been the source for lore, they have been pretty light on it. Wizards this time around have made the decision to tell a complete story here, leaving nothing out. This will help players feel like they are accomplishing something as opposed to just playing a few matches against the AI.
The story is broken up into five planes. You will travel among these five planes in search of a way to cure Garruk of his curse. The planes are; Innistrad, Theros, Ravnica, Shandalar, and Zendikar. Each of these story chapters are broken down into four or five challenges. Now, I can tell you that these challenges are TOUGH. You will be hard pressed to win any matches with your starter deck, which is where the exploration comes into it. You can explore the current plane you are on, which triggers a random-encounter battle. At the end of the battle, if you win you will receive a booster pack of cards to add to your collection as well as your deck. After amassing a nice collection you will be able to make your deck hit harder, run quicker and just overwhelm your opponents.
Innistrad’s first challenge – Living Death
All players will get access to the Innistrad chapter when they download the free version of the game. The additional planes can be purchased as a one-off payment or individually when the player reaches them. This gives players the option of when, where and how much they want to spend on the game. You can also use the game’s shop to foil out your deck or buy new booster packs (if you are impatient).
Last year when I reviewed Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers, one of my biggest gripes was how that game felt slow and clunky. Everything from playing a cards to the way combat was implemented just felt tiresome and took far too long. Well, I am so, so happy to say that this is one area that Magic 2015 has improved on. The whole user interface both during a match, and when navigating the menus is so much smoother, quicker and more intuitive. This change alone makes this game just feel far superior and more fun.
Aside from the speed of the gameplay, the visuals also received a massive overhaul this time around. You might have noticed that all the promotional materials for DotP, and the M15 Core Set have all used a very stark black and white theme (with the occasional coloured accents). This art style is very much a part of the game and it looks awesome! From the opening cinematic through to the battlefield, everything is clean, crisp and unobtrusive. The clutter of the past is gone and you can focus on what’s important – the cards. The cards all feature the new frame that is being implemented from M15 onwards, and really just looks nice. The backgrounds of your battlefields are mostly white with a few patterns underneath to stop it looking boring.
The new battlefield layout, including the Red Zone for creature combat
When go to the combat phase, the board opens up and reveals a red bar underneath (or as long-time competitive Magic players would call it – The Red Zone). The Red Zone is where your creatures sit when they are swinging at the opponent. The addition of the Red Zone to DotP means that it is easy to tell which creatures are attacking or blocking and which aren’t. This is another of those enhancements that make the experience more user-friendly for the players.
So what about the cards? Well M15 – DotP features almost 270 cards spanning the last several years of Magic. While it will of course feature cards that are soon to be released in the new Magic 2015 Core Set, it also has cards like Avacyn, Angel of Hope from the Innistrad block, and even Kozilek, Butcher of Truth. That’s right, there is some damn Eldrazi in this game! The Hype Train is at maximum speed now folks!
In past years, many players (myself included) have really disliked the fact that you were very limited in your deck construction. Well that has been completely done away with! Now, after you have picked your starter-deck, you can earn booster packs that will give you more cards (yes, just like in real life). The thing is that with these cards you can not only chop and change the deck you have, but you can also build brand new decks from scratch. Want to build a White Weenie deck? go for it! How about a Blue/Black Control? It is completely up to you! Cracking booster packs also gives you that sense of satisfaction of doing it in real life. They have implemented a nice tear-away graphic, and the sound of foil crinkling in your hands. All that is missing is that new card smell.
Deck Creation Menu shows off things like your mana-curve, deck name and how many cards you have.
The booster packs that you unlock will come with either 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 or 14 card booster packs. You will start off cracking smaller packs, but before you know it you will be cracking the boosters with 14 cards and the same rarity distribution as those you grab off the shelf. A really cool feature is that if you already have 4 copies of a card, the game wont put that card into your booster packs, so you will never have needless garbage cluttering up your deck construction menu. The boosters are all dependent on which plane you are currently playing on, so for example if you are exploring the plane of Theros, then you will only get cards associated with Theros.
The best part about the Duels games has always been how it can introduce new players to the world of Magic. Duels 2015 provides an in-depth multi-tiered tutorial that will teach newcomers the ins and outs of Magic: The Gathering. From there, players can head over to Innistrad and try their luck or they can flick through the menu to the built-in store locator. It all works as a very effective tool to bring new players into the world of Magic and no matter your skill level when you go in, you will be slinging cards and creating the perfect strategy with the best of them by the time you’re done.
Arbor Colossus with the new card frame
While there is no set date for Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers, it is expected to drop around July, before the launch of the M15 Core Set. It will be available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC (via Steam), iPad and Android tablets with a price comparable to previous year’s titles. Although I have only played the game for a short while, I already see it as being far superior to last year’s game and I just wonder where they can go from here. We here at Capsule Computers love Magic: The Gathering, so make sure you stay tuned for all the awesome card-slinging news as it becomes available.
Well, prepare to be a bit confused since Natsume decided to announce that they have their very own Harvest Moon game coming out and no it isn’t XSEED’s Story of Seasons, this one is its own game. Natsume has revealed that they are currently developing Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley for the 3DS.
This is one of three games that the company is currently working for on Nintendo platforms and at the moment the game is only announced for North American release. The company describes Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley as a game where players will be able to experience “the role-playing farm simulation in a three-dimensional setting for the first time.” They go on to say that the game will have a “fully customizable world, and players can customize their field in any way they see fit: from a field full of tulips like you might see in Holland, to a valley filled with water like Venice, the choice is up to you.”
Those familiar with the Dynasty Warriors series know that each numbered title goes through a few stages after release. First there is the vanilla version of the game, then we have a Legends title that adds additional content, and finally an Empires version with even more content and the ability to conquer China.
As such it is no major surprise that this week’s issue of Famitsu has revealed that Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires has been revealed by Tecmo Koei and is coming to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 sometime later this year. The game will feature a number of enhancements such as new Strategems and it will also include all new content such as the ability to actually edit flags and soldiers appearances. Expect more information when Tecmo Koei makes the official announcement sometime in the future.
Today EA Sports released the first screenshot for NHL 15 which is going to be the first NHL title available on next-gen consoles. This little screenshot goes with the teaser trailer shown off back when the game was officially announced.
This screenshot, seen above, is likely from the next-gen version of the game and highlights the San Jose Sharks’ captain Joe Thorton, continuing EA Sports’ trend of not really keeping up with what teams are left in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the Sharks were eliminated over two weeks ago. Then again, their cover vote neglected to nominate any of last year’s Stanley Cup Champions as a candidate do there’s that as well.
Paramount Pictures have released Official Trailer #2 of Brett Ratner’s Hercules. It may be cliche for a protagonist to flat-out state he is not a hero, and then proceed to accept his task, but with the promise of such high-action fare visualizing the 12 Labours of Hercules, we can forgive the screenwriters.
Also released is a brand new poster, featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in all his glory as the legendary demi-God. The Nemean lion, Erymanthian boar, Lernaean Hydra, Cerberus and every challenge in between, for that matter, clearly could never have stood a chance. Check out the poster in full directly below, and the trailer embedded underneath.Hercules hits theaters nationwide on July 31, 2014.
Today Viz Media announced their digital manga plans for the month of June and with this they have also announced the license rescue for the manga Trinity Blood. More on that in a moment however, as today sees the launch of the new Shonen Jump Advanced series Seraph of the End which is now available digitally for $6.99, and in print for $9.99, while next week will see the one-shot release of The Boys Over Flowers Jewelry Box shojo manga that will be priced at $4.99.
Other releases this month include the first volume of All You Need is Kill on June 19th for $6.99, the aforementioned Trinity Blood Volume 1 which will be released on June 24th for $4.99. Trinity Blood was previously handled by TokyoPop before the company folded and the last four volumes were never released in English. Other notable releases this month include Dragon Ball Full Color Volume 3, released today, Deadman Wonderland Volume 3 on June 10th, One-Punch Man Volume 3 and Future Diary Volume 2 on June 24th as well as thirteen other popular Viz series that will be updated in the month of June.
If you ever wanted to get closer to your favorite CPU without having to deal with fighting numerous enemies or advancing through a storyline that involves saving Gamindustri, then you can now do so through NIS America‘s latest release in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection.
In this game, players do not control the girls directly but instead help manage their favorite CPU through their new career as an idol trying to gain their shares back from the popular idol group MOB-48. They will do this by choosing various tasks such as relaxing, taking lessons, or working to manage your chosen CPU’s mood and stats as well as perform concerts for fans where the player controls the game’s camera angles and stage effects while your idol performs the chosen song and dance.
Today 