Blue Estate is coming out this week, with the US PSN version coming out on Tuesday and the EU PSN version coming out on Wednesday.
Blue Estate, the upcoming darkly funny rail shooter developed by HESAW and published by Focus Home Interactive, the publishers of Bound By Flame, is set for a release this week for the PS4. The game is based on the Blue Estate comic books by Viktor Kalvachev. Players will navigate the game as Tony Luciano, the homicidal son of LA’s crime boss Don Luciano, and Clarence, an ex-navy seal who’s sole objective is to clean up the mess Tony creates. Tony wages war with the Sik gang in order to rescue his “Helen of Troy”, while Clarence has to try to end the war.
The title will be out this week, as stated earlier, and PSN+ subscribers will enjoy a 20% discount that was made just for them! Below you will find a trailer on Tony Luciano and the wide variety of features that players will have on the new PS4 controllers.
We are but days away from the release of Transformers: Age of Extinction and as if excitement didn’t already fill the air, the guys over at Paramount Pictures have given us one last clip from the film, as well as two character-centered featurettes. The trailer, titled “Maybe it should be,” shows Mark Wahlberg being an over protective father. Check it out:
As if that wasn’t enough, we also have two character featurettes for you to check out. The featurettes focus on Jack Reynor’s Shane and Wahlberg’s Cade. Actions speak louder than words so check out those bad boys below:
Meet Shane:
And now Meet Cade:
So there we have it. WHat will likely be the last little bits of promotional footage shared before Age of Extinction hits cinemas this Wednesday, June 25th. So as always, make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the news about the robots in disguise as it becomes available.
Overview When an anime is created to help promote a game, it can range become something memorable, even anime based around card games. Sometimes these series stand out on their own; other times they are simply an advertisement used to advertise a game. The case of Leviathan – The Last Defense is a bit unique however as the game it is based off of was a digital iOS game by GREE in Japan that actually was released as the anime aired. As such, is Leviathan – The Last Defense more than promotional material?
Story The world of Aquafall has been a prosperous land where fairies, dragons, dragon-girls, and other magic beings have thrived for years. When meteorites begin falling on the world, strange creatures called Lucasites began pouring out of them with a mindless intent to destroy anything they come across. However in the town of Haruna, very few are preoccupied with the thought of this danger, choosing to send scouts out to investigate, and most of the residents continue to live out a peaceful life.
A girl named Leviathan is one of the few affected by this threat as her beloved older brother left one day and has never returned, though his spear appeared reappeared and is now her only memento. While out practicing her water magic, Leviathan accidentally blasts a fairy named Syrup out of the sky and the tiny fairy takes it as fate. You see, Syrup is trying to rally forces to fight against the threat the world is now facing by organizing an Aquafall Defense Force and thanks to Leviathan’s magic powers, she seems like a great fit.
When the incredibly strong and athletic Jörmungand and pampered but skilled with fire Bahamut also meet with Syrup, the group is assembled. Or so it would seem, but the story of Leviathan – The Last Defense is about as heavy as a feather. The first few episodes of the series serve as a way to introduce viewers to each of the three girls as they go about their days generally ignoring what Syrup says and any effort in actively trying to fight against the Lucasites.
In fact the first actual battle they intentionally fight against these creatures is attempting to retrieve Jörmungand’s battle axe from inside of a swamp dragon’s stomach. For some time after that every fight is mostly a matter of circumstance as the girls encounter a creature while trying to do something else instead, such as have a barbecue on a beach.
There are some moments that the story takes a bit of a serious tone, but Leviathan – The Last Defense never becomes anywhere near as dramatic as it may look. A cave-in with trapped family members may seem as serious as it can get in a show like this, but even then the tension is sapped away from the cutesy attitude of Syrup and the dimwitted nature of the other girls as the danger becomes an afterthought and success is always a given.
It is interesting that the fairy of the show is called Syrup mainly because that is the best way to define Leviathan – The Last Defense, since it is a show that is sugary sweet with little consistency but just enough to keep some form of a premise held together by adorable, albeit one note, characters. These characters are what make the show worth watching for those who want something simple to enjoy as the plot is far from the best aspect, though a few RPG style elements used later on are a nice little touch.
By the end of the series, Leviathan – The Last Defense does find itself with a very simple resolution, which is more than one generally gets for a series based off a game, but it still is lackluster considering the problem with the Lucasites is far from over and as the girls learn, the danger they pose to the world is a reality that needs to be faced, even if there are plenty of threads left hanging when the credits roll.
As mentioned each of the characters in the series are overly cute with Leviathan being a quiet and solemn girl who loves barley tea and her missing brother, Syrup, the happy go lucky fairy with a bottomless pit for a stomach, Bahamut, the pampered princess who is always having tantrums about the girls’ situations, and the energetic Jörmungand who is ready for anything. Bahamut and Leviathan go through a few small developments in the show but nothing ever goes deep or dark in this light-hearted fluffy series.
Visuals This is a series that thrives on color and moe girls being one of the selling points of the show and Leviathan – The Last Defense pulls that off quite well. The environments that the girls travel through vary decently enough and have some detail, but the highlights are the girls themselves as they are all designed to ooze cuteness at every turn. Of course this does bring with it some problems with odd looking limbs and it is pretty clear from the onset that the show had a low budget and the animation mirrors that fact. The cute aspect of the show also helps eliminate any concern for overt fan-service since, despite there being a beach and hot spring episode, the girls always have scale underwear that randomly appears and disappears depending on their clothing.
There are also magical girl style transformation sequences for each of the three girls as they assume their more powerful dragon-girl forms and these are presented nicely, although they seem to be used to pad an episode’s length at times. It is worth noting that Gonzo has used a decent amount of 3D CG for the series as every Lucacite creature is presented in this form, as well as the larger dragons, making them look incredibly out of place, and at times even the girls are shown in 3D CG while fighting the creatures.
Audio It is worth noting that Leviathan – The Last Defense has been released with English subtitles accompanying the original Japanese voice track. This isn’t much of an issue however as the voice work from the Japanese voice actresses work well for the series and fit fantastically with the cute character designs.
The background music throughout the series is fairly simple and airy which fits the series, but also makes it forgettable at times. That being said, the opening theme “Hajimari no Resolution” by Yuki Kanno is a very impressive sounding opening theme that tries to present the show as a more serious series than it really is. The closing theme, “Truly,” by PASSPO☆, is a fairly standard ending theme for a fantasy series such as this.
Extras Leviathan – The Last Defense: Complete Collection is a very bare bones release as far as special features are concerned. The only bonus content on the disc are clean versions of the opening theme and ending theme as well as trailers for a few other Sentai Filmworks releases.
Overall Leviathan – The Last Defense is a cute light-hearted story that provides some nice brainless entertainment. It asks very little of its viewer and provides a good time all around with nice doses of comedy and just enough story to hold itself together. Unfortunately this isn’t enough to really make it stand out in anyway but those looking for an airy series to simply enjoy will probably find Leviathan – The Last Defense to their liking.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Titan Comics have just released a brand-new trailer for their upcoming comic collection “A1: The Weirding Willows“. This new comic collection follows the story of Alice, a character you may all know from the story of “Alice In Wonderland”. Well, she’s older now and since the time back when she was a child, she’s discovered many new worlds and made many new friends but maleficent forces have begun traveling through those same portals and it’s now up to her to stop them from destroying the world she loves.
When she was nine, Alice discovered a portal to another world… a world
called Wonderland!
But Wonderland isn’t the only world connected to the Wild Woods, a
dimensional nexus that Alice spent her childhood exploring. It’s a
strange, magical place where Earth, Wonderland, OZ, Neverland, Mars,
Pellucidar and Elysium collide – and where anything can happen!
From talking rabbits to winged monkeys, from Frankenstein’s Monster to
a rampaging purple T-rex, from a kidnapped Mowgli to a werewolf with a
deadly secret – there’s never a quiet day!
Now a young woman, Alice and her amazing friends are all that stand
between the gateways in the Weir – and those who would exploit them.
This astounding first collected edition includes a brand-new chapter,
exclusive to this volume.
Step into the Weirding Willows… and be transported to worlds beyond
your imagination
Writer Dave Elliott alongside his small team of comic book experts – made up of Barnaby Bagenda, Sami Basri, Sakti Yuwono, Jessica Kholinne and Gloria Caeli – are the talented people who have revived the story of “Alice In Wonderland” in ways you couldn’t even imagine. The A1: The Weirding Willows trailer released by Titan Comics is available to watch in our featured video section below so head down there now to check it out and don’t forget to hit up our comments section to let us know what you think. The Weirding Willows Volume One is set for a release on the 1st of July which is only just around the corner so keep your eyes on the this site and on Titan Comics for when that comes about. For now, enjoy the trailer!
Magicite is a rogue like platformer that mixes elements of exploration and survival. Developer SmashGames drew inspiration from Monster Hunter and Spelunky to create a merciless platformer that will challenge players. The game recently left Steam’s Early Access program, but is still being actively updated thanks to funds raised through Kickstarter.
Story
Magicite does not have a story. However, the townsfolk in between levels do have a few things to say. That little bit of writing that contributes to a surprisingly light-hearted game, considering the unforgiving difficulty level.
Gameplay
Fans of Spelunky will be right at home. Magicite draws from Spelunky’s merciless platforming chops and mixes it with a survival system popularized by Minecraft and throws in a dash of RPG gameplay mechanics for good measure. Players will kick off the game by creating their character. At the start, players will have extremely limited customization choices. Besides a few cosmetic choices, players can only roll random stats and two random traits. After a few solid runs, more customization options will be unlocked. New races, hats, and companions will provide some extra bonuses that will make the game a bit easier. Each race has a different set of starting equipment with some tweaked stats, hats impart special effects, and companions provide a passive bonus. There is enough variety that players will be able to create preferred builds for solo runs, group play, and so forth.
Once character creation is out of the way, players will be teleported to the forest biome with a few items based on their race. Each level is randomly generated, meaning success is based on a whole load of skill and a little bit of luck. At the end of each level, players will be presented with three possible biome choices that are randomly generated. Between the levels, players will visit a small town where they can purchase supplies, sell unneeded items, and craft equipment. As they level up, they will gain more stats and have access to three branches of skills: melee, magic, and ranged. Characters are able to wield up to three skills, and all three are assigned randomly from a pool. Magic seems to be the toughest of the three paths, as finding the items to craft staffs is more challenging than melee weapons or arrows.
Players will need to harvest resources to manage hunger and craft tools while surviving against numerous traps and hostile creatures. Crafting is a relatively simple affair. Tools can be made by combining two other items together. The system is very simple and there are only a small handful of combinations to memorize as many are repeated with different grades of ore. Unlike similar crafting based games, it is not necessary to have a wiki page open on a second monitor to keep track of all the crafting recipes in Magicite. The equipped items are crafted with the help of NPCs in the towns between levels. The NPC-based recipes are equally simple, mixing a base material with different grades of ore. Overall, Magicite’s recipes are designed to emphasize smart resource management, whether alone or in groups, versus complex crafting systems. I find solo play to focus more on inventory management as there is a surplus of resources with limited inventory slots, while more teammates turns the balance towards spreading a very limited amount of resources among the group.
Magicite is a tough game. In this sense, it is clear that developer SmashGames took a page from Spelunky. Health pools are low and potions are scarce. Bringing friends can make things a little easier as downed players can be revived in group play. On the flip side, more people means managing knockback in combat is a little more difficult. Reviving friends triggers a three second timer which leaves the reviver vulnerable. Strangely enough, if the reviver dies during that cooldown, the revive will still go through. I am not completely sure if this is intentional or this is a glitch.
The controls in Magicite are strictly keyboard and mouse based. The keyboard is used for moving, while the mouse is used for interacting and aiming. The controls are tight and responsive, which is a must for a platformer this challenging. Personally, I am not a fan of the default bindings for the dash keys, but the keys are easily rebound.
Visuals
Magicite is deliciously retro with its own unique flair thanks to the square shaped characters and vibrant colours. The game’s darkened backgrounds help give that extra pop to Magicite’s colour palette. The game scales up to high resolutions very well and runs without any major hiccups.
Audio
Like its visuals, Magicite’s audio is retro inspired. Curiously, there is no menu music, but once the game kicks off, players are greeted with a solid chiptune soundtrack. Magicite’s sound effects would fit right at home on the SNES and other 16-bit systems.
Overall
Magicite is a fantastic game. It is challenging, chock full of replayability, and loads of fun. The audio and visuals are highly polished. The controls are extremely responsive and SmashGames expertly mixes survival, platforming, rogue-like, and RPG elements into one slick package. Magicite is a must play for co-op fans, platformer nuts, and anyone who likes a challenge.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
While NIS America has had an online store for quite a long time, they are now looking forward to expanding that store to Europe. Today it was announced that an NIS America Europe online store will be launching on July 1st. This means that gamers in Europe will now have the same opportunity to pick up various limited editions that were previously only avaialable in North America.
When the store launches there will be limited editions for the following four titles, one of which is a game that is being localized in North America by Atlus. The titles that will be available for pre-order are Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited, Fairy Fencer F, and Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.
Today it was announced that Studio Trigger will be debuting their Ninja Slayer animation during Anime Expo this year. For those that are unfamiliar with Studio Trigger or Ninja Slayer, Studio Trigger is best known for their most recent anime Kill la Kill as well as Little Witch Academia.
Ninja Slayer on the other hand is an American graphic novel that gained huge popularity in Japan. Originally written by Bradley Bond and Philip Morzez, Ninja Slayer was translated into Japanese and shared over Twitter where it became a cult hit that sold over 300,000 volumes of the graphic novel.
As such Studio Trigger will be showing off the world premiere of the first promotional trailer at the company’s panel discussion on July 3rd at 6PM where attendees will have a chance to get some free goodies and also buy some Ninja Slayer merchandise from the Good Smile Company’s booth.
You may remember that last month Viz Media picked up the license to not only the original Sailor Moon but also the brand new version of the series, Sailor Moon Crystal which is set to debut on July 5th in Japan. Well today Viz Media acknowledged that they will also be debuting the series on Neon Alley and Hulu the same day that it is available in Japan.
To go along with this announcement Viz Media has released an English subtitled version of the promo video released earlier this month and you can check that out below. Once the first episode debuts, following episodes will be shown, in subtitles of course, on the first and third Saturday of every month.
Entwined Developer:Pixelopus Publisher:Sony Computer Entertainment Platforms: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PlayStation 3, PS Vita Install Size: 1.8GB Release Date: June 10, 2014 Price: $11.95 – Available Here
Overview
Sony has really been waving the indie flag since their announcement of the PlayStation 4. Their emphasis on showcasing independent titles, however, stems further back; more specifically, once Journey by thatgamecompany became a huge success on the PlayStation 3, the proverbial light bulb switched on over their heads. Most recently, Pixelopus – a group of fresh, game design graduates – reaped the benefits of this push when their first title under the SCE Worldwide Studios umbrella, Entwined, was revealed and spotlighted during the PlayStation Media Briefing at E3 2014. And that same day, it was available on PSN for the PS4, with a PS3 and PS Vita release due next month (although it is a cross-buy title, which means PS4 purchasers will have access to all three versions).
Gameplay
“Forever apart, always together” Entwined is, at its core, about two souls – a bird and a fish – who are in love, and although they come from different “worlds”, journey to unite in every lifetime. You, as the player, control these soul-mates as they travel through a metaphysical space in order to find each other and fuse into a soaring dragon. The bird is controlled by the right thumb-stick, and is unable to pass into the left hand side of the screen. Mirroring this, the fish is governed by the left thumb-stick and is restricted to the left hand side of the screen. The goal of gameplay is to successfully guide these two characters through the corresponding “gates” as they approach. In ‘Story Mode’, there are nine ‘Lifetimes’ (stages) to play through, each ramping up in difficulty. Everything is colour coded to match the characters on-screen, easily signifying to the player the specific gates that must be passed and orbs that must be collected by each. The aforementioned orbs are placed in-between the sections of gates, and add to the two respective meters that, when filled, allows the player to initiate a bonding process by pressing ‘L1’ + ‘R1’ together.
There is almost a complete 180° arc of motion achievable with both, and when they meet at either the top or bottom of the screen, they glow green and are able to pass through green gates. The patterns of the gates get progressively more complex and difficult, with the speed of the advance increasing as well. Missing a gate brings your meter down a notch, but completing a stage on a continuous run sees the animals’ tails glow, and once they combine at the end, they will be transformed into the ‘Evolved Dragon’. Greeting the player at each level’s conclusion is an open area where they made fly freely, collecting orbs before enabled to sky-write until a bright light invites you to the next Lifetime. The ‘Story Mode’ presents a good challenge, especially as it wears on, but is ultimately short, able to be completed in under an hour. The true value and replay-ability of the game comes from its ‘Challenge Mode’, whereby players must survive without missing a maximum of three gates long enough to unlock the next arena. Leaderboards promote competition and, trust me, you’ll either be rage-quitting by the third stage, or spurred on that much more to go all the way. If you’re the latter type of person, expect to spend hours replaying after agonizing failures until you finally succeed.
Visuals & Audio
As mentioned, colour plays a huge role, not only tonally and in the aesthetic style of the game, but more integrally in its implementation as the prime form of player guidance. The golden fish and azure bird leave trails of light as they swim and fly through space, advancing head-long into their correlating gates. The backdrop of each Lifetime follows its own unique theme, reflected in all visual elements on-screen, and shifts as you progress, sometimes becoming somewhat of a distraction with its pulsing auroras. This is not a bad thing, but is instead a welcome facet that augments difficulty further. Starting off in a serene ‘Water’ level, swooshes and other apt sound effects can be heard, but there is no actual body of water visible. It is in this sense that the arenas, so to speak, are abstract representations of their given theme. Some are more overt and recognizable, such as the ‘Earth’ level, delving into defined caverns and decorated with floating rocks.
As you succeed in extending your chain, the luminous creatures grow even more bright, but in phases, not exponentially. As mentioned earlier, transforming into the ‘Evolved Dragon’ takes an extended period of successes, but with no written score to keep track of your chain, the game relies on visual and audio cues to depict when the bird and the fish are at their peak luminescence. It’s hard to identify the difference between this state, and the other steps leading up to it, but thankfully the only time it is of any importance is if you are hunting a special Trophy called ‘Resolution’ that requires you complete every level as the ‘Evolved Dragon’ – which has orange and blue accents – and not just an ordinary one. As you reach the point where you can merge, a prompt appears telling you to tap ‘L1’ and ‘R1’; the music picks up, everything gets faster and upon triumph, the two beings metamorphose into a majestic, emerald dragon. The area in which you are set free is a more solid manifestation of its related theme; i.e., the ‘Fire’ area housing a volcano-esque structure in the center with lava pits and cracked ground below, and clouds above that throw bolts of lightning. It’s actually quite a hellish landscape for such a chilled game now that I think about it!
Overall
Entwined is a beautiful, calming experience…until you decide to tackle Challenge Mode, that is. The gameplay is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Visually, the game is stunning, and the use of colour is both artistic, but also smart in regards to player guidance. For the same reason that people enjoyed Flower, gamers will surely appreciate the peace and serenity of flying around, skywriting with a rainbow emanating from your wings as the rare experience in gaming that it is, as opposed to all the violence and shooters we are marketed year-round. There are momentary lockups during play as the game connects and sends information to PSN, which may well be demonstrating this young studio’s inexperience on the technical side, but the only justifiable reason for hesitance to buy Entwined is the weight of its value. If Challenge Mode is not to your taste, as you get frustrated quite easily, then you aren’t going to get much more than 50-90 minutes out of Entwined on average. At $11.95, that’s something to consider, but also a point of consideration is the fact that it is a cross-buy title. I’d recommend you give into the halcyon aural atmosphere and hypnotic visuals, as the basic but addictive gameplay will end up calling you to return and attempt to top that leaderboard, regardless of how high it’ll raise your blood pressure.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Earlier this month Eleven Arts announced that they would be partnering with Starchild to bring K: Missing Kings over to the United States for screenings in theaters across the country and today the company has revealed exactly when and where those screenings will be held. The full list of what theaters the movie will be available at as well as options to buy tickets can be found here and while supplies last anyone with a ticket who attends a screening will be given an exclusive B4 sized movie program.
The company also announced that the premiere of the film at Los Angeles’s Downtown Independent will feature a special guest appearance by the voice actor Masakazu Morita, who voices Yukari Mishakuji in the movie, and the movie’s producer, Go Nakanishi. A special Q & A session will also be held with these two after the show is over where fans will be able to ask these two questions. The original anime series, K, is licensed in North America by Viz Media and it will be interesting to see if the company will eventually pick up K: Missing Kings for release as well.
Today it was announced that 
