As you may or may not know depending if you’ve been following the game, Wolfenstein: The New Order is set to be released next week on May 20th in North America, Europe, and Australia for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. As such with the game’s launch about four days away Bethesda has released a launch trailer for the game which you can check out below.
In Wolfenstein: The New Order players take control of B.J. Blazkowicz as his group of resistance fighters join forces to take down the powerful Nazi regime that has somehow managed to win World War II through the use of advanced technology.
This year it seems like the Tokyo International Film Festival will blend modern cinema with traditional theatrics as it’s been announced a special screening will be held at the esteemed Kabukiza theatre on October 27, 2014.
While the film festival will take place between October 23-31, this special event is set to be one of the highlights.
We believe the spirit of Kabuki, which has striven toward new things and thrived with long tradition, will make a good chemistry with films and give fabulous excitement to the audience from all around the world.
So far the show’s line up is yet to be revealed. A press conference is scheduled to be held in late summer where more information on the event is to be announced. ‘TIFF’ has previously been held in locations like the Tokyo Bay Area.
With Mind Zero set to be released in North America and Europe in a couple of weeks, Aksys Games has released the second developer diary for their upcoming game Mind Zero. In this developer diary we are introduced to the game’s director Keiichi Kawakami who continues to discuss the world of Mind Zero and the MIND that has begun appearing in the world.
The developer diary can be found below and in it you can also find some English gameplay footage, although it is limited to the dialogue section of the game and not the dungeon crawling aspect. Mind Zero is set to be released both physically and digitally on May 27th while Europe will be able to download the game digitally a day later on May 28th.
GROUND FORCES EXPANSION ROLLS INTO “WAR THUNDER” TODAY ON PC
Six Million War Thunder Fans Can Now Unleash Hell Upon Their Enemies From Land and Air
(MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION) – May 16, 2014 – Today, Gaijin Entertainment announced that they have unleashed a full-scale video game invasion with the launch of the Ground Forces Expansion in the 1.41 update. TheGround Forces Expansion joins Gaijin Entertainment’s blockbuster military World War II MMO game War Thunder on PC, providing war hungry players the ability to unleash furious battles from either air or land, all within the same play experience.
“Our goal from the beginning with War Thunder was to create a game that allows players to safely experience the perils of a full scale world war. The rumble you hear in the distance, is the sound of many of our six million players launching their earth shaking attacks using heavily armored ground forces. Players who prefer aerial battles better keep one eye in the air and one eye on the ground because the Ground Forces Expansion has launched!”, said Anton Yudintsev, CEO of Gaijin Entertainment.
Ground Forces Expansion joins the ranks of War Thunder, allowing players to now create their own military force made up of aircrafts as well as tanks. With improved player progression, fans can build their arsenal to match their style of play, whether that be with lightning quick strike abilities or with earth rattling shock and awe! Players can now decide how best to build up and unleash their military might upon others in War Thunder’s ever-growing next generation experience.
Currently, players can access Soviet and German vehicles in Ground Forces with other nations rolling out later. There are dozens of light, medium and heavy tanks, as well as self-propelled artillery and anti-air guns. The latter will become useful in Combined Arms battles, available in Realistic and Simulation game modes where player-controlled ground vehicles are fighting alongside player-controlled planes (and AI-allies in some cases). Combined Arms will be enabled later once enough players reach high levels with their ground forces, but anyone can try this mode in Custom Battles already.
Gaijin Entertainment will add additional ground vehicles and new maps in future updates, but developers have not forgotten pilots and their needs. In update 1.41 all of the existing aerial game modes have stayed intact with some tweaks and improvements and 10 new aircrafts, including the powerful US Navy bomber PBJ-1H, armed with a mighty 75-mm cannon, have entered the fray. The Ground Forces Expansion release date on PS4 will be announced soon.
ABOUT WAR THUNDER FRANCHISE
Over six million players already know the enjoyment of raining down aerial destruction via the PC and PlayStation®4 (PS4™) versions of War Thunder. War Thunder is currently in Open Beta on PC, available on Steam, OnLive® CloudLift, available on PS4™ in Europe and in development for Mac OS, Oculus Rift, and PS4™ for the US market. In addition, Gaijin Entertainment has launched Ground Forces Expansion Open Beta program for military World War II MMO game War Thunder.
Gaijin Entertainment is the publisher and developer of the online games War Thunder and Star Conflict, as well as PC, Mac, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS and Android titles across several genres. The company’s diverse portfolio has received a range of mass media and game industry awards including such as KRI Awards, Gamescom Award and many more. Official website:http://gaijinent.com
Prepare to journey once again as Warner Bros reveals three brand new DLC packs for LEGO The Hobbit, chock full of excitement and adventure. Icluding two new character sets and some additional items, you’ll be more than prepared to enjoy a ton of new side quests. Details are as follows:
The Big Little Character Pack – Strike a little fear and terror into the hearts of your foes with Baby Smaug, or enjoy a cameo appearance of Baby Gimli from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The LEGO big figure Snow Troll is sure to shake things up and you’ll also have the chance to play as Bandobras “Bullroarer” Took or a Stone Dwarf from Erebor.
Such innocence
The Side Quest Character Pack – Take command of a LEGO big figures River Troll or Girion, the last Lord of Dale. The noble Elk will offer you transport wherever you desire, or you can charge into battle with the fearless Dwarf soldier. Have you ever wondered what a Wizard does on his day off? Enjoy the simpler pleasures of life with Saruman (Day Off).
Seems fair…
The Battle Pack – Destroy Morgul LEGO with the Shadow Sword, equip yourself with Jeweled Mithril Armor of the finest Dwarven craftsmanship, or activate the Light Orb Shield for the ultimate protection. The Axe Guitar, Orc Cleaver and Orc Bow will make short work of your opponents, while a pair of Lake-town Boots and Smaug’s Feet will keep you adventuring in style! The Buddy-up Gloves allow you to smash through Buddy-up cracks solo, while Smaug’s Headdress and the Dwarf King Wig will ensure your presence is majestic at all times.
Look at that LEGO loot!
LEGO The Hobbit is available on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, 3DS and PC. So there’s no excuse for you to not pick up this new DLC and expand the world of Middle-Earth in its truest form: LEGO.
Is it just me, or is there something new and exciting from the world of Transformers hitting the web every second day? Just two days ago we had news that Imagine Dragons are helping score the new Transformers: Age of Extinction film and now Paramount Pictures have given us a kick-ass new story trailer!
The new trailer, titled Payoff features a mixture of new and old footage, and gives us a look at some more of the film’s story elements which until this point were a little secretive. A picture is worth 1000 words and a video is… I don’t know but it is a lot of pictures, so check out the new trailer below!
So what do you think about how Age of Extinction is shaping up? Are you excited or do you feel like Michael Bay has shattered your childhood enough and needs to leave it alone? Let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Transformers news as it becomes available.
“He take it over the top, He make a line in the news(beat)!” Come one, come all to Xbox Newsbeat, your one stop shop for all the news, goss and secrets coming out of Microsoft HQ. This week on Xbox Newsbeat we have… only one headline. Wait, wait cut this can’t be right! Let me check my notes. Ok, no definitely only one Xbox One headline this week. I guess the guys over at Microsoft are waiting for E3 for their next big announcements. Oh well, whether it is a slow news day or not, the show must go on! So, lets hit the (News)beat!
Capy Games is a name you might recognise. They are a small independant studio who are responsible for games like “Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes,” and its biggest hit to date, “Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.” Well now thanks to the ID@Xbox Program, Capy Games have stepped it up a notch, and created the brand new Super Time Force.
Super Time Force is the studio’s first full-fledged action title that draws inspiration from Contra and other similar games. a 2d side-scrolling, bullet hell platformer (gee. That’s a mouthful and a half.) where players are given 30 lives and the objective of making it as far as they can. Dying enables a Prince of Persia-esq TIME OUT mode, where players can rewind to any point of their last playthrough and continue from there with a new character.
Dan Vader, Super Time Force’s co-designer, writer and level designer had this to say of the game:
I think most people have an idea of how you play ‘Super Time Force,’ and mostly, they’re right… but the time-travel mechanic also reveals little nuances, the further in you get,” says Vader. “It’s the sort of stuff that… if we even try to explain it, it will just leave you going ‘huh?’ — but when you discover it on your own, it leads to some great ‘aha!’ moments.
Super Time Force” began as a side project, which grew out of a game jam and which the studio limited to Friday development sessions for some time. It eventually proved itself worthy of more intensive pursuit, however, once the team realised how solid the concept was.
The hardest part of the game was moving from an amazingly fun prototype to a game we felt was complete,” says Vader. “We went from a 15-minute demo to a game that’s easily over five hours long, and potentially way more. We went from a couple short levels to 27 levels. We went from three characters to 16. We went from a ‘kinda crazy’ idea to a ‘totally bonkers’ video game.
The game really has a lot going for it, and goes a long way to showcase just how awesome the ID@Xbox program is. We will have a review of Super Time Force coming in the near future, so be sure to check back for our impressions.
Thus ends another week here at Xbox Newsbeat. Which of today’s… one headline grabbed you the most? Let us know all about how you are finding Super Time Force in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers every week for Xbox Newsbeat.
Sony Computer Entertainment Australia announced today that they will be releasing the newer, slimmer PlayStation Vita model across Australia this June. Being labelled the “PCH-2000”, this new PS Vita has been said to be at least fifteen percent lighter and twenty percent slimmer but it’s more than just a skinnier version of the already released PS Vita. Much More!
At a recommended retail price of $269.95, this Vita comes with a few key upgrades that differentiate it from it’s older, larger brother: The console features an inbuilt 1 GB memory capacity, a notification/power indicator located at the top of the system, a micro USB port, a higher powered battery and a brand-new five inch LCD screen as well as many other, smaller features.
Japan had a successful launch of the console late last year but now it’s our turn to experience the “lighter” side of PlayStation Vita gaming with the “PCH-2000”. This new model has only been said to have Wi-Fi capabilities but no word on a model with 3G/4G capabilities has been mentioned as of yet, whether this is a permanent change or not has yet to be determined but surely we will be receiving some information regarding it soon enough. The new PlayStation Vita is set to be released in Australia on the 4th of June this year and will be sold for $269.95. It is available for pre-order now at any good video game retailers so jump on it!
BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe Brings an All New Franchise to Life for PCs
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 16th May 2014 – BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe S.A.S. today announces a brand new franchise, Rise ofIncarnates.Forged by the creators of Tekken and SoulCalibur; unbound 3D battles are about to be unleashed upon PC gamers. Rise of Incarnates is scheduled for release in the latter half of 2014 forPC (on Steam) in EMEA territories.
Born from BANDAI NAMCO Games’ fighting game tremendous pedigree, the teams behind Tekken, SoulCalibur, and Gundam Extreme VS unite to bring Rise of Incarnates to life. Rise of Incarnates features avant-gardist 2 vs. 2 gameplay, a multitude of characters and roles, and battlegrounds throughoutshatteredyet accurately rendered real-world cityscapes. Thesediverse character types and roles, each with unique skills and powers, appeal to a variety of play-styles while accommodatingexpansive team dynamics and strategy. Players employsharp reflexes, mental resolve, and strategic insight as they run, jump, and fly through 3D arenas, engaging in both close-quarters combat and long-range assaults.
Players take the role of “Incarnates”, humans that command untold mythical powers as they vie to avoid tragedy and reshape the course of their world. Due to their special abilities, Incarnates are both feared and loathed by the general population while being persecuted by the authorities that want to harness and use their power for their own vile needs. One day, a mysterious voice calls out to the Incarnates telling them the only way to avoid certain destruction is to destroy the “Sovereign of this era.” It is here that the battle for dominance amongst Incarnates begins and the fate of life on Earth hangs in the balance.
“Rise of Incarnates represents BANDAI NAMCO’s future in the Free-to-Play gaming landscape,” said Herve Hoerdt, Vice President of IP Strategy, Marketing & PR at BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe. “Building a new IP from scratch with such a brilliant dev. team is an exciting challenge for everyone at BANDAI NAMCO Games. We are aiming for a long and sustained development for this exhilarating and fresh brand!”
Rise of Incarnates for PC (via Steam) is scheduled for release in the latter part of 2014. To learn more about Rise of Incarnates please visit: www.RiseOfIncarnates.com.To learn more about BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe go to: www.BandaiNamcoGames.com.au
If you would like to be involved in an Alpha test for this game on PC, please respond to this email.
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About BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe S.A.S.
BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe S.A.S., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™. More information about the company and its products can be found at www.BandaiNamcoGames.eu or Facebook.
The Samaritan Paradox has been one of the more interesting point-and-click puzzle titles that I’ve had the pleasure of playing. Developed by Faravid Interactive and published by the same company that published The Cat Lady, Screen 7, The Samaritan Paradox is one title that you should not overlook on your list of purchases. The game is available on Steam for $9.99, and can be played on both the PC and Linux. If you’re interested in difficult yet rewarding challenges in the form of an unraveling puzzle, The Samaritan Paradoxmight be the title for you.
Story
In The Samaritan Paradox, you follow Ord Salomon, a troubled cryptologist in almost every facet of life. He’s a recent single, he makes no money, leading to late payments on his rent, and he can’t seem to find the topic he’s looking for due to a writer’s block for his thesis paper. His friend notices his troubles and seeks to break him out of his rut. Ord is known to be an exceptional cryptologist, but it gets in the way of his other goals. So to solve this little issue, his friend gives him a book to read, one written by a man who recently passed away. However, Ord finds a code within the first few pages of the title, and looks for the author’s daughter to see if it means anything to her. She shies away from the message and its possible meaning, but allows Ord to delve deeper into the mystery. What could it be that the deceased author wants his daughter to find so badly, and why is she trying to avoid it so badly?
Gameplay
The gameplay follows the rules of a basic point-and-click puzzle title. Clicking around the different rooms Ord passes through will provide different available actions, depending on the objective of your current level. Clicking on a chair might yield a message stating that it is a piece of Ikea furniture, or that you don’t think you need to sit down at the moment. Clicking on a statue might also yield a message stating that you should look deeper into it and how it may interact with other objects. The game leads you down the path to discovering the mysteries revolving around the book without giving away all the secrets. Surprisingly, I found the game a little difficult at times. Faravid Interactive certainly did us no favors by providing us with an easy game to complete. Players will have to truly think like a code-breaker and seek to put one plus one together. The games depth creates a very strong sense of mystery, and you can’t help but get sucked into the world that Ord Salomon lives in.
As I made my way through the level, I eventually took a pen and a piece of paper out of my drawers and decided to immerse myself into the world of Ord Salomon. Every time I found myself in front of a puzzle, I would start writing down what I needed to do, what I’ve stumbled upon so far, and how each item interacts with each other. Now of course, I only do that because I like to get into the heads of my characters and become them for a much more interesting experience, but not everyone will have that sort of method. The game has a way of bringing that side of me out into the open, and it’s been a while since I’ve played a puzzle game that’s led to me whipping out the old pen and paper.
While the gameplay and overall mechanics of the title are comfortable enough to handle for both first timers and hardcore puzzle enthusiasts, the characters are slightly under-developed. Each of the characters are introduced in a handful of words, or not at all. Some people don’t really mind the character’s background and history, but it makes a difference in the overall scheme of things. Also, one of the things that I found difficult to look past was the way the chapters progressed. In the beginning, the game was very well-structured, and it flowed very nicely, but as you made your way through the levels, it sort of tapered off and you left with a sour taste in your mouth as you tried to put pieces of the puzzle together with no success. I felt like it was difficult to fully understand at the end because of that, and honestly, it was almost a deal breaker for me. Other than that though, the game plays quite nicely and it still gave me about 8 to 9 hours of very enjoyable game time.
Visuals & Audio
The visuals are nothing spectacular, but it’s an ode to the past point-and-click titles. At times, I found the graphics to be perfectly fit for a game of this genre, because it handles the atmosphere and emotions invoked when playing a point-and-click puzzle so well. The voice-acting, however, was a bit hit and miss. Ord’s voice was done very professionally, and you could really tell what his personality and character was like. A mild-mannered cryptologist that could calm and deter a riot. The voice-actor for Ord was terrific, but I can’t say the same for some of the other characters. For example, Sara Bergwall, the daughter of the deceased writer Jonatan Bergwall, had bursts of enthusiastic and purposeful voice-acting, but it would quickly die back down and become a bit more inhibited. It certainly made it less appealing for me to listen to, but I put that behind me so that I could really get into the game.
Overall
As a point-and-click title, The Samaritan Paradox is a completely worthwhile game to purchase, though certain players might be left with more than a little doubt by the time they reach the end. Puzzle enthusiasts should definitely check the game out. The journey towards the finale is a very entertaining and interesting one, and is more than able to make up for the slightly shoddy voice-acting and confusing conclusion. The puzzles are not easy in the least bit, and players will have to really think to solve any of the levels. I highly consider the game and would definitely recommend playing it for the challenge.
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