We’re giving away 10x Capsule Computers CC IndieGala Every Monday #6 bundle packs which includes a total of 6 fantastic PC Indie games. (See below for list of games)
FRACT OSC is a musical adventure about exploration. Players will wander around the world and solve puzzles to bring sleeping machines back to life. Along the way, they will unlock the parts required to create their own music studio.
Story
FRACT OSC does not have a plot at all. The game is focused purely on the music and the exploration.
Gameplay
Exploration, puzzle solving, and music making are the main themes in FRACT OSC. The exploration aspect of the game kicks in immediately. Instead of a traditional menu, players are thrown right into the game when FRACT OSC is booted up. Upon wandering around the area, I discovered an array of monitors. This was the music studio. As I completed puzzles in the game, parts of the studio unlocked, becoming a fully fledge synthesizer. A portal led me to the main playable portion of the game.
FRACT OSC is split into three zones. The Lead Synthesizer, Bass Synthesizer, and the Pad Synthesizer zones represent the three unlockable sections in the studio. Each zone has are comprised of two distinct puzzle types that will become progressively harder as the game continues. Scattered in between are smaller unique puzzles that are a little more out of the way. These are discovered through exploration and will reward players with an achievement. Each zone is capped off with a final puzzle that will challenge players to recall (or screenshot) previously explored areas that provide a hint on how to solve the final puzzle.
The puzzles in FRACT OSC have a nice bit of variety. Some are more traditional puzzles that could easily be found in a 2D game, while others make better use of them game’s first person perspective. However, even the 2d styled puzzles have a certain level of physicality that will have players moving around the environment. All of the puzzles will cause the music to shift and react, creating a wonderful and trippy effect. My biggest complaint with the puzzles is that the basic puzzles are the same two puzzles, with simply a higher level of difficulty. I would have appreciated a little more variety in the levels.
The exploration aspect of FRACT OSC is a bit of a mixed bag. Exploring for the special achievement puzzles often means wandering around a good bit. The path to the basic puzzles that will unlock studio parts tends to be a straight forward affair.
FRACT OSC’s controls are pretty standard FPS fare, though noticeably absent is the ability to jump. Pressing right click will lock the view and allow players to interact with the world using a mouse cursor and the left click. The game’s UI is set up to work well with this system, allowing for gamers to focus more on puzzle solving and less on getting minute movement down to interact with the game. This system allows for a perfect balance between mouse based puzzle solving and maintaining the first person feel of the game.
The synthesizer studio is a surprisingly easy to use music creator that allows players to create their own tracks in the theme of the game. The first puzzle in each zone will unlock the specific music pad in the studio. As more puzzles are completed in the main game, new ways to change the music such as volume and gravity are unlocked in the studio. The tracks can be exported and shared with friends. This is definitely a fun addition that provides a little extra value to FRACT OSC.
Visuals
According to the developers, the visuals in FRACT OSC are inspired by the Tron series. The game is full of dark muted colours interspersed with bright fluorescent splashes of colour. The resulting effect is a very sci-fi retro look that really suits the synthesized music. There are some visual indicators which provide some hints on where players to head off next. They are a bit of a mixed bag, though. Some, like appearing pathways, are extremely obvious. Others, like posts sticking out of the ground, can be too few or too obscure to be helpful.
Audio
What makes FRACT OSC such an impressive experience is the way the game’s music works its way into everything in the game. Visual elements in the puzzles pulse and flash with the music. Attempting to solve a puzzle will subtly change the game, while solving more and more puzzles in a zone will cause the music to go from an eerie silence to the entire music track in its full glory. The soundtrack by Mogi Grumbles is an absolute pleasure to listen to, and the fact it is integrated so well in the game is an added bonus. The only strange thing about the game is that there is no way to control the volume of the game in the menu. There are options for video, game controls, but no options for sound.
Overall
FRACT OSC is a great package. There is little wonder why the developers made out like a bandit in a train robbery at many indie game festival award shows. The developers did an absolutely fantastic job mixing the music into the game. There are some small improvements that could be made, as I would have liked to see more variety in the puzzles. However, FRACT OSC easily earns its place as a must-experience indie game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
After the commercial and critical failure of Aliens: Colonial Marines, the Aliens franchise is in dire need of an awesome reboot. Luckily, The Creative Assembly have got us covered with this year’s upcoming first person horror experience; Alien: Isolation. A lot of buzz surrounds this game, but there is still so much to learn before it hits store shelves later this year.
To give us a little bit more of an insight into the game’s world and its characters, the developers have compiled a nice little trailer titled “Creating the Cast.” We have attached the trailer for you to check out below and I don’t want to spoil too much, but this looks like it will be an awesome adaptation of the Alien lore that features all the characters you love from the original films and combines it with just the right horror elements to make a memorable game.
So check out the trailer and let us know if you are excited or still jaded about Colonial Marines. As always folks, stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Aliens news as it becomes available.
Tropico is well known as the default Caribbean Dictator simulation game where the player can enforce their will on the island populace with ease, but can the people serve more than one master? Tropico 5 seeks to answer this question by introducing multiplayer to the Tropico series. The trailer below teasing this new multiplayer element is largely sparse on details but it appears that players will be able to co-operate together in building their island nations, as well as engaging in aggressive acts of war against each other. How many players the game will support in multiplayer mode is currently uncertain and it remains to be seen how exactly this will be implemented in terms of gameplay.
The developer for Tropico 5, Haemimont Games, will attempt to re-educate -er, I mean: win you over in a live stream of a gameplay demo next week via Twitch.tv on Thursday 15th of May at 19:00GMT/20:00CET. The audience will be able to ask the devs questions and I’m sure we’ll be able to learn more details about how exactly multiplayer will work in this traditionally single-player series. The link for the can be found here.
As well as the new multiplayer feature, the game will have a number of new elements which we have mentioned previously on this site. Overall, I look forward to trying out this new installment in the series and the new elements which are being added in. What say you?
The game itself will be released by Kalypso Media on PC on the 23rd of May, with Xbox 360, Mac, and PS4 versions available later this year.
“Don’t believe it all, find out for yourself, check before you spread, the News(Beat) of the world!” It’s that time again folks! Park your butts in your seats, and get ready for this week’s Xbox Newsbeat! Newsbeat is your one stop shop for all the amazing news that Microsoft HQ churn out. Seriously, it is like those guys are game-making machines or something! This week is rather small, only containing 4 Xbox One articles (I also feel like I should apologise for my outburst at Windows Phone last week… but I’m not going to). So hit the lights and play my music, because it’s time for Newsbeat.
Coming Soon: New Audio Controls and Opt-In Setting to Help Improve Voice Recognition
So if you are a regular here at Xbox Newsbeat, or you happen to OWN an Xbox One, then you will likely know that the guys over at Microsoft have been working on tweaks and changes to make the console run more smoothly and be a better experience for players. Even though the last update just rolled out last week, they are already preparing for the next set of patches. These will largely relate to how you can speak and listen to your console.
The first big announcement here is the fact that when snapping two different apps, you will now be able to select which of the two is louder. I personally cannot wait for this feature, as I frequently have trouble hearing my favourite episodes of Breaking Bad while trying to play Lego: The Hobbit.
Secondly, players will have the option of opting-in to a program that will allow for better voice recognition. The more people that opt-in mean the better that the Xbox One and Kinect can be.
Forza Motorsport 5 Meguiar’s Car Pack Now Available
Are there just not enough cars for you in Forza Motorsport 5? Well if you are a Forza Car Pass owner, or willing to shell out $13.50 then you can grab yourself the latest Car DLC Pack for the game. The Meguiar’s Car Pack includes 10 top of the line luxury vehicles that have been designed from the ground up for Forza players to enjoy. You will be able to race and customise the following gorgeous rides:
2013 BMW M Performance M3 Racing Car
1986 Alfa Romeo GTV-6
1958 Aston Martin DBR1
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato (Villa d’Este)
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396
1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe
1966 Ford Lotus Cortina
1973 Mazda RX-3
1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock
Kinect Sports Rivals Kicks In New Content
If you have been holding off on getting Kinect Sports Rivals, then I might just have the news piece for you. The developes over at Rare have created a new slew of content based on some of their most popular game franchises. These new challenges will include story elements and characters from games both past and present. Here they are:
Banjo-KazooieChallenge Pack
BattletoadsChallenge Pack
Blast Corps Challenge Pack
Perfect DarkChallenge Pack
Viva PinataChallenge Pack
I just want to point something out to people who might have been skipping through. There is officially Battletoads content in Kinect Sports Rivals. While it isn’t the next-gen brawler experience that people have been clamoring for, for over 10 years, it is still a start. In addition to the challenges, the Kinect Sports Hub also has a few new features for players to enjoy:
Team-based photo gallery backgrounds
Greatest moments videos
“Kinect Sports Rivals” Island news button
News Articles in the “Kinect Sports Rivals” Hub
“New!” “Kinect Sports Rivals” story button banner
“Sunset Overdrive” Ignites the Awesomepocalypse with First Gameplay Video and Day One Edition Details
Just yesterday, Microsoft and Insomniac Games released the first gameplay trailer for the highly anticipated Sunset Overdrive. Today, we can talk a little more about the special Day-One edition of the game. Like many of the first-party launch titles for Xbox One, Sunset Overdrive will award early adopters with some extra goodies. These include:
“Nothin’ but the Hits” gun:An overcharged version of the High Fidelity gun that launches limited edition, priceless, multi-colored vinyls that do increased damage.
“It’s Me! Fizzie!” outfit: Fizzie is more popular than you because he has a great marketing budget. So, why not dress up as him and get in on some of that fame?
“Hardcore! Hammer”: You ponder buying the Day One Edition of “Sunset Overdrive.” A spot check reveals that if you do, you can equip a mighty hammer made from a bat and spiked dumb-bells. You buy the Day One Edition of “Sunset Overdrive.”
That’s it for another week of Xbox Newsbeat. I hope you have all satisfied your hunger for sweet, delicious Xbox One news and savored the aftertaste. Let us know in the comments below which of today’s headlines grabbed you most and remember to check back to Capsule Computers for the latest installment of Xbox Newsbeat.
Last week, Gameloft announced that their long in-development Modern Combat 5 had been renamed Modern Combat: Blackout. Other than the name change and a little blurb about the plot, we didn’t know too much about what Modern Combat: Blackout will be bringing to the table. Well today we finally have some more info.
Firstly, there will be four different character classes for players to choose from. These will feature their own set of skill-trees and weapons that set them apart from one other. It seems that Gameloft are taking a page out of Gearbox’s book and combining RPG elements with their running and gunning. Here are the four classes you will get to pick between:
Assault – Aggressive fighter that is effective at medium range combat. Equips assault rifles and pistols.
Heavy – Resilience is its main advantage. Equips shotguns and RPGs and feels comfortable in close to medium combat.
Recon – Focuses on fast action and exposing enemies. Equips SMGs and pistols. Efficient in close range combat.
Sniper – Obviously, focuses on sharpshooting with a stealth approach. Equips sniper rifles and pistols. Efficient in long distance combat.
In addition, we now also know that the leveling system will be shared between the single and multiplayer experiences. This means you can level up during your solo campaign and bring your ready to fight soldier onto the online battle arena, or vice versa. This system will also allow you to unlock new weapons that will be usable in both game modes.
While it may not seem like much new info, we are slowly learning more and more about the game and with every passing week it looks like Modern Combat 5 may be the best shooter to ever hit handhelds. For more information about Modern Combat as it becomes available, be sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa) has been announced with a new trailer. The game is developed by indie developers Upper One Games, whose team is comprised of Indigenous Americans from Alaska. Their game Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa) is a puzzle platformer written with the help of elders and traditional storytellers, bringing the thousand year old stories of the Iñupiat people to life. The game stars Nuna and her Arctic fox companion on a journey of survival in the cold lands of Alaska.
Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa) will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. The game will cost $15 and will be released in Fall 2014. Learn more about the game at the official Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa)website.
We all know about the wide range of designs Converse have in their Chuck Taylor range, but this time it is Reebok with a new release that is going to impress and excite many anime fans
To celebrate the 20th anniversary for their Insta Pump Fury range, the company has collaborated with the hugely popular Gundam franchise to create two designs focused around the Rx-78-2 and MS-06 mobile suites. The shoes will feature logos and model numbers based around both of the suites and will also come in a special package designed to look like an actual Gunpla box.
Unfortunately not all Gundam fans will be able to get their hands on these shoes as they will only be released in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Each pair is also priced at 1499 Hong Kong dollars, which is around $200 USD, so if they do get released in other countries you may have to fork out quite a bit.
Let us know what you think about these shoes by leaving a comment down below.
After the massive popularity (and controversy) generated from Oreimo, the creators began a new brother-sister light novel series for their fans, which will soon be getting its own manga nearing the end of this month.
The creators, Tsukasa Fushimi and Hiro Kanzaki, announced the manga adaptation whilst attending the anime event Machi Asobi in Tokushima; it will be published in the latest issue of Dengeki Daioh magazine which will be released this month on the 27th. Not only is the manga going to be available to Eromanga fans, but the second volume of the LN will be released as of today.
Eromanga Sensei- Imoto to Akazu no Ma focuses around high-school student Masamune Izumi and his hikikomori sister Sagiri. Masamune is a light novel author who soon discovers that his own sister is the mysterious illustrator behind the extremely perverted drawings he uses within his stories.
Let us know what you think about the new series by leaving a comment down below.
Square Enix have announced that one of the most beloved RPG titles in gaming history, Final Fantasy III, will be coming to Steam for PC. The first of the series to sell a million copies, Final Fantasy III is being optimised for PC’s with upgraded 3D visuals and story sequences, brand new visual designs for Job Mastery Cards, quicker browsing through the Monster Bestiary and other records, and will include Steam Trading Cards as well as Achievements.
No solid release date has been set yet, although we can expect Final Fantasy III‘s release on Steam “soon”. Check out the gallery below for first screens of the enhanced port.
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