Call of Duty®: Ghosts Devastation DLC Pack Now Available on PlayStation Network and Windows PC
Second DLC Pack Features Four New Multiplayer Maps, the All-New 2-in-1 “Ripper” SMG/Assault Rifle, the Galaxy’s Ultimate Hunter – the Predator, and “Episode 2: Mayday” – the Second Chapter in Extinction’s Four-Part Episodic Narrative
Sydney, NSW – May 9, 2014 – Call of Duty®: Ghosts players on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3 and Windows PC can now purchase the Devastation DLC Pack, the game’s second of four epic DLC Packs planned to launch this year. Devastation offers up to four small-to-medium sized multiplayer maps, includes the all-new tactical 2-in-1 “Ripper” SMG/Assault Rifle, allows players to become the Predator, and delivers the next chapter in Extinction’s four-part episodic narrative with “Episode 2: Mayday.”
Devastation’s new multiplayer maps include:
– Ruins: A multi-level Mayan temple suited for both long-range weapons and close-quarters combat. Skilled players that find and complete the map’s unique Field Order will have the ability to become one of Hollywood’s most formidable action film stars and the galaxy’s ultimate hunter, the deadly Predator.
– Collision: The mangled remains of a cargo ship that’s crashed into a New York City bridge, this map’s tight corridors are made-up of burned-out vehicles and demolished shipping containers, creating a perfect space for run-and-gun players.
– Behemoth: Players battle atop a massive excavation platform in South America, with lengthy sight lines ideal for long-range weapons, while the confined interiors of the platform’s control rooms make for intense SMG and Shotgun encounters.
– Unearthed:A reimagined version of the fan-favorite map “Dome” from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3, “Unearthed” is full of new secrets and Cryptid artifacts for players to discover in this compact, versatile map, great for all play types.
Additionally, Call of Duty: Ghosts Devastation brings fans the next chapter in the ongoing episodic Extinction story with “Episode 2: Mayday.” In the aftermath of the events at the Nightfall Program facility in the Alaskan wilderness, the Quick Reaction Force boards a mysteriously abandoned Chinese research vessel adrift in the South Pacific Ocean. Armed with multiple, mod-able versions of the Venom-X weapons that harness the power of Cryptid technology, players will pursue Captain Archer in an attempt to uncover what’s become of Dr. Cross. The action continues as players battle against a new Cryptid enemy called the “Seeder,” and culminates as they face-off against a massive, 400-foot tall Cryptid beast from the deep – the “Kraken.”
Finally, Devastation arms players with the all-new tactical 2-in-1 “Ripper,” a hybrid SMG/Assault Rifle. The “Ripper” is the perfect complement to Devastation‘s new multiplayer maps, providing two different configurations that players can switch between on the fly – medium to short-range capability as an SMG, and medium to long-range as an Assault Rifle.
Devastation is available 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 Devastation DLC Pack.
Legal Stuff:
*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.
Video games industry honours IGEA, CEO Ron Curry with MCV Pacific’s ‘Pillar of the Industry’ Award
Sydney, Australia – 9 May, 2014 – The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association is proud to announce that its CEO, Ron Curry, has received the MCV Pacific ‘Pillar of the Industry’ award in recognition of his tireless efforts promoting and representing the video games industry in Australia and New Zealand.
Curry has become a driving force behind entertainment reform in Australia, with highlights including the successful legislative change to Australia’s classification system to include the R18+ rating, after a protracted 10 year battle.
The award was presented at last night’s MCV Pacific Awards 2014 in Sydney, at a gala event recognising excellence in the Australian and New Zealand video games industry. Ron was presented with the award, by MCV Pacific Commercial Director, Joel Van Daal.
“It is a rare thing to be officially recognised by your industry, and I can’t thank my team and the board members of IGEA enough for the ongoing support and friendship they have shown me over the years.” said Curry, “During my time at IGEA, the landscape has shifted dramatically and it is has been both a challenge and a thrill to tackle the issues that are important for our members and the broader community.”
Over the years, Ron has successfully built and maintained a strong and important voice on behalf of the industry, says IGEA Chairman, Edward Fong, setting the foundation for continued growth in the region.
“Throughout his career, and particularly since becoming the CEO of IGEA in 2008, Ron Curry has become a highly respected representative of our industry, creating ongoing and positive discussions to achieve classification reform, educating parents and consumers about games and coordinating diverse stakeholder groups to creating the one unified voice that has helped us flourish in Australia and New Zealand,” he said. “We could not be prouder to see Ron honoured with this well deserved award from MCV Pacific.”
Curry continues to play an instrumental role in addressing emerging issues regarding interactive entertainment, working closely with his counterparts at ESA, ESA Canada, ISFE, UKIE and USK to address global issues affecting the industry.
He remains committed to representing the industry’s interests while demonstrating the positive influence of interactive media in the broader community.
– Ends –
About the IGEA
The IGEA is an industry association representing the business and public policy interests of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video game industry. IGEA’s members publish, develop, market and/or distribute interactive games and entertainment content and related hardware including mobile and handheld games.
Ready for some awesome eShop releases to rain down on you? Well, you’re in luck as a lot has come this week, starting with a follow-up that is sure to get you to test that wi-fi signal. The “Denpa” Men 3: Rise of the Digitoll has hit the market, bringing with it that famous augmented-reality RPG gameplay that made it such a hit over the past couple of years. You can pick this entry up for a cool $9.99. The JRPG Grinsia is also available for a penny more, and looks to be a great way for a retro RPG fan to get a quick fix for their 3DS.
Next up is more Mega – due to it being Mega May. Mega Man II and III have hit the eShop (GB versions), expanding the 3DS Virtual Console at a low $2.99 entry fee for each. Speaking of the Virtual Console, the wonderful WarioLand 4 has also graced the Wii U for $7.99. We also have the demo for Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends, Parking Star 3D for $2.99, as well as Jewel Quest 4 Heritage, Jewel Match, and Sokomania 2: Cool Job, which the latter three can be found also on the DSi, surprisingly enough. Not a bad load, so get to spending those e-bucks while these titles are hot.
Sunset Overdrive has not been on the mind of many for a long time now, but that is about to change as a lengthy trailer has been released – featuring the first gameplay footage we have seen thus far. Insomniac Games are about to break the mold on the Xbox One, delivering what looks to be the console’s most imaginative entry to date.
The clip itself covers a bit of background on the development, story, and does well to display the insane and stylistic gameplay in action, which reminds me of absolutely nothing currently on the market – a fantastic thing to see in this age of reboots. Check that video out below, and get ready, as Sunset Overdrive is something that will be one a lot of tongues as we get closer to an eventual release.
“Hyrule Warriors” (“Zelda Musou” in Japan) was announced way back in December to the shock and elation of many “The Legend Of Zelda” fans around the world.
Now, a few months later, we’ve been given some more news regarding the hack and slash title: “Tecmo Koei” has been announced to be handling the publishing of the game over in Japan and they’ve already come out an revealed that they plan to release “Hyrule Warriors” on the Wii U this summer.
Obviously “Nintendo” will be publishing and distributing the game here in the West but, at this point in time, we’ve been given no word to when exactly that will be so, for now we’ll just have to be happy knowing that it WILL be hitting the West eventually.
Just in case you’ve forgetting all about this game, I’ve posted the teaser trailer for it in our featured video section below so head down there to check it out and make sure you hit up our comments section to let us know what you think.
“Sony Computer Entertainment” today released another trailer for their upcoming PlayStation Vita exclusive game “Freedom Wars“. This brand-new trailer gives audiences another huge look at the gameplay style of the game while also showing off its graphics, soundtrack and co-operative elements.
The video has players go up against a “Dive Punishment Abductor” titled “Koushin”, a creature featured in the game. “Freedom Wars” is set to hit Japan on the 26th of June with a Western release later on in the year. Head down to the featured video section below to check out the new trailer and don’t forget to hit up our comments section to let us know what you think of the game.
EA Mobile is celebrating 100 million The Sims FreePlay downloads in style with a major content update. The “Saddle Up” update features the surfing hobby, a new area in the beach, a surf van, and the equestrian themed content. Sims will now be able to raise six different breeds of horses in the new Rustic Stable. They can participate in the Show Tricks and Vaulting hobbies with their new horses and potentially unlock the Unicorn by earning all Show Jumping ribbons.
Iceberg Interactive (Dark Matter) and Darkling Room are taking the impressive step of developing three follow up games to The Lost Crown at the same time. The first of the three titles is The Last Crown: Blackenrock, which will be takes place in between The Lost Crown and the previously announce The Last Crown: Haunting of Hallowed Isle.The Last Crown: Blackenrock will be released later this year. Darkling Room plans on capping off the horror series with The First Crown.
All three new Crown games are being developed for a Steam release. In the mean time, Darkling Room is currently working on preparing The Lost Crown for a Steam release. For more information on The Last Crown: Blackenrock, be sure to check out the official site.
Gone are the days of generic superhero stories! Now, in 2014, we’ve gotten to a point in time where superheroes aren’t as one dimensional as they used to be and I personally think it’s a great place to be creatively-speaking. Over the past few years the superhero movie craze has exploded with the release of countless “Marvel” and “DC” films to the delight of audiences around the world. Hero stories have evolved to the point where it’s no longer JUST about saving lives while living two of your own, no this genre has grown to be much more than that.
Nowadays audiences are more interested with “realistic” superhero stories. Ones that show the pain of coming to terms with a heroic role or the devastation that comes with not being able to save everybody. This is the new age of superhero stories. “Zetman” happens to be an anime series (based on the original manga by Masakazu Katsura) that fits into this new age of superhero stories perfectly. It revolves around two young men, both leading their own lives but both of which share the same goals; to protect this world. Dealing with the themes of loss, anger and coming to terms with the lives they’re thrown into, “Zetman” truly does belong in this new hero age. (Read Travis Bruno’s review of the series by Clicking Here)
Story
The one thing you have to know about the “Zetman” series is that it’s based off of a manga that has been running since 2002 and is ongoing at this point in time. The series is a total of 13 episodes so before even watching this anime it’s obvious that it is going to be somewhat rushed. Unfortunately it doesn’t pay off well for “Zetman” but we’ll get to that soon enough. The series follows the stories of two young boys growing up in a world crawling with dangerous monsters disguised as humans. These monsters (called “players”) were developed long ago to fight in underground arenas for the sake of entertainment. The rich would watch these human-turned-creatures fight to the death.
They’d gamble, they’d eat, they’d drink and they’d have a pretty good time doing it too until these “Players” decide that enough is enough and rebel…which is exactly what happened. Cut to many years later and we’re introduced to Jin; a young, homeless boy living with his grandfather Gorou. Little Jin, along with his friend Kouga, would fight crime on the streets of this unnamed city. While Jin would ask for money to save people, Kouga felt that it was immoral and would fight simply for “justice”. One fateful day, Jin’s grandfather is murdered by a cereal killer who’s been causing some serious trouble around town. After certain events transpire, Jin confronts this “person” who turns out to be, yep you guessed it; a “player” disguised as a human. Transforming (“regressing” as they call it in the series), the murderer attacks Jin but this kid isn’t normal, he’s something different, something on a whole other level.
Jin kills the “player” with his natural strength and this is where the series truly kicks off. Many years later, Jin is now a teenager and lives with the woman who took care of him after his grandfather died. After coming into contact with another “player”, years after his first kill, Jin transforms into what we soon come to know as “Zetman”. Jin’s life then begins spiraling into obscurity as he finds out more about his past and continues to battle the evil forces know as the “players”. Now I’ll stop there, not only because I’ve already written enough about the story but because to tell you anymore will most likely take away from the twists and turns of the series. “Zetman” is written VERY well though it is majorly rushed so you don’t always get the full picture. I feel as though some storylines are cut short due to the crippling episode limit but, for the most part, you do get a chance to enjoy every small arc as they play out.
What I loved the most about “Zetman” was the way the stories of Jin and Kouga intersect with each other: For most of the series we’re shown these two men individually living their own lives and walking separate paths, both of which are leading to the same place but we don’t know that until a little later. The comparison and contrast between the two main characters is brilliant and it’s shown in the series in a way that isn’t too obvious but isn’t too vague, there’s a nice balance to it. The series falls victim to something quite typical of short series’; the first few episodes are great and the last few episodes are brilliant but the ones in between are lackluster and I blame it on the 13 episode restriction. Had they been given more screen time to work with, I guarantee this series would have turned out so much better.
Visuals
Despite the fact that “Zetman” was only made two years ago, I still found it to be kind of rough around the edges when it comes to the animation quality. Artistically-speaking, the series looked brilliant! It had a gritty and rough style that focused on the use of over-exaggerated facial expressions to convey true emotion to a degree in which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before, the only unfortunate thing about the series is that it’s animation quality wasn’t the best, as mentioned above. There were times when you saw a definite bump in the quality but those times were few and far between, and often easy to miss. What I found myself reveling in most of the time was how well-designed the characters were.
Not just the monstrous “players” but even just the regular human characters had an air of “realness” to them. “Zetman” (the series) looked like an artistic fusion of “Tiger & Bunny” and the “Shin Megami Tensei” series. Jin and Kouga definitely shared characteristics with Kotetsu and Barnaby (Tiger & Bunny), and “Zetman” absolutely looked like a demon you’d come across in any “Shin Megami Tensei” title. Luckily for me I happen to enjoy both those series’ so i absolutely loved the style of “Zetman”…if only the animation was good enough to do it justice.
Audio
This is where I believed the anime really fell flat. “Madman Entertainment” has given viewers the option to watch the series in both it’s original Japanese form or in it’s English dub form but it seems as though the English cast really lets the series down due to their sub-par acting. It was only near the very end of the series did you truly get a feel for just how talented these actors and actresses really are, most of the series they were forced to recite mediocre dialogue and, honestly, it didn’t seems as though they did the best they could’ve even with what they were given.
Characters seemed…bored. Half the time the voice actors couldn’t even scream or show true emotion though there were pockets of the series that showed some of what it was I was looking for. The soundtrack, for me, wasn’t memorable at all. I found the opening theme song to be quite annoying and the closing theme song to be just out of place. I wasn’t impressed at all when it come to the soundtrack, not until the very last scene of the series where it really made an impact on me. Had it made me feel that way throughout the whole thing, then I would’ve been more impressed.
Extras
The “Zetman” series collection come with nothing but the bare bones of any anime release: Clean opening and closing sequences, and a series trailer. I was quite disappointing; the series has such a great artistic style so it would have been nice to see some more artwork from the development stage but instead we got nothing. The on thing close to that was the flip side of the cover sleeve which had a nice image of the main cast.
Overall
I actually really enjoyed this series but that was only because I chose to put a great deal of focus into theorizing and speculating about the story in regards to all the different pieces of information that weren’t provided through. The voice acting and lack of memorable music did put a real dampen on the experience but at least the art style was good enough to keep me around. The animation quality isn’t the best and the story is rushed so, even when it comes to the things I did like about the series, some aspects of them did bum me out a bit. I’m not sure how close to the source material this anime is but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and say that fans of the manga will enjoy the anime. I think if you have an open mind about what anime titles you watch and you don’t mind sitting through some cringe-worthy dialogue than this may just be the series for you.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Well it was bound to happen eventually. Hell, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. With all her talk of victory and the joy of crushing people’s wishes, Akira finally managed to push Ruko too far. With last episode‘s promise of battle, it’s time to see if anyone can manage to push past Akira’s mind games and best the crazed model in battle.
When you get right down to it, Ruko is actually the perfect Selector to bring Akira down. Due to her having only recently entered the fray, Ruko is not considered a true threat to those who have been at it for a while now. Of course underestimating your opponent is never a wise thing to do and Akira’s resulting surprise from Ruko’s natural talent serve to throw her off her game a little. Plus it probably didn’t help that her own LRIG pointed out the Ruko was gifted. Breaking into her usual response of revenge, Akira decides to shatter Ruko’s resolve by destroying her cards, as she has done with every opponent in the past. However, unlike in the past, Akira makes a mistake and fails to guess Ruko’s cards correctly. Boy is that satisfying. Having seen Akira gloat about her WIXOSS talent since her introduction, it was an auspicious moment to see an opponent she couldn’t predict. This also revealed that, despite apparently following textbook moves, Ruko has added her own flair to her moves.
The enemy of my enemy, may be my enemy still
With her attempts to crush her in battle failing one after another, Akira decides to use her ace in the hole: wish reading. But from the moment the battle began we knew this would happen and we knew how it would end. As has been made so obvious throughout the series, Ruko has no wish, ergo Piruluk has nothing to read. Though this fact once again causes Ruko to think about her desires, the revelation that her opponent has no wish hits Akira hard. Having already emerged victorious in a number of battles, Akira is no closer to her dream, so the fact that someone with no end goal would stand in her way enrages her. Thus Akira joins the growing cast of characters who despise Ruko’s love of battle and fear the fact that they cannot fathom what she is thinking. If Ruko’s memories are true, her mother even left because she was afraid of her daughter. Which is depressing beyond all belief. It also makes you wonder about our cute little protagonist. Though she comes off as sweet and innocent, the enjoyment she finds in battle is entirely contradictory to this. To the point that it even frightens her. It’s a pretty dark concept.
In an effort to kick her while she’s down, the episode continues to follow Akira after her absolute defeat at the hands of Ruko. It is during a run in with Iona that we receive yet another indication of Akira’s villainy, as well as an explanation of a flashback from the last episode. Remember when we saw Iona battling that unidentified sick girl? That was only her second loss, which means that there was still hope…enter Akira. Promising to lose in order to help the poor girl, Akira goes back on her word and claimed victory for herself. So…Akira killed someone. As if we already didn’t like her. I mean sure, I understand that we’re supposed to feel some empathy for the girl, but she’s just so…evil. She’s so caught up in making her dream of destroying Iona come true, that she’s willing to ruin her own life in the process. Which is a good thin I suppose because that’s exactly what she’s doing. Though now that she’s most likely lost her third and final battle, who knows what’ll happen to her now. What is the tainted form of wishing suffering upon someone? Bad…I’m guessing it’ll be bad.
Tears shed for friends forgotten…
Not to be left out of the loop, the episode also spends some time focusing on Ruko’s long suffering friends. As Hitoe struggles with a pain she cannot truly comprehend, we see that she does possess some latent memories of her friends. However her loss continues to play catchup and erases any clues that could reawaken her stolen thoughts. As horrible as this is for Hitoe however, we also see the impact that this sudden personality change has on Hitoe’s mother. Having seen her child laughing just the day before, Hitoe’s mother is understandably worried when her daughter returns home depressed and unwilling to talk. The scenes with Hitoe’s mother also reveal that, despite having no knowledge of the Selector world, she remembers Ruko and Yuzuki. Which means that only Hitoe’s mind was affected. So not only does the poor girl lose her friends, those around her slowly begin to worry as Hitoe constantly screams in pain when she comes close to remnants of her past. Though, in a moment that flies under the radar somewhat, Hitoe is still able to hold her mother without any ill effects. So that’s something…I guess. It’s still tragic though.
As with literally every Selector in this anime, Yuzuki is not exactly living the good life at the moment. Remaining distant from her beloved brother, she is surrounded by some “friendly” girls from school who wish to impart some helpful knowledge on the girl: stay away from Kazuki. You see, apparently every girl at this school is a horrible person. Perhaps you recall the chase sequence from episode 4? Each girl straight up declares that they couldn’t care less what happens to Yuzuki, they just don’t want her to interfere with Kazuki’s life. Like they have the right to say that. They claim that because she “stalks” her brother, there are a number of rumours going around regarding their relationship. Seriously? I mean, we know how she truly feels about her brother, but what kind of rumours go around this school? Does nobody understand the concept of siblings? Is it really that weird for them to spend time with each other? Man those girls are aggravating. All that considered, I have to give Yuzuki credit for just walking away as they spoke. A lesser person would’ve fought back…I would’ve fought back. Though she did take out her frustration on that new Selector…
Sometimes it’s all you can do…
Anyway, with her world crumbling around her, Ruko isn’t in the best shape at the moment. She has one friend who is lost forever, one who is trapped in a cycle of anger and depression, two enemies who have denounced her as horrid and blasphemous and a conscience that leads her to take all of these events to heart. Let’s face it, being a Selector sucks…
Check out more selector infected WIXOSS Impressions HERE.
