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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Review

May 8, 2014

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Developer: Beenox
Publisher: Activision
Platform: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Wii U, PC
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Price: $69.95 Buy Here

Overview
Seeing Spider-Man in the video game world is kind of like seeing that friend that you enjoy to be around – but only in doses. For years we have seen entry after entry – with mixed to great results. Beenox has now established themselves as a developer who knows what they are doing with Spidey, but like the others, have shown their shortcomings with certain aspects of the games. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 however seemed to be jam-packed – and even if it was just going to be an “ok” game, the large portion of fan service would have definitely brought it up a peg, right? How does this new installment fare in a world cluttered by the so-so licensed game? Let’s find out.

Story
To say that the plot in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is crowded is putting it lightly. While we do get to see a lot of recreated scenes from the cinematic interpretation, the video game version goes a little further by adding plenty of sub-plots with other villains. By other, I mean a lot. You have Peter Parker, who is conflicted in his identity and consequence, who has to face his past and present as villain after villain gets chucked into the story just for the sake of it. We also have other appearances from The Black Cat, which furthers the narrative a bit, but doesn’t do enough to stomp out the overwhelming filler that runs wild for nearly the entire experience.

Even with a sub-par story, a new dialogue choice option was added in to make it feel like the decisions you make in conversations would have an effect on the overall plot. Sadly, this is just an illusion as all this does is randomize interrogations and lead to the same result every single time. Sure, there were times the plot gripped me and I was genuinely interested, but this title loses those moments of strength and substance quickly by taking you back to the same streets of Manhattan to do the same kind of crime fighting you were doing just minutes before, as you “fight the inner demons” – which by the way is just another invisible arrow telling you to do more of the tedious rescue missions.

Another element of the narrative that is equally frustrating is the character of Peter Parker. You see, Peter loses Uncle Ben (that really isn’t a spoiler at all), and is rather shaken up. In fact, a good part of the first quarter of the game is consumed with his quest for vengeance. This would have been fine, but the game breaks the player’s emotional attachment to the situation constantly by allowing Peter to talk while swinging around the city. One moment, you will see a heartbroken Peter with his dear aunt, talking about the death, and not even a minute later, Peter is screaming out puns like an idiot as he explores the city. Its unfitting and a clear sign of a missing piece that was never formed by Beenox.

Gameplay
While the plot is a bit of a mess, the gameplay is much more together for the most part. The most important element in my eyes, which is swinging – has been completely retooled and feels more natural than ever before. By utilizing the left and right triggers, Spidey can now shoot web out of the corresponding limb. It sounds like a ho-hum addition, but in action the player now has much more control over their direction while in the air. The webbing itself also received an upgrade of sorts, no longer sticking to buildings and structures that are not there. This means that the player must stay low and get a better feel for the city, which definitely is an upgrade to to aimless floating feeling that The Amazing Spider-Man could never shake. The only downside to this is that the web still has issues with not sticking and sticking to nothing, but honestly – if you have momentum going and are just looking to glide and have fun, it really won’t make much of a difference.

The combat comes off however as sloppy. Flipping around, dodging, and hitting some quick melees make you feel like the hero you are, but while in closed spaces, the camera has issues and makes it far more of a chore than it should be. I know Arkham Asylum was great, but so was Spider-Man 2 (and even 3) in terms of combat. We get a watered down, more acrobatic move-list that feels like it was tuned to resemble Arkham, and in turn lose out on a lot of older techniques, now being forced to rely on web pulls and other frustrating maneuvers due to the low move pool. There are upgrades to these attacks – along with the web mechanics, but they do little to fix the overall problem. The combat is just too jerky and unstable to enjoy.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a ton of villains, which means a lot of boss battles are available for you to partake in. These fights are actually not that bad even though some border on being a quick-time event rather than an actual fight, but still come off as one of the game’s shining moments due to the quality shown compared to the lesser battles. Foes within the game are just not fun to do battle with. I’m talking the grunts that appear in the many, many missions located on the map, and even though the difficulty is not steep on these encounters, the AI is awful and I spent a lot of time chasing down men who were spinning in place and shooting at some random spot in the map. There is a heavy emphasis on participating in heroic acts during The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but with shaky camera angles and and a little too much recycling and padding, it can feel like your stuck in Groundhog Day, waiting for the next boss battle to come along just so you can get an escape.

Peter Parker’s other profession is a photographer – and we finally get to see that expanded upon within the game itself this time around. During the build-up for a big encounter, the player will have to walk around powerless and snap photos. Its not very exciting, and there isn’t enough reward to warrant doing so – leading to yet another boring task that could have been more fulfilling with a little extra attention. That is the biggest flaw overall with The Amazing Spider-Man 2, really. No matter how hard it tries, the game never delivers a pay-off. Swinging is a blast and some missions are fun, but you can only swing for so long before you have to come down and re-enter the monotonous world build for us to play in.

Visuals
For a game that feels rather rushed, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 does deliver in the visual department for the most part. The scenery and lighting paint a beautiful picture of an active city. The models are a bit bland and expressionless, but the textures and animations of the cars down below make up for a lot of the shortcomings. The animations of the NPCs however are awkward and stiff, and being on the ground is a lesser experience because of it. We do get some nice suits and little offerings in visual nostalgia from time to time though, so those who are hardcore fans of the comics will probably find a lot of life in the game by just exploring and picking up items.

Audio
I remember some of the soundtrack for this game somewhat fondly as it isn’t terrible, it just tends to fade away into the background. This is mainly due to the dialogue of Peter Parker, which takes center stage while you’re out solo roaming the skies. The voice cast as a whole, Peter included, just come off as a bit bored, and dull. Its like they were handed scripts and told to finish reading in a day, and because of that, a good portion of the emotion and personality that we seen in past installments drifts away like a web in the wind. It is cool to hear people react to Spider-Man as he walks around, or to hear cars honk if you get to close, but those are minor additions that should not have come before something as major as the big picture itself.

Overall
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is in no way a bad game. The gameplay is fun, and while the combat is clunky – it still gets the job done. It is however a very uninspired adventure, confused on if it wants to be a more arcade experience or tell us an unforgettable tale. You will always see critics reference Spider-Man 2: The Game in reviews for this franchise as it set the mark. It was an arcade adventure that was deep, rewarding, and still let you do what you want, when you wanted. There was a sense of freedom. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fails at hitting that mark, as it feels rushed, even though you can see the foundation for a similar experience buried underneath the cobwebs. Spider-Man fans, you’ll still enjoy this game – as it still has some worthwhile elements that are fully function-able. Those looking for one of those cult classic, licensed titles however are going to have to wait and see the next project Beenox has in store, when more time can simply be offered to the development cycle.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Always Sometimes Monsters Preview

Chris Chu

May 8, 2014

Always Sometimes Monsters
Developer: Vagabond Dog
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: Spring 2014
Price: $9.99 – Pre-purchase available here

Always Sometimes Monsters surprised me. I don’t usually ponder about things like the reality of our situations or how humane or inhumane things in life are. This title developed by Vagabond Dog and published by Devolver Digital, who were the publishers of Broforce, went above and beyond in creating an experience that was not only interesting, but enlightening. It’s so weird to say that about video games, but Vagabond Dog’s first title was an eye opening experience, to say the least.

Throughout the gameplay, I constantly questioned myself on what my next choices were. I decided to run through the game three times, once as a goodie two-shoe, the next as an evil person, and the last as myself. All three of those scenarios played out differently for me, and that just goes to show how much thought was put into the storyline’s progression.

In the game, you’re allowed to play as any gender, race, age, and orientation. There are no limits as to what character you choose to play, and that adds a new depth to the game and allows players to replay it continuously. The game also really pushes the different kinds of responses you get based on what kind of character you play. The way the NPCs in the game respond to your character is dependent on what characteristics he or she shows. Everything in Always Sometimes Monsters is circumstantial, and in a way, it makes the gameplay very exciting.

While this isn’t the typical sort of game that I would pick up and play through, I’ll admit that I was intrigued for hours on what I could possibly do within the games’ universe. The beginning scene in the game follows a woman who hired a hitman to kill someone for her, but she immediately regrets it. As the female chases him, they encounter a mysterious man who pulls out a gun and goes into a long story of why he and the hitman are destined to meet and kill each other. From there, you are given options. You can either choose to ignore him and walk away, listen to his story, or shoot him on the spot. Each option provides a different scene.

The beginning of the story starts off with a writer who is about to get evicted from his/her house, depending on who you choose to start off with. My first go around, I chose to play as a blonde female, and I ended up choosing her another female partner. This certain situation creates a lot of difficulties for me as I progress through the gameplay. If I played a straight white female, things would have definitely been different in most of my situations throughout the game’s progression. In my situation as a homosexual female, the NPCs around me shifted to respond to my inquiries and questions differently. One of the things I noticed was that sometimes, people can be monsters.

Relationships in Always Sometimes Monsters is a huge aspect of the game that is focused on. Players can explore freely all of the options at your disposal. NPCs react differently towards your character if you’re straight or homosexual. Race and gender are also hugely different factors that really influence the way NPCs respond to you. Male characters typically seem to have an easier time achieving goals than the female characters, and while this is really unfair, it’s realistic. This is Vagabond Dog’s aim for Always Sometimes Monsters, and it really reminds you of the very real issues that exist in society.

The name itself is a shot at how people nowadays aren’t as transparent as they seem. Regardless of how you play, hints of the monster in you may appear as you deal with the other characters in the game. Whether you lie or do something that puts you ahead of the other characters, the selfishness that defines society today is reflected in the choices we make in this game. As stated earlier, every choice you make creates a distinctly different situation. In the scene where I was face to face with another man who had a gun and the lady that hired me, if you chose to walk away from him, he would threaten to kill the girl. The first time I played, I chose to do that because I didn’t think it was that important. The game screen blacked out and thanked me for playing in an almost mocking way. The game capitalizes on when you create an immoral choice, and you can tell when you’ve done something bad. After a while of playing through the game, it was difficult to make choices that may reflect poorly on myself. It made me really self-conscious about what I was doing, and that’s really weird considering it’s just a game.

The graphics aren’t anything special, but it provides an atmosphere that a 3D game really wouldn’t have been able to. The soundtrack was also very haunting, and it personally made me feel very weird inside. The whole game questions your motives and highlights the selfishness seen in people. As much as this game surprised me, I’d easily recommend this title to anyone that’s willing to purchase it.

New Live-Action “Power Rangers” Movie Announced

Frank Inglese

May 8, 2014

It was today announced that “Lionsgate” and “Saban Brands” will be coming together to begin production for a brand-new “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” live-action film based on the series from the 1990s. Yes this is absolutely true. It has been said that the upcoming film will feature the same characters that were present in the original series and hopes are that this new movie will rejuvenate the majorities’ love for “super sentai-style” cinema.

“Lionsgate is the perfect home for elevating our Power Rangers brand to the next level…They have the vision, marketing prowess and incredible track record in launching breakthrough hits from The Hunger Games to Twilight and Divergent. In partnership with the Lionsgate team, we’re confident that we will capture the world of the Power Rangers and translate it into a unique and memorable motion picture phenomenon with a legacy all its own.” – Haim Saban

“Power Rangers” have been present in children’s lives for many years and I feel as though, much like Mr. Saban and the good people at “Lionsgate”, it should definitely make a return in some huge way. Hopefully production for this movie will go as smoothly as possible so that we won’t be waiting too long to get our hands on some incredible next-generation “Power Rangers” action.

Naruto Shippuden Movie 5: Blood Prison Review

Frank Inglese

May 8, 2014

Naruto Shippuden Movie 5: Blood Prison Review

Naruto Shippuden Movie 5: Blood Prison
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Format: DVD, Blu-Ray (Reviewed)
Release Date: 16th April 2014
Price: $29.94 – Available Here

Overview

Not only does every Shonen series in circulation have an almost uncountable number of episodes under their belt, with more set to come, but they also have a handful of story-branching movies to go along with it, Naruto is one of those series’ and considering it’s been going for many years I can’t say any of us are really surprised by this. Year after year we’re given movie after movie, some of them are actually pretty good, others seem more like extended episodes rather than full movies. I have to give it to the show-runners of these series’ because every time they branch off the storyline into something that is meant to fit into a movie they try their very best to make it different, unique or even slightly interesting, it doesn’t always land but when it does…it does it well.

Story

One dark night, the Raikage and his small team are attacked by a mysterious and deadly ninja who reveals himself to be none other than our hero Naruto Uzumaki. Back at the Hidden Leaf village, Tsunade (the Hokage) calls a meating with Naruto and Team 7 wherein which she explains the situation to Naruto. Shocked because he obviously didn’t do it, Naruto has a bit of a freak out, especially when he’s told he’s being sent to one of the highest security prisons in the known “Naruto” universe; “Hozuki Castle”. The warden there, a man they call Mui, has an interesting an highly-convenient power that can “seal” a shinobi’s power stopping him/her from being able to use his/her chakra.

It also prevents the victim from escaping from the island; not only is it surrounded by deep, dark water but getting too far away from Mui will actually set a sealed ninja on fire, killing them in the most painful way possible. Naruto is sent to this prison for crimes he didn’t even know he committed but what makes it worse is that he finds himself caught up in some sort of clan “conspiracy” that revolves around a magical box that can grant wishes. Naruto, alongside his new prison friends, must figure out just what is going on and just how to stop Mui from opening up this supernatural box and unleashing his devious plans on the world. Basically this movie is one massive filler episode. It’s chock full of brand-new characters, some with abilities so specific that they can only really be relevant in this particular film. One character has a “life transference” power which, as you may have already figured out, comes into play later on in the film for one “cop out” of a final scene.

This story was basically a “Naruto” version of “Shawshank Redemption” but with the addition of a powerful ninja box that could grant wishes. Unfortunately this movie had the same course of action as every single other “Naruto” movie and it pretty much ended up the same way; it wasn’t a bad film but it wasn’t a good one, it was just a “Naruto” film. Every “Naruto” film has, essentially, the same story layout: Naruto goes about life as normal as he can, something bad happens to some other ninja, Naruto gets thrown into mix because of some generic reason, something bad happens, the world is in trouble and Naruto is the only person in the land of ninjas that can save the day. I do have to say; the story does get good near the end but there are certain plot holes that should NOT be present in the movie.

Visuals

The film was developed by the same studio and staff that have been working on the series since it was first released all the way back in 2002 so, as you can imagine, it looks quite similar to the way the “Naruto Shippuden” series looks now. The film is set outside of the Hidden Leaf village and in a place that we’ve never seen before so it was quite exciting especially because I don’t believe we’ve ever been shown a prison in the show. The way it was designed was actually very nice looking and fit the odd and conflicting style of “Naruto”. The prison cells were designed almost like wooden crates in a very traditional Japanese style but the buildings within the walls of the castle almost resembled modern sky scrapers creating a nice comparison between ancient and contemporary architectural styles.

The animation, for the most part, was standard; it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t fantastic though, during certain scenes, the animation quality does get a huge bump up making for some absolutely brilliant scenes of action and intensity. The escalation of the film’s events really allow for the animators to run wild. In some cases the characters didn’t even look like that of “Naruto” ones, they looked strange but ultimately great. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones where Mui (the warden) was shown to have a twisted visage; eyes widened, mouth agape and a look of pure intimidation plastered on his face, these scenes worked as true testaments to the high animation level that was achieved by the end of this film…though, there were some areas throughout that were plain boring or looked as though they weren’t entirely well-animated but they were few and far between so it wasn’t necessarily an issue.

Audio

“Blood Prison” sticks to the same musical format that the series has always followed: The soundtrack is mostly made up by songs composed with traditional Japanese instruments to give that “authentic” ninja feel…if there’s such a thing. Occasionally they’ll throw in a bit of guitar shredding to put emphasis on a scene but, for the most part, they stick with the typical use of the “Koto” and other instruments like it. Fact is; that musical style fits the “Naruto” series perfectly so it’s obvious that the development team would make the decision to use similar tracks for the movie. Even in saying that, I can’t honestly say the soundtrack was that memorable. Despite the fact that it fits, it’s still a constant in the “Naruto” film and TV series so it feels almost like a “copy and paste” even though that may not necessarily be the case.

The voice acting in the film was held up entirely by characters only introduced for the film. Naruto was by far the most lackluster sounding character in the movie but luckily it was populated by a bunch of new characters who had some great voice actors and actresses…if only the dialogue allowed for them to truly shine as masters of their art but unfortunately that wasn’t entirely the case. The cast were good enough at their job to make the characters sound good despite the silly writing but I could only imagine how good they would have sounded had the script been at a higher caliber. By the end of the film you definitely got to see the cast shine but they were quickly brought back down to Earth by another long-winded speech by Naruto regarding love, friendship and all the themes that are present in every single piece of “Naruto” media.

Extras

I was actually quite surprised to see that the “Naruto Shippuden Movie 5: Blood Prison” release came with some pretty quirky and cool extras. The movie came with most of the regular extras like movie trailers, other anime trailers and an art gallery which just showed the character of the movie but it also came with a couple extra features, one of which is actually a mini-movie. Fans of the Japanese voice cast will be excited to know that the release comes with an interview with the voice Naruto Junko Takeuchi. It also comes with a message from the creator of the series himself Masashi Kishimoto and, as mentioned above, a mini-movie titled “Chunin Exam on Fire! Naruto Vs Konohamaru!”.

Overall

If you’re a fan of the “Naruto” series than you’ll absolutely love this movie. If you’re a fan of anime that enjoys a well-rounded story with some interesting character types than maybe this movie isn’t entirely for you. Having a deep connection to the character of Naruto is definitely a prerequisite for enjoying any “Naruto” movie, without that it just seems like a strange and badly-written anime movie that almost falls flat but luckily is held up by a nice aesthetical style and copious amounts of ninja-style action. If you’ve enjoyed every other “Naruto” movie in the film series than I can’t imagine you disliking this one, it actually isn’t too bad but there are deffinitely little things here and there (especially throughout the story) that help you to remember this is just another “Shonen Jumps” anime movie. Still, at the end of the day, it’s a nice little movie that you can throw on and watch while doing something else and still fully understand it so I say just give it a try. You most likely wont regret it.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

K Series Collection Blu-Ray Review

Kane Bugeja

May 8, 2014

K Series Collection
Studio: GoHands
Publisher: Madman
Format: DVD/Blu-Ray – Reviewed on Blu-Ray
Release Date: 16th April 2014
Price: $64.95 – Available Here

Overview
Doppelgangers are an interesting facet of existence. With the billions of people who call this planet home, there’s bound to be a few who look similar, despite lacking a genetic connection. It’s pretty cool. Of course, when this causes gangs of superpowered tough guys to come hunt you down, it becomes substantially less cool. A fact that one highschooler now knows all too well. Captured on film performing a crime he claims to have no knowledge about, is this a case of mistaken identity, or is something much more heinous afoot?

K-Series-Collection-Screenshot-01 — **Just a boy and his cat…right?**

Story
Yashiro Isana is your everyday, carefree highschooler, content with swiping food from his friends and lounging in the sun. Truly a happy little life…until Tatara Totsuka was killed. Despite claiming to know nothing of the murder, Shiro soon finds himself thrown into a world of violence, superpowers and suspicion, as video evidence clearly shows him shooting Tatara in cold blood. As such, Shiro begins to fear for his very life, hunted from multiple sides as he tries to prove his innocence to those around him…along with himself. It’s not all bad though, Kuroh Yatogami, also known as the Black Dog, decides to stand by Shiro’s side in order to truly see if the boy is innocent. Of course he’ll kill him if he turns out to be the murder, but in these situations, beggars can’t be choosers.

As the story progresses, we are thrown for more loops than a rollercoaster when it comes to Shiro’s true identity. One episode we believe him to be innocent of the crime, another he finds evidence to the contrary. He establishes an alibi, it turns out to be false, he finds another, that one is false…it’s all over the place, but in a good way. The constant flip flopping serves to mix up the series a little, sure you might have your own theories regarding whether or not Shiro did it, but how can you be sure when even he doesn’t know? However, this strategy employed by the series also comes with some side effects, namely apathy towards the plot. Characters are the life of a story, what we as the audience latch onto. We’re supposed to trust that, at the very least, the cast of a series knows something, carrying us through our initial confusion and revealing the truth of a story. K treads a very fine line between mystery and uncertainty, unfortunately slipping off a fair few times. Shiro’s incredibly lax attitude despite his situation, whilst adding humour to the series, also serves to mete a majority of audience empathy. I mean if he doesn’t take the plot seriously, why should we? How do you care about the life of someone who doesn’t care about their life? The other characters aren’t exactly a major improvement either, coming across as rather flat in an interesting world. Despite his unwavering devotion to his Master, Kuroh’s original attempts at murdering Shiro seem pretty half assed. Though that could relate to his gentle demeanour, it just doesn’t come across that way. Hell, his decision to allow Shiro to prove his innocence occurred after an off screen fight/chase scene. It just feels like he’s kinda lazy about the whole situation.

K-Series-Collection-Screenshot-02 — **The trick is actually landing a hit**

Despite us being informed of events and relationships of the past, the series never truly escapes the “Shiro killed Tatara” storyline. Honestly, it’s like never leaving the shallow end of a pool. Sure you’re in the water, but there’s so much more you haven’t explored. Supposed badass Suou practically sleeps for half of the series, whilst his clansmen lazily search for their friends killer. The series outright states that the Reds are the most violent of the groups, yet they seem pretty chill about everything. Hell, two Reds even take the time to “borrow” passes to enter Shiro’s school instead of, oh I don’t know, jumping the turnstiles at the gate. Just how powerful are turnstiles in the world of K. Not to mention that there’s a door just off to the right. All I’m saying is that it would’ve been nice to see some of the so called Red passion, the fury that supposedly defines Suou. To truly drive home the impact of losing a friend.

Obviously the most unique and interesting aspect of K would have to be the Seven Kings. Seven beings imbued with power beyond the scope of human acquisition. Power that each obtained…somehow. Though the series does explain the existence of the Dresden Slate as the source of all Aura powers, it’s never really revealed how a person draws from it. Is it the will of the Slate? Does the one who “owns” the Slate decide who will be imbued with power? At one point Suou (the Red King) questions why he chose to become a King, hinting that each individual has a say in their acquisition of power…immediately followed by others saying that he was destined to take the mantle. So I guess just pick whichever explanation you like more. I will say however, that the Swords of Damocles was a nice touch hinting at the danger of each King. Their mere presence served as a reminder that, despite all of their strength, each King lived under the possibility of cataclysm. This also expressed the King’s a little more than vessels chosen to contain an undefined power, rather than beings who developed their own power. Though this serves to add credence to the supposed balance between Kings, it also destroys the notion of personal accomplishment somewhat. I mean, if the Sword of Damocles can simply find a new host when a King dies, how are we supposed to truly respect those imbued with its power? Were they strong before? Does that really even matter? All I’m saying is that a little more detail would’ve been nice, or at least better handles mystery. Though I will compliment the series on providing numerous interesting takes on what it means to be a King. From an organisation of military precision, to a roving gang of street toughs, K doesn’t disappoint when it comes to variance.

K-Series-Collection-Screenshot-03 — **Would you believe that it makes sense in context?**

Visuals
One thing I will say about K is that it is a gorgeous series. From its numerous establishing shots, to its tight focus on characters, it retains an aesthetic quality that truly stands out. Centred around Kings defined by their Aura’s colour, you can expect to see countless instances of a clan’s signature shade, though Blue and Red definitely feature more heavily. This serves as an immediate sign to denote a character’s allegiance, saving all that pesky exposition time…though the series will often opt to utilise both. However, the flames of the Red Clan are often presented with a purple tint that, whilst going against their colour scheme, provides an interesting visual element. It’s not every day you see purple flames after all. Speaking of power, each King’s Sword of Damocles is also inherently unique, varying from person to person. Generally intricate in design, these monolith of power serve to further the notion that each King is a force unto themself. Which they are.

One negative I’ll note about K’s visuals is facial expressions. Though the characters themselves feature solid designs, moments of powerful emotion will often be let down by a distinct lack of interest on their faces. You’ll definitely notice it more towards the end of the series, as a character who actually varies their expression appears. Though not too drastic a negative on its own, this does factor into the series’ numerous elements that amount to apathy.

Alright, how about a positive? A big one at that. Hands down K feature some of the most interesting visual I’ve seen in an anime. Now, I’m not talking about what is actually shown onscreen, but rather the way it is shown. In the first episode along, the series utilises slow motion, tracking and a rotating shot. Awesome. Though used fairly regularly in live action productions, seeing these techniques utilised in an anime format was amazing. Just think how much work went into that one rotation of perspective. The visual tracking also adds a realism and true sense of movement to Yata’s skateboarding which, like the rest of the series, is animated with remarkable fluidity.

K-Series-Collection-Screenshot-04 — **Suspicious? Why what ever do you mean?**

Audio
Suiting its cast of mismatched Kings and clansmen, K utilises a fairly diverse soundtrack. In most situations, the series will employ use of classical instruments, such as the piano, to add a sense of drama and regality to the proceedings. Violin is also a common sound, amplifying the calm drama elicited by its fellow classical companion. However, whenever the Reds roll onscreen, the series changes its tune, throwing a little hip-hop into the mix. The sheer contrast between the two genres of music draws your attention, raising each beyond simple background music that you’ll forget soon after. It’s just a nice touch that adds a little personality into the series.

Though not bad by any stretch of the imagination, the English dub of K is a little lacking in certain regards. Though some dialogue will perfectly suit a situation, it may not entirely match with the visuals. I don’t mean that the lip synch is off or anything, but rathe the tone or pacing of a line contrasts the speed of movement of a character. Though only noticeable in a few instances, it is nevertheless noticeable. Characters also have a tendency to sound rather mellow, despite current events. It imbues everyone with a strange sense of calmness that serves to remove the impact of some scenes. Though, listening to the Japanese dub, characters also speak with a similar lack of intense emotion, so it could just be a trademark of the series. This isn’t to say some characters don’t show emotion, it’s just often overshadowed by the surrounding cast. Though it does help Yata and Neko stand out vocally, so that’s something.

Extras
Surprisingly for a complete series collection, K features absolutely no on disc extras. It does however feature a Character Art Book, showcasing, you guessed it, art of the characters. Though definitely a nice little bonus, some additional extras would’ve been nice.

K-Series-Collection-Screenshot-05 — **The terrifying power of a King**

Overall
There’s so much about K that makes me want to love it…but I just can’t bring myself to do it. I honestly can’t put my finger on what was missing, I just know that something was. Despite all of it’s positive elements, interesting premise, diverse cast, setting of mystery and suspicion, the series just feels…hollow. Like there’s just one missing element that will cause everything to fall in place and create a truly brilliant series. I mean, when you explain the pieces individually it sounds fantastic, but something prevents K from equalling the sum of its parts. Even just looking at the visuals of the series invokes interest and excitement, it just never truly eventuates. There’s just so much potential in K that wasn’t so much wasted as it was missed. Yet despite all of it, there is still a part of me that want to defend this series…I’m just not entirely sure why.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Blue Exorcist: The Movie Review

Kane Bugeja

May 8, 2014

Blue Exorcist: The Movie
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Publisher: Madman
Format: DVD/Blu-Ray – Reviewed on Blu-Ray
Release Date: 16th April 2014
Price: $34.95 – Available Here

Overview
Rin Okumura has led quite a difficult life since his true ancestry was revealed to the world. Having fought everyday to prove that he stands as an ally of humanity, Rin understands the stigma that being half demon carries. So when the opportunity arises to help a fellow demon simply enjoy existing, he leaps at the opportunity…well, stumbles into it at least. Either way, in a world full of conflict, chaos and celebration, is there truly a place for a demon to belong?

Blue-Exorcist-The-Movie-Screenshot-01 — **Unleash the beast**

Story
Taking place after the series, Blue Exorcist: The Movie begins following just another day in the life of Rin Okumura…well, a small part of it actually. True to form, our demonic hero overslept and must blaze through the streets of True Cross City in order to reach his destination: an Exorcism. Meeting up with his brother Yukio and fellow Exwire Shiemi, the trio make preparations to cleanse the world of a horrid Phantom Train. Of course Yukio’s meticulous planning soon crumbles under the interference of Rin (and Shiemi surprisingly enough), causing the demonic locomotive to rampage through the town and cause untold damage to the surrounding environment. Within the chaos caused by said rampage, Rin stumbles upon the shattered remains of a shrine, near which lies an unconscious child. Naturally, Rin rescues the child and thus our story begins.

After a quick medical inspection, combined with the child’s feral demeanour, it is discovered that the boy is in fact a demon. With the only other option being the boy’s “erasure”, Rin accepts the responsibility of caring for the child, whom he names Usamaro. Diverging from the action packed opening sequence, the next portion of the film presents itself in a much slower pace, fitting the sombre mood that follows Usamaro. Distrusting of humans due to some form of past trauma, the demonic child hesitantly begins to open up as Rin persists to interact with him. Though we’ve come to expect this kind of compassion from Rin, having already saved a tormented Kuro from persecution, it is nevertheless a touching display. Having been the target of suspicion and fear for the greater portion of the series, it is heartwarming to see Rin strive to break the pattern of hatred and make Usamaro happy.

Blue-Exorcist-The-Movie-Screenshot-02 — **Come out gun blazing**

Of course Usamoro’s appearance as an innocent looking child doesn’t hurt in presenting him as deserving of affection. Another facet of Usamoro’s integration into Rin’s life, that some might overlook, is just how easy his friends accept the little demon. Having already come to terms with Rin’s true identity, it’s nice to see that their value systems have changed enough for them to see the good in demonkind. When it’s deserved of course. On the flip side, we also see brief glimpses of Mephisto’s soft spot for the Okumura brothers, utilising his influence to ease their punishment for the Phantom Train fiasco. Though he doesn’t factor to heavily into the story, it’s nice to see that he’s still the same old unpredictable demon we all know and love.

Running in tandem to the development of Rin and Usamaro’s relationship is a plotline revolving around a festival that occurs only once every 11 years. And it just so happens to be 11 years since the last festival, what luck! Of course this festival is integral to the film, as it coincides with the reinforcement of True Cross’ anti-demon barriers. One could only imagine what would happen if said barriers were unable to perform their duty…though I’m sure a lot of fighting would be involved.

Blue-Exorcist-The-Movie-Screenshot-03 — **Awww, sleeping like a little demon**

Visuals
Being an anime movie, this incarnation of Blue Exorcist certainly possessed a larger budget than the series. And boy did it put it to good use. Inspired by traditional Eastern culture, the various constructions and paraphernalia created to showcase the 11 year festival are intricate beyond belief. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find a festival scene where confetti isn’t raining down upon the entirety of True Cross. It’s quite overwhelming, especially when combined with the ever present swarm of Coal Tar. Not to be outdone, the movie also provides us with our first real glimpse at the hustle and bustle that is True Cross City . With the series having spent the better portion of time within True Cross Academy or in other specific locales, such as a forest. As such, it is a nice treat for Blue Exorcist fans to witness the world just beyond the walls of the Academy, presented as a highly complex area, chock full of people, construction and a blend of cultures. Compounded by the presence of the festival, the fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics serves to further the notion of chaos and brotherhood that is so prevalent in the film.

As always, Blue Exorcist doesn’t fail to deliver when it comes to demons. Though only a few are shown throughout the film, each features a highly unique design, serving to add a visual interest to an already epic situation. The Phantom Train’s slow progression from locomotive to demon was also rather interesting, expressing the panic the creature must have felt with the Okumura twins (and Shiemi) preparing to exorcise it. Or it was just evil and aggressive. Either way, it looked awesome. The combat sequences that centred around the demons, as well as every other situation in the film, retain the series trademark fluidity, serving to amplify each individual moment.

Blue-Exorcist-The-Movie-Screenshot-04 — **His ego is writing cheques his body can cash**

Audio
As always. the English dub of Blue Exorcist is great. With a few additional characters joining the returning cast, the film creates a diverse cast with their own individual voices. Voices that actually show emotion when the situation calls for it, which generally boils down to a whole bunch of screaming during action sequences. Though the film does provide a great deal of more sombre, calm moments that showcase the true range of the cast.

Following the visual representation of the festival, the film’s soundtrack includes a number of traditionally Eastern sounding tunes. This naturally serves to amplify the impact of the festival, representing the true extent to which such an event permeates a society. In moments that do not directly relate to said festival however, the music reverts to a more expected pattern. Such as the classic electric guitar that can only equal an action sequence. The violin also features prevalently in one particular scene, used to represent fear through its shrill, haunting tune.

Extras
Though the film itself is available in both English and Japanese dub, the audio commentary found in the extras section is entirely Japanese. Though there are in fact two tracks, one presented by the Japanese cast of the film and another by the creators. It’s pretty thorough. On the briefer side of extras, the release also includes a number of theatrical trailers, commercial messages and promotional videos. Just in case you didn’t get enough Blue Exorcist. In addition to these on disc features, this release also includes a collection of four postcards that showcase various artworks for the film. A nice little addition to round out the bonus features.

Blue-Exorcist-The-Movie-Screenshot-05 — **Run Rabbit Run**

Overall
Blue Exorcist: The Movie is a rather unique addition to the franchise. Though few moments directly relate to the events of the series, a working knowledge of the anime is of course required to truly enjoy the film. That being said, the film is still a story unto itself, only briefly touching upon moments from the series. Which is enough. In essence, Blue Exorcist: The Movie is a story of right and wrong, and the chaos that arises when people’s ideals clash. Because as black and white as we try to make morality, it is a subjective, personal force that both unifies and divides the world. And when a million ideals cross path with a million more, both concepts can become a little blurred.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War Release Date and Price Revealed

Nathan Farrugia

May 8, 2014

Valiant Hearts: The Great War Release Date and Price Revealed

Ubisoft has confirmed that their World War 1 set, puzzle-adventure game Valiant Hearts: The Great War, will be releasing on June 25th. The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier (best known for their work on the new Rayman games) and will be available for download on Xbox LIVE for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and on PC at the price of £11.99 (as we predicted the AU price was later confirmed to be $19.95).

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is the story of crossed destinies and a broken love in a world torn apart. Players will experience a touching yet comical adventure which focuses on the journey of four people as they brave the battles and difficulties of the Great War following their faithful canine companion (I really hope the dog doesn’t die, he’s adorable). All of the main characters are inextricably drawn together, and friendship, love, sacrifice and tragedy befall each as they help each other to retain their humanity against the horrors of war.

The team is using the UbiArt Framework (which was employed to great success in the latest Ubisoft release Child of Light) to easily and efficiently animate the game’s comic-book style straight from the artist’s original concept art. A new trailer titled Comeback has also been released which you can view below. For more information on Valiant Hearts: The Great War, please visit the official website.

Child Of Light Review

Child Of Light
Developer: Ubisoft Massive, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Ukrain, Ubisoft Bucharest
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release Date: 30th April 2014
Price: $19.95 – Available Here

Overview

As a kid that grew up being read fairy tales, I never truly understood them. Like most children I took these types of stories as they came, not looking any deeper into the messages and morals behind each and every story but I was just a silly kid. As a grew older I began to show a disinterest in fantasy-type storytelling looking to indulge myself only with things that spoke to me on a very shallow level. Now, being in my 20s, I’ve started looking back and researching on the origins of these stories, what they represented, what they SHOULD have taught me and they inspiration that led to their creation.

Unfortunately it was too late for me, my interest in sitting through another “Disney” movie or reading another children’s book simply to try my hand at understand the more deep-seeded themes and issues within them had depleted…then “Child Of Light” came along. It was a game I thought I had no interest in but one that allowed me to understand the types of subject matter that have inspired countless pieces of entertainment throughout the ages. Thanks to “Ubisoft” and “Child Of Light” my eyes were pried open and left subject to the beauty of a well-written tale. Let’s see if I can maybe open up yours.

Story

Players will follow the melancholy yet ultimately uplifting story of the young princess Aurora. The beautiful girl with locks of blood red hair falls ill one sorrowful day and unfortunately passes away much to the distress and heartache of her father and the people of the Austrian kingdom she is to one day govern. Waking up in a strange world filled with abnormal flora and fauna, Aurora soon realize that she’s no longer in the world she once used to dwell. She soon meets with a quirky little creature named Igniculus who refers to itself as a “firefly”. Igniculus helps the princess partners with her as they continue through the misty forest but the two aren’t alone for very long. The two eventually are eventually confronted by a mysterious cloaked being who explains to Aurora that an evil entity has taken away the sun, moon and stars of this world.

With the world covered in darkness, there’s no way Aurora can return home but what if she was to recover the sun, moon and stars? Would she then be able to be within her father’s embrace once more? Aurora (alongside her firefly friend) now travel through this “new” world, making friends, shining a light in the darkness and all the while trying their very best to save this world and to get Aurora back to her own. At first glance, the “Child Of Light” story seems like quite a generic one but I beg that you not take my explanation of it to be exactly how it comes across. The depth of the storylines and the complexities of the characters within are what really makes this game so fantastically beautiful. The story itself is clearly inspired by classic fairy tales, in fact, most things in “Child Of Light” are fairy tale-inspired. The game’s dialogue is all in rhymes, each character bounces off of the other and when certain characters forget to do that, Igniculus always has something to say.

To have dialogue written in such a way that is both obvious yet not overdone is quite the feat for any writing team. It just so happens that the one for “Child Of Light” did it perfectly. It deals with the themes of death, loss, darkness, depression and the rising above the negative to attain the positive. Aurora grows as she meets new characters and goes head-to-head with dark creatures. She’s not just a little girl; she’s a princess, a warrior and a shinning beacon of light in a world that has succumb to darkness. The story is see deep and interesting, it’s filled with so many things to see and so many varying character to interact with as well as small side stories that’ll range from putting you in a solemn space to having you in stitches. It’s a fleshed-out piece of work with not a plot hole in sight and some of the most engaging scenes to ever be present in a title of its kind…something I wish I could see in a great deal of other game releases.

Gameplay

“Child Of Light” somehow does something I would have never thought possible: It mixes classic platforming with an odd but incredible style of turn-based RPG gameplay that (alongside its many other positive aspects, may just be the defining element that places it high above the rest. Journeying throughout “Child Of Light” allows players to enjoy the most perfect example of fundamental side-scrolling platformers. “Ubisoft” has taken the basics of the gameplay style and absolutely perfected in an entirely satisfying way. My thoughts are that they realized that the platforming style of gaming doesn’t NEED to be drastically changed or reinvented so they simply didn’t and it worked beautifully because it mean that they could focus on the matching of the two genres rather than the overbuilding of just the one…Though, in saying that, they’ve done something sensational with their take on turn-based strategy titles but we’ll get onto that soon enough.

While platforming throughout the game you’ll run into a lot of familiar obstacles and puzzles that you’ll have to overcome to be able to move on. In battle (executed by coming into physical contact with an enemy icon) you go up against a maximum of three enemies at a time. Markers representing your party members and the individual enemy units are placed on upon what I would call a “time line” (not a timeline). This “time line” indicates how close a character is to executing an attack. Once you begin to think about it, the battle system is quite similar to that of a race. Some characters are faster while others are slower but there are a bunch of varying factors like simple character type (mage, warrior, etc) and status ailments/boosters, some of which speed up or slow down the speed of a character. Units can also be interrupted while attacking which sends them back on the “time line”, this alongside so many other things can make battles in “Child Of Light” quite fierce. The fighters you’ll recruit into your party are all pivotal characters in the story of “Child Of Light” and the differences between each of them gives players good reason to implement them into their battle strategies. No character is like another which is absolutely fantastic as there’s no overlap and no reason to exclude certain character because “they can’t do this as well as THAT character can”, which is quite a convincing argument for RPG players like me.

There is a leveling system in the game that revolves around experience earnt from battles and even though you can only have two character battling at one time (with the option to switch out instantly) the experience points are dealt out to every character which eliminates the worry of any getting left behind. With leveling comes the character skill tree: For each level you gain, you’re given one skill point which can be used to develop the individual characters in exactly the way you want. Each character has a unique skill tree and many different ways of using them depending on which branch you decide to upgrade first. “Child Of Light” also features an extremely helpful multiplayer option which puts a second player in control of Igniculus the firefly who can heal party members, slow down enemy units and help Aurora through any dark caverns whilst all the while finding her treasures that she may or may not be able to access herself. “Ubisoft” have implemented just about as much as they possibly could into this title without making it feel muddled up and convoluted. Gameplay-wise “Child Of Light” is absolutely brilliant. There’s nothing more to be said. Simply brilliant.

Visuals

To say that the aesthetics of “Child Of Light” are breathtaking would be a grievous understatement. Literally as soon as you begin the game you’re met with a series of incredible still images which are used in conjunction with spoken dialogue to set up the adventure in which you’re about to embark on. Past the opening sequence and into the actual gameplay portion of the title you’re thrown into a world that, although clearly 2D, has enough layers (both foreground and background) to make reality seem flat. “Child Of Light” truly looks like a storybook brought to life and I couldn’t imagine any other visual style to have represented that better. The visual intricacies are incredibly impressive. The very first thing you notice is the dynamic movement of Aurora’s hair, after that it is the animation difference between her and the rest of this strange world that you notice; there is a clear that characters like Aurora are from another world, not only through dialogues speaking of such a thing, but from the actual animation.

While she is well-rounded and liquid in movement, the rest move more like paper marionettes rather than 3D character models. The world itself, each and every environment, has such an air of wonder yet danger about it. It’s almost hard to describe in a way that truly makes sense because, well…it doesn’t. To have this much environmental depth in a game that describes itself as a “side-scrolling platformer” shows that, really, anything is possible. The way characters move and react to certain situations is nothing short of “real”: Aurora, while traveling through different settings, tends to look around at everything she can, showing us that she’s just about as intrigued by the whole thing as we are. Aurora, wielding one heck of a sword, finds it hard to gracefully wield it seeing as how it’s bigger than her: Winding up for attacks and dropping the sword as she raises it above her head to symbolize victory shows this as well as showing her fragility and bringing players back to Earth having them think “oh right! She’s just a little girl!”.

Audio

“Child Of Light” has one of the most auditorally-pleasing soundtracks that I’ve heard in quite some time. While other games have great soundtracks with great music, the tracks in “Child Of Light” felt like green tea for my ear canals. Tracks were mostly made up of soothing, whimsical0sounding notes that perfectly matched the vibe of the game and the environments players must traverse through but, at an instant, you could be thrust into battle and there you’re met with booming sounds of pure exhilaration. That mixed with the ultimately rewarding sounds of the crashing of Aurora’s sword, the jingling of Rubella’s bells as she struck an enemy or the whizzing of Finn’s magical attacks zapping an overgrown praying mantis.

It all just sounded so damn good! There isn’t a great deal of voice acting in this game, in fact, it only comes up every once in a while but, in the places where voice acting was present, the performances were absolutely brilliant. Beatrice Martin (known as “Cœur de pirate“) composed the music for “Child Of Light”. It was her inclusion in the development process that, I believe, truly brought out the best of this game’s audio. Having someone extremely talented and highly experienced with sound and music on the team really did many huge favors for “Child Of Light”. Mrs. Martin was able to bring the very best out of every scene by composing music that could flawlessly represent auditorally the feelings that it was trying to portray visually. From the first track to the final sound effect. Simple brilliance.

Overall

It’s almost like I’m lost for words when it comes to describing this game in any detail but, while playing it, it is truly hard to determine what you’ll say seeing as how it could be summed up by simply saying it was “perfect”. “Child Of Light” opened up something within me that I honestly didn’t think was there, something I thought I’d lost years ago when I reached the end of my fairy tale-liking stage of life, something that WASN’T opened up by the constant flow of fairy tale-based “Disney” movies but now I can feel it.

For a person like myself to not enjoy “fantasy” titles in gaming, it was actually quite a surprise that I liked this game as much as I did. To think but a week ago I walked into a local game store, was asked if I was there to purchase this game and replied “No. I’m not really into that stuff.” but here I am, I’ve opened myself up to a brand-new type of game and I’ve fallen victim to its wonder. While there are plenty of other games being released on the PlayStation 4, it’s more games like this that we need to prove that the next generation has truly begun.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Don’t Starve Puzzle Solved, Multiplayer Support Announced

Jamie Laike Tsui

May 8, 2014

Don’t Starve Puzzle Solved, Multiplayer Support Announced

After several days of sleuthing by the Don’t Starve community, the puzzle has been solved. The little messages being dropped by birds in game since the release of the “Reign of Giants” expansion pack were hiding the multiplayer support announcement. Don’t Starve will be releasing multiplayer support as a free update for all players. Currently, the team has a working prototype and they hope that an alpha testing phase will kick off this summer. The development team has made a lengthy announcement post on the Don’t Starve forums to address many community concerns.

Don’t Starve is available for PlayStation 4 and Steam. The “Reign of Giants” DLC is only available for PC at this time.

Mugen Souls Z’s latest English trailer highlights the Captivate System

Travis Bruno

May 8, 2014

If you happened to play Mugen Souls then you probably are already familiar with the Captivate system which involved Chou Chou performing various moe poses to try and attack her enemies weakpoints. Well that system is returning in Mugen Souls Z though this time around Syrma will be trying to capture her opponents.

Today NIS America released a new trailer highlighting the Captivate System as well as the various “fetish poses” that Syrma can use to try and captivate her enemies. Syrma will have eight different personalities similar to Chou Chou and you can check out the full details below. As for Mugen Souls Z, it is currently set to be released in North America on May 20th.

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