Attack on Titan in space. That’s what some fans have been saying and I can see why. This show is dark, people get eaten and it’s turning into everything I wanted from a gritty, hyper-detailed mecha anime set in space.
A gigantic alien organism has appeared on a dwarf planet while a mining mission was underway by a team of Gardes from Sidonia. Female pilot Yamano was immediately taken by the Gauna and the first part of this episode is a flashback of her life right before the mission, nailing the emotional impact. It’s revealed that she is a proud pilot who is annoyed that Nagate got accepted without any formal approval. We also get incredible insight into the technical aspects of the Sidonia universe.
One thing that bugs me sometimes is how most mecha shows don’t even bother explaining the intricacies. Like how pilots go to the bathroom on long sorties. Sidonia is impressive in the amount of medical terms it throws your way, once again proving how detailed this project is. Urinary catheters, cervical fractures and cardiopulmonary arrest are all mentioned in this one episode.
We’re thrown back to the present reality with Yamano screaming as she is torn out of her Garde and swallowed by the Gauna. Cue a crazy battle and the Gauna starts to transform, Evangelion style, into the human form of Yamano and Nagate is critically injured. As this madness is happening the brass back at home decide to fire the heavy quantum cannon since there is no way for the pilots to defeat the monster without Kabizashi spears. After an awesome targetting sequence the enormous rail gun is fired. Meanwhile Nagate is somehow revived from his cardiac arrest and springs back into action like a mad dog.
Everyone is ordered to retreat and Nagate is only just pulled out in time before the colossal projectile vaporises the entire dwarf planet. The mysterious captain of the ship meets with the strange, talking heads again and we learn that a hive fleet of Gauna is approaching Sidonia. As Yamano is mourned and celebrated in death, the captain makes a rousing speech to justify a firm and decisive response against the Gauna.
During a class lesson we’re given more info. The people on Sidonia only need to eat once a week due to genetic modification that gives them the ability to photosynthesise. Nagate, however, is from underground and wasn’t part of Sidonian society so he isn’t blessed with photosynthesis. The result is everyone laughing at how he needs to eat all the time.
Other awesome facts are shown such as everyone having to wear a safety belt with carabiner on the ship in case of a major gravity failure (an event is cited where mass casualties occurred). Nagate is still haunted by Yamano’s gruesome death and frequently throws up or passes out.
We learn that the defeated Gauna is not dead. It’s rebuilding its placenta and is expected to come back within 3 days. Information about the Gauna is restricted to the public. They are not told about the strange transformation or any other secrets that we might not know of yet.And there are sure to be plenty of stuff we don’t know about.
A new team of pilots is introduced led by squad leader Akai (Nagate’s squad is led by the silver-haired Kunato) and something called a Gravity Festival is coming up. The two teams seem to be destined to compete against each other. Finally, a bubbly girl by the name of Midorikawa Yuhata suddenly interrupts them by introducing herself to Nagate.
Knights of Sidonia has a lot going for it so far. Fast-paced, gruesome action, attention to detail and a mysterious plot. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Check out more Knights of Sidonia Impressions HERE.
Overview
Based off the manga Ushijima the Loan Shark, the story of a slacker turned underground mover was turned into the live action movie Smuggler way back in 2011, but is only now making its way to the United States thanks to FUNimation’s Giant Ape Media foreign film brand. Does Smuggler stack up against other foreign films, even after taking 3 years to make it’s way to across? Or is it well done enough to make up for the delay?
Story
The concept of a good guy getting stuck in a bad situation is of course no entirely new, but the amount of variables that can be found gives plenty of versatility can can keep it from becoming stale. Smuggler gets right into the new job that slacker Kinuta has taken up to pay for his very large debt. Flashing back to show just how he arrived at this point in his life, by taking an offer to be able to use a set of rigged slot machines. Unfortunately, he blows the entire operation and ends up in debt for 3 million yen, obviously no small chuck of change.
Kinuta is now stuck riding shotgun as an underground mover, smuggling bodies and destroying evidence, though the film does a very good job giving a good amount of detail into the characters of his compatriots. Joe is in charge, but is able to find the delicate balance between kind and stern, so that the rest of the crew knows that they can depend on him while not expecting handouts. Alternatively, Jijii is an older but affable man that is unfortunately a down on his luck fool, that is still able to get the job done. The group of three are able to work fairly well together, though Kinuta has much to learn as he is new to the business.
The story itself is broken up into different chapters, assumingly very similarly to the manga itself, with the initial chapter being numbered zero and giving the backstory of Kinuta and the rest following the main plot of the film. Outside of the three smugglers the other main character is Vertebrae, a world class assassin that deals out carnage with a pair of well worn and beaten nun-chucks. Much of Vertebrae’s time is spent trying to figure out what death truly is as he doesn’t quite understand, despite death being all he has created in his life. He is an interesting foil to Kinuta, as while Kinuta is trying to make the best of a bad situation, Vertebrae only ever makes situations bad.
The plot is fairly decent, following the smugglers as they are first covering up a killing by Vertebrae and then forced to transport Vertebrae to the Yakuza when they demand the vengeance. The action has an excellent style of flair, especially around Vertebrae as his moves are shown off in slow motion, but for the most part it is a character piece focused on Kinuta and slightly on Vertebrae’s fear and lack of understanding of death, with an addition of weird wacky comedy. It may have been better if these aspects were better balanced, but as it is there is still plenty for action fans to enjoy, with a smattering of characters and comedy on top of it.
Visuals
The style of the movie is much in a league ahead of the story, as the level of detail on Vertebrae is fantastic. From the tattoo of each vertebrae on his back, to the scars he bares all over his body, even when bound he looks cool. The other characters are more stock in terms of Joe, Jijii, and Kinuta, but there is also some nice detail applied to some of the other side characters as well, such as the Banker. Although the most ridiculous character of all falls to one of the higher level Yukuza, Kawashima Seiji, as his outfits range from a suit, bandleader in a diaper, and clear plastic with goggles.
The sets and locations seem to have an equally well designed look, with a wide range as the plot progresses and a good balance of varying levels of urban environments. Though some of the special effects of the movie leave a little bit to be desired, especially near the end with Vertebrae as he goes from being a high level badass to almost too creepy and inhuman. While this might have been a point to finally remove the viewers’ sympathy, it is almost too much too fast. While much of the action early of him breaking limbs and killing are all very well done in terms of special effects, even if looking a little bit cheaper.
Audio
The music in Smuggler does a very good job of backing up the more serious side of the film, the backing songs always seem to provide the right amount of drama or tension to the scenes despite the occasional absurdity that will come up sometimes. The main theme of the film is “Ai wo Kurae” by Superfly, which fits well with Kinuta trying to find his way in his new underworld job and working to get past it.
While there is not an English dub of the film, the acting is very well done even with the comedy that pops up, as those actors seem go for it full force and not even try to water it down. The film is filled with such a wide collection of silly and serious characters that with all the actors just going straight into it, they all just seem to work for the most part. Though even Jijii is able to get serious, with just a bit of his comedic air, so it all works out. Though the best range is offered by Satoshi Tsumabuki as Kinuta, who through is arc is able to go from playing an understandable slacker, to a truly badass character.
Extras
The special features included on this release are fairly sparse, but in addition to the standard trailers for both Smuggler and other releases in the Giant Ape Media brand, there is “The Making of Smuggler” which is able to offer an interesting almost 20 minute look at the filming of some of the different scenes of the movie and talking to a few of the actors. While none of them show too much at real depth it is an interesting look at the process of getting some of the harder shots and getting an idea from the actors as to what they think of the film and the world the characters live in. Making a nice additional look into the movie that those that enjoy behind the scenes should enjoy.
Overall
In the end, Smuggler is a interesting movie that has a high level of focus on the characters, but a great amount of action, with some weird comedy elements woven throughout. The visuals look good and are well backed by the music, that put a bigger focus on the serious aspects of the film. The action looks spectacular even with some of the special effects showing a little bit of age, but in spite of that those that are fans of action or of the original manga should be able to find some good in Smuggler.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview
It doesn’t get much more iconic than Case Closed when it comes to anime. The mystery anime following Conan Edogawa, a talented young detective who is transformed into a child after a run-in with a sinister organisation. Known more commonly by its Japanese title Detective Conan, the series has spanned countless manga volumes and is fast approaching 800 episodes.
So what is it about the adventures of Conan and friends that has enchanted anime viewers for the past 18 years? Well it really comes down to the series being a jack of all trades, its got comedy, its got mystery, its got action and its got some romance. It has something for everyone and beneath all of that it has heart, that intangible spirit that transcends all. That is why Case Closed has stood the test of time and that is why it is still going strong after all these years, there is always time to solve another mystery.
Story
Case Closed is a rather episodic anime, it features a mystery of the week formula for the most part with very little overarching plot line. While the major driving force is of course the fact that Conan has been transformed into a child and he seeks to fix that, it more often than not takes a backseat to whatever mystery must be solved in any given episode.
The episode structure works quite nicely for Case Closed and feels somewhat reminiscent of American procedural dramas in some aspects. The basic set up for most episodes is generally a murder victim, a key clue and Conan absolutely flogging at being a detective. It works very well and makes for a familiar yet addictive viewing experience.
This first part release from Hanabee includes the first 26 episodes of the series and covers some truly intriguing cases. Some of the standout episodes include ‘The Timebomb Express’, ‘The Moonlight Sonata Murder Case’ and ‘Lights, Camera, Murder’. Each highlights how very engaging Case Closed truly is.
As far as characters go, Case Closed has plenty of colourful personalities that make up its cast. The series even goes to great lengths to provide a good level of development to one-off characters, adding depths to them and leaving an emotional impact on viewers with their motivations and individual scenarios. Our lead character Conan is of course the most interesting of the bunch and while he is extensively explored in these 26 episodes, there still feels as if there is much more to him than meets the eye. When you look at Conan you get the sense that there is layers to him that are just waiting to be pulled back. As the series progresses we are sure to see more exploration into his character.
Ultimately Part 1 of Hanabee’s collected releases of Case Closed is a lot of fun. It is a great entry point into the series and it still holds up as a benchmark for mystery story-telling in anime even after 18 years since it originally aired.
Visuals and Audio
After 18 years it must be said that Case Closed has aged as far as visuals go. It is absolutely oldschool in appearance and represents one of the last remaining ongoing series of that time. If you were to compare the the episodes of this to the most recent episode of the series, you would see just how far it has come in that time. This here is a aesthetics artifact of a bygone era of animation and the hand-drawn art style is nostalgic in many ways. The animation is mostly fluid but as with many series of the time, there are bouts of repeated animations but it is nothing that distracts in any substantial way from the proceedings of any given episode. All in all Case Closed Part 1 is a true blast to the past visually.
As far as audio goes, the series features a killer soundtrack with plenty of memorable tunes that will become ingrained in your mind while watching. The series opening theme is likewise very catchy and while the lyrics aren’t exactly the most fitting, the song itself is really just great.
This release also happens to feature both Japanese and English language tracks, with the English track coming courtesy of Funimation over in the states. The dub was produced quite a while back now but still remains one of Funimation’s finest. It is a great addition to a great release.
Extras
Unfortunately Hanabee’s release of Part 1 of Case Closed is rather bare bones in terms of special features. The release only includes the first 26 episodes and doesn’t feature any bonus content. This is surely more than enough to satisfy the most die-hard of Detective Conan fans out there, but it is somewhat of a disappointment considering the iconic status of this series and the number of different special features that could have possibly been added as a cherry on top of what is already a great release.
Overall
Whether you know it as Case Closed or Detective Conan, you undoubtedly know it as iconic. This is truly one of the biggest releases for Hanabee Entertainment to date and considering the legendary status of Case Closed it is no wonder. It is really one of those series that any anime fan would instantly recognize, a real monolith of the anime medium.
The fact that Hanabee have brought such an iconic series down under is something worth praising. The series has long evaded release in Australia and it is about time that anime fans down under get to follow the adventures of Conan and friends as they prove that no matter the case, one truth prevails.
If you are a fan of action, romance, comedy or most importantly mystery, then Case Closed is a must watch anime experience. It is a series that resonates with millions of fans across the globe and it is finally time for Australia to get a taste of the fun. If you have never seen the brilliance that is Case Closed you are in for one hell of a treat.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Following up last week‘s set of pre-orders, Good Smile Company has announced another set of figures, figma, and nendoroids that have been made available for pre-order from their website. This time around we have figures from all over the board but the highlight happens to be from Attack on Titan. Each of these figures is currently available from the company’s websiteand more details on each can be found below.
To start with we have a limited edition figure of Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan. This is the “DX Ver.” of the figure that is based off of the package art for the second volume of the animated series and comes with a special rooftop base to give this highly detailed scale figure the best look possible. The figure is set to be released in October 2014 and it can be pre-ordered here and is priced at ¥14,800.
For those looking to save a little bit but still get in on that detailed 1/8th scale figure of Mikasa Ackerman there is a cheaper option. This version does not come with the rooftop base and instead comes with a different base that is actually not shown. Anyways, this figure is also set to be released in October 2014 and can be pre-ordered here for a price of ¥13,800.
Moving away from Attack on Titan we have a nendoroid from the classic series Cardcaptor Sakura. This nendoroid is of Sakura Kinomoto herself and is set to be released in September 2014. This nendoroid comes with three different expressions, her Sealing Wand and a Clow Card. There are also alternate lower body parts to allow her to be placed in different poses, some of which can be seen below, and Keroberos is also included to be displayed by her side. This nendoroid can be pre-ordered here at a price of ¥4,800.
The next pre-orderable item is a figma of Ninja Slayer from Phat! Company. Priced at ¥4,320 and set for a release in September 2014 the figure can be pre-ordered here. This highly posable figma comes with a number of different facial expressions and designs, various speech bubbles, and numerous pieces of ninja equipment and special effects that can be added for effect.
Our next figma comes from Max Factory and is for Fate/Stay Night’s Archer. This figma is set for release in August 2014, is priced at ¥5,000, and can be pre-ordered here. Being a figma, Archer can be placed in a number of different poses and he comes with his dual blades Kanshou and Bakuya as well as his bow Caladbolg II and alternate sword are included alongside a shouting expression that can be used for combat poses.
Finally we have a 1/7th scale figure of Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail. This figure is sculpted in a confident pose with Gray in prepared to use his ‘Ice-Make’ magic attack. His shirt is also removable to stay true to his habit of stripping in battle. This figure is set to be released in September 2014 and can be pre-ordered here for a price of ¥9,800.
Today MangaGamer has announced that they will be releasing Morning Star’s PC adult title Lapis Gunner in English on May 9th and as such the company has opened up pre-orders for the title which currently can be ordered at a discount price of $8.95 compared to the standard $9.95 price.
Lapis Gunner takes place after the Ruby Striker title where Lapis Gunner is attempting to rescue Ruby Striker from the evil that befell her in the last title but unfortunately she too becomes captured. As such she will soon fall victim to the same fate that her friend met with. This Adults Only game that contains some extremely graphic explicit content can be pre-ordered here (18+ Only).
If you happened to pre-order Milles, Knight of Anal Tyranny about a month ago when MangaGamer opened up pre-orders for the game then you will be happy to know that this eroge PC game is now available for download from MangaGamer’s website. For those who didn’t hear about the game until now, it can be purchased for $24.95 but it is worth noting that it is a rather extreme looking adults only title obviously focusing on tentacles.
Softhouse-Seal’s Milles, Knight of Anal Tyranny can be purchased here(18+ only) and the set-up for this title follows the amnesiac female knight Milles who begins working with a bounty hunter named Cadia where the land is kept in peace thanks to a local god named Diva. To keep this god pleased, a sacrifice is sent into the forest. With the Queen growing concerned with this practice, she plans on rescuing the current sacrifice but to do so she must enter this forest full of danger.
Warlock 2: The Exiled is the latest title in the Majesty universe. The game is a 4X title that pits Great Mages against each other and against the game itself, as the relentless onslaught of NPC spawns and The United One and his four Vicars wreak havoc upon all who oppose them. Warlock 2: The Exiled introduces a new mode called “The Exiled” that will see the player through their path of vengeance against The United One.
Story
The plot in Warlock 2: The Exiled is not the most extensive plot for a fantasy game. The player’s chosen Great Mage has been exiled to a small world shard after the shattering of the worlds. In The Exiled mode, which serves as the game’s campaign mode, the player fights their way through the portals that links the worlds until they can face off against The United One and his four Vicars back in Ardania. The entire plot is told in the single map, versus the traditional multi map campaign. Throughout the game, small quests will pop up, both related to the overall plot and smaller problems of the locals. The Exiled mode does give enough of a plot to distinguish itself from the traditional Sandbox mode, but it does end up feeling more like wallpaper than the star of the show.
Gameplay
Warlock 2: The Exiled is a great entry point for those new to the 4X genre. Though many of the traditional 4X mechanics are present in the game, Warlock 2: The Exiled is a bit less complicated than many other games in the genre. The diplomacy system is useful for stalling in the inevitable conflict and trade, but there is no diplomatic victory. Instead, combat and sheer magical might are the game’s main focuses. To win, players can either capture Holy Grounds, defeat the other Great Mages, defeat the Avatar, defeat the United One, and/or cast the Unity spell, depending on what win conditions were enabled when the game was created.
The research system is focused on adding spells to the player’s repertoire long with a few handy permanent effects. Spells fall under a few general categories: direct damage, direct healing, buffs, debuffs, enchantments, dispels, and terraforming. Each spell has a cast time ranging from a fraction of a turn to lengthy multiple turn spells along with a mana cost. These spells can be taught to other Great Mages as part of trades, but of course, that runs the risk of the very same spell being turned against the player.
The map in Warlock 2: The Exiled is actually a string of islands of varying sizes and environments linked together by portals. The design allows for a large variety of environments in a single map. A player can be fighting in a dense jungle on one island and then immediately do battle on a volcanic island from hell with a quick hop and a jump through a portal. With the varied environments, terraforming spells will become an important part of every Great Mage’s spell book. Turning flat plains into towering mountains can slow an enemy’s advance, while raising the land from its watery depths can allow access to the undefended flank of an enemy city.
The bread and butter of the economy are the cities. Based on what effects have been researched, players will be given the right to construct a certain number of cities capable of creating buildings and units. Any extra cities will need to be converted to special cities that will earn favour of a deity, provide local defense, or pay taxes to the player. Each city will generate mana for spell casting, gold for unit recruitment, and food for building city population and unit upkeep. As the population of each city rises, new buildings can be added to the city, allowing for the recruitment of new units, the generation of resources, or provide defenses against invaders. Enemy cities can be conquered and either captured or razed to the ground. Capturing the city will allow access to the host city’s racial units, but will generate less resources and the city cannot be converted into a special city.
Hero units known as Lords will visit the Great Mage looking for employment throughout the game. These Lords are tougher than the average unit and can be equipped with a variety of artifacts to provide further stat bonuses. However, the player will need to pay a fee up front for the Lord’s services and provide an upkeep cost every turn.
Combat is a simple affair in Warlock 2: The Exiled. Units come in three damage types: magic, melee, and missile. As units do battle, they slowly gain experience. Every time the unit gains a level, one of three possible bonuses can be applied to the unit, making it in every player’s best interest to keep veteran units alive and well.
The other Great Mages are not the only danger. NPC spawn tiles will randomly appear throughout the game, spewing an endless stream of independent units itching for a fight until the tile is occupied by a Great Mage controlled unit. The spawns provides a level of randomness to the game that range from interesting distractions to irritating bad luck. The NPC spawn rates can be tweaked when the game is created.
“The Exiled” mode serves as the game’s equivalent of a campaign mode. These single games can range from short multi-hour affairs to long games that may take months of effort to conquer, depending on the initial settings chosen by the player. Those expecting a lengthy multi-map campaign will have to wait for modders to fill the gap with the help of Steam Workshop.
Warlock 2: The Exiled’s gameplay is fun, but it is a bit simpler than many of the 4X games in the genre. This makes Warlock 2: The Exiled a solid first game for those new to the genre. It is complex enough to be engaging, without being so complex that it becomes frustrating to new players. For those more experienced with the genre, the game still has enough density to keep players occupied for long hours, thanks to its extremely scalable difficulty level.
Visuals
Warlock 2: The Exiled has a solid set of visuals. The 2d images used for the large portraits make for solid fantasy art. Some of the smaller unit portraits are hit and miss though. The unit models look great and the units containing multiple characters are well populated. With the graphics turned up high, Warlock 2: The Exiled is a detailed game with a lush environment.
Audio
The voice acting in Warlock 2: The Exiled is cringe worthy. To make matters worse, the voice actors were not provided with much to work with. The lines tend to straddle in the middle of generic and corny and quickly become repetitive after being used over and over again. The acting itself is on par with corny B movies done by small time actors from the local community theatre. The sound effects and music are actually solid in comparison to the voice acting. The music is enjoyable to listen to and the sound effects sound realistic enough to not distract from the gameplay.
Overall
Warlock 2: The Exiled is a good 4X title, but the game seem to lack a bit of overall polish. The poor voice acting, the odd grammatical error, and the repetitive texts make the game a bit rough around the edges. However, Warlock 2 strikes a great balance between being a newbie friendly 4x title and a dense addictive turn based strategy game. Those looking for a first step into the 4X genre or something a little simpler to occupy hundreds of hours will find Warlock 2 a great buy.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Last week 2K Games and Turtle Rock Studios teased that they were planning on releasing a new trailer for Evolve and now that trailer has been released. As described, this video is “Four vs One” and is an interactive trailer that allows the viewer to swap between the perspectives of all four characters on the hunting team, a trapper, a medic, a support class, and an assault class and also the view that the creature, the Goliath monster, sees.
Either that or you can simply watch the default version which includes some commentary of what is happening in the game from Turtle Rock Studios’ Chris Ashton.
It’s fun-day Friday! No better way to celebrate the end of the working week by releasing a surprise indiebundle with Indie Gala! For $1.89, buyers can snag seven great indie titles, five Steam and two Desura titles.
FootLOL: Epic Fail League was recently Greenlit on Steam. The game mixes football with the classic Worms gameplay, littering the field with mines, aliens, cows, and other cheats to tilt the playing field in the player’s favour.
4 Elements is a puzzle game featuring 64 levels and 20 bonus tasks spanning 4 books of magic.
Humans Must Answer is a wacky shoot ’em up featuring a spaceship full of sentient chickens. Humans are throwing fleets of ships at the chickens, bent on destroying their precious cargo, Colonel Ram and Professor Bez.
DIVO stars a little hamster in a cyber wheel rolling through a treacherous tower full of traps, teleporters, and other obstacles.
Potato Man Seeks the Troof is a retro style platformer. The game was recently Greenlit on Steam and will come with Steam keys when the game officially launches on Steam.
In Mad Max, survive in an post-apocalyptic wasteland as Mad Max, a lone warrior who has to fight to survive. Battle combatants on-ground and through vehicular warfare. Customize your vehicles to cause the most mayhem to your enemies. Max’s Magnum Opus is the vehicle which you will use to escape the dangerous Wasteland.
Below is a trailer highlighting Mad Max’s vehicle, Magnum Opus. The game will be released in 2015, and will be available on the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting title.
