Page 3846 – Capsule Computers

Abyss Odyssey video gives us a behind scenes look at the game’s main theme

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April 12, 2014

Today Atlus USA and ACE Team, the developers behind Zeno Clash, have released a new video for the upcoming game Abyss Odyssey and while the last few videos have focused on some of the enemies players will be able to control, this time around it is a behind the scenes look at the work that went into creating the game’s main theme song.

You can check out the video below and as for Abyss Odyssey, the game has not been given a solid release date at the moment but it is set to be released sometime in summer 2014 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Wizards Announces Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers

Andrew Day

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April 12, 2014

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On the eve of Pax East, Wizards of the Coast took the time to announce the latest installment of their Duels of the Planeswalkers series – Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers. The DotP series has been a long-running way for players to experience just about everything that Magic: The Gathering has to offer without needing to shell out a lot of money for cards.

While DotP 2014 centered around Chandra Nalaar the pyromancer and her quest to find an ancient scroll, 2015 features Garruk Wildspeaker after his ill-fated cursing at the hands of Liliana Vess during Magic’s Innistrad block (2 years ago) as he savagely hunts you down. Players will build a deck of and use cunning, and strategy against their foes before culminating in a battle with the beastmaster himself.

The latest iteration of the franchise will take the game to a whole new level, deeply engaging fans like never before. With new features including the ability to build customized decks, there is no end to the fun you will have. In addition, it will be the first time many players have to try out the cards from the upcoming Magic 2015 Core Set before they hit store shelves.

Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers will be available this winter on Xbox One (the first next-gen version of the game), Xbox 360, iPad, Kindle and Android devices. If you haven’t tried out a Duels of the Planeswalkers game, then check out our review of last year’s Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers.

PAX East has historically been the place that Wizards announces the new cards and sets for the coming year, so make sure you keep checking back to Capsule Computers for all the Magic: The Gathering news as it becomes available.

Xbox Newsbeat – April 5 – April 11

Andrew Day

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April 12, 2014

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It’s a big bad world but I ain’t ashamed to like the lights in my hand, and the Newsbeat in my face! Brace yourselves everyone, because it is time for another, shall I say amazing installment of Xbox Newsbeat! If you are new to the game, Xbox Newsbeat is your one stop shop for all the news that’s fit to print from the rockers at Microsoft HQ. This week we have 5 little Xbox One news snippets, and 2 for the still popular Xbox 360 (sorry AGAIN Windows Phone. I swear your time will come). So cue the fancy fireworks display and lets get this show on the road!

Mission Possible: “Zoo Tycoon” Players Achieve First Community Challenge

A few months ago, we told you about the great work done by the developers of Zoo Tycoon in association with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums with their first Community Challenge. Well it is time to rejoice, as the Zoo Tycoon players have successfully released 1000 digital Sumatran tigers into the wild, and as such the AZA Tiger SSP’s Tiger Conservation Campaign will receive a generous donation of $10,000. Seriously guys, well done. Who knew that playing video games could have such a lasting, positive impact on the real world.

The next Community Challenge will be starting up soon, so make sure you get Zoo Tycoon for Xbox 360 and Xbox One to do your share of good.

The legendary “Monaco of the West” makes its franchise debut in time for Grand Prix race

Ok so full disclosure… I see that headline and although I know all of the individual worlds, I can’t make heads or tails of what it says. What I can wrap my head around is that the legendary Long Beach circuit has made its debut in Forza Motorsport 5, which also signifies the track’s first appearance in ANY Forza title. Now, I had to look up what was so special about this track, but apparently it plays host to Long Beach’s biggest annual event. Whether or not that is a big deal is still up in the air for me (I mean, what else happens in Long Beach?).

But in all seriousness, the Forza guys have been meticulous with the recreation of other famous racing tracks, and there is no reason to assume that Long Beach wont have gotten the same 1:1 accuracy and detail. Racing enthusiasts (and really anyone who owns Forza 5) can download the track now, totally free and see for yourself.

“Killer Instinct” Completes Season One Roster with Fulgore

Ok here we go. Killer Instinct has finally completed its “First Season,” with the debut of Fulgore into the frey. The ultratech-designed cyborg killing machine has found his way to the Xbox One, and one just needs to watch an hour of online matches to see that he is making a massive splash on the competitive scene.

Not only does Season 1 end with Fulgore’s debut, but Double Helix have also launched a new Arcade Mode and online lobbies which accommodates up to eight players per room. The update enables a spectator mode so fans can cheer on friends through every Ultra Combo and Combo Breaker. Spectators can also join in the action and challenge the top player in the lobby.

Killer Instinct is far from done, with more to come in the future. However with Amazon’s recent acquisition of Double Helix, there is no current estimate on when Season 2 will begin.

Strike Suit Zero Q&A with ID@Xbox Developer Born Ready Games

Anyone who is an avid follower of Xbox Newsbeat (I hope there are a few of you) will know that ID@Xbox is a term that comes out a lot. ID@Xbox is Microsoft’s self-publishing program that will see indy games being released on Xbox platforms for ages to come. Well the first big launch of the program; Strike Suit Zero is finally her and the guys over at Xbox Wire have had a sit-down interview with the developers. Rather than posting the interview and sapping views from Xbox Wire, click here to check out the interview and show the guys some love.

We will have a full review in the coming days, so make sure you check back to find out our thoughts.

Skype 1.3 for Xbox One: Show the Real You

One teeny, tiny bit to wrap up the Xbox One stuff before we make the smooth transition back to 360. As with most console-apps, Skype for Xbox One is constantly getting its fair share of bug fixes and updates. With version 1.3 available early next week. You’ll now be able to take a Skype profile picture using Kinect on your Xbox One. Or, if you prefer your Xbox One gamerpic, you can now also use that in your Skype profile.

GoPro Launching on Xbox 360

You know those GoPro cameras that let you just strap them to yourself and take really high quality footage of whatever you are up to? Well the official app of those cameras have launched on Xbox 360. Now you’ll be able to stream and curate GoPro video content from the largest screen in the house and to kick off the launch, GoPro is offering two exclusive videos that the Xbox community will get one week before they’re available elsewhere.

Crytek Set to Launch “Warface Xbox 360 Edition” on April 22

After being in Open Beta for a few months, Crytek’s Warface Xbox 360 Edition is finally going live this month. The popular free-to-play shooter will feature co-operative and competitive multiplayer action in which players can master four Warface classes: Rifleman, Medic, Engineer, and Sniper to experience different tactical approaches, gameplay styles and unique weapon sets. Starting with the launch, “Warface Xbox 360 Edition” will receive regularly updated content, enabling fans to experience new, daily co-operative campaign missions, and a continuous supply of new maps, weaponry and more.

If you are an FPS fan that has been looking for something new, then Warface might be the way to go. You can download it from April 22nd through the Xbox Games Store. Since it is free to play, there might be some in-app purchases but I can’t say with any certainty whether or not that will be the case. Just remember though that you will need an Xbox Gold membership to play.

Phew. This week seemed jam PACKED with news! So what articles caught your eye? Have you been rocking Fulgore online in Killer Instinct, or have you been cruising through Long Beach on Forza 5? Let us know in the comments below… and also let me know what other events Long Beach holds each year so that non-racing fans like myself can have a bit of perspective. As always, make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Microsoft news as it becomes available, and I will see you next week on Xbox Newsbeat!

Broforce Review

Chris Chu

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April 12, 2014

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Broforce
Developer: Free Lives
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Mac, Linux
Release Date: April 7th, 2014 Early Access
Price: $14.99 – Available Here

Overview

Ever wanted to save the world as some of the most frightening and bad-ass characters ever to walk the planet? Meet Broforce, the indie title developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital (the publishers of Luftrausers) that will let you live that dream. Broforce is a pixel-art platformer that allows players to become some of the most feared action heroes in our history. Rambo, The Terminator, Judge Dredd, Blade, and Neo are just a small portion of the action heroes that players can use to dish out a world of pain. The game is basically a pixelated version of The Expendables, plus a few additional action stars. Broforce is currently in early access right now, with the full build planned for a summer release. Even in its current state on Steam, the game provides countless amounts of fun for anyone who likes to blow things up.

Gameplay

Gameplay may seem simplistic at first, but don’t let it fool you. The game is quite difficult as you slowly progress through the different stages. You control your character with the use of the directional pad, Z is your shoot button, X is for grenades/special attacks, and C is for your melee attack. Of course, these can all be swapped out with button configurations of your own choice. The menu provides quite a few options to choose from. There is the campaign mode, online multiplayer, custom campaigns, level editor, a Race Mode, an Explosion Run, Deathmatch, and your options. Online multiplayer provides online gaming with other players, and you can connect with up to 3 other players. Race mode, explosion run, and deathmatch are all local game modes with another player on the same computer.

As soon as you start a new campaign, things kick off as Rambo, who has a full-auto machine gun and who chucks grenades like a parent on Halloween giving away candy. As you run around the first level, you get used to the controls and how to navigate the multi-floored stages. Jumping against the walls will allow you to stick to them, through the use of your character’s knife. You can climb walls and jump down holes to access different points of the stage layout. The environment is completely destructible and can provide lots of different options for killing an enemy NPC.

There are a few different enemy NPCs that you’ll face off. First type is the typical henchman. They wield little rifles and will shoot every so often once you’ve been spotted. When you’ve been spotted, a huge exclamation mark will show up above their head, indicating that they know you’re there and will fire. They’re so slow that they really aren’t much of a problem, but a large group of them can present problems if you’re trying to fight your way through a narrow corridor. If the enemy NPCs suspect movement, a question mark will appear above them, but it’s still safe for as long as they don’t notice you.

The second type of henchman is a suicide bomber. These little madmen pride themselves on blowing up in your face. If spotted, these NPCs will charge at you, blowing up after a few seconds. It’s pretty easy to get rid of these guys, but watch out if you’re too close and wielding a weapon that can cause them to explode. The blast radius will set off and you will be blown to chunks. These guys are interesting because you can use them as a weapon against their own team. By killing one of these henchman so that they die around their buddies, they will all explode. Can also be used to set off chain explosions with oil barrels and the enemy tunnels/hideouts. There’s also a little mini-boss styled henchman that uses a mini-gun. These guys are bit harder to kill. Takes more than a few shots to get them down.

As you progress through the levels, there are little prisoner cages that you can break free. Inside each of these, there will be a little NPC who is bound in ropes and gagged. Above them will have the words “SAVE” hovering over them. Saving the hostages is how you will slowly unlock each of the action heroes and unlock more lives. Each of these “bros” have their own unique weapons and special attacks, providing every situation with a different way to handle things. Whether you’re “Brade”, wielding his sword to slice through his enemies or “Indianna Brones” with his flare gun and whip, the stage can be set in many different ways. It all just depends on what characters you’ve unlocked and how you want your enemies to die. Every time you save a hostage, you gain a life. When you die and you have a life left, you will respawn at the last checkpoint you’ve unlocked, which is the US flags you unlock in the stage.

The bosses in this game are each different, with their own sets of skills. The first boss you’ll meet is a helicopter who drops bombs in an area and fires off its machine gun after a slight delay. As long as you watch for the signs, it’ll becme easier to dodge the attacks. Every subsequent boss gets a little harder, and each one is unique. The game mechanics, while fast-paced, are recognizable and should be easily thwarted if you start to understand the game.

Visuals & Audio

The visuals are pretty awesome. The pixel-art style that the developers chose for the game rounds out the already hilarious parody of these action heroes from the 80s and 90s. While the game is an action platformer with fast-paced shooting and explosions, the comedic value of the game shouldn’t be forgotten. Everything up to the sounds that the henchmen makes when they die or run away simply adds another tally to the total grade I could give to this title. The visuals and audio meshes well to create a rather addictive experience as you attempt to blow every single pixelated image off the screen.

Overall

The game is one that I’ve kept on my radar since it was given the green light signal on Steam. The game is perfectly rounded out with a great cast of characters that is said to still be growing, simple graphics that look way better when playing the game than the screenshots I’ve taken, and an interesting soundtrack with a ton of miscellaneous sounds that really pulls it all together. Besides a few hiccups in the actual gameplay, all of which should be fixed by the time the game makes a full release, and its lack of story, the game is a fantastic platformer that will hook players into a never-ending cycle of spraying bullets and watching explosions fill the sky.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

From Bedrooms To Billions praised by BUGS as world premiere is confirmed for EGX London

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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April 12, 2014

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From Bedrooms To Billions praised by BUGS as world premiere is confirmed for EGX London

Last chance to pre-order special edition

o   From Bedrooms To Billions available FREE to all UK schools from 2015
o   Full length feature film financed entirely by crowd funding and pre-orders
o   Pre-order limited edition before 31^st May to get exclusive bonus material
o   Find out more and watch the trailer at www.frombedroomstobillions.com

The world premiere of From Bedrooms To Billions, a new documentary movie telling the remarkable story of the UK gaming industry, will take place at the UK’s biggest ever videogames event, EGX London 2014.

Running from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 September at London’s Earls Court exhibition centre, EGX London 2014 will feature the hottest triple A and indie games, a huge fighting game tournament and an impressive line-up of developer sessions.

The film’s co-director, Anthony Caulfield, commented: “I am thrilled to confirm that From Bedrooms To Billions will be premiered at this summer’s EGX event in London. This is the perfect audience and the perfect venue, I couldn’t be happier. The plan is have two showings – one for the trade and one for the public – and we’ll have special guests and some very special surprises in store. Further exciting announcements will be made soon.

“Making From Bedrooms To Billions has been a two-year labour of love and it’s very nearly finished. The first people to see it will be our incredible crowd funding backers and those who pre-order before 31^st May. These amazing people have raised over £100,000 for the film’s production and without them it simply wouldn’t have happened, so they get the exclusive ‘Backers Edition’ with tons of great extras. The theatrical cut will then premiere at EGX in September before going on general release to cinemas around the UK.

“While the film has strong nostalgic appeal, we were determined to look forward as well as back. The way the UK somehow lost its way from the early golden era of development and publishing is very sad. However, we firmly believe this will change and that many great opportunities lie ahead, some of which we cover in the film.

“We hope From Bedrooms To Billions will serve as a catalyst for young IT enthusiasts to push the boundaries of what is perceived possible, just as visionary game developers did with the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 in the 1980s. That’s why, once the film has finished its cinema run, we’re making it available to schools, colleges and universities free of charge. It fits nicely with the community feel of the whole project.”

The free-to-schools plan was announced at the recent Business and Universities Game Syndicate (BUGS) launch at BAFTA in London. Co-founded by veteran games developer Jon Hare and Professor Carsten Maple, BUGS aims to connect graduates and employers in order to reverse the UK game industry’s slide down the international pecking order.

This high profile event was attended by, among other senior figures, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, and Ian Livingstone CBE, co-founder of Games Workshop and author of the NESTA report, who led the successful campaign to put computing back on the national curriculum.

Professor Carsten Maple said: “To get the UK back into the top three games developers in the world is a big challenge. We need to make sure we’ve got a good talent pool and that we attract all kinds of students. From Bedrooms To Billions is going to be screened at each of the universities and it will tell us all about how the industry has changed.”

Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, added: “We are experiencing a creative industrial revolution and games are at the heart of it. We want the industry to benefit from graduates who are coming out of university with the right skills, which means they hit the ground running.”

Last chance to be an official From Bedrooms To Billions backer!

Anyone contributing to the project by pre-ordering before 31^st May gets instant access to the Backer’s Zone at www.frombedroomstobillions.com

· The limited edition Blu-ray, DVD or Digital Version comes with a strictly one-print-run-only cover designed by legendary video game artist Oliver Frey

· Pre-order the film to immediately download a clip bundle including Matthew Smith on Manic Miner and David Braben on Elite

· Pre-order the soundtrack to get new material by 80s game music superstars Rob Hubbard and Ben Daglish

From Bedrooms To Billions co-director, Nicola Caulfield, said: “This film is a great piece of nostalgic entertainment. It celebrates a landmark period in the history of British invention and documents the growth of gaming from a so-called niche hobby into the vast, worldwide industry it is today. We’ve got great interviews with some of the UK’s most successful game designers, publishers, musicians and journalists. Frankly, it’s about time this amazing story was told, and we very much hope it will also act as an inspirational learning tool to get more young people enjoying programming, IT and making video games again.

“The film is almost done and 31^st May is the cut-off point for pre-ordering the exclusive ‘Backers Edition’. As a thank you to our fantastic crowd funders we’ve put together some really special extras that will never be available again. The limited edition contains an additional 2.5 hours of footage on top of the two-hour movie. It represents easily the most comprehensive visual record of the UK gaming story, and might just become highly collectable.”

Hearthstone Receives First Adventure, Curse of Naxxramas

Chris Chu

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April 12, 2014

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Following the official release of Blizzard’s latest online card game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, the team has announced an all-new game mode called the Curse of Naxxramas, the very first adventure for Hearthstone.

The Curse of Naxxramas is the single-player campaign set in the floating necropolis called Naxxramas. Using your deck of choice, players will have to make their way through the five different wings of Naxxramas, defeating bosses and earning cards along the way. At the end of each wing, players can unlock a chest that contains an all-new Legendary card to use at their disposal. This new content includes 30 new cards that can only be accessed through completing the adventure. Every boss will have their own unique abilities and minions.

The different wings will slowly be added to the game over the course of five weeks. The price of entry into Naxxramas will be payable through in-game gold or real money. Check out their official site here for more information.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn PS4 Early Access, PS3 Upgrade Live

Zac Elawar

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April 12, 2014

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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is now in Early Access for the PlayStation 4 ahead of its release on the 14th of April. Additionally, the ability to upgrade from the PlayStation 3 version is now possible. Read on below for the official steps from Square Enix on how to upgrade:

Purchase of the PlayStation 4 version is not required to upgrade. Please be aware that after transferring to the PlayStation 4 you will be unable to play using your current copy of the PlayStation 3 version.
Please note that after completion, the upgrade process cannot be undone.
Players may upgrade free of charge via the Mog Station.
You must first register the PlayStation 3 version to your Final Fantasy XIV service account before upgrading.
Upon completing the upgrade process, a PlayStation 4 system will be required to play Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
All Final Fantasy XIV service account data including characters and in-game items will be carried over upon upgrading to the PlayStation 4 version.
If you wish to play on both the PS3 and PS4 you must purchase a separate copy of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn for the PlayStation 4.
The PS4 upgrade campaign will be offered until December 31, 2014.

PRESS PLAY ANNOUNCES NEW GAME CODENAMED PROJECT TOTEM

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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April 11, 2014

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PRESS PLAY ANNOUNCES NEW GAME CODENAMED PROJECT TOTEM

A Collaborative Platformer Set to Hit Xbox One and Xbox 360 this Fall

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – April 11, 2014 – Danish development studio Press Play, creators of the critically acclaimed Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, is pleased to announce its brand new title, currently called Project Totem, coming to Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system and Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft later this year.

Project Totem is a playful yet precise platforming game where players control two totem pole pieces with one controller. The initial idea came from brothers Asger Strandby (Game Director) and Bo Strandby (Lead Designer) who wanted to put a distinctive spin on the platform genre. On top of the single player campaign, the game offers a local couch multiplayer mode where players must work closely together to succeed – just the way the two brothers played games in their childhood.

“It is one of those games, where the basic premise is hard to describe, but once you have the controller in your hand, it is so obviously fun that you immediately get it.” says Rune Dittmer, Studio Director at Press Play. “So when Asger and Bo showed us the prototype at a party, it was a no-brainer to give them some time to elaborate on the core concept. And now a year later we are proud to announce Press Play’s second game for Xbox One.”

Project Totem is set for release this fall and will be available for the Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox 360. For more information on Project Totem, follow Press Play on Twitter and Facebook.

ABOUT PRESS PLAY

Press Play is a multi-award winning game development studio located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 2006 by Rune Dittmer, Ole Teglbjærg, and Mikkel Thorsted, Press Play has created numerous games but is best known for its original IP: Tentacles, Max and the Magic Marker, and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. The Studio currently has several unannounced original IP in development. In 2012, Press Play joined Microsoft Studios in a light-touch acquisition, allowing Press Play to retain full creative control of its projects. As always, Press Play creates original mechanics-driven game experiences for geeks, moms, and other extraordinary people.

Mighty Quest For Epic Loot now has Pets

Luke Halliday

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April 11, 2014

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If you ever played The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot, you may have been left thinking that the game needed something more. If you thought that that something more was pets then you are in luck as Ubisoft have just announced that the game now has pets.

To celebrate and promote the launch of these wonderful creatures that are called pets, Ubisoft have released a trailer highlighting what a pet is and what a pet does. Pets are quite useful and can get you gold and the all too precious life force.

Be sure to check out the trailer for pets in Mighty Quest for Epic Loot below. Don’t forget to sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts and opinions on the inclusion of pets into this game that previously did not have pets.

Fairy Tail Movie: Phoenix Priestess Review

Luke Halliday

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April 11, 2014

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Fairy Tail Movie: Phoenix Priestess
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Format: DVD, Blu-Ray
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Price: $29.95 – Available Here

Overview
Shonen anime movies are historically a hit and miss affair. More often than not they come off as little more than a overly long filler episode or merely an unnecessary side-story with no relation to the canon of the main series. By and large Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess falls into these traps common the genre. It feels like a filler and it feels like a meaningless side-story that has zero impact on the main series in and of itself. While it doesn’t matter in the long run, nor is it essential viewing, it does prove to be a spot of fun that fans of the Fairy Tail series may enjoy passing some time with.

Story
Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess is essentially a big side-adventure for the ‘Fairy Tail’ guild. It revolves around the titular priestess Eclair, who is Fairy Tail’s take on the amnesia trope. She doesn’t seem to remember anything and they must help her do just that, all the while becoming entangled in the web that she herself is embroiled in.

In traditional Fairy Tail fashion, Phoenix Priestess is about a 60/40 in terms of Comedy to Drama, it doesn’t dive too strongly into the serious side of things until it confronts Eclair’s struggle head on. Outside of that it is generally all fun and games for Natsu and the rest of the goofball guild members. There are times when Fairy Tail’s insistence on comedic relief verges on inappropriate, often ruining moments that should be moving and emotionally rewarding, all for the sake of a cheap gag. It is a problem inherent to the series and it continues here in this film albeit to a slightly lesser extent.

The film takes on a more Arabian styled aesthetic, story-line and setting here, one that does feel a little out of sorts in the world of Fairy Tail, but it ultimately fits into the world we have come to know quite nicely, even if it isn’t exactly canonical. The new cast members for the film take a little getting use to, struggling to gel with the main characters in an organic way. There however does prove to be some chemistry between Lucy and Eclair which saves things on that front.

Ultimately there is very little to take away from Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess other than a rather half-hearted side-story that will only really prove to be a worthwhile viewing for fans of the series. This is a very poor entry point into the series and doesn’t go very well as a stand-alone film despite having no narrative connections to the main story canon. In the end it is really just a bit of fun, but that fun is best left to the die-hards that just can’t get enough of the mages of Fairy Tail and their comedic antics.

Visuals and Audio
Despite its inconsequential and forgettable story, Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess does feature some rather stunning aesthetics from A-1 Pictures who have clearly brought their A-Game to the table for this film. It really carries the cinematic feel quite well and brings Fairy Tail to a grander stage visually. This is easily the best Fairy Tail has looked yet and A-1 Pictures should be commended for their efforts on this film’s animation which is really quite brilliant.

As for the audio portion of this release, the series’ trademark Scottish-inspired backing tracks are highlighted here with some bag-pipes meets shredding guitar tracks that will really blow your mind. The film’s theme song is decent while unmemorable but does a pretty good job at setting the stage for the movie.

This release features dual languages, the English dub from Funimation and the original Japanese audio track. The English dub is great from Funimation and brings the Japanese version to life in English language. It is always good to have options available and this is really a best of both worlds scenario.

Extras
As for special features, Madman Entertainment have packed a solid amount of bonus content. Included in the Prologue to the film titled ‘The First Morning’ which is a nice piece of complementary viewing for the film. There is also the original trailer and US trailer for the film which are interesting as a comparison between the two and there is of course the clean opening and ending themes. It amounts to a great amount of extras for a film release and it definitely gives the added punch that this release needed.

Overall
Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess is shonen anime cinema at its most inessential. This is far from must-see anime, it is really just a glorified filler episode. While it may feature a fairly decent story it is hard to escape the feeling that this is an inconsequential tale in the world of Fairy Tail, one that lacks emotional gravitas and relies far too heavily on cheap laughs to progress through its run-time.

The series has featured much better quality writing then that seen in this movie and it is very clear from the get-go that this is not up to the standard of the series. It may serve as a fun way to spend an hour or so for fans of the series but this film is in no way up to task as an entry-point into Fairy Tail nor is it even fit to be a stand-alone film. This one is best left for the hardcore Fairy Tail fans that will appreciate this film for what it is, a chance to hang-out with their beloved characters for an extra hour or so in what is a relatively fun side-story albeit a very forgettable one.

If you are a fan of the series, Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess is likely worth your time. If you don’t fit into that category it’s probably best you avoid this film or take a look at the series itself first. A middling effort at best, Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess does little to shake the stigma associated with shonen anime film adaptations.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.