Wargaming has just released the fifth instalment of its “Flight Academy” video series for World of Warplanes. In this latest tutorial, we learn the combat characteristics that determine a vehicle’s performance in the skies, as well as the equipment and upgradable modules available for each plane in the game.
The video also briefs pilots on each and every parameter of a warbird, showing that the correct implementation of additional equipment can be the difference between victory or defeat. Module research also nets some attention, expressing the power of upgrades and their ability to draw out the true potential of a warplane.
So check out the tutorial below and utilise your newfound knowledge to cinch victory from your foes. Knowledge is power.
Video games, over time, have grown and evolved to be much more than just simple projects to keep children entertained for hours on end. I feel as though video games have developed in such an extreme way that fans of pop culture and everything within it tend to speak of video games like they are pieces of art. We discuss what we do and do not like about them, we cross-examine and we get into as much detail as we can about certain titles and it usually comes down to four key elements: The graphics, the gameplay, the story and the soundtrack.
Each of which must be both appealing as a stand-alone element and as a whole. Usually a great deal of the focus goes on the visual style, especially since we’re coming into the new age of gaming where our consoles are much more powerful therefore allowing developers to produce titles that are far more visually outstanding than their predecessors. Gameplay and story also hold a very high rank in the minds of gamers but I feel as though one of those four elements doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves and its the soundtrack.
While most gamers will say that they can appreciate all of what a game has to offer in the moment of play, I feel as though that may be somewhat of a lie. To fully appreciate a game you must appreciate everything it has to offer and that includes the soundtrack. Most game developers of our generation choose to stick solely with instrumental tracks, bar one or two songs that they may have used for promotional videos or trailers that also happen to be featured in the game (e.g. “Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana and “inFAMOUS: Second Son“).
The great thing about using only instrumental tracks is that it gives fantastic atmosphere to any and all in-game situations but they’re not exactly the types of soundtracks every fan of the game wants to have floating around on their music players. The small list I’ve compiled here is that of game soundtracks I believe deserve a place within your music library. These soundtracks though, unlike some of the games floating around, all host music tracks not only composed specifically for the game but are good enough, in my opinion, to stand alone as average songs. Each are (mostly) lyrical tracks that add to the atmosphere and intensity of the game but are also the types of tracks you can listen to throughout your daily life without feeling like you have to fight some sort of Cyclops giant. I’m looking at you, every “God of War” game every made.
A “Square Enix” title for the Nintendo DS (known as “A Wonderful World” in Japan) that was originally released over here in Australia in 2008, “The World Ends With You” follows the story of a young boy who wakes up in the middle of a bustling Japanese crossing with no memories of his past and a brand-new ability to harness the power of psychic energy.
He and his new friends (each of wish have stories similar to him) must now compete in a week-long, life or death game that could just mean not only the end of them but the end of existence entirely. This action/RPG opened my eyes up to music within video games like no other game had done before it.
Not only did each and every one of the tracks fit scenes and situations like a glove but they added layers of depth to the entire gaming experience. Years after playing the actual game I still remember two particular things about “The World Ends With You”; its great visuals and its fantastic soundtrack and, to this day, I still listen to music from its official soundtrack.
All of the tracks combine the musical elements of rap, hip-hop, rock and electronica to allow the game to perfectly portray the vibe of a bustling metropolis. Set in modern times, “The World Ends With You” needed a soundtrack that could properly bring players into a world engulfed by concrete, graffiti and unique style, it was the games composer Takeharu Ishimoto that pulled it off flawlessly.
The game that introduced the Wii to gore. “Madworld”, developed by “Platinum Games” and published by “Sega”, is a comic book-style game that puts players in control of a man named Jack. As Jack you take part in a gameshow called “DeathWatch” which sections off parts of certain cities and has its players fight for survival with the winner being awarded with a large (but undisclosed) amount of money. You, as Jack, are an undercover agent and a former winner of “DeathWatch” who is now working for the government.
Your mission is to infiltrate the game and take it down from the inside which apparently means just winning again. Filled with blood, gore and one of the best visual styles I’ve ever seen on the Nintendo Wii, it was a game I couldn’t pass up and it just so happened to have one hell of a soundtrack. Populated entirely by hip-hop, rap and RnB tracks, the “MadWorld” soundtrack would have to be one of the most intense I’ve ever come across and not because of the musical genre but because of the harsh words and game-centric themes within the music.
Despite having fairly murder-based lyrics I still feel that each of the tracks could stand on their own two feet as songs you’d listen to almost daily. Each song has been composed fantastically and as gritty rap tracks they work perfectly. Going online and reading the lyrics to some of these songs may make you a little bit worried, especially when I’m here to tell you that you can listen to them as part of your daily music cycle but I beg that you don’t go and do that, instead go and listen to a track.
You’ll soon realise that as violent as these tracks sound, they’re actually fairly tongue-in-cheek and somewhat playful. Much like “The World Ends With You”, “MadWorld” had a fantastically unique art style (which heavily resembles that of Frank Miller’s “Sin City”) paired with an incredibly appropriate soundtrack that made the game so memorable. To this day I still rant about how great of a game it was.
A game I and a lot of other video game fans in this world believe to be somewhat ahead of its time “Jet Set Radio” is a game that was originally released on the Sega Dreamcast all the way back in the year 2000 with it getting a re-release on new consoles back in 2014. It’s a game that puts you into the shoes (or skates) of some renegade youths who just want to wear funky clothing, zip around using their “high-tech” roller blades and paint the town red…literally.
The aim of the game is to cruise through the city streets, fight off rival skater gangs and graffiti everything you possibly can while also dodging the authorities. It’s a great game that captured the imagination of many gamers throughout time with its vibrant aesthetics and contemporary music. The game combines musical genres like J-pop, hip hop, funk, electronic dance music and rock music in ways that outdo all the rest.
The composer for “Jet Set Radio” must have been running out of genres to cover seeing as the games music delves into the use of odd and non-mainstream sub-genres like “Acid Jazz” and “Trip Hop”, two genres of which I’ve never experienced outside of this game. Much like any good video game soundtrack, this one fit the game perfectly to the point where it even seemed as though music tracks matched certain colours which isn’t something entirely odd but it’s not something you hear about everyday.
It’s also something extremely hard to explain but those of you reading this who HAVE played “Jet Set Radio” will know entirely what I’m talking about. Most of the music on the soundtrack is composed by Hideki Naganuma and Deavid Soul with accompanying tracks by artists like Jurassic 5 and Rob Zombie. There’s so much that this soundtrack has to offer, it’s so good that I tend to long for it on certain days. It’s definitely one for those of you out there with a love for music that gives off a positive vibe. It’s bubbly, it’s electric, it’s “Jet Set Radio” through and through.
A heavy game with an even heavier soundtrack, “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” follows the story of Raiden, a character that many fans of the “Metal Gear” series were quite excited to see take the spotlight in his own game. Raiden is a mercenary/private security guard who has been hired to protect the Prime Minister of an unnamed African country. After being attacked by a team of cyborg terrorists called “Desperado”, Raiden is thrown back into a world of death and destruction, one that he prays he could escape from forever.
Now it is up to him to take down “Desperado” and to foil their plans of world domination. Despite it being a part of the “Metal Gear” universe, it shares almost nothing with its predecessors, gameplay-wise; there’s basically no need to play the game in a stealthy manner, instead the it purposefully throws you into high-octane action situations where you’re given no choice but to hack and slash your way through each and every enemy…human or cyborg, they all get to taste Raiden’s steel in the end.
The soundtrack for this game can seem a little intimidating for music fans out there who aren’t entirely keen on the edgy metal/electronic mix of genres but it is definitely one that grows on you. Most of the songs on the soundtrack were composed by Jamie Christopherson, each of which have some incredibly uplifting lyrics that could surely get anyone fired up.
Having powerful lyrics mixed with intense music makes for some fantastically epic-sounding tracks that work to both life up your spirits in-game and throughout your daily life. If I’m ever in a bit of a bad mood or need to let off a little steam, tracks from “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” are the first I tend to listen to. While it took me a little while to warm up to, by the end of the game you do appreciate such incredible music and, once you listen to the tracks on their own, you get a good feel for just how well-composed they are.
The third video game on this list to be developed by “Platinum Games” and the title that works as a spiritual sequel to “MadWorld”, “Anarchy Reigns” follows the story of Jack (once again) and a young police officer named Leo, both of which are searching for the same man who went “AWOL” some time ago leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. The two men, as well as a slew of other crazy characters, constantly go toe-to-toe as they both search for this mysterious killer.
Despite having a pretty fleshed out storyline, the game focused more on online play making it unique in and of itself considering it was a beat-em-up title, most of which do not focus on multiplayer in any way. The game gave off an unmistakable vibe quite similar to that of “MadWorld” which connect the two in a rare but obvious way. Not only was it created by the same people and features some of the same characters, the music on its soundtrack was all composed by the same artists that worked on “MadWorld”.
Sick YG, Ox, Doujah Raze and many others return once again from “MadWorld” to create another brilliant and fitting soundtrack for “Anarchy Reigns” (“Max Anarchy” in Japan). Although not as gory as “MadWorld”, “Anarchy Reigns” had quite a similar soundtrack that almost seemed like a simple extension on the “MadWorld” soundtrack though it was clear that these particular artists have honed their musical skills over the years.
Being a fan of “MadWorld” lead me to believe that the soundtrack for “Anarchy Reigns” would be just as violent if not worse but it actually surprised me when the songs weren’t overly violent, instead they were just slightly more serious which fit more into the style of “Anarchy Reigns”. Despite its connection to “MadWorld” the music (alongside the visuals and storyline) did indeed help it give the game a certain degree of seperation from the former title. It showed progress, it showed growth and it showed that “MadWorld” wasn’t just a fluke for these musical artists, they could do this time and time again.
Whether you agree or disagree with my choices please head down the the comments section below to let us here at Capsule Computers know what you think. Also if you have any awesome video game soundtrack suggestions please feel free to discuss them below.
THE WITCH AND THE HUNDRED KNIGHT AVAILABLE NOW IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
NIS America is thrilled to announce that Nippon Ichi Software’s exciting action RPG The Witch and the Hundred Knight™ is available now in Australia and New Zealand.
For more information, please visit http://www.nisamerica.com/games/witch100/
Fed up with being unable to travel beyond the borders of her swamp, the witch Metallia forges a contract with the legendary Hundred Knight to help her realize her ambition of spreading her swamp throughout all of Medea. As the Hundred Knight, your mission is to do whatever your master, the Swamp Witch, commands. Explore the world, destroy Pillars built to prevent her swamp from spreading, and wreak indiscriminate havoc. However, in the back of your inhuman mind, you begin to wonder… What prevents Metallia from leaving the swamp? Why do the other witches shun her, and how can she survive in a swamp that is notorious for how poisonous its fumes are? Is Metallia really a witch to respect, or is she one to fear?
Key features:
Dark fantasy melee: Equip up to five different weapons at a time to build diverse,
guard-breaking combos!
Be thee dexterous: Use the Mystical Dodge feature to slow down time by avoiding an enemy’s attack at the last moment!
Enemy chowdown: Remain in Metallia’s service longer by consuming your foes when your Gigcals are low!
Magical metamorphosis: Switch between different “facets” to best clobber your enemies and explore this dark fantasy world.
Sinister is the name of the game: Enjoy the tale of one girl’s vengeance against the entire world—and “mercy” is not in her vocabulary! Dual Audio galore: Players have the ability to switch between and enjoy both the English and Japanese audio tracks whilst adventuring!
FOOTBALL MANAGER CLASSIC FOR PS VITA… THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER
Fully-featured handheld version of Football Manager Classic, with
cross-platform compatibility and 3D match engine, to be available
worldwide from Friday, April 11th
March 27th 2014
Sports Interactive™ and SEGA® Europe Ltd. are delighted to announce that the release date for Football Manager™ Classic 2014 (FMC 2014) for PlayStation Vita has been set as Friday, April 11th.
FMC 2014 for PS Vita is the first game in the series’ long and successful history to allow fans to carry on a single continuous game, whether they’re at home using their computer or out and about with their PlayStation Vita (or vice versa).
In addition, FMC 2014 for PS Vita is also the first ever mobile game to feature FM’s acclaimed 3D Match Engine, adding an extra layer of realism and immersion that’s been unavailable in previous Football Manager Handheld games, alongside a pretty much identical feature set to Football Manager Classic on home computers.
Produced with considerable support from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), FMC 2014 for PS Vita has been co-developed by Sports Interactive, its sister development studio Hardlight™ (responsible for Sonic Dash™ and Sonic Jump™) and Sheffield-based Little Stone Software.
“It’s great to finally be able to release FMC Vita. This game has been the most technically challenging that we’ve ever worked on – we’ve essentially fit a PC game that needs loads of memory, a mouse and a keyboard into Sony’s wonderful handheld with a touch screen – and the help we’ve had from all of our partners has been wonderful,” says Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive. “To be able to take your home computer save onto the road adds a huge amount to the Football Manager experience.”
“For years, the dream of many Football Manager fans has been to be able to enjoy a full version of their favourite game wherever they are,” says Shahid Ahmad, Senior Business Development Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “Sports Interactive and SEGA have realised that dream on the PS Vita, and we at PlayStation are delighted with their ground-breaking results.”
Football Manager Classic started life as a ‘slimmed down’ game mode in Football Manager 2013, specifically designed as an alternative, less time-consuming way for players to approach the game. The release of FMC 2014 for PS Vita marks the first time that it’s been released as a standalone game.
Football Manager Classic 2014 for PlayStation Vita will be published by SEGA and will be available as both a physical release and a digital download through the PSN store.
– ENDS –
About Sports Interactive Ltd.:
Sports Interactive (SI) is the world’s leading developer of football management simulations through its Football Manager series of games. Founded in 1994 and based in the Old Street area of London, SI has a full-time staff of 90 and employs the services of more than 1,000 part-time researchers across the globe (alongside more than 200 offsite Beta testers). The company’s games have enjoyed an unparalleled history of commercial and critical success; 12 of its creations are among the UK’s Top 20 fastest-selling PC games of all time, five are in the UK’s top 20 best-selling PC games of all time while Football Manager 2014 recently set a UK chart record by topping the charts for 18 consecutive weeks. Sports Interactive became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA in 2006. Further information on the company and its games is available from the SI website, www.sigames.com.
About SEGA® Europe Ltd.:
SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including Windows PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega.com.
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe:
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution of PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE has revolutionised home entertainment since they launched PlayStation® in 1994. PS2® further enhanced the PlayStation® legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP® is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy on-the-go games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3® is an advanced computer system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PS Vita is an ultimate portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. SCEE also delivers the PlayStation® experience to open operating systems through PlayStation®Mobile, a cross device platform. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. More information about PlayStation products can be found at www.playstation.com. PlayStation, PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSP are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
The Pokemon Company Japan has just released the very first promotional video for the upcoming Pokemon XY spin-off series, “Strongest Mega Evolution Act 1”. Fans of Pokemon who follow pop culture news will already be well aware of this short series but for those of you who are not, allow me to explain: “Strongest Mega Evolution” is a Pokemon anime set in the latest generation which follows the story of a young trainer named Alan. We will join Alan and his Pokemon partner Charizard as they journey through the Kalos region with the goal of battling and defeating every single known mega evolution so that he can prove that his Mega Charizard is the strongest in all the land.
The series will feature a few new characters created specifically for the short series and there has been no word about whether or not Ash or his crew from the “Pokemon XY” anime will make an appearance. The 30 second piece of footage released (which is more like a teaser than a promotional video) is entirely in Japanese and does NOT feature subtitles so for now we’re pretty much in the dark about what exactly the narrator is saying but as soon as an English version or a subtitled version is released you can bet you’ll see it here on the site.
“Pokemon XY: Strongest Mega Evolution Act 1” is set to air in Japan on the 3rd of April, which is only about a week away.For now, head down to the featured video section below to check out the promotional video and don’t forget to hit up our comments section below that to let us know what you think.
Contrary to what I had thought in the past, it seems as though European Anime fans are the most flamboyant in the world…I mean, they must be seeing as the newly-announced, European-exclusive, special edition release for the upcoming PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita title “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle” has been announced and it looks like it will be coming with a bedazzled figurine of the “Stardust Crusaders” hero Jotaro Kujo.
Late last year Japan was graced with the release of this ultimate shonen title, they were also offered a special edition of the game which came with a brilliant-looking statue of Jotaro Kujo and his stand “Star Platinum” in action (as well as some awesome other extras)…European gamers WILL be getting a release similar to the Japanese one, the difference is small but…quite noticeable as you can probably already see from the image above. Namco Bandai Games announced that the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle – Ultra Limited Exquisite Edition” alongside the standard release of the game will be getting a release throughout Europe on the 25th of April.
No actual price has been announced for it yet but you can bet that it will be reported on here as soon as the news breaks. For now just revel in the beauty of this glistening figurine down below in our gallery section and don’t forget to hit up our comments section to show your excitement for this upcoming release.
Update: Namco Bandai UK have contacted us directly explaining that there was a bit of miscommunication regarding this particular piece of news. The “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle – Ultra Limited Exquisite Edition” is available only in the UK and only as a one-off sale where proceeds will be going towards charity.
Focus Home Interactive and Rogue Factor officially unveiled their latest project to the public today. Mordheim: City of the Damned is a turn based strategy game that will be released later this year. The game is based on Game Workshop’s long running Warhammer universe.
In Mordheim: City of the Damned, players will choose to lead one of the warring factions seeking to control the Wyrdstone fragments from the Comet of Sigmar. The player will train, arm, and lead their troops into battle. However, life altering injuries and death are very real possibilities in Mordheim, so players will need to engage in battle carefully.
Mordheim: City of the Damned will ship with both singleplayer and multiplayer support. The game will be released for PC in late 2014.
The time has come. NOAH is in now in cinemas awaiting you and all that creeps, crawls and slithers to join the animal kingdom in his Ark. In addition, Paramount Pictures presents an ‘Animal Featurette’, starring Ben Snow the visual FX supervisor, Bret Northcutt the digital matte supervisor and Darren Aronofsky the almighty director.
The featurette explores the challenges of digitally bringing the animal kingdom to life, and taking into consideration the beauty and expanse of the animals portrayed in the story of Noah’s Ark.
Paramount have also released a sneak-peak of the scene ‘I am Not Alone’ between Russell Crowe and Ray Winstone in NOAH (embedded in the article below). With God on his side, NOAH will surely be able to wipe out the wicked from this world.
Razer and Wargaming announced their new partnership to create a line of World of Tanks branded gaming peripherals. The line will include a Razer DeathAdder in a bright orange, black, and white colour scheme with the World of Tanks “Roll Out” branding and orange LEDs. The mouse is designed for right handed use and is armed with a 6400 dpi 4G optical sensor.
A Razer Goliathus SPEED soft gaming mat with the World of Tanks branding will also be available. The mat features a black and white print of the Pz.Kpfw. IV Hydraulic tank with orange and black paint smears. The Goliathus features a tightly woven cloth designed to provide mice with a slick gaming surface. The edges are are stitched with thread to extend the life of the mat and prevent fraying.
The Razer DeathAdder World of Tanks edition is available for pre-order for $79.99. The first 20,000 units sold will include an in-game code for the Pz.Kpfw. IV Hydraulic tank and an extra garage slot. The Razer Goliathus World of Tanks edition is available now for $19.99 and includes a code for 500 Gold and 3 days of premium access.
Goat Simulator is launching on Steam for PC on the appropiate date of April 1st and to celebrate, the team at Coffee Stain Studios have released a crazy funny new launch trailer which you can watch below. Good news for those who pre-ordered the game as well as you will be able to live the life of a goat four days earlier and will have access to the game from March 28th. Goat Simulator aims to bring you as close as possible to living the realistic life of a goat, and then throws in crazy physics mixed in with explosions and jetpacks. Unlike a normal goat, your goal is to wreck as much things as possible by flipping, headbutting and ramming into gas stations. Steam Workshop is a big part of the experience and players can create their own goats, levels, missions, and more.
Coffee Stain has also teamed up with the Official Goat Simulator wiki on Gamepedia to run a Goat Simulator level-design competition with the winner having their map shown off in the Curse Inc. booth at E3! For details about that contest follow this link. Those with a keen eye and ear for zombie games might spot the similarites between this trailer and the official trailer for a certain other popular title that released back in 2011. Leave a comment below if you know what is is and if you can’t pick it, click here to find out what that game was!
