Big news has come in from Ankama Games, the developer of the wildly popular MMO games Dofus and Wakfu. Ankama has revealed that they have formed a collaborative partnership with Gumi Inc to work on the mobile gaming medium.
Together Ankama and Gumi hope to work on some great new projects and expand even further into the international market. Gumi Inc are of course experts in mobile games development and will undoubtedly bring some great talent to the table for future Ankama Games on mobile platforms.
The first project as part of this partnership is due out at some point in 2014. No details on the project have yet been revealed so stay tuned for more information as it comes to light.
Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty Ltd (HES) and Big Ant Studios have announced that Don Bradman Cricket 14 will be released on the 3rd of April for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PC version is being “re-tooled” as we speak, and will have its launch further down the track.
Managing Director, Sebastian Giompaolo said of the game;
Don Bradman Cricket 14 will deliver the most realistic gameplay and promises to be the greatest cricket game of all time. The comprehensive 20 year career mode and plethora of features including access to community generated players and teams through the Cricket Academy that will provide endless hours of enjoyment of cricket both off and on the field.
Paramount Pictures have released a new poster for Transformers: Age of Extinction, which features main villain Lockdown – a Decepticon bounty hounter – causing a path of destruction with his “Night Ship” (as named in the poster title) in tow. Check out the poster at the bottom of this article.
The scene from which the shot is taken can be viewed in the recently revealed full length trailer. Although no official announcement has been made on the identity of the film’s primary antagonist, we are confident that he is indeed Lockdown after pictures from Toy Fair 2014 of the character, as part of the upcoming Hasbro line, surfaced online. The only thing I do not understand is how this mammoth transformer’s alternate form is a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Coupe?!
Nintendo of Australia have some interesting news to share for those of you into the social networking scene. After years of Nintendo of America and Nintendo UK updating their audiences with their Facebook and Twitter profiles, the Aussie branch will now be able to do the same, keeping their audience informed about the latest and greatest coming for the Wii U and 3DS.
Sure, it isn’t huge news, but I’m sure there will be some interestingly unique things to come out of this page, so follow the links down below and add some friends down under. Now if the Australia branch can add some more enticing Club Nintendo rewards, we would really be going somewhere.
Overview Following the events of The Walking Dead: Season One players were skeptical about how well Telltale could continue to tell Clementine’s story and after the release of the first episode of Season Two, All That Remains, we have found ourselves taking control of Clementine as she now has to deal with an entirely new group of survivors and must make her own decisions to survive. So now that Episode 2: A House Divided has been released; will Clementine’s story continue to be as gripping as before?
Story It is fair to warn you that if you are to continue to read this review, there will be spoilers concerning All That Remains, as your actions in the previous episode directly affect what will be happening at the start of this episode. You see, depending on who you choose to help at the end of that episode will determine your starting position and who you will need to deal with in the first section of episode and this is actually a very sharp example of how your choices will continue to matter in this second season, especially for this episode.
After emerging from her current predicament and returning back to the group of survivors, Clementine has to deal with a new character only previously hinted at in the last episode before the group is once again forced to move. Since Clementine was viewed as an outsider before, in A House Divided players have the chance to learn more about the new group and learn some of their secrets personality traits which will likely be developed in the future.
The story in this episode doesn’t simply sit on developing the characters but also serves to deliver a villainous new character who is willing to go to any length to accomplish his goal even if it means killing people to do so. Trying to survive against zombies is bad enough but when the tension is ratcheted up throughout the episode as this villain begins to tighten his grip around the group players will be in for a hell of a finish this episode.
It is worth noting that there is finally a bit of a link shown between the 400 Days episode and the main storyline, which is a nice touch as it gives players some validation that the episode at least ties in some way and wasn’t simply a standalone experience. That being said, there are some extremely huge events that take place in the latter half of the episode with decisions that are incredibly important.
I won’t go into too much detail here as it would spoil the reveals and the actions, but your choices will play a major factor in how things will happen in the next episode and even if you might never have used the function before, rewinding to make different choices might be worthwhile this time around. Though doing so will lessen the emotional impact that this episode delivers.
Gameplay Unlike the first episode of this second season, A House Divided is a more on-the-rails affair with less exploration and sneaking to worry about. Instead players will be mostly on the road or investigating a small area while they spend time talking with the characters in the area. Some of the decisions you make can be incredibly tense and difficult thanks to a certain sequence where one wrong step might raise a new face’s suspicion or show where Clementine’s loyalties still lie.
Fighting against zombies remains the same as before with the newly modified quick time events that see the player pressing various directions to dodge zombies and attempt to kill them. Speaking of the zombie killing, these moments remain as tense as ever with Clementine clearly being at risk every time as her small stature is detrimental when facing off against these zombies one on one.
Unlike the past episode and many of the other episodes, I did not notice any gameplay glitches while playing through the episode a couple of times which is impressive to say the least considering each episode usually has a glitch pop up here and there. Though that doesn’t mean there weren’t any graphical problems…
Visuals & Audio The comic book art style used throughout Telltale’s The Walking Dead remains impressive as ever in this second episode and I wouldn’t have it any other way as the stylized look really fits the series. The zombies and the gore are stunted thanks to the style but the visceral look of the gore more than makes up for that. Now earlier I mentioned that there were some graphical problems and during a few scenes some textures refused to load and the “Next Time” preview of the upcoming episode featured a few previews where characters simply appeared as white silhouettes with no detail whatsoever.
The voice work for the series remains impressive as ever with Clementine and the rest of the cast being voiced by believable voice actors and even a certain old face manages to keep their voice actor much to the delight of fans. The atmospheric noise and the few pieces of background music that play through the episode are suitably impressive as well.
Overall The Walking Dead Season Two: A House Divided might place Clementine within the circle of trust in her new group, but the decisions that players will have to make have never been more difficult as the clear result of their choices is almost immediately presented. With a return that will shock many players and a new villain that players will likely have to deal with throughout the rest of this season, A House Divided sets the tone of Clementine’s future in a way that will make players hope that the third episode arrives soon.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
5pb. Games/MAGES and International Games System’s indie game was released on Xbox Live Arcade and Steam today. Constant C is a physics-based 2d puzzle platformer starring a little robot sent to rescue a space station that has been frozen in time and space. The station was originally tasked to research space and time travel before it was caught in its current predicament.
Players will explore over 100 levels, using gravity, momentum, and time to conquer the devious puzzles. The game features hand drawn 2d graphics and a Time Attack Mode for extra replayability. Constant C is available for $9.99 on Xbox Live and Windows via Steam. Mac and Linux ports are in development.
Day three of the Attack on Titan English dub list is here and although the main three have not been revealed yet, we do get a special treat from this drip feed. Funimation has been taking a bottom-up approach in their English cast reveals list, which is the perfect way to build up hype for the shows official premier next week. This one will definitely add another layer of excitement for the fans:
Character – Actor
Levi – Matthew Mercer Petra – Caitlin Glass Hange – Jessica Calvello Daz – Brad Venable Bertholdt – David Matranga Franz – James Chandler Rico – Morgan Garrett Pyxis – R Bruce Elliott Nack – Will Short
The role of Levi is no doubt going to excite the fans girls, both aesthetically and once they hear Matthew Mercer, whose done voice work for various anime including Naruto Shippuden, Fate/Zero and Accell World.
As well as being in the Attack on Titan cast, Morgan Garrett, Caitlin Glass and Robert Bruce Elliott have all voiced characters in We Without Wings and Is This a Zombie? Both Glass and Bruce Elliot also had roles in Full Metal Alchemist and Future Diary.
Let us know what you think of this casting list, and of the first and second ones by leaving a comment down below.
DARK SOULS II AVAILABLE NOW IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND!
The Bloody Cries of Gamers Will Be Heard as They Venture into a World Filled with Pain and Hard-Fought Victories
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 13th March 2014 –NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S today announced that DARK SOULS II for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft have launched in Australia and New Zealand.
Dark Souls II is the highly anticipated sequel to 2011’s hit Dark Souls, a game that has been lauded as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in videogame history. In Dark Souls II, players face sadistic enemies and vile bosses as they journey through a devastated world where every step can turn into a struggle for survival. Only those with battle-hardened skills, strong intestinal fortitude, and cunning will survive their DARK SOULS II experience and achieve ultimate glory. Perseverance is key to achieving victory against the unrelenting bloodthirsty enemies and diabolical environments that await adventurers on this arduous journey.
Dark Souls II immerses players in a bleak setting full of danger and adventure while allowing them to discover what lies beneath the anguish and pain that engulfs the world. With Dark Souls II, Tokyo based developer FromSoftware has taken steps to enrich players’ experiences through improved visuals, life-like animations and dynamic lighting, while preserving the game’s core tenants to provide challenging gameplay and deliver true emotional elation from each hard-fought victory.
“FromSoftware really went the extra mile with DARK SOULS II in order to make it the legitimate heir to DARK SOULS, which was quite a challenge,” said Mathieu PIAU, EMEA Marketing Director at NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe. “No other game can quite compete with the DARK SOULS franchise when it comes to delivering a profound yet exhilarating gaming experience! As one of the most awaited games this year,DARK SOULS IIpromises an immensely rewarding adventure for those prepared to Go Beyond Death.”
Dark Souls II is available now in Europe and Australasia for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video games and entertainment system from Microsoft. The PC edition is scheduled to follow on 24th April 2014. To learn more about Dark Souls II, please visit www.DarkSoulsII.com/. To watch the latest trailer, please go to
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S., part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™. More information about the company and its products can be found at www.namcobandaigames.eu or www.facebook.com/namcobandaigames.europe.
As if you needed another reason to go back to Earth Defense Force 2025, Sandlot and D3 Publisher are delivering more content with two DLC packs that are available as of today. The hectic shooter has seen a lot of love recently with a solid release, and you can get the Mutant Rampage and Beyond Despair packs today to add 40 missions in all to the experience.
Here is what to expect:
· Mutant Rampage – 20 new mayhem filled missions where players will have to take on more massive dragons, robots and, of course, BUGS!
· Beyond Despair – 20 new missions where the player will have to exterminate the dreaded Ravagers!
As we mentioned in the review, this is one title that thrives of its already loaded content, but if you want more, now is the time to grab the gun and jump in!
Epic Narrative Game Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! Debuts for Android on Google Play and Amazon Appstore
Boasting 100k+ downloads for iPhone & iPad, digital adaptation of classic 1980s gamebook can now be enjoyed on Android phones and tablets, including Kindle Fire
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. – March 12, 2014 – inkle, an independent developer of interactive narrative apps, and author Steve Jackson have released Sorcery! Part 1 — The Shamutanti Hills for Android. This acclaimed narrative game is the first of four digital re-imaginings of Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! gamebooks, which were published as part of the Fighting Fantasy series in the 1980s.
Although Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! unfolds over four parts, each game is a self-contained experience that can be fully enjoyed on its own. In Sorcery! Part 1, a novice hero sets out across the dangerous Shamutanti Hills on the first leg of an epic journey to recover the stolen Crown of Kings. With their unique inklewriter storytelling technology, inkle has transformed the original 176-page gamebook into a much deeper experience that puts the player in charge of every step of their journey. The result is an incredibly flexible storyline, built from thousands of choices, that unfolds differently every time.
Since May 2013, inkle has released two critically acclaimed Sorcery! installments for iPhone and iPad, selling more than 100k copies to date. With turn-based battles against fantastic monsters and conniving human enemies, magical spells to conjure in sticky situations, a gorgeously rendered 3D map representing the journey, and the option to play as either a male or a female hero, the games turn Jackson’s original gamebooks into dynamic role-playing adventures unlike any that could exist in traditional book form.
When it first released for iOS, Sorcery! Part 1 received glowing reviews with an 85% aggregate score on Metacritic and a 4.5-star user ranking on the App Store. IGN praised the game as “a prime example of what can happen when traditional storytelling gets along with contemporary game design,” while GamesMaster called it “An utter essential.”
“Sorcery! is a carefully balanced blend,” says inkle‘s Jon Ingold. “It mixes together the strategy, decision-making and luck of a game with the rich prose and immersion of a well-written novel. Every element of the design is there to ensure the two sides of the experience work together seamlessly, putting the reader right inside the world of the story.”
Sorcery! Part 1 for Android can be download for £3.00 / $5.00 (or equivalent in local currency) from the following stores:
Sorcery! Part 2 for Android will follow this spring, with the remaining chapters expected to release simultaneously on iOS and Android. Learn more on the official website: http://www.inklestudios.com/sorcery
About inkle
inkle is a two-man game studio that specializes in interactive narrative. Founded in Cambridge U.K. by Joseph Humfrey and Jon Ingold, all their major releases have been featured worldwide on the App Store front page. Their Frankenstein adaptation was praised as “brilliantly designed,” “beautiful,” and “ground-breaking,” while Sorcery!‘s iOS release was described as “brilliantly artistic” and “some of the year’s best interactive fiction”. They’ve worked with Penguin, Profile Books, the BBC, and the English National Opera, and their award-winning inklewriter website, that allows anyone to write and share their own branching stories for free, is used in schools all over the world. Before founding inkle, Ingold was a lead game designer for Sony, and the author of over a dozen interactive fiction games. Humfrey has designed and developed titles for all the major consoles in a career with PlayStation, Microsoft, and legendary studio Rare. His independent games have appeared everywhere from iOS to Virgin Atlantic. Learn more at http://www.inklestudios.com.
About Steve Jackson
Steve Jackson is co-founder with Ian Livingstone of the massively successful U.K. chain Games Workshop, and co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy series that sold over 25 million copies in 27 countries worldwide. He also co-founded Lionhead Studios with Peter Molyneux, and is now Professor of Game Design at Brunel University.
