Let’s face it we all wish Pokémon were real, the joys of flying around on a Charizard would be incomprehensible and would also look badass. Well it seems like traditional craftsmanship has been combined with modern pop culture once again as the latest Man at Arms video was released two days ago, and the weapon of choice for this episode was Honedge from the Pokémon XY.
Made from spring steel, aircraft aluminum, nickel silver, painted leather and a blue glass gemstone this piece not only looks the part, but is also the first time an actual Pokémon was made in the series. Since the video was uploaded it has reached over 500,000 views on Youtube with over 27,000 likes, check out the video down below to see how this ghostly piece of weaponry was made.
The Man at Arms series began last year and features Tony Swatton; a professional blacksmith who creates prop weapons for movies. The focus of the show revolves around bringing iconic pop cultural weapons into the real world; popular forges include Links Master Sword, Raphael’s Sais from TMNT and the Halo energy sword. Let us know what you think about the Honedge sword by leaving a comment down below.
Last week we finally uncovered the Watch Dogsrelease date, and this week we have more evidence of its development. An image was posted on Reddit that shows a download file titled Watch Dogs Closed Beta. The closed beta file was found on Upload Studio for Xbox One, however, it is labelled as unavailable.
This may be yet another slip-up by Ubisoft, as there has been no statement about any beta for the game, but it is not that surprising that there is one for the game. A large part of the Watch Dogs is multiplayer, where players can ‘hack’ into other peoples’ game to play together.
It is bit odd to see files like this on Upload Studio, and a small file at that. But it is always good to see signs of development going towards this game to make it a good one.
All out war is coming to Nether. The community has chosen names and uniforms for the tribes ahead of the content update that will add tribe-based features like territorial conflicts, bases, skill trees, and special tribe objectives to the game. The first building blocks of the tribe system was added in early March, which allowed players to join tribes.
“Since launching early access, we’ve continually worked with players to select features for updates, including a wing suit, new Nethers and a motorbike,” said Chip Sineni, Creative Director at Phosphor Games “The tribe names and uniforms are just another great example of how our amazing community is shaping the game, and to thank supporters for their efforts, we’ve added a bevy of new content to keep their playing experience fresh and engaging.”
Nether is a survival FPS based in a post-apocalyptic world. Almost a decade ago, The Cull turned most of humanity into Nethers, twisted creatures who roam the city. Players must scavenge the city for supplies while fending off both the Nethers and other survivors. Nether is currently part of Steam’s Early Access program and can be purchased for $14.99 on Steam. Nether currently supports 64-bit version of Windows.
When it comes to zombies in any form I personally believe this world to already be infected. Not that there are any actual zombies limping and moaning through our cities, no, I’m talking about the influx of zombie-related media within the past year or so. Zombie movies, zombie TV shows, zombie games, the world is already overrun with the walking dead so what do we exactly have to fear anymore?
Zombies have now become a media “crutch” in my opinion and it takes a certain twist of this overly simple concept to allow certain video games or films of any kind to stand out, this brings me to my next point: “Deadlings” is a mobile title that mixes elements of puzzlers and platformers to create an odd but (hopefully) enjoyable gaming experience for fans of those genres and fans of zombies alike. Thanks to Nimbi Studios and Artifex Mundi, I’ve been given the chance to review “Deadlings”. Let’s see just how well it does.
Story
“Deadlings” is the type of game where you could entirely ignore the storyline and still gain just as much enjoyment out of it than if you HAD paid any attention but I, for one, actually found the story to be quite quirky and different so I can’t just sit back and skip over it. You play as Death. Yes, you play as the Grim Reaper and lately you’ve noticed that people no longer fear zombies, they’re no longer being killed by zombies and you’re feeling…well, lonely. You decide to pick up your game, to start killing again in a more efficient way…that’s where the “Deadlings” come in. You (as the Grim Reaper) open up a testing facility where you bring in expandable minions (the “Deadlings”), experiment on them and test out their new powers or abilities.
Your plans are to, one day soon, complete all your experiments and release this new scourge of brain-eaters upon the Earth. What I enjoyed about the story was that it wasn’t typical, it was something fresh and new. It doesn’t really come up that often throughout the game though so, as I said earlier, it can be overlooked easily without any real repercussions. Players who don’t exactly care for story can stay in blissful ignorance of it for pretty much the whole game if that’s what they choose. Me, on the other hand, I enjoy any game that is driven by story, even small ones and “Deadlings” gives players enough story to understand exactly what they’re doing within the game without overwhelming them.
Gameplay
This game stands somewhere in between the puzzle and platforming genres, it is fairly hard to pin it entirely to either one of those two. As Death you are tasked with manoeuvring these minions through different levels filled with obstacles to overcome and brains to collect along the way. As you play through the game you unlock different zombie minions to use within levels, each of these zombie minions have different specifications; one simply runs and jumps, one sticks to surfaces, one can fly using flatulence, etc. You must simply get ONE of these zombies to the exit portal to complete a level, although it seems like a pretty easy task it can sometimes prove to be quite difficult.
The puzzle aspect of the game is seen when first previewing a level, something you do before deploying a “Deadling”. You scope out the level, its obstacles and the location of the brains that must be collected. Once you’ve determined your strategy you deploy the individual zombies (one at a time) and make your way through the level all the way to the exit. The platforming element is shown once you’ve deployed a “Deadling”: Now you’re tasked with actually controlling the minions. Most move on their own but need you to tell them when to jump, fly, and so on.
There’s other helpful elements to the game like an option to revive a dead zombie or to destroy certain obstacles but they cost in-game currency (not real money) and the ratio of money earned to money asked is not quite good. I played almost ten levels before I decided to use these “helpful” elements and, within a couple uses, I was completely out of money BUT you can buy in-game currency with real-life currency if you so wish to.
For the most part, the way “Deadlings” plays is great; it gives players a chance to think about what they are to do next but also enjoy that slight frustration that comes with playing a platformer. The unfortunate part of the way “Deadlings” plays is that it isn’t too accessible to every kind of player. It’s not as easy to pick up and play as other puzzlers only because it requires a great deal of concentration and a fair bit of thought. This game is definitely for people who have a little bit of time on their hands because some levels will force you to think long and hard before deciding to deploy a “Deadling”. If you’re in need for a quick puzzle game you can play anytime/anywhere this may not be the one for you.
Visuals
If you’re a fan of old-school cartoons, I can imagine you’d be quite into the visual style of “Deadlings”. Much like its mix of gameplay genres, this game also mixes aesthetic styles. It goes from being crisp and clear to being grotesque and dirty-looking, both have been designed that way on purpose and it gives a nice comparison between looking at something as nice as well-constructed blueprint and looking at something as disgusting as the rotting flesh of a cartoon zombie.
Overall this game looks great but you’ll definitely notice that certain key visual sequences will look to have a lower resolution than the rest of the game and, while that’s not TOO big of a deal, it is noticeable to a high degree and something I simply couldn’t look past. Though I’m not too much of a fan of the animation style, I do have to say it was done extremely well. Everything was fluid in motion and the whole game just kind of flowed well so no complains there. As I mentioned: If you’re a fan of old-school cartoons, you’ll absolutely like the visual style of “Deadlings”.
Audio
Much like the games visual style, auditorily it is very reminiscent of some older cartoons. The thing it DOESN’T do is try to be creepy, it only attempts to be as quirky as possible and it does that extremely well. The soundtrack is actually quite funky at times but it’s mostly very “tip-toey”, most of the tracks are made up by high-pitched tones and then a booming baseline, it fits the overall vibe of the game so well but unfortunetely its so damn hard to explain perfectly.
Those of you who have played the game “Plants Vs Zombies” will notice that the soundtrack for “Deadlings” is quite similar musically, it uses instruments like electric guitars, electric drums and sometimes you’ll even catch a theremin here and there. For those of you who don’t know what a theremin is, please go and look it up, you will NOT be disappointed. The game tries to be creepy ina very fun-loving way and you can absolutely get a feel for it. Every element of the game has its own sound effect, from the giant buzzsaws to the farting zombie and they’re all done fairly well. No complaints here.
Overall
Well it seems as though “Deadlings” is a pretty great game though, like every game, it is missing certain things or has certain elements that could be fleshed out more and expanded on but, all in all, it is simply a great little game. The real fantastic thing about this game is that it doesn’t constantly badger you into making in-app purchases despite the fact that they’re available, the unfortunate thing is that this is a game you pay for so there shouldn’t be any in-app purchases at all but you take every little win you can.
It looks great and it plays great, even though there are small things wrong with it most people will be able to overlook them to fully enjoy the game, me being a reviewer…I couldn’t simply do that. Fans of zombies, fans of puzzlers, fans of platformers, you’ll mostly enjoy this game as long as you come into it with an open mind. If that’s you, then I hope you enjoy “Deadlings”.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Greek mythology is a common inspiration for game developers and Digital Tribe Games are choosing the rich mythos as the inspiration for their newest title Depths of Fear: Knossos, which is coming to PC on Steam (and other major distribution channels) in March (details on Mac and Linux versions are said to be revealed soon). The game is labelled as a rogue-like fun-focused first person adventure game with stealth, action and plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments. The game will also focus procedurally generated crypts, temples, palaces and caves, making for a different experience for each player.
Players step into the role of Theseus while he hunts the Minotaur downward through the dark Labyrinths of Crete. As Thesus you will have to find the hero within before the ever increasing challenge of mythical creatures overwhelms you. Major features of the game include:
An ever changing Labyrinth: Each stage in Depths of Fear is crafted to never be the same twice creating a constant state of tension of the unknown.
Face the Beasts of Ancient Greece: Survive encounters against 8 immortal legendary creatures: Saytr, Cerberus, Centaur, Manticore, Griffin, Medusa, Hydra and the horror of the Minotaur.
Diverse Gameplay: To survive one must learn when to sneak through the shadows, when to run and when to engage in combat as they attempt to survive each rung down into in the darkness.
Knowledge is Power: Appease the gods by finding their books and earning their favor for special powers such as lightening from Zeus, Speed from Hermes, Earth shaking might from Poseidon or the illuminating light of Apollo.
Build an Arsenal: Loot the labyrinths for gold to purchase 8 trusty weapons that range from Blades and Clubs to the Trident and Crossbow. Use these weapons to secure the 8 creature medallions that unlock the only weapon known that can slay the legendary beast Minotaur.
Challenge the Unknown: When the adventure ends, the game has just begun. Beneath the skull a never-ending challenge awaits in the entrance of the unknown that provides countless replay value. How far down can you make it?
Unique & Adaptive soundtrack: Featuring a tension-based music system, the soundtrack (recorded with mind-altering 70’s era synthesizers) adapts to your situation.
Steam Feature Support: Achievements, Controller and Steam Trading Cards will be supported at launch. Full list to be announced later.
If you’re keen to check out footage of the game for yourself, head to http://www.twitch.tv/indie on Friday 14/3/2014 at 10:00 am PST for the world exclusive first look at Depths of Fear: Knossos as Indie and lead creator Phil Wiley play through the opening couple of hours.
If you’re a continuous reader of this site, you’d know that us here at Capsule Computers have been reporting on news regarding the new “One Piece” game “Unlimited World Red” for quite some time and with every news piece comes some form of hope or prayer that this title one day reaches our shores…well, I think now is the time to start celebrating. Namco Bandai games today announced that their action/adventure title “One Piece: Unlimited World Red” WILL be heading to the West sometime this year (though no specific date was revealed). The game will be getting a release for the “Nintendo 3DS” alongside the “Wii U”, “PlayStation 3” and “PlayStation Vita”, though the “Wii U” and “Vita” versions will only be through digital download rather than physical copies.
Players will fill the shoes of their favourite “Straw Hat Pirates” as they travel through the “One Piece” universe, playing through the original story and even discovering a new adventure created specifically for this game. With the promise of a gripping adventure, some fantastic-looking graphics and the chance to play four player co-op with some of your other pirate-loving friends there’s no reason for any fans of “One Piece” to skip this game! Below you’ll find some newly-released art assets alongside an awesome game trailer from Namco Bandai themselves so head down there to check them out and start getting pumped for “One Piece: Unlimited World Red“!
Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Description
Incredibly colorful and fun educational puzzles based on the children’s 3D animated series “Robiki” will surely delight Your baby! Bright and nice pictures, perfectly designed interface specifically for children between 0-4 years, multiple levels of difficulty!
Your kids will be able to play on their own easily without Your participation, they just need to touch the screen and drag the puzzle piece to the right place. When a puzzle is completed there will appear a cheerful winning noise.
Features:
– 3 difficulty levels: easy, medium and hard.
– 45 fun images in full HD quality from the cartoon.
– Help button for the little ones.
– Excellent combination of incredibly fun game and useful exercises to improve logical thinking skills, memory, attention, imagination and fine motor skills of the child.
– Easy to use and control: the interface is carefully defined and excellently designed to suit the youngest children.
– The brightest moments from the cartoon “Robiki”.
– Fun background music from the animated series.
– High-quality graphics and pleasant colors.
– Does not contain ads.
Before the release of each new episode of the cartoon “Robiki” the most interesting images from it will appear in the app!
NAMCO BANDAI GAMES AMERICA ANNOUNCES ONE PIECE UNLIMITED WORLD RED TO ARRIVE IN THE AMERICAS
The Grand Adventure Awaits as the Straw Hat Pirates Embark on Their Next Adventure
SAN JOSE, Calif., (March 12, 2014) – NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that ONE PIECE® Unlimited World Red will be setting course for retailers in the Americas in 2014 for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system. The game is also slated for a digital-only release for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and the Wii U™ system. ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red is an action adventure RPG game developed by Ganbarion Co., Ltd. and takes place in the widely popular and praised ONE PIECE manga and anime universe created by the famed manga artist Eiichiro Oda.
Prepare to set sail on a gripping adventure in the New World with the beloved Straw Hat Crew in ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red, and dive into a wayfaring journey with fun-filled escapades, action-packed battles and powerful comrades in a whole new never-before-seen scenario. ONE PIECE fans will be able to play as all of their favorite Straw Hat crew members and progress through the episodic storyline where they will be challenged by famous boss battles such as Rob Lucci, Caesar Clown, and more. Players must master a large variation of button combos to execute numerous flashy combos and test their reflexes by pressing the right button at the right time to counter, dodge or otherwise interact with their enemies.
When the going gets tough and foes become more fearsome, players will be able to enlist help from a friend in exciting co-op gameplay* to beat down opposing marines and pirates, or simply enjoy mini games together such as fishing, catching bugs, and more! Fans will also enjoy endless playability as they explore the central town and take on quests at the tavern to assist the townsfolk and gain more rewards and items.
“NAMCO BANDAI Games has been a proud publisher of ONE PIECE games for many years, and with the astonishing global popularity of the manga series and support of the devoted fans, we are thrilled to be localizing ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red for the Americas,” said Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red is scheduled for a physical and digital release for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 3DS, and a digital-only release for the PlayStation Vita and Wii U in 2014. For more information on NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. game titles and products, please visit http://namcobandaigames.com/home. Follow the ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NamcoBandai
*Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita will feature local multiplayer gameplay for up to four players. Wii U and PlayStation 3 will feature split screen multiplayer gameplay for up to two players.
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About NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content — including all major video game consoles, iOS, mobile and online. 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.com or www.facebook.com/namco
The exciting digital card game has emerged out of its beta phase for the PC and Mac platforms. Ipad support for the game is coming soon, with Android, iPhone, and Windows tablet versions also in development in the near future. The game is set in the Warcraft universe, and allows players to utilize different decks of cards that represent a different class in the game: Warrior, Rogue, Hunter, Druid, Paladin, Priest, Mage, Warlock, and Shaman. The Death Knight and Monk classes have not been added yet for players, though they will be available later on as they are in development.
Check out the official site for Hearthstonehere, and make sure to pick up this strategy card game.
“Get to the chopper!” Such an iconic line from such an iconic film. The 1980s was filled with its fair share of action flicks that would go on to be mainstays of society and have a huge cultural impact. One of these was a little movie by the name of Predator. First debuting in 1987, Predator has quickly risen to the forefront of people’s minds when they think of “Action movies.” Now with Predator 3d, we get to relive that experience all over again, and in eye-popping 3d. Remastered and restored for a new audience, this is definitely the best looking version of the Governator’s tale about a man in the jungle against the universe’s most dangerous hunter. Lack of special features really holds back this otherwise great re-release of a great film.
Story
The movie is 27 years old, so excuse me if I accidentally dip into a little bit of spoiler territory. The film’s plot revolves around two individuals – a military commander; Dutch (Schwarzenegger) and a powerful space alien called the Predator. The Predator is bred for only one thing – to hunt, and what better prey than a team of soldiers on a rescue mission in the middle of a Central American jungle. One by one our mysterious hunter picks off the team until it is just down to the Dutch.
This movie shows a lot of hunting, with each side trying to outwit the other until the last one is left standing. Eventually, Dutch manages to overcome adversity and put down the Predator, only to have it blow itself up and take half the forest with it. The plot isn’t too strong, but that is why movies like this have become cult classics – because you can sit down and watch it time and time again and not have to worry about thinking too much while it is on.
One thing to note, and this is just a bit of an observation on my end, but if you skip the first few minutes of the movie (that show the Predator leaving its escape pod etc) and just start when Arnie and his team arrive in the jungle, you get a movie that has a completely different tone. Not having seen the elusive Predator in the beginning, all you see is this specter that hunts down his prey with lethal efficiency. So, if by some magic you have managed to never see this movie before, and don’t know what a Predator looks like then definitely give this a go – it will put a whole different spin on things.
Visuals & Audio
For a movie that was originally released back in 1987, Predator holds up quite nicely and this particular copy is likely the nicest one you will have ever seen. Remastered and restored to pristine condition and shown in a beautiful 1080P HD means that everything from the lush jungle foliage to Arnie’s intimidating physic all come alive on the screen.
Although it came out 27 years ago, you have got to admire Predator’s use of special effects. At the time, the heat vision that the Predator used was unseen and the slight shimmer while cloaked was amazing. Surprisingly enough, these all manage to stand the test of time and look great even by today’s standards. Sure there are films that can do this kind of stuff better, but for what its worth, what we got 27 years ago is still pretty damn impressive.
I was a little hesitant when I saw that Predator had been re-released in 3D, considering you know… It was a 2D film all those years ago. Luckily my fears were quickly whisked away once the movie started and I was treated to some of the best 3D post-conversion that I have ever seen. Seeing the leaves of the trees move and shake as the lonely soldiers are picked off one by one, and having them pop out of my screen at me really adds a whole other layer of depth to this movie. The image quality between both the 2D and 3D versions is almost identical too, so even if you can’t play 3D Blu Rays, there is still plenty to like here.
Extras
Instead of jumping straight into the extras that are actually ON the disc, I want to mention something even cooler. The case that houses this timeless classic is fitted with a lenticular hologram. When looking directly at the case, you get a nice close up of Arnie’s familiar mug, but turning the case even slightly on its side changes the image and suddenly we are looking at the governator through the eyes of the Predator himself – that’s right, Predator heat vision, baby! It isn’t a selling point, but if you are a fan of the film (and the franchise) then it is just a cool little thing – like the cherry on top.
Sadly though, that is as far as this release goes for extra features. No commentary, no deleted scenes and nothing else to pad the disc. Although, considering you get both the 3D and 2D versions of the film in one, it is hard to complain too much, it just would have been nice to get a little extra bang for your buck.
Overall
Here is a bit of trivia for you all; back when it was released, Predator was a critical failure. It was almost unanimously hated by the media for its “thin plot,” and “unintelligent.” The funny thing is that today it is why we praise films like Predator and any number of the pantheon of 1980s action flicks. Even though the Predator name has gone through the wash a bit recently with a number of sub-par films and video games, it is good to see the original in all of its glory, never having looked better and in eye-popping 3d. If it is let down by anything, it is that there are no special features to be found on the disc. Regardless of this little shortcoming however it still has me wanting to get to the chopper!
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
