Disney Infinity is an absolute behemoth of a game. From its five different Adventure campaigns, to the ever-evolving Toy Box mode, there is always more to see and do. We just recently took a look at the Wave 2 figures for the game. Wave 2 brought in the classic characters from Toy Story, as well as new favourites like Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel and Wreck-It-Ralph. However, eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that we omitted a very important character in our review. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King and wannabe Santa Clause was the figure that kicked off wave 2, yet we left him out of our review; why? Well because ole Jack is so iconic that he deserves special treatment.
Disney Infinity has had the hard task of carefully recreating some of Disney’s most famous characters so that they fit the game’s aesthetic, all while making sure that they all kept their look and charm that made them so lovable in the first place. To that end, Jack’s new look nails this to a T.
When you think of Jack Skellington, you immediately picture his elongated limbs and his perfectly round head (complete with his strange teeth and empty eye sockets) and this has been retained perfectly. The figure itself is rather tall, almost reaching up to Ralph’s height, but still has that thinness. The figure looks great on a shelf, and his black/white colour scheme really makes him stand out from the rest of Disney Infinity’s brightly coloured crew.
The figure is one thing, but when you put King Skellington onto the Infinity Base it becomes something else entirely. There is no proper way to describe how Jack moves other than to say it is authentic. Nightmare Before Christmas was a stop-motion clay film, and Jack’s movements are very reminiscent of that animation style. He moves, walks and attacks like he does in the movie – probably more so than any other Infinity character to date.
While he looks and acts like he does in the movie, it is also exciting to note that Jack SOUNDS like he should. Chris Sarandon, who has voiced Jack in all of his non-singing appearances reprises his role here, and 20 years after first taking on the roll, still fills it with such class that it is impossible not to love it. Sadly, Jack doesn’t do any singing in Infinity so Danny Elfman doesn’t make any appearances. Although that being said, you can trigger the “This is Halloween” tune in the Toy Box.
When it comes to actual play-style, Jack acts as a combination of the Monsters U and Wreck-It Ralph characters. His primary attack is a monster scare. Like the Randy, Mike and Sully before him, Jack can sneak up on unsuspecting enemies and scream them into oblivion.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jack can also throw his pumpkin bombs. Pumpkin bombs work in much the same way as Ralph and Vanellope’s cherry bombs and allow jack to protect himself and deal damage to any number of enemies from afar. I was a little disappointed that Jack didn’t get any truly unique abilities or attacks, but at least what he does have is very authentic to the character and his film.
Jack is one of the coolest Disney Infinity figures to be released, and I can tell you first hand that it is an amazing sight to place him into the Toy Box and use the two world-change Power Discs to turn your playground into Halloween Town. Even better is when you place the Curly Mountain into your world, and place Jack on its peak while “This is Halloween” plays in the background – simply awesome.
Jack delivers on all fronts, and while it would have been great to have him be a little more unique when it comes to gameplay, it is hard to fault the work and creativity that has gone into bringing him to life here. Sadly though, with all the excitement behind the Pumpkin King, and of course his loyal fan-base; the Jack Skellington figure has become quite a rare commodity. It almost entirely sold out during the pre-order period, and is currently only available at four different EB Games stores Australia-wide and is going for more than double his RRP on sites such as Ebay.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Those who own an Xbox One have a lot to look forward to, as a ton of new updates are coming to make the platform even more user friendly. These updates are all based on feedback, and include adjustments to storage space, the return of the battery power indicator (why did that go anyway?), and much more.
Here is the official statement on what to expect from Microsoft when the update hits February 11th:
· The ability to see and manage your storage space. With this update, you will find it easy to find how much space your content takes up and better manage your content. You can also control your install lineup and more easily manage your download queue. We’ve separated My Games and My Apps into separate lists, so you can easily create separate queues for both. Now you can pick the order in which you want your content to load and we’ve added a boot progress indicator so you can better track updates while they load.
· The battery power indicator is back! You can see it right on the home screen, so you can easily track how much battery life is left on your controller.
· And, you will be able to use your USB keyboard with your Xbox One.
These are just a few of the many updates we will be shipping on February 11. We’ll share more details on these and other upcoming features in the coming weeks. We have several surprises in store that we think you’ll love.
March 4 system updates – countdown to “Titanfall”
Titanfall has a lot coming with it, and Microsoft and Respawn Entertainment seem ready to make sure the console is in perfect shape for the release, which is a good thing considering how big the game claims to be. Mark the date of February 11th, and prepare for these updates now!
Yes, we have a lot to look forward to for the next few months. Nintendo have stepped in to remind us about the large amount of titles headed to the Wii U and 3DS’ digital eShop, and the list for the Wii U in particular is quite long. You have the big dogs, such as Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse by WayForward, along with other favorites that are just seeing a port such as Ittle Dew.
Check out the list for yourself:
We will keep you update when the “Q1” titles receive dates, so stay tuned for that an more right around the corner.
Strider is a name we’re glad to see again. It has been a while since we heard anything at all however from the remake that Capcom announced last year, but now a release date has risen – and its not too faraway.
On February 19, the iconic hero will make his return to consoles with Double Helix (who recently published Killer Instinct) leading the way, launching on digital platforms such as the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC February 19th. Remember, there is a lot to this remake, as it not only includes a survival and speed-run mode, but online leaderboards and completely re-imagined visuals. Under two weeks away from a game that has a lot to live up to, but appears to be packing in the content for fans new and old. Yeah, I am down with that.
While we knew that Drakengard 3 would be making its way West, we did not know when it would finally be arriving on our shores. Well today that information was revealed as Square Enix has announced that Drakengard 3 will be released in North America on May 20th where the title will be available as a digital download and at retail, with a $79.99 collector’s edition that can be found above. As for Europe and other PAL regions, the game will be released as a digital download on May 21st.
There are also some special pre-order details for gamers in North America depending on when they pre-order the game. The breakdown of the pre-order bonuses can be found below:
Tier One: players who place their pre-order from today through March 3 will receive a special Japanese voiceover DLC and automatically unlock the two yet-to-be-announced bonuses;
Tier Two: from March 4 to April 8, pre-ordering the game will unlock the two remaining unannounced bonuses;
Tier Three: from April 9 until launch, players will receive the final unannounced locked bonus only.
As far as the aforementioned collector’s edition, it will only be available through Square Enix’s online store and only 5,000 copies will be made. It includes the following:
All three tier pre-order incentives mentioned above
The Complete Novella
Official Soundtrack CD Sampler
Prequel Stage DLC – Play as Zero’s sister, One, in this additional level
Caim Costume DLC – Protagonist of the original Drakengard (Once equipped, stamina consumption decreases by half when using a skill)
Giant Baby Hat DLC – For your in-game dragon companion
Saints Row IV has had a decent amount of DLC already out for it, plus Volition and Deep Silver has kept a pretty steady stream of it to boot, so it comes as no real surprise that they release more DLC today. The real surprise however is in the amount of it that has come out today.
Saints Row IV gets 5 brand new DLCs today a wide variety of content from several money based abilities in the Bling Bling Pack, to FREE costumes designed by fans in the Reverse Cosplay Pack, to a new weapon called The Polarizer also designed by a fan, plus content packs with College Daze and Game On.
For a better look at what some of these DLCs will be adding, players can check out the images in the gallery below, but for more information on everything the Bling Bling Pack brings players can watch the trailer embedded below. Those interested in the DLC can download it right now for Saints Row IV on Steam and Xbox 360, while PS3 will be getting it next week.
Ubisoft have announced that the single player adventure Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry will now be available as a stand alone product on the PS3 and PS4 on February 19th and the PC on February 25th (Sorry Xbox gamers looks like you’ve been left out). Previously the game was available as DLC for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, but the purchase of that game is now no longer required to play Freedom Cry on listed platforms.
Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry tells the story of Adewale, a man born into slavery. Once a pirate and now a trained Assassin, Adewale is shipwrecked in 18th-century Haiti, home to the most brutal slavery in the West Indies. In an effort to get back to the sea, Adewale assists the locals in exchange for a crew and a ship. The more he fights for freedom from slavery, however, the more he is drawn into the Maroon slave community, forcing him to face his vicious past. In the game, Adewale will take his new crew and set of weapons, including a machete and a blunderbuss, to assassinate enemies and free slaves, delivering merciless justice in plantations and cities alike. No stranger to the sea, Adewale will command a fearsome brig to take down slave owners in the Caribbean.
If you’d like to see that description of the game in action, check out the new announcement trailer below and let us know if you would like to see more games take the stand alone game route as opposed to being DLC.
The time has come to open the floodgates as Dogs of War Online enters its Open Beta phase. Developed by Cyanide Studio, the title offers a free-to-play strategy experience for Steam and PC users. While the game sat in closed beta for over four months, Dogs of War Online had tens of thousands of users that participated in a world of Confrontation miniatures. In hopes of further fine tuning their product, the development team released the open beta on Steam to garner more input from the public prior to full release.
For any turn-based strategy lover this is extremely tough to pass up! It’s free – no brainer. Take a look at the trailer below, and if that gets your jiblets going find the download here.
The Wolf Among Us got off to a really great start with a fantastic first episode, that interested players can read about themselves in our Episode 1 Review. After that however the experience got a little rocky, not because of lack of quality mind you, just a lack of content, as Episode 2 saw a moderate delay in release.
That changes today however as Telltale Games and Warner Bros. have announced that Episode 2 “Smoke & Mirrors” has finally released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac, with the iOS version coming as an in-app purchase this week as well. Players that have sunk their teeth into the first episode can finally dive into the next chapter, along with all the choices that come with it.
Those wanting to get “Smoke & Mirrors” for themselves can download by itself for $4.99 or as part of The Wolf Among Us Season Pass for a slight discount. Though Xbox 360 players should be aware that there are some reports of the Season Pass not giving the appropriate content just yet, so anyone playing on that one might have a little while to wait still, unfortunately.
Tecmo Koei has had a long history of releasing numerous action titles ranging from one on one fighting games to one on a thousand brawlers. Many of these titles are developed with the help of Omega Force, the company known for creating the Warrior titles but the latest game from both companies, Toukiden, is a different type of beast than what fans expect. As such, with the game set to be released on February 11th in North America, we had a chance to ask Toukiden’s producer, Kenichi Ogasawara-san some questions about the game and he kindly took some time to answer them.
Omega Force is predominantly known for their work on the Dynasty Warriors series and other Warriors style games which see the player fighting against hundreds of enemies at one time. Toukiden on the other hand sees players fighting in teams against a few or one large Oni at a time. What led to the decision to focus on small scale battles and large enemies instead of the larger scale of the Warriors title?
Omega Force was originally formed as a team to challenge and create new things. In Japan, “hunting action” is a major game genre, but it was a genre that Tecmo Koei had never attempted. For this title Toukiden, Omega Force tackled it with enthusiasm with the aim to create a hunting action game that hunting action game fans would enjoy. In addition to the fun of defeating gigantic enemies, I think that the action of the “targeted destruction system,” the strategic elements of the Mitama system, and the Japanese world setting has made this a very Tecmo Koei-like hunting action game.
Considering the different nature of Toukiden, will fans of the Warriors games still feel at home with Toukiden or has the development team aimed for a completely different experience with this game?
The key characteristic of Toukiden is the action of the “targeted destruction system.” Players can intuitively slay, thrust and crush, and this allows anyone to experience the sensation and exhilaration of destroying an enormous enemy part by part. The action is different than the Warriors series, but fans should be able to get the hang of it very quickly.
Along those lines, players in Toukiden have the option to fight against the Oni with a few AI controlled allies or partner up with other players to take down these enemies. Why the focus on multiplayer?
The Oni possess massive strength, and usually are very difficult to defeat by a single Slayer. The Slayers are not multi-talented superheroes. By putting to use each player’s strengths and specialties and working together, it becomes possible to defeat enormous Oni. Enemies that you think are impossible to defeat are possible to slay by combining forces, and this sense of achievement is the biggest appeal of hunting action games.
Since multiplayer can sometimes be an issue with some titles in North America and Europe, can gamers look forward to a solid single player experience if they choose to stick with AI companions?
The main story mode of Toukiden unfolds in single player mode (playing with AI companions), so it is possible to fully enjoy the story from start to finish without being in a multiplayer environment. The game continues after the main story is cleared, and much more powerful enemies appear in larger numbers. The stronger the enemy, the more effective it becomes to topple them in multiplayer.
A refreshing aspect of Toukiden is its focus on many fighting many different Oni of various shapes and sizes, all of which appear influenced by Japanese mythology. Why choose these enemies as the threat that players will face?
Since the ancient times, “Oni” are the most famous creatures feared in Japan. By having the game set in a world based on Japanese themes, it was a natural choice to select Oni as the enemy. Also, the current form of Oni are imagined as being similar to humans, but this title emphasises the motif of a “fiend” or “demon,” so we merged more creature-like elements in our designs.
Players will be able to take on the Oni with six different weapon types. Were these weapons, especially ones such as the Chain & Sickle which has been shown as a weapon for slaying demons in other Japanese media, chosen due to Japanese lore?
The weapon types selected were based on actual weapons historically used in Japan. In Japan, the most famous weapon for slaying Oni is probably the sword. There is a legend that when an Oni appeared at a place called “Rashomon” the Oni’s arm was sliced off by a sword wielding samurai. The key art for this game, which uses the image of a Slayer using a sword to slice off the arm of the Chthonian Fiend, uses this legend as a motif.
Another customization aspect available for Toukiden players are Mitama that contain the souls of heroes from Japanese history and lore and add varying bonuses to the player’s abilities. While there are over 200 Mitama in the game, what qualifications did a notable character need to have to be included in Toukiden?
The main standard we used was selecting well-known characters that the average person growing up in Japan would have heard about in a well-known story, or from history class. And since have based this game on six historical periods, we made sure that an almost equal number of Mitama represent each period.
We’ve seen designs and artwork for a number of Oni so far, but was there any Oni that you really enjoyed having put into the game?
The Chthonian Fiend used in the key art is the Oni that represents Toukiden, and I’m quite happy with how it turned out. We hope that through the beautiful graphics of the PS Vita, players enjoy the intenseness the moment a lively and giant Oni attacks.
Following up on that, was there any Oni that you wanted to have put into the game from Japanese mythology that wasn’t added into the title?
Many kinds of demons exist in Japanese folklore, and the ones we included in this game are just a small sampling. We hope we have a chance to feature even more impressive Oni in the future.
One thing that has continued to impress me about Toukiden is how stunning the game looks on the PS Vita and how certain character art has new life to it compared to past Omega Force titles. Is this something fans can look forward to in the future or is Toukiden a special case?
In this title, we asked the illustrator Hidari to handle character designs, and we incorporated overseas designers’ ideas into the Oni designs, so we’ve tried things that we hadn’t done before. Of course, we have really talented designers internally, but I think that by incorporating some new tastes and designs, we’ve been able to expand on the visuals in this game. Moving forward, we hope to continue taking on new challenges.
When Toukiden debuted in Japan it sold amazingly well for a new IP, selling over almost half a million copies so far. Do you have any thoughts as to why this Toukiden resonated so well with fans?
It can be said that Toukiden is a game created along with our users. Very far in advance of the Japanese release, we released an “Action Demo” in Japan. We received a lot of feedback from users who tried the “Action Demo,” and we added improvements to the game based on these responses. In order to let users know of these improvements, we distributed a patch for the demo – something we have never done before. And closer to the game’s release, we released a second demo where the save data could be carried over to the full version, and as well added many updates post-launch through patches. Since this is a new IP that grew and took shape from the feedback of users, I think this is why it has been supported by many people.
While in Japan, Toukiden received a few pieces of crossover content with Sony’s Soul Sacrifice. Can gamers in the West expect to see this content as well?
It is currently under review. Please wait for further news.
With the release of the next generation of consoles, an Omega Force title already in the works for one, and the apparent success of Toukiden in Japan, could we possibly see Toukiden appear on these new consoles sometime in the future?
I think it is possible.
We would like to say thank you to both Kenichi Ogasawara-san and to Tecmo Koei for giving us the opportunity to ask him these questions. Currently Toukiden is set to be released in North America on February 11th and in Europe on February 14th exclusively for the PlayStation Vita and a demo is currently available for download from the PSN. A number of new screenshots and a gameplay trailer for the game can also be found below.
