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Halo: Spartan Assault Review

December 30, 2013

Halo: Spartan Assault
Developers: 343 Industries, Vanguard Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Platform: Xbox One (Reviewed), Windows 8 PC, Windows 8 Phone
Release Date: December 24th, 2013
Price: $14.99 – Available Here

Overview
Being the exclusive flagship series for Microsoft, it is no surprise that Halo has seen some sort of yearly release for the last few years. After the release of Halo 4 last year, it looked like that streak was finally going to be broken, but here comes a much smaller game very akin to the Halo Wars title of years past. Originally coming to Windows 8 Phones and Windows 8 PCs, Halo: Spartan Assault offered a unique change of gameplay for a Halo game and after just a few months it now comes to consoles for the Xbox One with additional features. So, let’s look and see how this game stacks up as both a Halo and Xbox One title.

Story
Not being a numbered sequel, Halo: Spartan Assault doesn’t follow main star Master Chief, instead filling in a few gaps in the timeline to give some more backstory to some of the new Spartan IVs. The story itself is told in a meta story-within-a-story style as being a combat simulation for new Spartan IVs to practice and learn to maneuver on the battlefield, utilizing data from the fights that two of the higher in command Spartans fought in, specifically Commander Sarah Palmer and Spartan Davis who were introduced in Halo 4.

The battles that these two fought in were spread out during the fight as they separate and go off to complete different objectives to give more levels for players to experience. Halo buffs may find this interesting, seeing more of the Human and Covenant struggle after the war had officially ended, but otherwise this simply works as another means of creating more battles to fight in for those less into the story. Though each chapter does have a great looking introduction to kick off each of the events, which certainly adds just a bit more to make the story of the game somewhat more interesting to those not playing just for that.

This console version also sees the inclusion of co-op levels that center around fighting off the Flood, which has managed to find its way into almost every Halo title outside of ODST. The story for these however has nothing to do with anything Palmer or Davis faces in the main campaign instead going back the the meta narrative device to state that this is an extension of the combat simulation to test the Spartan’s mettle against the Flood, should the parasite return. This is not surprising as its the same excuse Halo 4 uses to add Flood into multiplayer, but anyone who had been hoping to an actual reassurance of the infection might be disappointed. Though the introduction to the co-op does just as good a job as the main campaign’s videos, this time giving more information on the devastation from the glassing of African in Halo 3.

Gameplay
As a top-down shooter the controls of Halo: Spartan Assault work a little bit different than the previous Halo titles. Players must use their twin sticks to move and shoot, but it works and feels right in its execution. Controller would almost seem the ideal control scheme for the game as a tablet or phone could only simulate the feel, though a keyboard and mouse might work just as well with a bit more precision in aiming. To make up for the slight imprecision of aiming with the Right Stick however the game does give a bit of an auto aim going for targets near where the player is pointing the stick.

Many of the other buttons remain the same to where they are for Halo 4, with switching weapons being the Y button, interacting and picking up items with the X Button, and switching grenades being the B button, so anyone moving over straight from that will have no problem with the learning curve. The top of the controller still functions exactly the same with firing and grenades being on the trigger and Armor Abilities and melee on the bumpers. Outside of the top-down layout the game plays amazingly like any of the FPS Halo games, which works out much to Spartan Assault‘s favor.

The levels themselves are fairly short however and probably why it worked out well as a mobile game, as most can be completed in under 5 minutes. With a total of 30 levels, even with the DLC from the PC and Phone version already included, to play through this means players will be able to blow through the campaign relatively quickly if they so choose. The game does try to offset this with a scoring system to have players strive for gold stars and additional missions for players to try to accomplish in each level, but these are secondary and anyone looking for straight out gameplay will only have those 30 levels and the co-op to look forward to.

Those co-op itself is meant to be the special addition to the console version to make it unique, but there are only 5 different co-op levels available. While they are on average longer than the single player campaign levels that still feels somewhat lacking. Additionally, co-op is strictly online only, so those who enjoy split-screening wont get a chance to do that here. Though this is almost a good thing as these co-op levels are generally harder than the single player levels with the onslaught of Flood constantly bombarding the player, so splitting the screen and trying to still see them coming and survive would probably not work out well. While the number of levels aren’t there, the difficulty being raised definitely does make up for the lack of more of them.

Visuals
The Halo style still shines through in Spartan Assault, even more so with the HD graphics of the Xbox One. Those familiar with the series and its enemies, weapons, and vehicles will easily recognize them here. Even vehicles that were introduced in Halo Wars and haven’t been seen in the FPS games get another chance in the spotlight as they are protected and escorted through a few different levels to try and combat the Covenant.

The best visuals are still in the videos that precede each chapter however, as they look fantastic and detailed. Those that played through Halo Wars and got to see the movies and videos from that game should have an idea of how good Halo can look and this reaches for that quality. There are however only 6 chapters and the co-op introduction, so they are unfortunately very limited.

Audio
Like the graphics the sounds of the Halo series, and the soundtrack as well, match up to players expectation for those familiar with them. All the enemies, weapons, and vehicles still sound like their FPS counterparts, so that it fits well within the universe. The voice acting is extremely limited however, the main narrator is Ronald, the AI for the UNSC Infinity, so the vast majority of dialogue is his and outside of the lines said or shouted by marines or the Covenant chatter there isn’t much in the way of speaking. Though with the focus of this game being the short combat oriented levels this lack of voice acting does come far into play.

Overall
The twin-stick shooter style definitely works here, giving a new perspective and a slightly different feel to the way players experience the combat, plus quick singular objective levels that spice things up and don’t feel repetitve. Though this is a fairly short game with a total of 35 of these short levels, with a lot of focus being given to replaying for high scores or alternative objectives, so this is definitely not for everybody. Spartan Assault does does look, sound, and feel Halo, so it is able to live up to the name, which means fans of the Halo series that are waiting to see what else is coming for Master Chief in the next game may find themselves with a nice little game here to help pad out that wait.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Super Hidden Gems – Spice World

Dustin Spencer

December 30, 2013

We call a lot of games hidden gems that are not so hidden. Deadly Premonition, Indigo Prophecy, Flower…the list goes on and on. While these titles did not see mainstream promotion, they are not even in the same category of “hidden” when compared to the games you knew existed, but chose to ignore.

These are titles that flew way under the radar. You have seen them a thousand times, but passed them by due to their premise. Admit it, you, like myself and everyone out there are judgmental when it comes to what goes into our system, but for just a few minutes – open up your mind and discover a product you need to go back for.

Spice World

Yes, you are seeing that right, and while I would like to tell you that this game is bad, that its really really bad, I won’t. I was an odd kid growing up, as I always found the most bizarre fandoms to attach myself to. In 1997, I decided I would be a fan of a British pop group who at the time were taking over the entire world with their zany lyrics and loud personalities for a very short time. Were they talented? That is subjective. Annoying? Yeah, they did that well. To a geeky 10 year old though, the Spice Girls were damn entertaining to watch however, and almost impossible to ignore.

Psygnosis’ Spice World in itself is a very shallow Playstation release, but believe it or not, it is still rich with content and semi-decent gameplay. The player starts out by picking their favorite girl, and then must select a song. Once the song is selected, you must then mix the track by quickly jumping to different panels to blend together a unique version, and then head to the dance studio so a man with a large afro can teach you how to dance to it. The dancing portion is all about accuracy and hitting inputs at the appropriate time, so you could say this was one of the first big rhythm action titles to drop before Harmonix gave the genre an appeal.

There are two portions to the dance levels of the game. The first is an introduction to the inputs you need to memorize in order to execute your moves during a big, sold out concert. The face buttons spin down on the screen, and once they hit the center, the player must tap that button at the perfect time to move on. If you fail to do so a good number of times, our disco loving teacher will make you re-do the lesson. Once passed, it is time to put the good man’s teachings to work. Each girl has their own specific style, so the next step is to put all of those inputs you learned before to good use and make a dance. If you mess up, that will show so it is important to nail these steps with perfect timing. There is no wrong way to do it, so the challenge comes down to preference. Do you want to give a half-assed performance, or do you want to see something that you would have seen from a terrible award show?

It is a simple formula for a very simple game, but with all of the songs and dance jigs within, there is a ton of replay value as almost every player’s routine will be different by default. Of course the finale is the big show, and you play the role of the cameraman, zooming in on different girls – over and over until the number is complete. That is all there is to it, really. Sure, it’s the Spice Girls and just thinking of spending 30 minutes doing all of this seems terrible to an outsider, but Spice World is a game that doesn’t care what outsiders think. It was developed to please fans only, and is more than happy to provide innocent entertainment with a semi-solid structure to those who give it a try. There are tons of games like this on the market, but they get shoved into a stereotype and ignored by the masses- even though they have committed no crime.

I mean, c’mon! This game has a a disco loving dude that wants to teach you how to side jump! Look into his eyes and deny this game.

How can you say no?

Retro game hunting is now a thing – so next time you are out and see this title at its usual price of below five dollars, snag it up for some cheap entertainment. I can guarantee you there will be no HD remake, and even though the girls look like demented dolls, the risk comes low for a rather memorable little gem that few have dared to indulge in. We even have a follow-up of sorts for our current gen consoles with one of the girls teaching us how to Get Fit with Mel B, which while still released on a Sony platform cannot come close to being as charming as the wild adventures this world of spice holds.

Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing Part 2 DVD Review

Sergei Lazarev

December 30, 2013

Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing Part 2
Studio: Gonzo
Publisher: Madman
Format: DVD (reviewed), Blu-ray
Release Date: December 4, 2013
Price: $59.99 – Available Here

Overview
The first part of Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing introduced some very likeable characters as well as mysterious ones while setting up a grand plot featuring war, politics and intrigue surrounding the giant Exile ships. Aside from some strange pacing issues, it’s done pretty well so far in just eleven episodes. So how does Part 2 not only further develop this, but conclude what is a fairly complicated turn of events?

Story
To recap, the Ades Federation has launched a global offensive that’s set to retake lands that have been populated with returning humans following the Earth’s natural recovery. After destroying Turan and capturing one of its princesses who seems to have turned sides, Ades has its sights set on the second princess Millia who is sheltered by the Silvius ship. In the middle of all this are two young sky pirates, Fam and Giselle, who have vowed to help Millia re-establish Turan.

After the catastrophic battle at the end of Part 1, the three girls find themselves in Glacies territory, forming a friendship with the foreigners. Fixing their wrecked Vanship, they begin to leave the hospitality of the icy nation. Trouble follows Fam, however, and the hammer of the Ades Federation is brought down on Glacies, wiping out its defences before another Exile is summoned to destroy its capital city. It’s ironic that for a colossal, moon-sized ship designed to carry humanity to safety, it’s sole purpose now seems to be only for war.

The desperation in Part 2 is apparent, with Fam’s home, the Sky Pirate base, also targeted by the far-reaching Ades armada. Most interestingly is that the Empress of the Ades Federation, who up until now has only been a young figurehead, learns the truth behind premier Luscinia brutal actions and finally speaks out. The powerful man is outlawed and thus begins a concerted effort to stop him and his loyal forces. But with the Turan princess, an Exile key, in his grasp, this is much harder than it sounds.

Part 2 is bigger, louder and darker than the first half with fast-moving developments, plot twists and more of those intense fleet battles that seem to decide the course of the war. As usual Fam is ever a bright beacon in hopeless situations, and her naive attitude and determination remain infectious.

Unfortunately Part 2 doesn’t make more of an effort to tell a more coherent story, as the pacing remains strange (another recap episode?) and often puzzling particularly when plot twists aren’t implemented effectively. This leaves you wondering what just happened at the start of some episodes following a hectic previous episode. At just 21 episodes, Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing is shorter than most anime of its class and could have had most of its pacing issues solved with a few more episodes to balance things out.

The show wraps up very satisfyingly, however, as we learn more about Luscinia’s character, his intentions and everyone’s hard efforts for peace are not in vain. We even get a cameo of the main characters from the original Last Exile, which is sure to please fans. However, these aren’t voiced by their original voice actors which is a bit of a shame.

Visuals
While not perfect in the animation department, Part 2 continues the visual style of the first half by injecting CG during battles in order to give us a grand spectacle. Air battles are bigger, more chaotic and downright crazy once Exile’s are used more frequently. As the series heads towards its end game, the fighting becomes ever fiercer.

Character design continues to owe itself to Range Murata’s beautiful art work while the steam punk setting continues to give us wonderful art design and interesting concepts not normally seen elsewhere. Normal hand-drawn animation does suffer occasionally, as some corners are cut on character art to put the focus on more significant sequences. Again, this might be due to the shorter length of Fam, The Silver Wing and thus some bits might have had to be rushed.

Audio
One of my favourite aspects of Fam, The Silver Wing remains the audio and in particular the soundtrack. Symphonic orchestras mixed with folk flutes and even electronic beats are all featured to make for a gripping experience during battles and calm scenes alike.

It’s disappointing to have the same opening and ending songs as Part 1, meaning you’ll be skipping them more frequently. But there are more remixes of those same songs which are inserted at certain emotional moments during the show.

The voice-acting is more or less the same as in Part 1, with a greater focus on Glacies’ Russian characters who, despite one voice actress, all rather fall flat in the pronunciation in the Japanese dub. In English, however, there are two native speakers which improves the exotic experience quite a bit. The English track remains mostly good with only a few remaining mismatches in voices that could have been helped.

Extras
Part 2 includes a continuation of many of the extras that were in Part 1. More commentaries, part two of Anime Expo 2011, episodes 8-13 of the spinoff “Friday Night” series, textless songs, an English language trailer and promotional videos are all included on the discs and are most welcome. This somewhat offsets the series’ shorter-than-average length.

Overall
Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing is an eye-opening steam punk adventure and a voyage fraught with spectacular ship battles and political intrigue. While not as strong or as compelling as its aging predecessor, Fam is still a worthy sequel that continues the extensive lore of the franchise.

Existing fans might be disappointed with the weaker character development and pacing issues, but will still be satisfied with the faithful continuation of the story and its fresh look at a planet that is now very different. Viewers that have never seen Last Exile before can still keep up with the admittedly confusing setting and enjoy the strategic battles, unique designs and the mystique of the monolithic Exiles themselves.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Hajime No Ippo – Rising Episode 11 Impressions

Frank Inglese

December 30, 2013

Hajime No Ippo – Rising
Episode 11 – Fearless Challenger

If you’ve been following my Hajime No Ippo – Rising Anime Impressions than you’ll probably recall me describing exactly how I believe the series is structured, for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about: Hajime No Ippo seems to have three episode types with a rare fourth one thrown in every once in a while, there’s the pre-fight episode, the fight episode and the post-fight episode with a gag episode thrown in occasionally. Episode 11 is absolutely the fight episode and it’s actually the episode a lot of us have been waiting for since the first episode considering the challenger that Ippo is going up against has appeared in the opening sequences since the very start of the season, not to mention this fight has had at least three episodes of build-up so it’s safe to say this will be a memorable battle for the series…at least…I’m hoping.

The match begins between Ryuuhei, the man who will do anything to devour Ippo, and the champ himself. The fight actually starts off really odd, Ippo spends the first half of the match and the first half of the episode beating on Ryuuhei pretty fiercely and I’ll just go out and say that I think Ryuuhei really felt those hits because the way his facial expressions were animated really pushed that point as forward as possible and even though it ended up being a fairly big ruse I still think at that very moment he feared a loss at the hands of Ippo. Turns out that Ryuuhei is more of a trickster in the ring than I had though, obviously I was aware of his past as a fighter and he constantly took advantage of situations that were a little blue like the “elbowing a fighter in the face” debacle but I just never expected him to physically trip Ippo in the match, it seems like something Aoki would do but I just didn’t expect it from such a stern character, it’s an odd conflict of those I have going on up here in my head.

Between Ryuuhei’s silly tactics and his overall nonchalant vibe towards the match it seems as though Ippo stayed above water because he seemed like a man possessed, he was relentless but he had plenty of reason to go all out on this guy as soon as possible, there was no time to wait, there was no time to relax, this isn’t a fight that Ippo could glide through and the same actually goes for Ryuuhei. After another little example of Ryuuhei “shenanigans” the match ultimately changed, Ryuuhei came to the realisation that Ippo isn’t a fighter to be taken lightly and what I really enjoyed about this realisation was that it didn’t come out of nowhere, Ryuuhei’s inner dialogue throughout the match continued to go something like “I still don’t find him appetizing”. Those lines originally started as something that you would take to be a “smart-arse” comment, as if he was insinuating that he needed to beat on him more before he could truly feast but it started to become a reality mid-way through the fight and Ryuuhei finally realised he needs to “sack up” and stop toying with the man who could take him down.

The second half of the episode pretty much revolved around Ryuuhei’s odd style of fighting which he busts out when he realises Ippo may be too much for him to play around with. he has an odd stance that has him extend his left arm out in front of him until it is almost entirely straight while his right hand stays close to his face so that he can both guard his right cheek and quickly transition into a stance to allow him to land a devastating right hook or something equally as devastating. He begins jabbing at Ippo with his left arm, turns out his little fighting “quirk” is that he can throw a corkscrew shot with his left arm without and actually lead up or twisting from the rest of his body, it is something that apparently “cannot be taught” and it’s now another thing that Ippo has to overcome alongside Ryuuhei’s incredible counters…if only real boxing was like this.

Ippo guards against the flurry of left-hand jabs and inches closer to Ryuuhei’s body in the hopes that he can get another nice body shot in but it’s ultimately useless, that is exactly what Ryuuhei wants him to do and at the first possible chance the challenger throws his lightning-fast and highly-destructive right punch and just about knocks Ippo out. Despite having taken two hits by Ryuuhei’s right punches Ippo seems to still be able to fight, he’s slowely loosing stamina and it looks like Ryuuhei is now getting his revenge for the beginning of the match. I would like to say I know Hajime No Ippo enough to be able to tell you that this fight will end in the next episode but, knowing my luck, they’ll throw into some sort of flashback that will lead into the episode after where it will really come to a close, either way I suggest you keep watching…it’s getting good!

The next time I’ll be able to speak to you all indirectly through these articles will hopefully be next week when episode 12, as long as they don’t go on another little break, is released but by that time we’ll already be in the new year so I hope that you all have a brilliant start to the new year and a fantastic year ahead. Check out more Hajime No Ippo – Rising Impressions HERE.

Velocity Ultra Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

December 30, 2013

Velocity Ultra
Developer: Curve Studios, FuturLab
Publisher: Curve Studios
Platform: PS Vita, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 12 December 2013
Price: $9.99 USD – Available Here (Windows)

Overview

Velocity Ultra is a shoot ‘em up puzzler by Curve Studios (Stealth Inc.) and FuturLab (Coconut Dodge). Players will fly a Quarp Jet capable of teleporting around in space as they rescue stranded crew members, fight their way through dangerous enemies, and solve devious puzzles. The game is currently comprised of fifty levels.

Story

Players take on the role of the lead test pilot for the new Quarp Jet sent out on a rescue mission to save a nation’s stranded people after the death of the star Vilio knocks out all the electronics in Toron in a mighty electromagnetic blast. The pilot must now race against a quickly collapsing star and fight through opportunistic enemies seeking to profit from the misery.

The story is told through small comic based cut-scene between levels. I did not find the story particularly gripping or interesting. The plot mostly gave a vague reason on why the pilot was out rescuing people and why the Quarp Jet received upgrades, but the plot quickly faded into the background once the game started.

Gameplay

Although people would be forgiven for assuming Velocity Ultra is just another shoot ‘em up based on the screenshots, Velocity Ultra is actually much slower paced versus classic examples of the genre like Ikaruga and 1942. The slower pace allows players a chance to react to the puzzle aspects of the game. The Quarp Jet is capable of two types of teleportation, a short ranged teleport around the screen and a longer ranged teleport to bases dropped by the jet at an earlier time. The short ranged teleportation will be used to reach normally inaccessible areas while the long ranged teleportation device is used to solve the many puzzles littered throughout the game. Often times, the puzzles involve hitting a variety of colour coded switches in numerical order in order to unlock areas defended by a laser shield. Players are ranked based on how quickly they can plough through the level and how many stranded people they can rescue.

Currently there are fifty levels in Velocity Ultra. The levels break down into a couple mission types, “Search + Rescue,” “Hostile Forces,” “Critical Urgency,” and some combination of the three. “Search + Rescue” is the standard mission type that will have players teleporting around to solve puzzles as they collect survivors. “Hostile Forces” will pit the Quarp Jet’s weapons against enemies while “Critical Urgency” will give players an extremely small amount of time to navigate to the end of the map. The puzzles are not too challenging, the main difficulty comes in doing them quickly with the fewest teleports required. The game takes the learning curve very slow, not introducing the long range teleports until almost half way into the game. I enjoyed the mix of puzzle and shoot ‘em up gameplay, though I found the “Critical Urgency” levels to be the weakest. The game is at its best when navigating puzzles while fighting oncoming enemies.

Velocity Ultra is best enjoyed with a controller. The mouse and keyboard will work just fine, though the controller allows for more precise flying while the mouse and keyboard allows for more precise teleporting. I found the short range teleporting felt a bit awkward in the beginning. It took quite a bit of time to get used to, especially with the controller. The teleportation crosshair shoots out from the ship, which was a bit of a shock as I found myself naturally expecting the crosshair to appear from the centre of the screen.

Visuals

Velocity Ultra’s graphics is a nice blend of retro styling with modern high resolution graphics. Fans of shoot ‘em ups will be right at home with the sci-fi top down graphics. The comics that serve to forward the story in Velocity Ultra are lovely to look at and are frankly, much more interesting than the actual plot itself.

Audio

The audio in Velocity Ultra are much like the graphics as they are heavily inspired by retro arcade and shoot ‘em up tracks. They are not chiptunes and 8-bit sound effects by any means, but those of us who grew up on titles like 1942 will feel right at home playing Velocity Ultra. My biggest complaint is the soundtrack is a little thin. There are only a small handful of tracks and I would have appreciated a greater variety of music.

Overall

Velocity Ultra is an interesting game. It is the antithesis of the classic fast paced shoot ‘em up, opting for a more thoughtful pace. The game has a great modernized retro arcade feel. However, the story feels a bit like wallpaper than a gripping plot. At $9.99, the game has good replay value for those competitive spirits who desire their names on the tops of leader boards. Those who are looking to play the game once may find Velocity Ultra a bit on the short side. It is definitely worth a try for shoot ‘em up fans looking for a new take on the genre.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Fast Fin Review

Matthew Vella

December 29, 2013

Fast Fin Review
Publisher: Nurogames
Developer: Nurogames
Platforms: iPhone (reviewed), iPad
Release Date: 18/12/2013
Price: $1.99 (Available Here)

Overview

Honestly it’s starting to feel like exactly 50% of the app store is nothing but endless runner-type games these days, which can be both a gift and a curse for developers. On one hand competition is fierce and a game can be easily lost within an endless sea of titles that play very similarly, but on the other hand this encourages creativity and innovation in order to stand out. While this has led to some awesome games that involve a lot of creativity, most end up as terrible cash-ins or not even worth your time. Think I was just cramming in a lot of links into that sentence? Those are just some of the examples of endless runner titles I’ve reviewed this year I can remember off the top of my head. That doesn’t count many others, regardless of how terrible or successful they may be throughout 2013, and don’t get me started on that awful Iron Man 3 cash-in despite what other people may think. Now don’t get me wrong I love these type of games, Temple Run 2 was my favourite mobile game of 2012, and Jetpack Joyride was easily one of my favourites in 2011. What I’m getting at is to stand out of the crowd in this genre you need to be filled with creativity and character, both of which Fast Fin is seriously lacking.

Gameplay

If you’ve played a side-scrolling endless runner you’ll know exactly what you’re in for. Players control a character who is constantly moving forward and you must dodge obstacles along the way while collecting collectables and powers ups which can also be upgraded in the store in between levels. If you’re lacking in funds, you can gain more currency through challenges and in-app purchases as well. In the case of Fast Fin, you control a fish as it swims through the ocean, if you’re too slow you’ll be killed by toxic waste. The trick for controls here is that besides always moving forward our fishy protagonist is always moving upwards, so by tapping on the screen he’ll move downwards. Both a story mode which contains nine stages and also a survival mode are present, as well as daily rewards for playing, and that pretty much sums up the entire game. There’s no core gimmick or attempt to make the gameplay any different from other titles, and there isn’t really any challenge until the later levels. While the generic core gameplay elements are there and solid, there isn’t any fun to be found as the developer hasn’t even attempted to do much to keep players interested. Honestly the only real positive things I can say about it is that the game hasn’t crashed on me or showed any signs of bugs.

Audio & Visual

Visuals are yet another missed opportunity as ocean life looks incredibly lifeless. Animations usually involve little to no movement and rely on mostly static images. The toxic waste that is chasing you is static along with a toxic barrel which is also still, and schools of fish in the background are motionless as well. If it wasn’t for the protagonist being a fish and a few reminders here-and-there, you wouldn’t even know this game takes place in the ocean. Colours are vibrant and character design is ok, but none of that really matters when everything sits so perfectly still. If I was playing this on a Gameboy Colour it’d be acceptable, but on an iPhone 5 it feels like a joke. What good is Retina Display if the pictures barely move? Furthermore audio is also a disappointment, with generic trumpet music on an annoying loop that doesn’t even seem to match the mood of the game. It sounds like the atmosphere for a marching band in a parade, not like a fish swimming away for it’s life and trying to save it’s missing eggs. It appears Nurogames have decided to go for the bare minimum once again.

Overall

Fast Fin feels like a rushed title that has had little-to-no effort put into it. The game is solid but lacks any form of originality or creativity, as if the developer has purposely tried to make the most generic endless runner possible. Animations are almost non-existent and gameplay is incredibly basic. What’s upsetting is that Nurogames seem like they have the potential to develop some quality titles but with this one it’s like they didn’t even want to try. Better luck next time guys.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Just Cause 2: Multiplayer Wins 2013 Mod of the Year

Amelia Craigie

December 29, 2013

The year is coming to an end, so lets look at the highlights of 2013 before we jump in to the 2014 gaming world. The Mod DB’s 2013 Mod of the Year has been chosen by 141,000 players casting their votes online. Gamers chose the mod that best transformed already amazing games into something different, quirky and better. This year it is hard to deny the universal praise for the multiplayer addition to the action-adventure game Just Cause 2.

The final top 10 winners are as follows, but check out the full results on the Mod DB website:

10. Skyrim: Wyrmstooth
9. Fallout: Project Brazil
8. A Clash of Kings
7. Crusader Kings 2: Thrones
6. Underhell
5. Project Reality: Battlefield 2
4. Brutal Doom
3. Rise of the Reds
2. No More Room in Hell
1. Just Cause 2: Multiplayer

Kakei no Alice Manga Set to Launch in January

Kane Bugeja

December 29, 2013

Kakei no Alice Manga Set to Launch in January

Kakei-no-Alice-01 — **Family reunions can be murder**

Manga creator Kaori Yuki’s newest project, entitled Kakei no Alice, is set to launch in the March issue of Kodansha‘s ARIA magazine. That being said, the issue itself will actually be released by the manga provider on January 28th, so not too long of a wait.

The manga focuses on a high school girl named Stella, who was born into the wealthy Kuonji family. Each month, the family holds a little event known as the Tea Party. However, this time, things play out a little differently. Everything changes when somebody reveals the true purpose behind the gathering of the Kuonji siblings: “Starting now, everyone will kill each other. The person left alive will become the head of the family.”

Stay tuned as more information on this series, and its interesting take on family reunions, is revealed. Stella’s killing game begins.

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Capsule Computers

Capsule Computers

Halo: Spartan Assault Review

Capsule Computers Podcast Episode 093 – New Tears

Super Hidden Gems – Spice World

Doctor Who’s Matt Smith and Karen Gillan heading to Australia in 2014

Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing Part 2 DVD Review

Hajime No Ippo – Rising Episode 11 Impressions

Velocity Ultra Review

Fast Fin Review

Audio & Visual

Overall

Just Cause 2: Multiplayer Wins 2013 Mod of the Year

Kakei no Alice Manga Set to Launch in January