Not too long ago, Shout! Factory brought us the tale of the epic encounter between Wolverine and Hulk (which you can see the review of here), and while it surpassed expectations, it simply left us hungry for more. Well, we are in luck as yet another film has dropped thanks to Marvel Knights Animation, and it is certainly one with taking a look at.
The team of writer and Executive Producer Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Artist Simone Bianchi (Astonishing X-Men) have come together to tell the tale of Wolverine vs Sabertooth, which has now hit shelves in DVD form is a snazzy comic book case. I honestly love this style of animation as it has a rawness to it that brings in an authentic charm, and considering that this kind of narrative is something Disney would shy away from, it is definitely a collectors item worth picking up at the already value price. Check out the trailer below for a better look.
Overview
People may not be well aware of it, but the Fortix franchise has been saving kingdoms one line at a time for several years. Developer Nemesys Games graced the world with the original tale of the Line Knight in April of 2010, following it up with a well received sequel the following year. Now with the help of mobile publisher BulkyPix, Nemesys is bringing their baby to iOS devices. How does it stand up? Does Line Knight Fortix claim victory or should it be cordoned off from the world?
Story
You are the renowned knight Sir Fortix. The evil wizard, Xitrof, has cursed the islands of Artalom and now trolls, dragons, and more control the lands. Can you win back Artalom, vanquish your foes, and unravel Xitrof’s curse?
Gameplay
As the name implies, Fortix is Line Knight and thus conquers his foes with right angles. Much like the classic game Qix, you are tasked with taking over territory by enclosing as much of it as you can within the lines you form.
Fortix starts each level on the “base line.” Using your fingers to control directions, you can have him leave the base line to run around. When Fortix returns to the base line, everything he surrounded becomes conquered land, and the lines he formed become part of the base line.
The game very quickly becomes much more than simply conquering territory. Dark, dangerous foes roam the lands and will take you out any chance they have. Trolls, dragons, and more will go after Fortix any time he leaves the base line. Cave bats patrol the base line, ensuring you’re constantly on your toes.
Beyond foes, the structures and lay of the land both work to keep Fortix from achieving his mission. Stone walls will prevent your passage and turrets all over the world will fire cannons when Fortix tries to make his move.
Though Fortix himself is a small target, a single strike to the line he’s creating will send a surge toward our hero, killing him if he fails to reach a base line in time. This creates a fantastic push-and-pull mechanic, encouraging you to be thoughtful as you maneuver through cannon fire and enemies. Utilizing your anticipation can be a powerful weapon for our hero.
Fortix is not entirely alone in his fight to save the world. He’s able to capture cannons to destroy enemy turrets, take keys to unlock doors, and take power-ups that can turn the tide of desperate conflict.
There’s quite a lot to play here. The current release of the game gives you three worlds, each containing 15 levels that will take you a few hours to work through. It also appears that they plan to support the game post-launch with even more levels (much like Angry Birds or Cut The Rope did).
Line Knight Fortix is a fun experience, but it’s not without its flaws. On older hardware, the game sometimes became slow and unresponsive, ignoring input and causing deaths that could have been otherwise avoided. With the camera zoomed in, this seemed like less of an issue, but it was a significant annoyance nonetheless. Loading times can also take a few seconds, which is miniscule in the grand theme of things, but jarring when so few games seem to be plagued by it in this day and age.
Visuals & Audio Line Knight Fortix is a fun, colorful game. It’s bright, simple graphics do a wonderful job conveying the puzzling landscapes you’ll have to conquer. The animation is simple but effective as well. Each world has its own unique aesthetic to keep things interesting as well. The sound design in Line Knight Fortix can go largely unnoticed. The music is upbeat and adventurous, but little more is of note.
Overall
Overall, Line Knight Fortix is a fun, challenging strategy puzzle game. The visual style is simple, but serves the game well. The game also boasts a wealth of content with the promise of even more to come. The mobile port of the franchise has a few problems, especially on older hardware, but the gameplay is tight and entertaining. Fans of puzzle games, strategy games, or the Fortix franchise will find it well worth the time and money.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Thanks to a leak yesterday we knew that Call of Duty: Ghosts was going to be receiving some DLC in the next few weeks and today Activision decided to make it official by announcing the Call of Duty: Ghosts: Onslaught DLC map pack which will be hitting the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on January 28.
The DLC includes four small to medium maps, called Fog, Bayview, Containment, and Ignition, a new Extinction map called Nightfall with some new characters and new aliens to face off against, and a new dual-purpose weapon called the Maverick assault rifle or sniper rifle for use in multiplayer that totally won’t be abused thanks to Activision‘s unwillingness to fix sniper rifle exploits.
In a bit of a different twist, the Fog map will also allow players to transform themselves into Michael Myers with the series’ signature music playing in the background and wielding a bloody axe rather than his signature knife. Anyways, check out the preview video for the DLC below.
Visual learner? No problem! Check out the entire unboxing and review video at the end of the article!
The Mionix NAOS 7000 is the budget friendly little sibling of the Mionix NAOS 8200. The mouse sports a 7000 DPI IR-LED optical sensor, a 32bit ARM processor running at 32mhz, 128kb of onboard memory, an ergonomic right handed design, customizable LED lighting, and seven programmable buttons. The NAOS 7000 has slightly weaker specs compared to the 8200, but has an MSRP that is ten dollars lower than the 8200.
Like other Mionix products, the packaging for the Mionix NAOS 7000 is minimal and utilitarian. The box is just big enough to hold the mouse, a sticker bearing the Mionix logo, and a small quick start/warranty guide. Unpacking the box was a pleasant affair, as the packaging has been designed to require the least amount of effort possible. Given the option of having so many twist ties that a wire cutter is practically necessary to free the mouse from its glitzy retail packaging versus Mionix’s simplistic box, give me the hassle free packaging any day.
The Mionix NAOS 7000 is designed for right handed people only. The mouse is extremely wide with large finger grooves for the ring and little finger. The large mouse has plenty of physical space to wrap a hand around its rubber surface. Although Mionix advertises the design to be friendly to both palm and claw grip users, I suspect only the largest handed users will be able to comfortably use the NAOS 7000 in a claw grip. For palm users, the mouse’s ergonomics are second to none. Of all the right handed mice I have used, the NAOS design is the most comfortable. The mouse curves in all the right places which allows the fingers to rest on the mouse comfortably.
Mionix’s rubbery finish is possibly one of the best coating on a mouse I have ever used. It feels incredibly soft while ensuring just enough of a rubbery feel to provide a sense of security when holding the mouse. The coating is flawless, without any imperfections. The mouse connects to the computer with a six foot cloth braided USB cable featuring a gold plated connector. I am particularly fond of cloth braided USB cables on mice as I find them to snag less compared to traditional rubber coatings.
The body sports seven programmable buttons, the traditional left and right mouse buttons, the mouse wheel, two buttons located below the mouse wheel, and two thumb buttons. Mionix uses Omron mechanical micro-switches for the buttons. These are considered to be some of the finest switches available on the market and last for twenty million clicks. The buttons have a great crisp click to them that is enjoyable to use. The mouse wheel has a nice texture to it, though the ridges are not particularly aggressive. The wheel is soft, though a little more rubbery than the rest of the body. The mouse wheel has a nice crisp press to it. Although not as crisp as the buttons, there is a very clean break when the button is engaged.
The two buttons located under the mouse wheel are positioned well. They are low enough to stay out of the way when spinning the mouse wheel. They are not so low that the lower button is difficult to press. I found the thumb buttons to be at the perfect position. My thumb as able to rest on both buttons, allowing me to press them without having to shift my thumb.
There are two lighting zones on the mouse, one on the edges of the mouse wheel and one Mionix logo on the palm rest. The default lighting brightness is at a happy middle. It is bright enough to be noticed easily in a well lit room while still being soft enough to not be distracting in a dark room. I was a little surprised that there is no control for brightness in the software suite. The LED lighting can only be adjusted for colour and a few lighting effects.
The NAOS 7000 uses the ADNS-3310 IR-LED optical sensor from Avago Technologies. I found the sensor to be accurate and responsive. However, my review unit had a strange habit of drifting around randomly once in a while. This was not a consistent issue so I originally thought the problem was vibrations from my computer. After further testing, I discovered the mouse was not moving at all and there was no debris in the optical sensor. Once the mouse is moved a bit, the drifting issue would stop immedietely. The AVIOR 7000 I tested earlier uses the same sensor and had no such issues, which leads me to suspect my NAOS 7000 may have a faulty sensor.
The software suite for the NAOS 7000 is a straight forward affair. The NAOS 7000 works great out of the box as a plug and play mouse. However, the software suite is a must to get features like macro editing, LED tweaking, and the myriad of sensor settings. I am a bit surprised that Mionix has not created a unified software suite, instead requiring users to download a software specific to the mouse. The software is well laid out and easy to understand. Macro recording is extremely simple to do. I found the software to run well, with no crashes or errors in testing.
There is a lot of performance options that can be tweaked from within the software suite. Things like pointer acceleration, scroll speeds, lift distances, and angle tuning can all be modified. Even independent X and Y sensitivity settings can be programmed. My only complaint is that the mouse can save five different profiles but only three different DPI settings per profile. I usually prefer to see at least four to five different options, especially for games like Battlefield 4.
Priced at $79.99, the NAOS 7000 is one of the cheaper options for high end gaming mice. Except for those who will actually use DPI settings above 7000 DPI, the NAOS 7000 is identical to the more expensive NAOS 8200 in everyday use. Although claw users will most likely find the NAOS 7000 to be too big to be comfortable, the NAOS design is easily a contender for the most comfortable right handed mouse on the market for palm grips. The software suite is a simple no nonsense affair that is easy to use. Although my review unit seems to be suffering from some occasional issues every few hours, the mouse performed wonderfully overall.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
A sequel to a standalone Half-Life 2 mod, Insurgency requires players to cooperate strategically. It was originally released to Steam’s Early Access program in March 2013. New World Interactive have said this marks the end of the Beta phase for the game, but their development plans are far from done. Everyone who’s purchased the game will received all future updates and DLC. It will support 32-player multiplayer and 6-player cooperative modes.
Insurgency is $19.99 and available on both PC and Mac. You can check out their Steam page or their official website for more information. Also be sure to check out the pre-launch trailer below this article.
Announced via a Facebook post, starting from today all orders placed on Madman’s website are eligible for free shipping within Australia. The move will likely see buyers choose to purchase anime from the source rather than from other stores that charge shipping.
This comes before a strong February launch line up including titles such as Fate/Zero, Sword Art Online Vol. 3, Cowboy Bebop Remastered Sessions Collection 2 and more. In addition, Madman has licenced plenty of anime in the lead up to Christmas such as Oreimo 2, Silver Spoon and Outbreak Company.
Madman is currently streaming Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions Ren and Space Dandy this anime season on their Screening Room.
Microsoft launched two new trailers today for Xbox One. The first trailer boasts the realistic graphics the console is capable of. The trailer features footage from launch title Ryse: Son of Rome.
The second trailer shows off some of the accolades the next generation has received from the press while demonstrating the features that Microsoft hopes will make the Xbox One the king of the living room. Games like FIFA 14 and Titanfall can be spotted on screen during the trailer.
The Xbox One launched in November 2013 in most countries. The console sold over 3 million units in less than a month an a half with the first million being sold within 24 hours of launch. The console is available at most retailers for $499 USD.
Today during a Corpse Party eventin Japan, 5pb, the publishers of the Corpse Party in Japan, had a few things to share about the next game in the series for fans. As we already know, Corpse Party: Blood Drive will be picking up from Corpse Party: Book of Shadows’ canonical ending and it will follow Ayumi Shinozaki as the main protagonist.
Considering this is the first Corpse Party title to be released on the Vita, the main reveal came in the form of the character models that will be used in the next game. As you can see below we have a number of surviving characters returning such as Ayumi Shinozaki, Naomi Nakashima, Satsuki Mizuhara, and Aiko Niwa. The interesting inclusion here is Seiko Shinohara and what it may mean for the story of Blood Drive when it is released in Japan sometime in spring.
Last year Simcity made waves by releasing with a feature that meant that it always had to be online, sparking a torrent of arguments discussing the relevance of DRM in games that are heavily single player orientated. Combine this with the unbelievable amount of server issues people faced upon release and it is no surprise that the SimCity controversy sticks in my mind as freshly as the Phil Fish saga. Thankfully, almost a year on from that incident, EA and Maxis are making at least a small admission that they might have been wrong by announcing a long awaited offline single player mode.
Although I fear that this may be coming a little late to appease the people that struggled away on release day when the game was nigh on unplayable, it is at least a gesture that will be appreciated by modders who will now be free to tinker with the game as much as they want without upsetting the integrity of the online game. Personally, I can’t help but feel like this would have happened months ago if the game were just released on Steam, but that’s EA for you…
The offline single player mode is currently in the testing phase and will be available as a free download to all players when update 10 arrives. Players will be able to use all of their previously purchased DLC in single player mode and will be free to save and load as they please because games will be saved locally. SimCity is available now on Origin.
The R18+ 1987 classic RoboCop is getting a PG-13 reboot as well as a mobile exclusive movie tie-in freemium video game. Let’s take some keywords from that last sentence: reboot, PG 13, mobile exclusive, movie tie-in & freemium. These are some of pop cultures most hated words and to watch a beloved classic like RoboCop get this treatment is pretty depressing. However I’m going to put my nerdy bias aside and try to write this review as accurately as possible. Also how weird is it this was released like a month before the film comes out? Usually this sorta stuff happens within the same week or something. Oh well. PG-13 RoboCop reboot freemium tie-in mobile movie game cash-in. Let’s do this.
Audio & Visual
So straight off the bat this game looks like half assed. Animations are mostly stiff, but in a “developers didn’t bother” kinda stiff and not a “he’s a robot” kinda stiff if you know what I mean. The RoboCop model looks good if you ignore the human lips which look kinda PS2ish and never move when he talks, and the ED-209 robot looks decent as well. While for the most part levels look ok, some are clearly nicer than others which gives you a really “we really rushed this” vibe. Reflections off RoboCop’s armour are kinda cool though, and the menu presentation is nice so you gotta give credit when it’s due. Audio includes a Hollywood action type soundtrack and one liners like “thank you for your cooperation” after shooting like 50 dudes so at least they got that part right!
Gameplay
Gameplay is split into two parts, both of which make no sense. The first part is the main action of the game, a duck-and-cover shooter which makes no sense because RoboCop is meant to be bulletproof. The second part involves spending not one, not two, but three currencies is a deep upgrade system that aggressively encourages in-app purchases….which also makes no sense as he’s built to be a perfect crime fighting unit so why would he need more upgrades? In all fairness, the story doesn’t follow the plot of the movie, but rather of training simulations for preparing RoboCop, which is just as exciting as it sounds. That being said the controls work well, with the left side of the screen to aim and the right to shoot, and on screen prompts to run for cover, scan for weaknesses and let out special attacks like a focus mode and to call in drones. These missions are really just there to motivate you to upgrade more, as many missions are impossible to complete without certain upgrades.
While the gameplay is lacking in depth, the upgrade system has plenty of options. These range from upgrading the suit, a variety of weapons each with their own upgrade tree, a nodes system to “attempt” upgrades….and did I mention three currencies? Everything is just there to nudge you to spend real money on currency to buy upgrades, most of which make little difference. Of coarse, even after you spend cash on upgrading, upgrading takes time, which you can spend more cash on speeding it up. RoboCop is definitely the biggest movie cash-in title I’ve played in a very long time.
Overall
Don’t get me wrong, RoboCop isn’t completely unplayable and for the first 15 minutes or so it isn’t complete torture. The game has got the look right and the controls are responsive but other than that there isn’t much to offer here. Gameplay is shallow, unrewarding and all you ever really do is grind to upgrade for just more of the same dull crap. The aggressive in-app purchases suffocate the life out of any fun that can be found. Hopefully the movie reboot is a lot better, but I’m not holding my breath. For those looking for a decent duck-and-cover shooter of this fashion on iOS, I highly recommend EPOCH 2 instead.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
