Fans of the Blue Exorcist anime series will no doubt be pleased to know that the wild adventures of Rin Okumura and his fellow exorcists will continue in this feature length film. Madman plans on releasing it on DVD and Blu-Ray in April 2014.
Madman will be announcing a new title every day for twelve days in the lead up to Christmas Day. Stay tuned each day for a new title announcement from Madman Entertainment.
Yes BitTrip fans you read that right, Runner 2 will be heading to the PlayStation Vita. The game is launching on PlayStation Vita in North America on December 17th and in Europe on December 18th. Gaijin Games goal with this release was to achieve complete parity with the PC and console versions of the game, they seem to feel like they have accomplished that.
Be sure to pick up Runner 2 on PlayStation Vita just in time for Christmas. It would surely make a super gift for your friends and even children who love the future legend of Rhythm Alien.
Peggle 2 Developer:PopCap Games Publisher:Electronic Arts Platform:Xbox One Install Size:1.72 GB Release Date:December 9, 2013 Price:$11.99
Overview Sometimes the simplest games can be the most enjoyable. When Peggle was released it featured a rather simplistic concept that quickly took the world by storm with its colorful cartoonish appearance and basic mechanics that attracted the masses. Despite seeming like an odd choice for a next-gen console, Peggle 2 has landed on the Xbox One. Being the first numbered Peggle title since 2007, does Peggle 2 still have the same charm of the original?
Gameplay
Peggle was a simple game that anyone could pick up and play thanks to some easy to understand and addicting mechanics. Peggle 2 is the same in many regards. Players are given control of a little cannon on the top of the screen that they can aim and their objective is to remove every single orange peg from the board which is littered mostly with blue pegs, bonus score giving purple pegs, and special ability providing green pegs.
They are given a certain number of balls to start with, but if a ball lands in a constantly moving bucket at the bottom of the screen, or gain a high amount of points from a single shot they are given a free ball. There are a few new additions to the basic pegs now with the inclusions of bumper pegs that will send a ball bouncing away if they hit it and armored pegs that take two hits to remove from the board.
Aiming is a simple matter of using the analog stick for fast movement, the D-pad for slower movement, and moving while holding RT for slow fine-tuning. Those unfamiliar with the game may wonder why a title with an objective as simple as eliminating orange pegs requires fine tuning and the reason for that is because the game can be incredibly addicting and a lot of the fun comes from trying to rack up as high of a score as possible while also performing various trick shots.
Many types of shots are considered trick shots, such as long bounces between pegs, eliminating a peg by bouncing off a wall or the bucket, and much more. These type of skill shots, as well as shooting to eliminate a large number of pegs at any given time, require a lot of skill and aiming is essential at these moments. Since one of the special goals in every level is to earn an “Ace Score,” which simply means a high score, this sets an extra challenging goal for those who are looking to conquer everything Peggle 2 has to offer. Other challenges include clearing every peg from the board and a third objective that varies from stage to stage.
Peggle 2 offers one hundred and twenty stages, half of which consist of standard levels while the other half are challenge levels that the player can choose to tackle if they so wish. In these various stages players will encounter a familiar Master as well as a handful of new Peggle Masters. For those who are unfamiliar with the title, these Masters each possess a special ability that can be used to help the player clear a stage. Except for a familiar unicorn named Bjorn, there are four new Masters in Peggle 2 and each of them is as charming as the next.
While Bjorn comes with a familiar and helpful power called “super guide” which shows the exact trajectory of a ball for three shots, the other Masters provide a set of new abilities that include throwing a peg destroying boulder out of the cannon, freezing the board so pegs bounce around and eliminate each other, lightning that eliminates pegs in a certain area, and a fun ability that makes every blue peg on the field intangible, allowing the player to shoot through them to hit difficult orange pegs.
At first these Masters can only be used on their specific stages but it is possible to return to old stages and use any Master that has been unlocked and while Bjorn is a useful Master for learning the physics of the game and aiming for trick shots, Luna, the Master with the ghost ability, is easily the most useful as she also restores blue pegs to the field allowing for higher score counts.
Outside of the single player mode of clearing pegs for high scores, there is also a multiplayer option. Sadly at the moment there is no local multiplayer which is a disappointment to say the least but there is online multiplayer. Online there can be four players in a lobby with players taking turns to earn more points than their fellow competitors with the person earning the most points winning. The game does have a tendency to place players in already started matches however which places them at a disadvantage in points.
It is also worth noting that Peggle 2 takes advantage of the Game DVR system to an almost annoying degree. While it is nice that any shot that earns a certain amount of points is recorded, it also means that there can be times that one stage will see as many as three game clips recorded at a time, absolutely flooding the player with recorded clips.
Visuals Peggle 2 may not be a demanding game as far as graphics go, but it is a colorful and crisp title that looks wonderful on the Xbox One. The title features nicely detailed backgrounds that have animations of their own and every single board looks unique with their pegs usually arranged to match the background.
Now earlier I mentioned the five Masters in the game. In the original Peggle they were simply basic images but in this one they have been given a rather stellar upgrade. Every Master now sits in the bottom left corner of the screen and will react to the events that are happening on the stage. This means they will look concerned if the player is running low on balls, anxious if they are about to win, pleased if they do well, and a lot more. They even react when their special powers are activated or the player is in Extreme Fever mode as they celebrate your completion. This adds a nice level of character to the game and makes it even more charming than before.
Audio The background music throughout Peggle 2 provides a nice calming effect and one thing that has been added to this version of the game is a difference in sound effects between stages. Hitting pegs in one stage can sound different from hitting pegs in another stage and even the song that plays when every orange peg has been eliminated changes between Masters, providing some nice variety between stages.
Overall Peggle 2 doesn’t push the envelope nor does it do too much to change itself up from the original game, but considering how popular the original was, that might be a good thing for people. Peggle 2 feels more charming and colorful than ever before thanks to the inclusion and new implementation of the Masters and many gamers will find it hard to pull themselves away from this fun and addicting title.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
SEGA has announced the launch of two big updates, one for Company of Heroes 2 and another for the original game first released in 2006. Company of Heroes 1 will see a number of updates to the game’s Steam functionality such as leaderboards, battle and arbitration servers.
Company of Heroes 2 sees the release of a premium Theatre of War pack titled Southern Fronts, two free maps (Hill 331 and Don River) as well as a number of game improvements and the ability to upload fan-made maps.
During the Spring Rasputitsa in early 1943, the Red Army launched a series of counteroffensives against German lines in the southwest. While initially successful, the Germans regrouped and managed to regain the momentum to recapture Kharkov. Take command of both factions in a series of 10 challenges and battles that feature new environmental conditions; thick mud that impacts vehicle movement and exposes new vulnerabilities.
Southern Fronts is available for $4.99 on Steam and includes two Solo Challenges and eight AI Battles. Have a look at the new screenshots below.
AntiSquad Developer:InsGames Publisher:Bulkypix Formats: iOS Release Date: December 12, 2013 Price:$2.99 – Available Here
Overview
AntiSquad is a turn-based strategy game for the iOS developed by newcomers InsGames and published by mobile juggernaut Bulkypix. It’s presentation – in all facets – is very reminiscent of a certain Valve release. The studio set out to create a colourful cast of memorable characters to choose between, each with their own unique gear, ability and weapon sets that lend to player specialisations. Read on to find out whether AntiSquad breaks away from its obvious influences to find its own identity.
Story
The AntiSquad’s first mission is to rescue one of their members named Cactus who, whilst on leave, decided to investigate a new synthetic drug being produced in his home town in Mexico. After getting in touch with some friends in the DEA, he went undercover at the responsible drug mafia’s lair but was not heard from since. His successful extraction leads to a further investigation into the cartels of the Wild West prairies and East Asia. There’s really not much to be said about the uninspired story of AntiSquad, as it is little more than your basic infiltration team going in to bust some baddies and end a drug-trade, guns-blazing.
Gameplay
There are 7 playable characters at your disposal, any combination of which can make up your team of 3. Two of them – Valery (Scout) and Hammer (Machine Gunner) – must be “hired” with rubies, the game’s micro-transaction currency. Thankfully, you never feel forced or it truly necessary to make a purchase. The remaining 5 are unlocked from the start: Backet is your typical ‘Demolition Man’, Teddy the ‘Assaulter’, Rose a ‘Scout’, Cactus the resident ‘Sniper’ and finally Sunny, another ‘Machine Gunner’ (basically a ‘Heavy’). Experimenting with different combos may be the key to succeeding on particular maps, especially when the higher difficulty levels come into play.
Each of the aforementioned characters have their own special abilities, attributes and attacks. Items can be equipped which provide buffs such as additional shielding and other various effects. Rescuing Cactus acts as your tutorial campaign, but if you choose not to partake, the “Useful Info” sub-menu can be accessed, including graphic tutorials on the game interface, buffs, infographics on the ground and bonuses, the latter of which are attained by looting the bodies of defeated bad guys. Every move you make depletes your Action Points (AP), and double tapping on the portrait of anybody on screen will take you to their info page, detailing their traits.
Shooting range is signified by a coloured outline on the ground, with possible movement options highlighted by a broken white circle. It can be tough, at first, to be mindful of your foes’ field of view and shooting range, if only because you need to check their values before making a move, needing to calculate exactly how many steps you can take whilst staying at a safe distance. There is a lot of visual learning to be done. Interface elements on a whole could have been more succinct and better communicated. I also found myself tiring of taking multiple turns to round a block or get into a confrontation. At its core, AntiSquad has a good foundation, but could do with some tweaking.
Visuals & Audio
It’s pretty clear which Valve title I referred to in the overview… AntiSquadscreams Team Fortress 2. And I don’t just say that because of the art style – which is maybe slightly less blocky and cel-shaded. The tone, the character archetypes, the music, the colour palette and even the type used for all the text is extremely similar. Its influence couldn’t be any more evident and overt, which isn’t necessarily a problem in and of itself in most cases. However, when a game shares so many facets, in presentation or otherwise, with a bigger, already established and popular title, it fails to mold its own identity. For me, that’s exactly what happened with AntiSquad.
It also doesn’t help that the majority of the cartoon-like character and level designs are quite flavourless… there’s nothing individual about AntiSquad‘s art design at all. Other than its startling resemblance to Team Fortress 2, musically, the main themes remind of something pulled from Sly Cooper. It’s playful and upbeat, featuring lots of staccato horns with a bass guitar providing the groove and a basic drum beat. One word immediately comes to mind upon hearing it: espionage. At least, thematically, there is a consistency here; I just hope that others can use this as an example of why you should strive, not to imitate, but to innovate (on all fronts).
Overall
AntiSquad is a solid entry in the TBS genre on mobile platforms, but is marred by now clichéd character archetypes and bland enemies, locations and story. It’s hard to stay mindful of your foes’ field of view and shooting range, and while hints are readily available as a reminder of the systems in place, I feel overall it could have been more streamlined and intuitive. The game’s pace can also be on the slow side at times. Nonetheless, there’s value to be extracted from the experience, with Game Center achievements, unlocked difficulty levels and challenges promoting replay-ability. It just doesn’t do an expert job in other departments to hold your interest and keep you coming back to tackle those achievements, harder play-throughs and challenges.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be foundhere.
Bohemia Interactive has just updated Arma 3 with the AAF Reinforcements Pack, adding new vehicles and gear. Check out some high-res screenshots below.
The AAF Reinforcements Pack includes three new vehicles: the FV-720 Mora IFV, the MBT-62 Kuma tank and the Wy-55 Hellcat helicopter. The FV-720 Mora is an infantry fighting vehicle in use by the AAF and is armed with a 30mm cannon and coaxial machinegun.
The MBT-52 Kuma is a main battle tank used by the Altian Armed Forces, packing a 120mm cannon, 7.62mm coaxial machinegun as well as a remote controlled 12.7mm HMG.
The Wy-55 Hellcat replaces its predecessor the Super Lynx, featuring improved maneuverability, armour and is outfitted with twin miniguns and unguided rockets.
Players also get the LRPS sniper scope, infra-red grenades and black versions of the MX rifle line.
The first-person military simulator was released several months ago for the PC and is set during a hypothetical conflict in the 2030s on a Greek archipelago. Arma 3’s planned Campaign Packs, which are also free, began releasing last month.
Get ready for some mechanised roughhousing with Mech Battle Arena. This Mech shooter from Glu Mobile is now available on IOS devices. The premise is simple, choose your Mech and customise it for online battle with up to 8 additional players. There is a range of weapons, abilities and upgrades to choose from to help you trump the competition. There is also an offline practice mode to help perfect that Mech design. Features within the game include:
Real-time PVP – Play with up to 8 other players online
Numerous mechs to choose – 15 mechs to choose from with more planned! Try out a free new mech each week to find the best for you!
Customize your mech – Choose from tons of weapons and numerous abilities. Upgrade any weapon or ability to increase their effects
5 unique arenas – Check out the Industrial City, Sunken ruin, Neo City, Metalworks and Industrial Arena maps
Multiple modes – Play online in team deathmatch and free for all or hone your skills offline in endless survival mode and objective based single-player missions
Glu Mobile‘s Mech Battle Arena is supported on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and is now available for free on iTunes.
We had previously heard that approximately 10% of Twitch activity over the last few weeks came from PlayStation 4 users. Now, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) have revealed some telling statistics.
For instance, there have been nearly 800,000 gameplay broadcasts so far and more than 7.1 million spectator sessions via video streaming platforms Twitch and Ustream, totalling more than 20 million minutes of live gameplay streamed from PlayStation 4 systems. Ustream is reporting an average of 31 minutes of streaming per broadcaster. It doesn’t come as any surprise that the top games highlighted in these streams are shooters: Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghostsand Killzone: Shadow Fall. Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, said;
PlayStation 4 is specifically designed so people can share their gaming experiences and interest in streaming live gameplay has surpassed our wildest expectations. We’re very excited to see gamers embrace live streaming from their PS4 system and we look forward to seeing how PlayStation gamers advance social gaming in the coming years.
Funny how many folks teased about the Share button when the Dualshock 4 controller was revealed, given that it has apparently been pressed over 10.9 million times and counting.
Customised Feature on KC300 Solid-State Drive Allows Corporations to Manage SSDs
Sydney, Australia– December 12, 2013 – Kingston, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced a version of its SSDNowKC300 that allows corporations and organisations the ability to manage the drive. The custom Kingston® KC300 SSD is fully compliant with the Opal specification of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG).
The TCG Opal 1.0 compliant KC300 is ideal for companies implementing centralised management software to manage security policies, password recovery, compliance logging, automatic updates and user creation/deletion. The self-encrypting drive provides organisations with strong, easy-to-use and high performance built-in security. The custom KC300 SSD is designed to work with popular enterprise management applications including WinMagic SecureDoc, Wave Embassy and McAfee Endpoint Encryption for PC (EEPC).
“As SSDs become more common in businesses and organisations, many of our enterprise customers are now looking into managing these drives in the workforce,” said Nathan Su, Flash Memory Sales Director, APAC Region, Kingston. “We are proud to offer a version of our top-selling KC300 SSD with the ability to be managed by the most popular endpoint software applications to give companies flexibility and peace of mind to keep work data secure.”
The Kingston KC300 with TCG Opal is available in 60GB, 120GB and 240GB capacities. Enterprise customers looking for the custom TCG Opal 1.0 compliant KC300 solid-state drive should contact their local Kingston sales representative for more information. KC300 is backed by a three-year warranty, free technical support and legendary Kingston reliability. For more information, visit www.kingston.com.
About Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Through its global network of subsidiaries and affiliates, Kingston has manufacturing facilities in California, Taiwan, China, and sales representatives in the United States, Taiwan, China, India, Australia, Vietnam, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com.
YS: MEMORIES OF CELCETA TO RELEASE IN EUROPE FEBRUARY 2014!
NIS America is proud to announce that Ys: Memories of Celceta will release in retail form in Australia and New Zealand on February 21, 2014 for the PlayStation®Vita system. The European PSN version of the game will release the following week on February 25. Ys is a long-running, much-loved action RPG series from Nihon Falcom.
In Ys: Memories of Celceta, developer Falcom revisits the land and characters of Japanese cult favorite Ys IV for its first ever European debut. This re-envisioning of the fourth installment in the Ys series takes a brand new approach, changing and framing the story of Ys IV within an all-new tale of conspiracy, deception, and mystery. Featuring an updated version of the party-based battle system from Ys SEVEN, as well as the largest and most varied overworld in series history, Ys: Memories of Celceta brings a greater sense of adventure to the Ys universe than has ever been seen before.
Key features:
Experience the Land of Celceta in English for the Very First Time
Its first ever release in Europe, Ys: Memories of Celceta will take players on a new adventure in never-before-seen locales within the Ys universe.
Explore the Biggest Overworld in Ys Series History
Eclipsing all previous entries in the Ys series in both size and content, the overworld map metes out battle and exploration in equal measure. A robust mapping system with customizable waypoints and clear, detailed icons aid the journey through this mysterious new land.
Adventure Forth with a Party of Allies
The party battle system from Ys SEVEN returns, but this time with a host of upgrades such as enhanced flash-guarding, a more versatile party AI, and unique abilities for party members to streamline encounters for fast and furious battle.
Throw Down the Gauntlet in Boss Rush Mode
Boss Rush makes a comeback, pitting Adol and his companions against implacable foes to keep the challenge going well after the main story has been completed.
As part of their #12AnnouncementsOfXmas promotion Madman Entertainment have just made their first of twelve license announcements. They confirmed that they have acquired the license for Blue Exorcist: The Movie.
