Batman™: Arkham Origins – New DLC Packs Available Today
Available today from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are three all-new pieces of DLC for Batman™: Arkham Origins – Infinite Earths Skins Pack, Black Mask Challenge Pack and Online Supply Drop #1.
Batman™: Arkham Origins Infinite Earths Skins Pack
The Batman” Arkham Origins Infinite Earths Skins Pack is now available on the PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE online entertainment network from Microsoft and Steam for £3.99, and on Nintendo eShop for £3.19. Players who have purchased the Batman: Arkham Origins Season Pass and are connected to the Internet will have instant access to the content that can be used in challenges maps, as well as the single-player campaign upon completion of the main story and in multiplayer for players that reach Level 2.
The pack contains six bonus skins based on a variety of classic comic books and modern storylines pulled from the comics:
· Earth 2 Dark Knight
· Long Halloween Batman™
· Batman™: Dark Knight of the Round Table
· Thrillkiller Batman™
· Earth 2 Batman™
· Classic Tim Drake Robin (available in multiplayer mode only on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC)
** Please note that Season Pass owners do not need to purchase this DLC pack, as all new content is already included in the Pass.
Batman™: Arkham Origins Black Mask Challenge Pack
Available on the PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE online entertainment network from Microsoft, Nintendo eShop and Steam for £1.59, the Black Mask Challenge pack allows players to take on Gotham’s most dangerous crime lordin two all new challenge maps: Lot Full and Hidden Facility. All players can defend the city as Batman, and those who own the Deathstroke Challenge Pack can also choose to play as Deathstroke in this new challenge map pack.
Batman™: Arkham Origins Online Supply Drop #1
Available on PlayStation®Network, Xbox LIVE online entertainment network from Microsoft and Steam for £2.39, the Online Supply Drop #1 DLC offers additional multiplayer content: two additional clothing items with game enhancing features for Bane and The Joker; the all-new Sawn-Off Shotgun; and extra weapon progression bonuses and skins.
About Batman: Arkham Origins
Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game features an expanded Gotham City and showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. The online multiplayer mode is developed by Splash Damage.
Batman: Arkham Origins is the next installment in the blockbuster Batman: Arkhamvideogame franchise and is available now for the Xbox 360®, PS3™, the Wii U™ system, and Windows PC. The game is now available worldwide along with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate™ for Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.
Bounce your way to victory with Papa Pear Saga on mobile – the latest cross-platform game from the makers of Candy Crush Saga
King’s super wacky puzzler launches on iOS and Android
28 November 2013, London & New York: Ready, steady, bounce! King, the world’s leading casual games company and creator of the critically-acclaimed Candy Crush Saga, has announced that its hugely popular Facebook game Papa Pear Saga is now available on iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) and Android devices.
Papa Pear Saga, the next game in a series of hits from King, is free-to-play and launches on mobile with 120 exciting levels across eight episodes. The mobile version of the game seamlessly synchronises with Facebook so players can progress, unlock new levels and access leaderboards across multiple platforms. And, like all King games, it’s perfectly ‘snackable’ so can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere.
So, crash-helmets on, goggles at the ready, and prepare to be transported to a wonderfully wacky world of fruity pegs, acorns and crazy chillies! Papa Pear Sagachallenges players to skillfully fire Papa Pear shots into a selection of barrels, while evading a tricky maze of obstacles. Making each Papa Pear shot count is vital as players are challenged to hit as many objects as they can throughout the course of each level to generate further points within the game.
“Papa Pear Saga has been phenomenally successful on Facebook where it is currently played by nearly 15 million people each month (AppData Nov 13),” says Tommy Palm, Games Guru at King. “It’s a game that’s instantly playable and, like everything we do, has been designed to bring a smile to people’s faces. Candy CrushSaga may continue to be one of the most successful games on mobile platforms, however we’re keen to offer our players even more ways to have fun on their mobiles and we can’t wait to see the reaction to Papa Pear Saga.”
Papa Pear saga is available to download for free now on iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) and on Google Play for Android.
-ENDS-
About King:
King is the world leader in cross-platform, bite-sized games, with more than 1 billion gameplays per day globally. King offers 150 exclusive games in 14 languages through mobile, Facebook and the website www.king.com. The company has offices in Barcelona, Bucharest, London, Malta, Malmo, San Francisco and Stockholm. For more information, visit http://about.king.com.
Ubisoft has been introducing expert guitarists to Rocksmith 2014 Edition to get their reactions on the guitar-teaching software.
Earlier this month, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal – lead guitarists of Guns N’ Roses – explored its innovative new features and modes, such as Session Mode, Riff Repeater and more.
Ron gave his feedback on the experience, stating;
For such a complex game that covers so many things it was very easy to just start right up. You didn’t leave any stone unturned as far as what matters.
You can check out his video interview embedded below. Rocksmith 2014 Edition is out now for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Mac. Read our review here.
It seems that video games will not be condemned to be passed off as an insignificant entertainment. We are now seeing many and new interesting projects is being taken up to include video gaming in to the culture of arts and technology.
One of the new projects which aims to appreciate the artwork of video games with self-explanatory title ‘Video Games in Museums’. It looks to discover ways of displaying and understanding game designs and artwork in a museum exhibit. This effort is by the partnership of Abertay University and the V&A museum in London as well as popular game creators such as Microsoft and Sony.
The goal is to help shape the future of video game innovation and academic and gaming partners will take part in a series of workshops starting in Spring 2014 till Autumn 2015 at the V&A.
Kieran Long, Senior Curator of Contemporary Architecture, Design and Digital at V&A had this to say:
“This is a unique opportunity to work side by side with industry leaders to present their work in a unique light. The V&A is a museum concerned with creativity and process, and here we have the opportunity to research one of the most prolific and urgent design disciplines.”
The exposure of the design decisions made by a range of creative games designers will hopefully encourage innovative ideas for video game display and acquisition which will go beyond a currently passive ‘off the shelf’ approach.
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Part 2 Studio: TMS Entertainment Publisher: Hanabee Format: DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Release Date: November 20th, 2013 Price:$59.99 – Available Here
Overview Lupin the Third is the story of the world’s greatest thief, but The Woman Called Fujiko Mine isn’t his story. No, this is most definitely the story of the cunning seductress Fujiko Mine, an embodiment of mystery who bares a truth so cold it burns. With Part 2 of Hanabee’s collected releases of Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine the femme fatale comes face to face with the truth behind her cold eyes, the darkness that broke her, the circumstances that made her into Fujiko Mine. It is a climax to savour for an unforgettable journey into the heart of this iconic character that is the woman called Fujiko Mine.
Story
Picking up where Part 1 left off, Fujiko is quickly becoming thrust back into the harsh darkness of her past. We come to see how she became the woman she did and the ways in which she became broken. Slowly but surely the past that continues to rear its ugly head begins to send Fujiko off the rails and she becomes more and more unhinged.
While the early goings of this series were all about the thrill of adventure and the crazy life that Fujiko Mine leads. That adventure was always underpinned with a notion that freedom comes with sacrifice. Until now what sacrifice Fujiko had to make had been kept hidden. With this final stretch of episodes all has become illuminated and we see the true pains of what one must give up in order to be truly free. Fujiko had to lose herself, lose her future, lose her childhood, lose all control of who she wanted to be in the world, all in the name of being free. Well in the end Fujiko was never free, she was caged by her past in a way that she could hardly comprehend. The torture of days gone by had worn her out, all that remained was a shell of a girl that could have been and with these final episodes we see Fujiko take that girl back.
What we see here isn’t a story about being free, but a journey for identity. Fujiko Mine was but a name, it isn’t until she confronts the demons of her past and deals with the pain that she had bottled up in her heart that she can truly begin life as her own person. Free from the chains of past hurt, she can now be whoever she wants to be and live however she wants to live. Fujiko is free, not an artificial sense of freedom, a genuine kind.
At the heart of it all The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a tale of identity. For Fujiko, regaining control of who she is and can be makes her free. Her past no longer has a hold of her and the identity that was ingrained into her since she was a child is now not something that is so set in cement, she is free. Not only do we see Fujiko go through this journey but the entire cast of characters does in one way or another, the through line for all of them is their mutual connection with the broken woman Fujiko Mine.
It is thought-provoking and with these final few episodes it is incredibly dark. Diving into the deepest darkest innards of the world of Lupin, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is one of the most compelling anime series in quite some time. The series concludes in grand fashion with a finale to remember. There is a way for us all to be free, it’s just that sometimes getting there we just have to go the long way around.
Visuals and Audio
Continuing the trend set in Part 1, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Part 2 features some truly unforgettable aesthetics. With a dark tone set and grayed palette, the visuals perfectly capture the dark nature of the story with striking imagery that will stay with you long after viewing. The more explicit nature of Part 1 is somewhat toned down in this second half of the series, however that is hardly an issue as the explicit imagery is not essential to the plot nor is it inessential. As for the animation, TMS Entertainment continue to impress with fluid sakuga animation being commonplace in this part.
The score is superb for this second part with the despair of Fujiko being captured perfectly with gutwrenching tracks timed with the finest of precision. Both the English and Japanese language audio featured on this release are stunning in every regard, with knockout performances in both dub tracks.
Extras
Hanabee Entertainment has done a brilliant job with this combo pack release of Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Part 2. Once again that have gone above and beyond the call of duty, with a special packaging release in a hardcover book featuring a lovely artbook and information section detailing featured episodes and characters. On top of that one of the artwork pages is a lovely pop-out image that is very nicely designed. As for on disc extras, Hanabee have packaged in clean opening and ending themes.
Overall Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is simply an anime series that must be experienced. Whether you have experience with the Lupin the Third franchise or not, this is absolutely essential anime viewing. It features a complex and rich narrative oozing with flair that gets darker and darker the further it progresses, culminating in what is one of the most satisfying conclusions to an anime series in a very long time.
This is an anime that will make you think, make you laugh, make you cry and take you on an adventure you will never forget. Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a journey all anime fans must take. It is an anime series we will no doubt be talking about for years to come.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere Season 2 Studio: Sunrise Publisher: Madman Entertainment Format:DVD, Blu-Ray (Reviewed) Release Date: October 16, 2013 Price:$59.95 – Available Here
Overview Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is back, bigger and more bombastic than ever before in a second season to remember. Picking up where season 1 left off, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere season 2 effectively turns things up to 11 from the get go in this rip-roaring continuation of what is undoubtedly one of the most interesting sci-fi action anime to grace us in quite some time. With sheer energy and unstoppable momentum, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is a relentless thrill ride from start to finish that will have you on the edge of your seat with its thrills and in stitches on the floor with its sense of humour. Does the second season blow the first out of the water? Not exactly, but it continues this epic sci-fi tale in grand fashion all the while never missing a beat.
Story If you thought the first season of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere was absolutely balls to the wall (sometimes literally) insane fun, then you will be pleased to know that the second season follows suit with the insanity that makes Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere so special holding true.
The complex plot-line of season 1 is built upon greatly here with revelations answering questions left over from season 1 being brought to the forefront while even more questions are raised. It is the way in which Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere peels back and adds on layers to this deep narrative that makes it so very compelling. When you think you know something, something pops up that throws everything you know into disarray, its an unbelievably engaging experience all in all.
This time around the cast of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere gets a bit of a shuffle, previously auxiliary characters become main players in season 2, revealing a depth that we did not see in season 1. The cast itself is absolutely immense and grows bigger with this season. The refocus is rather interesting as we see more personality in characters who previously had a more passive or background role in the past. This expansion on the world of Horizon is great, but it is also somewhat challenging at the same time as the universe in which the show is set is complicated enough as it is without giving the audience more information to digest in mass quantities. But at the end of the day that is the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere way.
As the world expands further in this season, it must unfortunately retract as it heads into the final stretch with the story reaching its climax. What is most interesting here is that while there is a sense of real resolution to the proceedings, there is also a nagging feeling that this can’t be the end. Perhaps a third season could be somewhere down the road, but for now the way this season concludes appears to be what has been waiting over the horizon all along. In spite of that however, the ending does wrap things up thematically even though it does leave some loose ends.
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere season 2 is a satisfying continuation and climax for this wild series, despite leaving you wanting more it does serve to satisfy with grandeur and a conclusion to savour. Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is one anime that truly deserves to be described as epic.
Visuals and Audio It is hard to compare to the visual prowess of veteran studio Sunrise. They have the years of experience under their belts and they have time and time again produced some of the most incredible action series in the history of anime. With a particular special touch for sci-fi action series, Sunrise was undoubtedly the perfect fit for Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. There are shades of other Sunrise greats in this series aesthetic style and the animation is indeed some of the best produced in quite some time. If you want to see some truly mind-blowing sakuga animation, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere has the goods.
Much like season 1, the score is superbly composed here, even featuring several of the excellent tracks of the first season. The incidental music is timed with true precision heightening several key moments, hitting the right note atmospherically and emotionally. The opening and ending themes are both quite good and worthy of book ending a series of this caliber. On top of that this release features two excellent audio dubs in both Japanese and English language. Both are well crafted and feature some real standout performances across the board.
Extras Madman Entertainment’s release of the second season of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is an impressive one to say the least. It features the entirety of the second season and comes bundled with some lovely on disc bonus content such as trailers, commericals and the fun little featurettes called Far East Lightening Lectures. There is also a nice reversible cover if you are so inclined.
Overall Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere season 2 continues the insane fun of season 1 with an unbridled no holds barred attitude and deep narrative that grows more intriguing with each passing episode. This is one of the more interesting sci-fi anime in quite some time and one that is well worth the watch for all action anime fans. It is both thought-provoking and fun, a combination that many struggle to pull off effectively.
What makes Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere so special though is its relentless energy and bombast. There isn’t any anime series that could match with Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere in that regard. There is simply no off switch with Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, it is crazy fun all day every day and I for one wouldn’t have it any other way.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Disney Infinity is a powerhouse franchise. Months after its launch and store shelves are still absolutely flooded with Infinity figures, power discs and accessories. Well now we have reached the real beginning of Disney Infinity’s Wave 2. This means there are brand new figures, and a whole other collection of Power Discs for players to find and slap down onto their Infinity Bases.
Disney Infinity’s Second Wave definitely relates to the here and now of the Disney brand. Instead of reaching back into the Vault and pulling out famous characters and stories gone by, they are all drawn from the past few years, with Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled and Frozen all being represented. While many players still want older characters from Disney Animation, these figures are all great and perfectly represent where the company is today. Lets take a closer look at them all:
Toy Story Figures
The previous two Toy Story figures; Buzz Lightyear and Jesse were available together, bundled with the Toy Story in Space Play Set, but one character was clearly absent. Luckily he is here and ready to join the party:
Woody Price: $17.95 Available Here
Sheriff Woody. The rootenest-tootenest cowboy in the Wild, Wild West and also the leader of Andy’s bedroom has finally made his way to Disney Infinity. Woody is unique among the Wave 2 figures in that he is also usable in the Toy Story in Space Play Set as well as the Toy Box.
Much like Jessie and Buzz, Woody comes equipped with the “Pixar Ball” special ability. Here, Woody can throw the infamous blue/yellow/red-starred ball that sits proudly in Andy’s room, and in various other Pixar films. The Pixar Ball will bounce around and do a fair amount of damage to any enemy it collides with.
As a figure, Woody probably looks the most different from his movie counterpart than anyone else in the game. His features are all far more elongated and squared than the Woody we know and love. He still looks like Woody and retains all of his familiar visual identifiers – his leather boots, cowboy hat, badge and even his pull string, but he just looks off. As someone who grew up on Toy Story and still considers it to be one of my favourite films, this was slightly disappointing.
Wreck-It Ralph Toy Box Set Price:$29.99 Currently Unavailable
Leaping out of their arcade games and onto home consoles are Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz. These two figures look absolutely great both in-game and in real life, retaining so much of their personality and appearance from the film that it is hard to spot the differences. They are available individually, or as part of the new Wreck-It Ralph Toy Box Pack, which also includes Power Discs to change the appearance of your Toy Box to that of Sugar Rush.
The Big Man himself has stepped out of Fix-It Felix Jr. once again and into our Toy Boxes. Alongside Vanellope, Ralph has had the fewest visual changes from his film appearance – looking almost identical. The figure itself is much larger than any others, and is quite solidly built. Ralph is heavy as far as these figures go, but that just adds a sense of authenticity to it. He SHOULD be heavier and larger than everyone around him.
Ralph’s main attack is taken straight from the movie, where he rapidly punches the ground while rushing forwards. It is an awesome little animation, and one that fans of the film will take great glee in performing over and over again. In addition, he has an 8-bit cherry bomb. The bomb is pixellated and explodes in a retro-style pixellated explosion.
Vanellope, much like Ralph has had hardly any changes to her visual style in her transition from Sugar Rush to Disney Infinity Toy Box. Even when matching up the figure and her in-game appearance with screenshots from the movie, there are close to no visual differences. Yet, somehow she still fits in perfectly.
Vanellope’s figurine is about average for the Disney Infinity Crew. she stands taller than the Cars figures, but shorter than the Pirates of the Caribbean ones. However, her height is more accurately presented in-game, where she retains the diminutive stature that she is known for. Her attacks include a Cherry Bomb much like Ralph’s, but in nice HD modern visuals. This really helps to separate the two as characters, while providing a sense of uniqueness between them.
Vanellope also has her trademark ‘glitching’ ability from the movie. This glitching is a really impressive attack and by far one of my favourite from the whole game. As she glitches into or through any enemy, they too will glitch out as they take damage. A lot of careful animation went into making this effect look great, and it shows.
Disney’s upcoming animated film, Frozen, based on the old fairy tale – The Snow Queen is soon to hit theaters, and the two main characters; Anna and Elsa are taking time off from making snowmen to play in the Toy Box. Much like the Wreck-It Ralph figures, Anna and Elsa can be purchased separately, or together in the Frozen Toy Box Pack; this includes the two future Disney Princesses, as well as two Power Discs to change your Toy Box into a frozen wonderland.
Anna is the star of the upcoming movie Frozen, where she shows us all the power of family is stronger than anything else in the world. Here she is presented as she appears mid-way throught he movie, right as her hair begins to turn white. She is wearing a really well painted dress that features all the small details like her flower design and gold outlining on her boots (as well as the white streak through her hair).
In-Game, Anna has a shovel to attack which (much the same way that Rapunzel uses her frying pan) and a grappling hook to latch onto things. With these two abilities, she plays like a cross between Rapunzel and Elastigirl (Mrs. Incredible), and is a lot of fun. Her grappling hook makes me think of her kind of like Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion (especially since Elsa is an ice wielder like Sub Zero) able to bring enemies close to her before she finishes them off with a well placed shovel slap.
Elsa is without a doubt the most unique figure of any of the Disney Infinity crew. No one has powers like hers, and it is awesome. Elsa has control over ice and snow, which translates really well into the game. Her normal attack is a blizzard-style move that travels in a straight line, freezing anything it touches, while her special pack is an Ice Ball. Ice ball is fired like Woody’s Pixar Ball or The Lone Rangers Six-Shooter, able to be aimed and fired repeatedly. Not only does it freeze enemies it touches, but it can also be controlled. After firing off an Ice Ball, a quick flick of your left thumb stick will fling the ball in that direction.
I was really impressed with Elsa’s figure, and is easily second on my list of favourite wave two figures. Elsa has a very minimalist design, not having an overly elegant dress, instead opting for a pale ice-blue which contrasts with her white hair. Her attire being so simple in contrast to the other characters really makes her stand out, but what impressed me more are the minor features – her hands are tinted in a light blue colour, making it look like she is using her ice magic. I’m not sure if this is intentional or an artistic mishap, but either way I really like it.
Tangled Figures Only one character from the hugely popular Tangled has made their way to Disney Infinity, but she more than makes up for it.
So far, Rapunzel is the only official Disney Princess to make her way into the game as a playable character (Anna and Elsa will be recognised as official Disney Princesses next year), and the care and attention to detail that Disney offer their princesses really shines through here. Rapunzel looks amazing and is filled with so much detail that it is hard to imagine she is just a figure for a video game instead of a collectible stature. Her golden locks are woven with flowers, and her purple dress is painted with a wide array of detail. The lace on the edging, the string holding it together and the elegant patterns along her dress skirt are all here.
While as a figure she looks fantastic, she is not as great in-game. She uses her trademark Fry Pan to wail on enemies, and can also throw it a great distance to finish them off. However, the way she attacks people with her Fry Pan is almost identical to the animations that Anna use when attacking her shovel. Still, the sound effect that the pan makes as it slams into an enemy is always good for a laugh, and it is good to see a member of the Disney Princesses make her way to the game.
Infinity Crystal Series Figures
The Crystal Figures. Elusive, rare and awesome to look at are crystal-coloured variants of a few of the game’s major characters. They are available only through select retailers, and have an incredibly limited stock, meaning that once they have sold out you wont be able to get any more. Aside from being collectible, they offer unique in-game bonuses, including faster experience gain. This faster experience gain really helps you rack up spins for the Toy Box Vault, allowing you to get your hands on more of those hard to get toys. Currently there is one Crystal Figure available for each Play Set, with the 6th – Crystal Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey coming in the future.
One thing that is really awesome about these figures is the way they light up and glow when a light (like the one of the Disney Infinity Base) is put under them. This is especially visible in a dark room, and makes the characters look fantastic.
Mr. Incredible Price:$17.95 Available Here (EB Games Exclusive)
Crystal Mr. Incredible is probably my favourite from the bunch, turning his traditional red suit crystal clear. while his boots and gloves, as well as his Incredibles chest symbol and his head remain their normal colour. This translates really well into the game where he glows an angelic white while playing. I can’t tell for sure, but Crystal Mr. Incredible felt like he hit enemies harder than the other Incredibles.
Jack Sparrow Price: $17.95 Available Here (EB Games Exclusive)
Today is the day you almost caught Crystal Captain Jack Sparrow. Good Ole Captain’ Jack is back, and his clothing and accessories have all been turned crystal clear. He really stands out from his counterparts in the Pirates of the Caribbean Play Set, and yet it seems to perfectly embody the magic and wonder that the Pirates franchise is known for.
Honestly, looking at Sulley I wasn’t a fan. His blue fur is replaced with the crystal see-through colouring, but his purple spots remain. This gives his figure a sickly, drab look in comparison to the other Crystal Figures. However, since the see-through areas of the figures become an angelic white colour in-game, he looks much better there. Crystal Sulley’s scream ability fires a wider-radius than the other monsters so you can blast through some of the Monsters Inc. Play Set missions with no hassle.
Buzz Lightyear Price: $17.00 Available Here (JB HiFi Exclusive)
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger suit is what gets the Crystal treatment, leaving the green highlights the way they are. In-game this somewhat makes him look like he is glowing in the dark, a feature that often comes into play during the Toy Story movies. Aside from the glowing though, he is still pretty much the same colour as he normally is.
Lone Ranger Price: $17.00 Currently Unavailable (JB HiFi Exclusive)
You know what was awesome about the Lone Ranger Play Set? Unlocking that ghostly/phantom horse. You know what is even cooler? Putting a glowing Lone Ranger on top of that ghostly glowing horse and riding around Shelby taking out thugs. Lone Ranger is a lot like Jack Sparrow here, where his clothes have been turned crystal, leaving his flesh, boots, undershirt and mask their normal colour. I would have liked to see the mask turn white as well, but he still looks cool none the less.
Lightning McQueen Price: $17.00 Available Here (JB HiFi Exclusive)
Crystal Lightning McQueen gets probably the best boost of any of the Crystal Figures – an additional bar of speed boost than any other vehicle(either from the Cars Play Set, or rideable cars), giving him a supreme advantage in race-tracks. His body turns from cherry red into the crystal white, leaving his stickers and decals in place.
The Series 2 Power Discs add a lot more versatility to the game. Not only are there more Toy Box patterns like Tron and Frozen – but more weapons, and vehicles make their way into the game. The most suprising of these is without a doubt Condorman’s Wing Pack. Condorman was from 1981 and feels like all but a distant, forgotten memory to most people. With the wing-pack’s inclusion into Disney Infinity, it is great to see that Disney still care a tonne about their older franchises (especially since Wave 2 is filled to the brim with new and upcoming characters).
So that’s the Second Wave of Disney Infinity, and it brings with us some of the most colourful and downright best figures so far. My personal favourites are Rapunzel and Elsa, but all of them are great in their own right. You don’t even need the Disney Infinity game to put these on your shelf and happily enjoy them. Even though all but one of these figures can only be used in the Toy Box, I still feel that they are the best and will offer a lot of versatility to the game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Call of Duty. Those words inspire a lot of passion in the gaming community. Whether you love it or you hate it, everyone has an opinion about the annual shooter franchise. A heap of players think that it is god’s gift to gaming, while just as many believe it to be a leech on the community. It is hard to argue with stats though, and CoD has managed to come out on top year after year as one of the Kings of the Video Gaming scene. The latest iteration; Call of Duty: Ghosts aims to keep that track record going and with its strong gameplay fundamentals and amped up graphical fidelity it certainly tries its best, but still feels like flogging a dead horse.
Story
The game’s moderately short campaign opens up with a father telling his two adult sons a campfire-esq story about the legendary Ghosts combat unit. An armed forces unit who’s skills were legendary (to say the least) and who were insurmountable in battle. They are disturbed by a brief tremor, which considering they live in America’s west, is nothing. It is only when the earthquake gets worse that the trio begin to fear for their lives and head back home.
Meanwhile in Earth’s orbit, a space station housing a weapon strong enough to obliterate entire cities is ambushed. Control switches to a member of the ship’s crew, who must fight off the invaders and stop the station from being turned against the US. Sadly though, you fail and in turn set up the events for the game.
The campaign itself picks up a few years later, where you, playing as one of the brothers are now one of the memebers of an elite group of soldiers who’s goal is to protect the remains of the United States. The game itself is filled with huge cinematic sequences and combat scenarios that try to rival some Hollywood army blockbusters, but I just didn’t feel like any part of the story really wowed me, and that it was an afterthought tacked onto the game.
Gameplay
Call of Duty has always been a massive multiplayer game to the point that many who purchase it will never even touch the single player campaign. When I started playing, I was worried that this would make Infinity Ward treat single player like an afterthought, and my fears were somewhat justified. Like previous games, single player has you progressing from Point A to Point B while killing enemies. None of the levels are designed to be particularly open, so you are often limited to how you will approach the firefights. What does mix up the formula a bit is the game’s dog; Riley. Riley runs around, mauling at enemies while you frantically pick them off.
Where CoD has always excelled was its multiplayer – Despite being an annualised release, players are always hankering for the latest maps, the latest weapons and the latest online experience. The old adage of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ has always struck me as something that rings true to the CoD franchise. Minor tweaks are always made to the game, but it never really feels like it is advancing the franchise in any real way, let alone warrant a new game. Ghosts continues these minor tweaks, and some of them are barely noticeable unless you are a hardcore CoD fanatic, and others are trivial at best.
First thing I noticed was that you can FINALLY change the appearance of your soldier. Various different head types as well as genders can be selected to personalise your CoD experience a little more. This is purely cosmetic though, and not only does it have no impact on the gameplay, but since Ghosts is a FPS you often wont see the differences anyway. While this at first seems like a trivial add on (despite it being demanded by the fanbase for quite a long time) it becomes downright annoying when customising your loadout.
Loadouts are customised through use of a Skill Point system. Head shots, in-game wins, levelling up and a few other objectives will grant you Skill Points which are in turn used to unlock the game’s weapons, perks, attachments and just about everything else you could imagine. However, once you unlock something you only have it unlocked for the particular character you have built, and changing your avatar means that you will have to start over from scratch.
Kill streaks remain largely unchanged from Black Ops II, where you can pick either Assault based kill streak rewards (however your kill streak will reset every time you die), and Support based rewards (which DON’T reset). Many of the rewards themselves are the same as previous games, with a few notable exceptions. Firstly the Care Package is no longer a kill streak reward, and is instead unlocked by completing Field Objectives after killing an enemy. Field Objectives give you a goal to complete before the next time you die, and doing so rewards you with XP, Skill Points and a Care Package. The other notable exception is the Dog. Dogs when summoned will hang around their master, before charging off and brutally eliminating their enemies.
Ghosts forgoes the traditional Zombies mode present in the Black Ops games in favor of the brand new Extinction Mode. Extinction Mode works almost identically to Zombies, but has you and your friends fending off against a horde of alien invaders instead of the shambling undead. You are required to kill as many aliens as you can while also protecting your Drill. The game mode is a lot of fun and offers a tonne of variety, but if you are trying to tackle it solo you will have a monumental task on your hands. There is also only one map available for the mode (at the moment) meaning that replayability is a little slim.
Visuals
If there is one way that ghosts differences itself from its predecessors, it is visually. Being on new hardware gives this long-running franchise a chance to shine, and while it takes some significant strides in many ways, it still often looks and feels a little outdated. Firstly, the game still only runs at 720p on Xbox One, with output being upscaled to 1080p (the Ps4 version runs natively at 1080p). This means that it runs at the same resolution as the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. Some backgrounds and character models still look somewhat pixellated, and with jagged edges but for the most part you wont notice the difference between Xbox One and PS4 versions – and this is largely due to the textures that are used rather than the game’s resolution.
The texture here are all leagues above the current-gen versions, with minor things like wood grain and posters hanging on the walls getting the same amount of detail put into them as the skins on the guns themselves. A fair amount of care has gone into creating this world and making it look the best it can be. Even the game’s dogs are all look incredibly lifelike as they charge towards you in battle. One thing that really stood out was how player models no longer blend into the environment as much. The updated visuals means that enemies are just that bit easier to see, which of course can change a person’s play style considerably.
One thing that I noticed when playing however, was that for all the work that goes into animating the world, the soldiers and the weapons, a lot is still left out – for example dying in multiplayer when a dog attacks you is a really poorly animated sequence that often has the dog floating in air near you instead of latching onto your avatar.
One thing that the game does have going for it is that it is constantly locked at 60fps meaning that every movement is slick and smooth. I played both the single player campaign and multiplayer for a considerable amount of time, and not once did the game dip below a perfectly seamless experience.
Audio
Call of Duty has never been known as a franchise that has had amazing audio quality, and sadly Ghosts doesn’t do much to break that trend either. The campaign is filled with woeful voice acting that makes me hate just about every character I come across. This is especially true for my constant ally, and of course the main enemy – who just don’t shut up. In a game about special ops, characters really shouldn’t feel the need to make a comment every few moments.
White the voice acting is sub-par, the rest of the game’s audio is a little bit better. Guns sound realistic and the general ambient noise in the background of the single player campaign is not wholly unpleasant. Many of these sounds are omitted in the multiplayer section and honestly that isn’t a bad thing. Since CoD has always been incredibly competitive, omitting the unnecessary noises and distractions really helps you stay in the zone. Unfortunately, the online community is still incredibly toxic and immature, forcing me to turn off voice chat pretty soon into any multiplayer session.
Overall
If you have already picked up Call of Duty: Ghosts on a current-gen platform, then there isn’t much incentive to pick up the Xbox One or PS4 edition. Sure the game looks better than it ever has, but it is still by no means pushing the boundaries of the next generation. Call of Duty: Ghosts is by no means a bad game, but still suffers from stale and dated gameplay mechanics and doesn’t really bring in anything to shake up the formula.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Grab All the Rewards! – InnoGames Introduces Major Holiday Events
Forge of Empires, Grepolis, The West and Tribal Wars dish out presents like there’s no tomorrow
Hamburg, November 28, 2013. Today, InnoGames announced several in-game holiday events, launching the festive season and bringing new challenges and many bonuses to the virtual worlds of Grepolis, Forge of Empires, The West and Tribal Wars. Forge of Empires and Grepolis will already start their events this Sunday, providing bonuses and rewards for the coming weeks.
In Forge of Empires, Frosty the snowman returns, bringing several quests with him – all revolving around creating a festive spirit for the cities’ population. Each day he presents a new quest to the players. Solving these results in stars as rewards, which can in turn be used to open presents. All presents contain gifts for players, but some even unlock completely new buildings, decorations and character pictures.
In Grepolis, the goddess of luck, Tyche, made a calendar and erected a beautiful tree for players to decorate – a decoration can be unlocked daily by opening a window in Tyche’s calendar and spinning the holiday wheel of fortune. Also, the Greek goddess will bestow numerous mighty boosts upon those who spin the wheel, from an increased recruitment speed to a massive cost decrease for city festivals.
Fans of the West will especially celebrate the 19th of December, which is the day the holiday shop opens. Many unique sets can be picked up there, including several entirely new ones – and players can freely decide whether they want to spend nuggets or their hard-earned dollars.
Finally, the lands of Tribal Wars will receive special visitors later in December – mysterious travelers have set up shop and they are looking to trade their valuable goods. Players might profit heavily from peaceful trade relations. But they might also try and attack the heavily fortified merchant’s posts…
With about 110 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. The Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Tribal Wars, The West and Grepolis.
It’s been a long time coming for Sonic fans without an iPhone or iPad, but now the immensely popular endless running game featuring everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog is finally available for Android devices. Sonic Dash allows players to play as Sonic and try to run for as long as possible without hitting an obstacle, falling down a hole or getting hit by an enemy. Sonic still retains many of the moves he has in his main games including his quick step, homing attack and spin dash, although they have been slightly modified to fit the endless running motif. The game has fantastic, vibrant graphics and features the iconic music of Seaside Hill alongside the sound effects we all know, altogether creating an authentic Sonic experience. Although the game is filled with chances to purchases extra tries and bonuses via microtransactions, it is perfectly playable without buying these items and ads are minimal.
The game has only been out for around a day but has already managed to amass 10,000+ downloads. A special event is running at the moment that allows players to battle Zasz, one of the bosses from Sonic Lost World. Android users can get their fix of some Sonic Dash action from the Google Play store right now, and if your an Apple user who hasn’t played this fun title, now is as good a time as ever to download Sonic Dash from the App Store.
