Klei Entertainment and toy designer Erick Scarecrow have successfully kickstarted a Chester Plush Replica; the much loved character from Klei’s hit indie videogame, Don’t Starve, in under an hour and a half. Based on the huge support from the Don’t Starve community, the developers were able to reach their first stretch goal of adding a Shadow Chester to the game.
The Kickstarter campaign was initiated to support the development of a high quality prototype of Chester, as well as debut the highly anticipated Don’t Starve blind box collectible figure line.
12 figures based on game characters, each with unique accessories.
1 of 14 random mystery accessories included in every box.
Highly detailed unique sculpts and paint on each vinyl figure.
There is just over a month left for the Kickstarter campaign, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity to show your support for Don’t Starve Chester Plush Replica here!
Paramount Pictures have released another batch of four character posters from the upcoming Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. After the most recent one featured Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), these shine the spotlight on Chani (Kristen Wiig), Jack Lime (James Marsden), Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) & Baxter!
Check them out and click to enlarge in a new tab.Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues releases nationwide on December 19. For now, you can also check out the newest clip which will be particularly funny to our Australian readers. And don’t forgot to enter your submission to become part of Ron Burgundy’s news crew. Stay classy!
Fans of classic adventure games and great stories are in for a treat, as the studio founded by Jane Jensen (responsible for adventure game genre standouts Gray Matter and Gabriel Knights) is nearing release of their new third-person mystery adventure game, Moebius. The game was successfully funded by a Kickstarter campaign and is the first adventure game Jane has completely overseen since Gabriel Knight 3 in 1999.
The story of Moebius follows Malachi Rector, a genius who can size up artifacts and people in a glance to distinguish a genuine treasure from a cheap fake. This talent has made him rich in the world of high-end antiques. But it also gets him in trouble. When a secretive government agency enlists Malachi for an unusual project, he realizes that there’s more to his uncanny talent than he knew. His discerning eye, his aloof personality, the childhood trauma that shaped who he became — all are historically significant. And Malachi’s about to meet a man in his travels who holds the key.
Moebius is planned for release in early 2014 for PC, Mac and Linux, with an iPad and Android release soon to follow. Check out the newly released trailer and screenshots below and to find out more information on Moebius, please check out the official website.
In just a few short days, Sony will be releasing the highly anticipated PS4 here in Australia, following on from its United States launch two weeks ago. Pre-orders for the newest gaming console have been out of this world, and if you haven’t pre-ordered already, you wont be able to get one at launch… Or can you?
Dick Smith Electronics will be hosting a midnight launch of the console this Thursday, where they will have 300 PS4s available for purchase then and there – no pre order necessary. In addition, Dick Smith in conjunction with Sony Australia will also be hosting a competition to win a few of the coveted consoles, as well as the one lucky entrant winning a trip to next year’s E3 Expo.
PS4s all stacked neatly in the warehouse. Will you be getting one?
For more information on Dick Smith’s midnight launch party, as well as the E3 competition, head over to Dick Smith’s Facebook Page. Do you have your PS4 pre-ordered and paid off already, or are you going to try your luck Thursday Night? Let us know in the comments below and as always be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the PS4 news as it becomes available.
Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom Developer:Magenta Software Publisher: Sony Platforms: PS3 (Reviewed) Release Date: Out Now Price: $49.95 – Available Here
Overview
The Invizimals have had a storied history on Sony’s hand-held devices. The Pokemon-inspired monster capture series has never been groundbreaking or overly memorable, but it was still fun for kids to play. Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom is the series’ first foray onto a home console, and the transition did nothing to help the franchise. Instead of the typical ‘collect monsters and battle with them’ gameplay, Lost Kingdom is an action/platformer that takes a page out of Ben-10’s book and has you turning into the Invizimals themselves.
Story
The story of Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom takes place separate from the main Invizimals storyline. Here, you will play as the young Hiro as he ventures into the world of the Invizimals to save them from a mechanical army that threatens their very existence. When he reaches the world, Hiro begins to bond with various Invizimals who in turn grant him the ability to turn into them at a moment’s notice.
The game feels like a cross between Ben 10 and Digimon. Hiro, donned with a pair of goggles and a wrist-mounted device heads into a mysterious other dimension filled with strange monsters and is able to transform into them. In fact, that is the entire plot line of Digimon Frontier. Regardless, with Ben 10 still being such hot property, this will more than likely grab the attention of Mr Tennyson’s fans. One has to wonder though, why do the Invizimals need the help of a young boy to stop the robots, when all he is doing is turning into another Invizimal?
Gameplay
The Lost Kingdoms, in a drastic departure from the series’ norm is a 3d action platforming title. Instead of collecting the Invizimals, you will become them. Turning into an Invizimal grants you access to all of their powers and abilities which in turn allow you to progress through the game’s platforming puzzle sections. Although, ‘platforming and puzzle,’ is a very loose term here, as there isn’t really much of either. The game’s difficulty is simplistic at best, and that extends to the game’s combat.
During your trek through The Lost Kingdoms, you will occasionally (and I do mean occasionally) come across enemies to defeat. Many of these are taken out with one or two punches, and even the later enemies only take a couple more. There is no skill or finesse required here, and no cool looking combos to string together – just hit the attack button a couple times until the enemies are destroyed.
The game’s hook of allowing you to turn into Invizimals doesn’t do all that much for me as a player. With 16 Invizimals to unlock and transform into, I expected a wealth of variety in not only their combat styles and abilities, but also in the environments and puzzles to progress through. In most games of this variety, there will be different bonuses and advantages to playing as different characters outside of their ability to complete certain puzzles. Unfortunately, in Lost Kingdom there are little to no differences in how the characters move and fight, so I found very little reason to keep me playing as anything other than the first Invizimal – Ocelotl and only switching out to the others when the need arose.
One major aspect of the game is the collection of the game’s two in-game currencies. One currency works for single player upgrades, while the other is far more scarce and is used in the game’s multiplayer arena. The collectible currency is limited, and always found in plain sight. During my playthrough I only managed to miss a few dozen pick-ups by and even so, going back and finding them was a far simpler task that I would have liked.
Each of the game’s levels features a locked door. Locked doors require you to spend your currency to progress through. Inside you will find a few enemies to defeat, a canister of the multiplayer sparks, and less coins than you spent to enter the room. It really feels like a waste, and after your first few unlockable doors, when you realise that the rooms behind them are always the same, you quickly lose interest in opening any more (except that you have to in order to get the 100% completion in each stage).
Lost Kingdom also features multiplayer connectivity with the PS Vita title – Invizimals: The Alliance, as well as its own competitive battle arena for up to 4 players. I wasn’t able to try out the connectivity with The Alliance, but the multiplayer battles put you in the role of one of the Invizimals, doing battle with your friends. As I mentioned earlier, there is no real difference in the combat abilities of the Invizimals, so these battles quickly lose their luster.
Visuals
Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom is by no means an ugly game, but it certainly has its problems. It is probably best to say that the game would look very good, if it was a few years older. The character models for the Invizimals are all very brightly coloured and feature a tonne of visual uniqueness and detail that you wouldn’t expect. The world of Lost Kingdom is equally well drawn, with everything getting an almost cell-shaded, cartoon quality that really looks great. The problems in setting come from the fact that so many of the set-pieces are reused over and over again.
The game’s biggest graphical problem though is the fact that certain animations are just missing a tonne of frames. I found this most noticeable in combat and when using Ocelotl’s grappling hook, but it appears so frequently that it is almost impossible to miss. Once you deploy Ocelotl’s grapping hook, you will immediately find yourself in the air swinging. There is no jump animation, or an kind of transition, just press the button and suddenly you are mid-swing.
Another serious problem is the fact that the game features a locked camera. Players can only shuffle the camera angle a couple of degrees either way and even then, letting go of the thumb-stick will flick the camera back to its position. Considering how many of the game’s maps are designed, it is often hard to tell whether you are heading towards a hidden chest, or about to jump off a ravine.
Instead of creating the entire opening cinematic on a computer as it the norm these days, Magenta Software have boldly opted for something a little different. Lost Kingdom’s cut scene is a live action video of Hiro in the real world. As he explores, he is attacked by an evil Invizimal, which is done in CGI. It is a cool little deviation from what we expect, and aims to show the difference between the real world, and the cartoony Lost Kingdom when Hiro steps through the portal. Unfortunately, the clip features overly corny acting and cheap visuals to the point where I almost wish they took the standard route. Still, you can’t fault Magenta for running with the new idea, even if it stumbles along the way.
Audio
The game’s audio suffers in much the same way as its graphics. The sound effects and voice acting of the Invizimals is impressive end engaging, but the rest of the game sounds bland and uninspired in comparison. Every action in the game has recurring sound effects – every time you hit an enemy sounds the same, every time you climb a wall sounds the same, every time you jump sounds the same.
Invizimals also features a recurring, guiding voice that comes from Hiro’s wrist communicator. This voice serves much the same role as Navi or Fi from The Legend of Zelda games; explaining to Hiro where to go next and what he has to do in order to progress through the stage. The thing is that the game is incredibly linear, and all of these explanations make it feel like the game is hand-holding you even more than it already is.
Overall
Invizimals: The Lost Kingdoms has its fair share of problems, and the best way to describe it would be to say that it lacks polish. Repetitive visuals, audio and level design, combined with a laughably easy difficulty level and a sense of hand holding throughout make for an experience that I didn’t find too enjoyable. This is definitely a game geared towards a much younger audience, and they will likely be far more forgiving to many of the problems that are present and still get some enjoyment out of it. However, if you are looking for a gateway into the action/platformer genres, there are better titles out there.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Deep Silver and Volition is getting in the spirit of the holidays with a brand new DLC for Saints Row IVand two contests. The content DLC called “How the Saints Saved Christmas” will star the Third Street Saints bringing holiday cheer to the boss. The DLC will be released on December 11th and will be free for all Season Pass holders. The DLC can also be bought separately for $6.99.
For those looking for a little more holiday cheer outside of Steelport, the naughty developers are looking for redemption. Gamers can check out their nefarious deeds at the official site and recommend what the developers should do. The best ideas will be filmed by the developers, so get your ideas in before November 29th, 2013.
Volition and Deep Silver are also hosting a Christmas caroling contest. Grab your friends and film yourselves singing Saints Row Jingle Bells. The winners will receive a Saints Row themed Christmas present from the developers and a special personalized video message. The contest ends December 5th, 2013.
Contrast Developer:Compulsion Games Publisher:Focus Home Interactive Platforms: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: November 15, 2013 Install Size:2.5 GB (PlayStation 4), 974 MB (Xbox 360), 4 GB (PC) Price: $14.99 – Available Here
Overview
As with Resogun, Sony needed games to pad the launch of the PlayStation 4. In development for a while now, Focus Home Interactive and Compulsion Games’ Contrast has been a standout game at past showings. When it was revealed that Drive Club would not make it into the hands of gamers on launch day, Contrast was Sony’s go-to backup, and free to PlayStation Plus subscribers to boot. How does the puzzle platformer with a shady twist hold up, though? Is it a beacon of light or should it be left in a dark corner?
Story
Didi is a young girl with a sordid family history. Her mother has recently been murdered and her father has long been absent from her life. After meeting Dawn, a lady with the strange ability to shift between our world and shadow, Didi enlists her new friend to help her backtrack the events that led to her current sad situation and mend her family.
Gameplay Contrast is a puzzle-platformer that takes place both in a 3-D world and 2-D space. Over the course of three chapters, you’ll have to complete a series of puzzles and help Didi reassemble the family she has so tragically lost.
Controls are straightforward. Dawn has the ability to run around, jump, interact with objects in the environment, and shift between existence in 3-D space to the 2-D space of projected shadow. She can also perform a dash that will shift her through thin shadows to give some added maneuverability.
Using the play of light and shadow, you’ll have to figure out how to traverse through the world, using your shift ability to reach new areas, move boxes, cannonballs, and the like, and more.
One of the strongest aspects of Contrast is in its story and the way it’s told. Over the course of the game, you’ll see a fantastic tale of tragedy and redemption play out – with a little intervention from Didi and Dawn, of course. I don’t want to ruin anything for folks, but understand that the all of the characters involved are strong, significant characters that play a part in the life of this little girl’s family.
The story is told through a series of vignettes you’ll run into as you explore each act. These vignettes play out as shadows on the wall with spoken dialog. The story is solid and the dialog is both well written and executed by the voice actors, bringing the story to life before your eyes.
As cliché as it is to say, the level design in Contrast is a mixed bag. Most of the puzzles feel fairly easy to work through with only a little thought once you understand the mechanics. There are a few brilliant standouts that will have you scratching your head, though. Even with all of the puzzles, Contrast is a fairly short game. Most folks will probably be able to finish it in 3-4 hours, if not faster. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, as the game completes its experience and leaves no fat to be trimmed.
The game is certainly not without its issues. Rare graphical glitches will leave you able to see through the back of Dawn’s head or other such oddities. There are also some issues with the way the physics and light/shadow mechanics work. You may try to set down a box, only to get stuck under it in a falling animation, or dash out of a shadow and get lodged in geometry within the stage. Though rare, jumping sessions can also be an exercise in patience, particularly when trying to hustle to beat a timing obstacle or ascend a steep incline. They all feel fairly innocuous at first, but they occur often enough over the course of the game that you’ll take note.
Visuals Contrast won’t likely win any awards for pushing the limits like other PlayStation 4 titles do, but it stands up strong in its own right. The noir aesthetic and the play of shadows provide an interesting setting both in terms of historical period and simple traversal. Didi can feel like an animated character brought to life, while Dawn’s silhouette implies a quick, agile figure cut out for the job. Overall, it’s entertaining and interesting, even if it can feel a bit too dark on occasion.
Audio
The soundtrack to Contrast is excellent. With smoky jazz tracks that feel reminiscent of a time when gangsters and cabaret ruled the night, you’ll find a few tunes that stick with you well after the credits have rolled. They do a great job aiding in the storytelling as well. The audio is further bolstered by fantastic voice acting that, in conjunction with shadow animation, brings the story to life in front of your eyes.
Overall
Overall, Contrast is a game with a few issues that still deserves recognition. Though the puzzles feel fairly straightforward for the most part, there are a few “Eureka” moments to be had. The game’s story is wonderfully told with great voice acting. The game does suffer from a few mild glitches and it’s a fairly quick playthrough, but folks looking for something a bit different from the glut of first-person shooters will find a refreshing experience here.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview
Called a story that is eternally retold, the Soul series has had quite a bit of success thanks to its assortment of interesting characters and the gameplay itself. SoulCalibur II was about the time that the series was starting to come into its own, so that seeing it re-released onto current gen consoles to follow in the footsteps of it predecessor SoulCalibur makes sense. For the re-release of SoulCalibur II however it goes another two steps forward with new HD graphics and the addition of online. So, do these make for a big enough improvement to the original game to be worth the time? Let’s look at how it holds up.
Story
Starting off with just Arcade that isn’t too heavy on story to be able to unlock Extra Arcade, the completion of which finally offers the closet mode to an actual story, even if it may not fit so much into the full Soul mythology. Weapon Master Mode offers an interesting story mode focused on a character on their own search for Soul Edge. While the Arcade modes are fairly short with only 8 fights, Weapon Master Mode takes it much farther with several chapters with multiple fights provided a much more in-depth story and experience.
The continuing struggle of heroes and villains to oppose and possess Soul Edge is just as it was for the original console release of SoulCalibur II, though this time having both formerly console exclusive characters Heihachi Mishima and Spawn, but no Link for obvious reasons. In this way it is able to make for the most definite version of the game so far and give just a little bit for anyone that played the previous console release.
Gameplay
Even after 11 years, the controls and how it plays is still able to hold up with current standards. The controls haven’t been tweaked all that much as the controller from the Xbox/PS2 to the Xbox 360/PS3 have not changed much with the exception of the black/white buttons for the Xbox controller, but with the bumpers replacing them makes it much more comfortable altogether. The balance of how the attacks works against each other works well with horizontal and vertical attacks instead of heavy and light, which fits much better with the melee weapons the characters use.
Starting out with just Arcade, SoulCalibur II kicks off with the actual “story” of the Soul series forefront, without cramming too much of the actual story and focusing mainly on the gameplay itself. The game is also very forgiving with providing an unlimited number of continues for losing a fight, which can often happen against new opponents. After getting far enough, more of the story is inserted in the fight introduction and finishing off with a suitable conclusion for completing it as well as an additional mode.
The Weapon Master Mode is where players can spend a lot of time while trying to unlock all the different weapons, costumes, and characters available to play. Across the stages in the different chapters, there are plenty of different tasks that are required to pass allowing a better chance to hone skills than just the Arcade mode. This not only offers plenty of things to do, but doesn’t get overly repetitive unless stuck on a specific stage with a specific task.
Weapon Master Mode was probably one of the most played modes for SoulCalibur II outside of VS for its original release, but with the addition of Online this time around it serves as a pretty good in-depth tutorial for players to actually learn the skills necessary to compete against each other online. The online itself works fairly well, some issues can crop up if suffering from lag that can make matches frustrating, but for the most part it works very well when matched against those with an equally good connection.
Visuals and Audio
With all new higher definition graphics and character models the game does look better than its former release, but many seem like just higher resolution textures, though the characters are much smoother as well. Overall, the new visuals don’t quite reach just how good some of the later games did, but working with something 11 years old probably limits what can be accomplished. The audio however is able to maintain the quality that it did before, all the songs are suitable and the voice acting is fantastic. Though for this release only the English is available, so those that preferred to switch to the original Japanese are unfortunately out of luck. So, while the visuals do see a moderate improvement the audio remains the same, albeit with the exclusion of the Japanese.
Overall SoulCalibur II HD Online literally delivers what it states in the title. Improved graphics to fit the HD era of gaming, with the inclusion of online features for players to compete against each other means that it is a marked improvement over the last release of SoulCalibur II more than a decade a go. A great game with plenty to do, and now the opponents only limited by those online, this is a nice re-release that performs well on all fronts and provides exactly what fans can expect and able to hold up over the years.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Bloober Team, the studio behind PlayStation-exclusive puzzle game A-Men and its sequel, have released a new teaser trailer for their upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive Basement Crawl.
Basement Crawl is set to be a mash-up of strategy, action, and skill reminiscent of titles like Bomberman. Set in an intense macabre shelter, the multiplayer-centric title will give PlayStation 4 owners vivid imagery, unique challenges, multiplayer showdowns, and more.
The game currently has no official release date, but Bloober Team has stated that they’re expected to release within the 2013 PS4 launch window. To check out the new screenshots the team has released, be sure to check out the gallery below. Don’t forget to check out the teaser trailer below this article as well.
FREE GAS GUZZLERS EXTREME DEMO NOW AVAILABLE ON STEAM
New Demo Includes Two Cars, Two Tracks and Three Different Game Modes
Haarlem, The Netherlands – November 25, 2013 – Who is up for one hell of a free ride? Publisher Iceberg Interactive and developer Gamepires released a demo today on Steam for their hi-octane combat racing gameGas Guzzlers Extreme (PC). Heralded by press for its insane chaotic fun, Gas Guzzlers Extreme gives racing enthusiasts the chance to win races by any means possible, which includes blowing opponents to smithereens.
The free Steam demo focuses on the single-player experience, with two cars, two tracks and three different game modes, and is more than enough to get an irresistible feel for what it’s like to drive like an outlaw (just like gamers have always wanted to). Now drivers can get acquainted with the supple car handling, smooth graphics and heavy weaponry that Gas Guzzlers Extreme has to offer by downloading the demo HERE: store.steampowered.com/app/243800/ (2.5 GBs).
Demo Features:
Two cars: Hound Bermude and Fordiac Bandit
Two weapons: Katyusha and Gang Banger
Three game modes: Battle Race, Deathmatch and Capture the Flag
Full Game Features:
Combat racing at its best, featuring a blood pumping single player campaign with over 12 hours of gameplay.
Fast-as-lightning multiplayer tournaments with 7 different modes (classic race, power race, battle race, knockout, deathmatch, last man standing and capture the flag); with up to 4 teams available in team play mode.
350+ miles of road across 40 tracks, 8 arenas and 7 different environments.
12 unique weapons, on-track bonuses and power ups.
Instant play with vicious AI Bots populating your multiplayer match while other players begin to join in on the fun.
Beautifully displayed high definition visuals with extensive vehicle damage, motion blur effects and custom paint jobs.
Full force feedback controller support as well as keyboards, joy pads, joysticks and racing wheels.
Packed with tons of unique humor and personality.
Liked the demo and want to join the madness online? Purchase and play Gas Guzzlers Extreme via the official Steam store page HERE: store.steampowered.com/app/243800/
About Gas Guzzlers Extreme
Gas Guzzlers Extreme is a fast, furious, armed-to-the-teeth, trigger-happy shooter, shifted into top gear! Take a white knuckle ride in this crazily addictive combat racing game that features a ton of vehicles, weapons, upgrades, on-track bonuses and environments. Gas Guzzlers Extreme is an exciting new twist on the car combat experience with the addition of furious team/clan combat battles.
Players start out with low performance vehicles and soon work their way up to high-performance models, by earning money in a series of hi-octane races and arena battles. New game modes, tracks and vehicles are unlocked as players progress through the game. Along with developing their driving and fighting skills, players can spend their hard-fought cash, customizing their vehicle to match their clan members or pimping their ride for the road to glory!
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ABOUT GAMEPIRES
Gamepires expertise resides in the highly rendered and superior graphics gaming environments and relies on combining exquisite knowledge in physics and gameplay development with top-class graphic layouts. The team consists of creative groups of developers and designers continuously oriented towards innovation and perfection in game production, their daily passion. This has resulted in a unique game engine, the best of breed gameplay, design and art for each and every entertainment solution we produce. In the last 15 years every Gamepires team member has been engaged in some of the bestselling and top technology gaming products. Their experience and knowledge guarantee the highest performance and usage standards possible.
ABOUT ICEBERG INTERACTIVE
Iceberg Interactive is an independent video game publisher founded in 2009 by an international group of games industry veterans and is located in Haarlem, The Netherlands. While keeping its roots in the European retail games market, Iceberg has rapidly increased its focus towards the global digital games market, by building strong direct relationships with dozens of Game Portals. Staffed with avid gamers, Iceberg works closely with an international assembly of game developers, both midsize and indie. With a distinct focus on the strategy, action, simulation and adventure game genres, the company has garnered attention with acclaimed releases including Killing Floor, Wings of Prey, APB Reloaded and Endless Space among its 70+ game arsenal – with more promising games in the pipeline.
