With all this new talk of Xbox One and PlayStation 4, it can be easy to forget about all the amazing AAA quality games on our mobile devices. Enter Epoch 2 which is a strong reminder of that outstanding quality. With beautiful graphics, a strong soundtrack, plenty of creativity and intense gameplay mechanics, Epoch 2 is an impressive attempt at bringing a duck-and-cover styled shooter to your mobile phone. A strong recommend for gamers looking for something a little more hardcore than the average iPhone title.
Gameplay
Think Gears of Warmeets Infinity Blade. Have I got your attention yet? Epoch 2 attempts to bring cover shooter gameplay to your phone by getting rid of a few vital elements: a trigger and a control stick. That may sound a bit odd, but Uppercut Games have found a way to make it work impressively well. Epoch 2 plays in a similar fashion of endless runner titles that rid of movement in favour on focusing on making quick decisions. Players take control of a robot named Epoch on a futuristic battlefield, swiping in various directions to make him/it/whatever duck for cover. Selecting a target is as simple as clicking on it, and Epoch will shoot at the target until it is either destroyed, another target is selected or simply takes cover. Once all the enemies in the area are defeated, Epoch will automatically jump towards the next battlefield, ready for action. Without those pesky joystick or shooting buttons in the way, all the attention goes into pure duck-and-cover shooting action which is lot of fun.
The game makes up for it’s limited movement by distracting you with hordes of enemies that fill the screen, giving a very Galaga-esque feel. While sometimes it feels a little claustrophobic, this problem is quickly fixed in later levels that allow Epoch to hide behind more and more obstacles over a wider range of space. To assist in combat a bunch of weapons are available, ranging from grenades, missiles and even a Max Payne styled bullet time mode all of which recharge after each use. These weapons among other things are also upgradeable, and this is where things start to get a bit rough around the edges. You see the difficulty of Epoch 2 increases very quickly with insane numbers of enemies on screen that get more and more powerful so upgrading is a really important factor. However, upgrades are also very pricy making it a challenge to even afford them. Thankfully, every level is replayable for more points with two extra modes – a mode with increased difficulty and also a time trial. While this is a nice addition, the fact the player will be forced to replay just to afford more upgrades really disrupts the flow of the game and becomes annoying to backtrack. To top it all off gameplay can get a little repetitive as very little is done to mix up the game mechanics besides different enemy types and boss battles. Still, at it’s core combat is freaking fun as hell. It’s just a shame there’s nothing more to freshen it up a bit from time to time.
Audio & Visual
Epoch 2 is beautiful. Running on the Unreal Engine 3, there aren’t many mobile games out there that look as nice as this. The attention to detail is insane , with wonderful textures breathing life into even the most robotic of characters. Cut scenes involve some nice animation and some impressive facial expressions on the character Princess Amelia and a superb soundtrack and decent voice acting help set the tone and atmosphere for this post-apocalyptic world. This stunning presentation really helps the player engage in all the action and is a massive plus for the game, making it a true mobile AAA experience.
Overall Epoch 2 is a strong recommend for hardcore mobile gamers. The game mechanics are creative and combat feels intense, cut scenes are done well and the presentation is absolutely breathtaking. While repetitiveness and expensive upgrades hold it back from seeing it’s full potential, the pros greatly overshadow the cons. If you’re like me where you’re sick of playing casual iPhone titles waiting for something new and epic to hit the app store – this is it, give it a go!
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Deep Silver Announces a Special Saints Row IV Holiday
The Saints have travelled to the North Pole and back and have come marching in with a wealth of presents to bring plenty of holiday cheer.
1. Naughty or Nice? – Announcing the Volition Nice List
Some of Saints Row IV’s developers have been very naughty this year. For the full story behind each developer’s terrible deeds, check out the official website http://www.savechristmas.saintsrow.com/index.html, and get some inspiration on how the devs should redeem themselves!
What should they do to get back on Santa’s Nice List? Participants can submit ideas that will help the devs win back Santa’s favor. The developers will be filmed as they reenact these ideas the way only Volition can!
The submission deadline is November 29, 2013.
2. The Saints Row Sing-A-Long Christmas Carol Contest
Participants in the Sing-A-Long contest can submit a video of themselves (and their friends!) singing special Saints Row lyrics to Saints Row Jingle Bells. The best entries will be immortalized in a one-of-a-kind Saints Row video message, and all winners will receive a special seasonal gift from Deep Silver and Volition!
Chances of being canonized as a living Saint can be improved if the participants dress up as a Saints Row character for their video. The submission deadline is December 5, 2013. Instructions on how to submit a video are available at the official website http://www.savechristmas.saintsrow.com.
3. “How the Saints Save Christmas” DLC
Rejoice, December 11 is a day unlike any other, because it is the day Deep Silver and Volition will release the festive “How the Saints Save Christmas” DLC.
Santa is trapped inside the simulation, but the Scrooge-like boss of the Third Street Saints can’t muster enough festive spirit to save him. Can the Saints help the boss discover the true meaning of the season in time? A holiday classic for the whole family.
Owners of the Saints Row IV Season Pass can download this DLC for free. It is also available separately for $6.99.
GAMEVIL acquires 100% stake in Everple, creators of global hit ‘Monster Warlord’
LOS ANGELES, CA- November 25, 2013- Leading mobile games publisher and developer GAMEVIL today announced that it has agreed to fully acquire mobile game studio, Everple, as it continues aggressive investments in companies, projects, and talent acquisitions to bolster global expansion.
The announcement follows recent equity investments into the company, after reevaluating the potential of Everple’s current and upcoming titles. The acquisition is considered a re-marriage of sorts with Everple CEOs, Jungoo Park and Ilgyu Song, having worked at GAMEVIL prior to branching out and creating their own company.
Everple is a proven developer that specializes in creative, social network RPGs. Its most recent title ‘Monster Warlord’, has become a global hit, collecting more than 10 million downloads worldwide. The game currently ranks Top 50 Grossing Overall in over 20 countries’ Google Play, and continues to see increases in sales today. In 16 months after launching, the game has generated more than $16 million USD in revenue to date, and Everple has become a promising company with an annual profit of $3 million USD.
GAMEVIL has continued to amplify its global expansion efforts through aggressive investments, including recent partnerships with Com2uS and Ocean View Games. Going forward, GAMEVIL plans to secure further long-term business partnerships to solidify its position as a leading global publisher.
About GAMEVIL
GAMEVIL®, with over 330 million game downloads and experience publishing hundreds of games on multiple platforms, is one of the most active and innovative mobile game companies in the world. Established in 2000 and with offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul, GAMEVIL is an experienced global mobile game publisher working with more than 70 top studios around the world.
With deep industry and regional knowledge, GAMEVIL has been able to craft numerous award winners through a diverse portfolio of games. Backed by unparalleled expertise in mobile, GAMEVIL continues to lead the sector with a commitment in establishing mobile gaming as a way of life.
GAMEVIL is currently listed on the KOSDAQ Market (Ticker: 063080, Bloomberg: 063080:KS, Reuters: 063080.KQ)
GIVE THANKS: BLACK FRIDAY TO ARRIVE IN DIGIMON MASTERS
November 25, 2013 – With the turkey soon finished and the shopping floodgates opening, leading online game developer and publisher, Joymax is kicking off the season with two new Ultimate Digimon and its annual Black Friday super sale for worldwide MMO phenomenon, Digimon Masters. Tamers can snap up time-sensitive deals beginning November 26th at www.joymax.com.
Two new Ultimate Digimon make their debut as part of this all-new update beginning tomorrow, November 26th. Zhuqiaomon, the Holy Bird Digimon, manipulates the burning flames to protect the south and can burn anything insignificant that approaches it to mere cinders! Another Four Holy Beast Digimon, Xuanwumon, who protects the digital world using phantasmagoric water techniques, is also now available to tamers. The oldest of the four Holy Beast Digimon, Xuanwumon features a good-natured personality yet still possesses its special move generating a dark mist around its opponent destroying their spirit for good!
It’s that time of year again. Time
for Digimon Masters annual Black Friday Super sale
starting November 26th! The super sale will feature an Ultimate
Package sales
promotion plus 30% off all cash items. This is a limited time
offer so tamers should
hurry if they want to scoop up all the latest items at these bargain
prices!
Fans can find everything and anything about Digimon Masters Online on its official Facebook page, which has more than 360,000 likes from all over the world. Join the conversation now at https://www.facebook.com/digimonmasters
Players can learn more about the game and download it for free at http://www.joymax.com
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About Digimon Masters Digimon are well known all over the globe as part of the famous Japanese TV animation series. Digimon Masters is the first ever 3D online game based on the Digimon universe with more than 1,000 characters featured from seasons 1 through 5 of the series. Not only is it faithful to the art design, Digimon Masters closely follows the original story that will satisfy both loyal fans of the series as well as the average gamer. The game seamlessly combines pet training simulation with role-playing elements to deliver a one of a kind gaming experience. Featuring real-time combat, Gamers will be thrilled with the challenges brought forth by real-time combat which requires quick thinking and good reflexes. Players can also become one of 8 Royal Knights. Royal Knights are Digimon who are in charge of each area in the Digital World. Leaders of a guild that conquers one of these areas can become a Royal Knight who has the right to impose taxes along with other perks and obligations.
About Joymax Since its establishment in April, 1997, Joymax has been developing and publishing quality games for the emerging online game industry of the 21st century. Based in Seoul, Korea, the company has published numerous titles for the PC market. With its first MMORPG, Silkroad Online, the game has grown to o
Back during the Ubisoft’s Digital Days 2013 two “new” games were announced for the Assassin’s Creed series. While the console release of Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD wasn’t set to come out until early next year, the other actually new game Assassin’s Creed Pirates was slated for sometime this year.
Well, Ubisoft has finally given it a hard date and Assassin’s Creed Pirates will be making its way to mobile devices from , App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore in December. So, near the start of December players will be able to experience life as pirate Alonzo Batilla as he charts his own path amongst the other pirates of the Caribbean in his quest for treasure.
Be sure to check out some screenshots from the mobile game can click on the images in the gallery below to see them full-sized. Plus, those wanting to see how it plays can check out the gamepaly trailer embedded that. Assassin’s Creed Pirates will be setting sail on December 5th, 2013 for Android, iPad, and iPhone.
In a move that is somewhat unexpected with how much developer TT Games tries to utilize the complete series of the properties they adapt into LEGO, the next LEGO game has been announced for 2014 as LEGO The Hobbit. While not an unexpected journey since fans of the preceding LEGO The Lord of the Rings should certain have been expecting it from publisher Warner Bros.
Interestingly though LEGO The Hobbit will not be telling the story of all three The Hobbit movies currently being released. It will however cover the first two, An Unexpected Journey and Desolation of Smaug as Bilbo, Gandalf, and all 13 Dwarves start off from Bag End and travel across Middle-earth visiting locations like Rivendell and the Misty Mountains.
While it may seem weird at first that players will be having 13 dwarves at their disposal during gameplay in LEGO The Hobbit, they will each have different special abilities to help round out the team, such as Bombur acting as a dwarf trampoline to bounce his allies up. Just what other additions will be coming has yet to be revealed or if the popular Mithril items from LEGO The Lord of the Rings will see a return.
LEGO The Hobbit is currently set to release in 2014 onto consoles Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U; handhelds PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS; as well as PC and Mac.
EA has released the launch trailer for Need for Speed: Rivals, due for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on November 21 and for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 29. You can view the video embedded at the bottom of the article.
The old racing-culture rivalry between cops and street-racers is even more high stakes with the new and innovative AllDrive system blurring the lines between single-player and multiplayer experiences. Check out our hands-on preview of the next-gen iteration to learn just what the latest entry in the long-standing racing series has to offer. Keep an eye out for our review in the coming weeks.
Today, German publisher, Daedalic Entertainment, announced their upcoming release of Fishcow Studio‘s unique, hand-drawn point and click puzzler, Gomo. Due for release on PC on the 6th December, it details the journey of a character called Gomo as he sets out on a journey to retrieve his dog, Dingo, from the clutches of a mysterious alien foe.
This game appeals to those who love challenging themselves with a wide variety of puzzles that can be completed in a number of weird and wonderful ways. Its non-violent, comic book setting means that it can be enjoyed by players both young and old, and its comically emotionless, almost voodoo doll looking main character reminds me of such great games as Battleblock Theatre on Xbox Live Arcade.
Soon to be available for €9.99 /£6.99 /$9.99 /RUB 249 on PC in 9 separate languages, this title definitely looks like it is worth keeping an eye on for all you puzzlers out there.
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy Developer:Level-5 Publisher:Nintendo Australia Platforms: Nintendo 3DS Family Release Date: Out Now – International, February 28, 2014 – U.S. Price:$59.95 – Available Here
Overview
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacyis the final entry in the second official trilogy of Professor Layton titles from Level-5. Although this may be our opportunity to “join Professor Layton one last time on an unforgettable puzzle packed voyage around the world”, it won’t be goodbye for the beloved character as Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has been announced for the Nintendo 3DS, coming in 2014. Nevertheless, the developers aimed to go out with a bang and make this game the most enthralling, mind-bending one yet. Did they succeed? It depends on your perspective. Read on for that of a newbie’s.
Story
This, the concluding prequel tale of the franchise, opens with the good Professor Layton receiving a rather fascinating letter from fellow archaeologist Professor Sycamore. No, not the Professor Sycamore from Pokemon Xand Y… although that would be an interesting crossover… is Sycamore a popular name in Japan? Strange. Anyway, the letter intrigued the team because he spoke of finding a “living mummy”. Such an unbelievable claim could not be ignored, so Layton takes his apprentices Luke and Emmy to visit Sycamore aboard his airship, the Bostonius. The trip takes them to snowy Froenborg where, along the way to meeting Sycamore, they observe some unidentified and suspicious looking thugs. This definitely isn’t a good sign.
Proceeding towards a frozen-over cave after eavesdropping information from the brutes, the team find a way in to greet an awaiting Sycamore. He is stood staring at what appears to be a girl frozen in a huge wall of ice. Upon thawing her out with his classic observational skills and ingenuity, she awakens but is promptly abducted by the aforementioned thugs and their mysterious leader, armed with semi-automatics. The team give chase, pursuing their massive battleship throughout the land before finally boarding and rescuing the girl… unfortunately, the escape didn’t go so smoothly and the crew crash lands in a forest near “Siren Lake”, the video game world’s Bermuda Triangle for its high number of reported aircraft crashes.
Here, Layton and his associates venture to find her after landing in separate locations, and discover many things, such as the name of the organisation the thugs work for, who seek to unlock the powers of the long lost Azran race. A particular revelation leads them on a further quest to find five “Aura Stones” that are the key to unlocking the Azran Legacy. The game is very narrative-focused with few significant distractions from the main plot. It develops without giving away too much to the player, and there are some satisfying twists and turns to be experienced. There are also little video ‘Episodes’ that you unlock over the course of your journey that offer insight into the lives of those you meet during the investigation. They are completely supplementary and not necessary to understand the story at large.
Gameplay
Professor Layton games are quite simple to navigate and play. Regardless, Aldus – a familiar face – makes an appearance at the start to get the player (re-)introduced with the controls. Tapping the magnifying glass at the top right of the bottom screen enters ‘Investigation Mode’, whereby you can slide the stylus around the screen to observe the environment. When a point of interest is encountered, the glass turns orange, indicating that you may tap on the screen to then interact with it. Similarly, when an object can be zoomed in on, the glass turns blue and all you have to do is, again, tap the screen to engage it.
Tapping “Zoom Out” at the very bottom of the play screen goes back to the main view. Once back here, the prompt will change to “Back to Map”. Tapping this brings up the map view of your immediate vicinity. Also indicated is the number of puzzles solved so far, how many people are in your current party, your main objective, the name of your location and where you can travel to. Other than Investigation Mode, Layton’s ‘trunk’ can also be accessed, which acts as an inventory or main menu of sorts. Inside it, you will find the in-game volume control, save game functionality, your ever increasing collection of knick-knacks and much more as detailed below.
Said collectibles, or knick-knacks, are found by scouring the environment and tapping the screen when you notice a “poof” visual effect, as Aldus puts it, around your magnifying glass. ‘Memo’ allows you to make notes, which is handy considering the difficulty of some puzzles. ‘Treasure Hunt’ is the Streetpass feature and enables you to accept or create challenges that require you find specified objects in the world. Completing these earns you reward points which can then be spent on rewards such as more knick-knacks or hint coins (which we’ll get to in a shortly). Layton’s Journal keeps track of the events that have taken place so far in the story.
‘Mysteries’ catalogues all the, you guessed it, mysteries you come across in your travels and are updated as more details are uncovered. While in the trunk view, the top screen displays your stats, including total score, hint coins in possession and time played. Three mini-games are included: ‘Dress Up’, a game that asks you to pick out an outfit for an individual you’ve met based on their specifications, Nut Roller and Blooms & Shrooms, the latter of which sees you planting flowers that have different radiuses of effect, hopefully causing a chain reaction that helps all the trees on a level grow. To round out the noteworthy inclusions is an eventual unlock of Layton’s daily newspaper, which houses side-puzzles that can be taken on by revisiting the respective locations listed in the stories.
The aforementioned hint coins can be plucked from their hiding places in the environment and then utilised to aid you when stuck on a particularly tough puzzle. Picarats return as the score value and are given for finishing each of the 135-odd puzzles (with 365 more daily puzzles available to download). Earn enough and you may unlock exclusive materials and bonus features in the ‘Top Secret’ sub-menu. And fulfilling specific conditions relating to Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask will open The Hidden Door of the Azran, holding special content inside. Something that is new and unique to this title is the non-linearity of the middle section of the game. Multiple paths beckon you as you gain flight control of the Bostonius, allowing you to explore secondary mysteries of your choice. It’s always good to have variety, especially so deep into a franchise.
Finally, let’s talk about the puzzles! Those familiar with the franchise may breeze through many, having already acquainted themselves with literally thousands like them before Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. For others, like myself, they should pose an appropriately brain-taxing test. Early on I learned the hard way the exact extent of these logic puzzles: basically, you’re asked to calculate how many cups of hot water would be needed to melt this block of ice, but the answer is zero… just put it next to a fire! WHAT?! I wasted hint coins on this after my logical numerical input wasn’t accepted. Otherwise, puzzle types range from picture recreations, route finding, arrangements, slide puzzles (remember those?), sequencing, mathematical calculations and more. There’s a substantial spectrum of diverse puzzles, and with such singularity among them, there’s bound to be individual puzzles or a type of puzzle that may confound you, or at the very least, not be in your wheelhouse.
Visuals & Audio
The painterly visuals of the Professor Layton series never lose their charm. The European clean-line-esque art style, along with the warm colour palette, perfectly captures and illustrates the world within. Animated cutscenes, on the other hand, continue to relay a certain quality reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s numerous works. The 3D effect of the Nintendo 3DS is especially effective because of an extra layer in the effect inherent to the gameplay type. As you slide your stylus around, the represented magnifying glass moves across objects on screen, going between foreground and background. It’s a nice touch that creates a great, natural sense of physical space and depth.
The music of the game is also extremely well-fitting, with a beautiful piano melody acting as the backbone for the main themes. Slower, legato wind and string instrumentation accompanies the piano, resulting in a quaint, Victorian sound; antiquated and with an air of sophistication, much like Hershel Layton himself. Speaking of, the voice acting here is well done all around, although it’s not without the usual exaggerations. I just wish Professor Layton had more to say than frustrating truisms. Professor Obvious and his Platitudinal Legacy might be a better title for the game, with almost every second sentence coming out of his mouth being a damn platitude!
Overall
As someone who had never played a Professor Layton title previously, I think the game on a whole made a substantially fresh impression on me, while for those long-time fans, the puzzles may seem more derivative in nature, which is completely understandable, and expected. That being said, the sheer amount of content outside of the main path has to be appreciated by all. Level-5 have always maintained this endearing, signature charm that comes with their Studio Ghibli inspired animation (a love that led them to actually collaborate on Ni no Kuni) and European, clean art-style. Add to all that an intriguing story and a more non-linear approach, and I’d say this is a great send-off for the gentlemanly hero.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Tournament finalists take up Combat Arms in final showdown for jackpot
30,000 Euros up for grabs in final round of NEXON Europe’s frenetic shooter competition
London, UK – 25th November 2013 – The four main tournament teams to battle it out on the offline ESL Go4 Combat Arms final on December 7th have now been announced. The triumphant four that fought their way through 170 teams to the final round are 31337Gaming, MostTalentedPlayers, Team Def and Team EGO!, who will go head to head in an exclusive offline event in Cologne, hosted by ESL’s Sean Charles and casted by Jason Kaplan, where €30,000 is up for grabs.
“We’ve seen a huge number of players fight with real passion to reach this stage, with 170 teams competing over the recent months” said Damian Baran for NEXON Europe. “We’re really pleased with the turnout and excited to see the final result. May the best team win.”
31337Gaming, hailing from Poland, have so far dominated the tournament and enter the finals as firm favourites, already with €7,000 in the bank and 25 wins under their belts. Only December’s finals will see a clear victor however, with the stage set at the ESL TV Studios in Cologne and the world ready to watch via www.twitch.tv/esltv .
For more information on NEXON Europe and its games, please visit the official website athttp://nexoneu.com.
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About Combat Arms
Combat Arms is a fast-paced, multiplayer shooter, designed for non-stop action on various battlefields, recruiting players to get engaged with their opponents in multiple game modes. Whilst integrating the traditional attributes of the FPS genre, Combat Arms advances it further by evolving a whole new set of striking features allowing character customization as well as weapon modification, enabling the player to adjust their weapons with attachments such as scopes, silencers, and extended magazines. An additional eye-catching feature is the unique backpack system, which allows players to combine a set of multiple weapons from the extensive armory for a more sophisticated combat experience on the battlefield. Moreover, the extensive community features within the game actively support the clan system, where players can easily recruit, manage, and communicate with their other clan members.
About NEXON Europe
Established in March 2007, NEXON Europe is one of the leading publishers of free-to-play MMOs in Europe. The company has brought the worldwide hit casual MMORPG MapleStory to Europe in May 2007, and the successful FPS Combat Arms in January 2009. With the launch of the 3D action MMORPG Vindictus in 2011, NEXON Europe has strengthened its position as a promising publisher in Europe. Next to these in-house franchises, NEXON Europe was also able to acquire and fully operate Atlantica Online, an innovative, tactical MMORPG; Dekaron, an authentic action MMORPG set in a grim fantasy universe; and the action-packed FPS War Rock. The newest additions to its growing portfolio are Navy Field 2 alongside the legendary FPS game Counter-Strike Online in Turkey. For more information on NEXON Europe and its games, please visit the official website atwww.nexoneu.com.
