With the Xbox One set to release next week on Friday, Microsoft is putting out more commercials and trailers to show off some more of what the console has to offer. While these new videos don’t really offer anything new, they are much shorter and too the point. The first commercial Microsoft released features ex-NFL players Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis having just upgraded to the Xbox One and conveniently using its Kinect voice features, which can be found just below.
The second commercial goes away from the celebrity star power and instead focuses on the average use as it shows off some of the other new voice Kinect features, but only as they pertain to multiple users, namely switching between between actively profiles. The second commercial is embedded just below.
Lastly, Microsoft has released a new trailer for the Xbox One about all the different apps that players will be able to on the new console. Though it is much more of an overview of the much longer All-in-One demo that was released last week. Those wanting to see the new trailer and check out the new features can find it embedded below. The Xbox One will release Friday November 22nd, 2013.
Trendy Entertainment Creates ‘Defense Council’; Select Community Members to Participate and Advise in Dungeon Defenders II Development
First 500 participants that raise $30 or more for Child’s Play get coveted Council seat
Gainesville, FL – November 11, 2013 – Trendy Entertainment today announced the formation of the “Defense Council” a new advisory council that will allow players with a vested interest in the development of the game to provide early, focused feedback directly to the development team.
“We will be involving the whole community in Dungeon Defenders II‘s development. Right now we’re taking our first steps toward that goal with the Defense Council,” explained Dave Loyd, Studio Director at Trendy Entertainment. “The Council is an opportunity for dedicated fans to play and provide feedback on the game in its earliest state. As time passes their responsibilities will grow, and we’re excited that their first act as Council members will be raising a large amount of money to improve the lives of children in hospitals around the world.”
Devised in conjunction with gaming industry charity funds Humble Bundle and Child’s Play, the initiative is designed to follow through on the company’s commitment to community engagement and interaction throughout the development process. Entry to the Defense Council will be granted starting today, November 11 at 6PM EST, to the first 500 participants that raise $30 or more via the Humble Bundle, with contributions donated to Child’s Play, a service delivering invaluable gaming experiences to hospitalized children worldwide. Trendy Entertainment will also open up more Council seats, including but not limited to auctions for 10 seats on eBay, with the resulting proceeds going directly to Child’s Play.
This project will offer participants the opportunity to influence the evolution of Dungeon Defenders II in an early and meaningful way. Defense Council members will have access to bi-weekly gameplay sessions, with frequent and significant opportunities to deliver feedback directly to the development team as select game systems, mechanics, heroes, maps and more are being created and tested. A dedicated developer blog will provide ongoing insight into behind-the-scenes decision-making. In addition, Council members will be forever immortalized in the game’s world as members of the Sunderguard, a faction in the storyline. Members will maintain their seats for the first term of the Council after the game launches, continuing to influence decisions that shape the war against the Old Ones’ invasion of Etheria.
In Dungeon Defenders II, the land of Etheria has been invaded by the Old Ones and players must rally, alone or with friends, against the invasion. The game features brand new combat and defense placement systems that synchronize the roleplaying, action, and tower defense elements of the franchise for even more strategic gameplay. New defense and ability interactions make for exciting, emergent gameplay and new environmental traps increase variety and strategic planning throughout each level in the game.
Humble Bundle will oversee the application/donation process, and the first 500 people to raise $30 or more for Child’s Play will gain seats on the first Defense Council. For more information, please visit www.DungeonDefenders2.com.
Dungeon Defenders II is currently in development for PC, Mac, and Linux, scheduled for soft launch as a free-to-play title next spring. For updates, visit www.dungeondefenders2.com, like the game on Facebook or follow Trendy Entertainment on Twitter.
About Trendy Entertainment
Trendy Entertainment is an independent video game development studio based in Gainesville, FL. Created by veterans of the video game industry, Trendy Entertainment is focused on developing fun and innovative video games across multiple platforms. The company believes digital distribution deserves the same AAA quality releases as retail. With some of the best Unreal Engine developers in the world and over 40 years of collective experience, the team can’t wait for people to get their hands on these games!
About Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is a digital distribution platform that bundles awesome cross-platform games, movies, music and books and puts the power directly in the hands of the consumers, offering them fully-featured titles at prices they set themselves. Consumers pay what they want, and decide how to allocate their money between developers, charity, and a humble tip. Since the company’s launch in 2010, Humble Bundle has worked with hundreds of independent developers and major publishers and raised $25 million for charity. Humble Bundle is a modest team with a dream, supported by more than 3 million customers.
About Child’s Play
Child’s Play seeks to improve the lives of children in hospitals around the world through the kindness and generosity of the video game industry and the power of play. With a network of over 90 hospital facilities worldwide, gamers make a profound impact on quality of life for sick and injured children. To learn more, visit http://www.childsplaycharity.org
New Star Soccer Available Now for Free on Android !
Its a Whole New Ball Game For Android Owners
Liverpool, UK – 11TH NOVEMBER 2013 – After huge success and critical acclaim, the chart-topping soccer-star simulator, New Star Soccer, is finally available for free on Android devices. Following a wealth of feedback from fans all around the world, creator and founder of New Star Games, Simon Read and publisher Thumbstar Games, is making New Star Soccer free to play, as well as bringing a gargantuan amount of new features to the BAFTA award-winning game.
On the pitch, focused play allows for a more strategic approach to matches, be it aggressive attacking, defending, or a more balanced play-style, while the introduction of headers change up the game and create new challenges for seasoned New Star Soccer fans. New boots bring with them swerve control, allowing skilled players to manipulate the ball in real time, bending it like only Beckham ever could! Additional commentary and all new post-match headlines are also included to up the authenticity.
Off the pitch there are all new lifestyle items for purchase, an updated league structure for the new season, and an overhauled interface including new artwork and pre-match location maps for all stadiums. The career structure has been remodelled, adding up to 3 save slots. Players who already own the premium version of the game will be able to continue their career with a Pro License and newcomers can play totally free until they decide to turn pro. New Star Soccer is bigger and better than ever before!
New game content / changes:
Headers!
New boots! New Swerve feature added to premium boots.
New Energy Drink! (NRG Bolt – increases energy plus 3 relationships and 3 skills.)
Choose differently focussed play during matches – attacking, defensive or balanced.
Defenders now close you down whilst you aim your shot.
Replenish your energy during a game.
New lifestyle items to purchase.
Three save game slots.
Skills deteriorate over time, and the older you get, the more you have to keep on top of your skills.
Retirement option. Choose the optimal time to retire before your skills deteriorate and you start to ruin the memory of your past achievements. Includes career score and various achievements.
Additional commentary to add variety.
Hire a personal trainer, recover quicker, have more energy.
Get yourself an agent and improve your contracts!
New newspaper headlines, incidents etc.
All new game achievements.
All new audio.
New footballs each with their own attributes.
Lots of UI tweaks and improvements, short-cuts and time-savers.
New pre-match location screen.
New player awards (player of the year, young player of the year etc.)
Updated league structure information for new 2013-2014 football season.
Male / Female select!
New unlockable ‘hard mode’ for the seasoned veterans!
Night time matches.
Exisiting premium players can continue their career with the Pro License unlocked, and their progress saved.
Twitter and Facebook integration.
Full localisation for English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian, Turkish, Portuguese, Russian *NEW, Chinese *NEW, Japanese *NEW, Korean *NEW
Released across iOS, Android and Flash in March 2012, New Star Soccer has been downloaded over 3 million times, reaching number one in the UK iPhone App Store in June 2012 and has received glowing reviews across the board:
The multi award winning New Star Soccer is available now from the Apple App Store for iOS devices, and from the Google Play Store for Android devices.
For up to date info on New Star Soccer, follow @newstargameson Twitter.
About Thumbstar Games
Thumbstar is a mobile games service provider representing more than 150 developers and providing in excess of 3500 titles through channels into 130 markets globally, including the UK and Europe, S.E. Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and Australasia. Thumbstar originally started out in 2008 as an aggregator / publisher of mobile games for J2Me, Windows Mobile, RIM BlackBerry and Symbian. Since then Thumbstar has also moved into mobile games publishing for iOS and Android and expanded its business offering to become a digital developer, distributor and publisher of mobile entertainment lifestyle applications, wallpapers and themes.
About New Star Games
New Star Games, founded and led by Simon Read is an independent games publisher & developer based in Buckingham, England. Fueled by the extraordinary success of New Star Soccer, which went on to win a BAFTA in 2013, this small but perfectly formed and highly focused developer is set to continue to light up the sports game genres with its now trademark mix of action, lifestyle strategy and RPG.
The Capcom Cup Asia Finals 2013 has concluded after a tense three-day competition held from November 8-10 between six finalists who qualified in Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
Held at the Razer Singapore Headquarters, the professional gamers and all around fighter nuts battled it out on Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition for the Xbox 360, using Razer Atrox fightsticks. Among them was the eventual winner, Eng Ghim Kee “Gackt”, and Team Razer’s own Keita “Fuudo” Ai, who clinched the runner-up position. Both will represent Asia at the Grand Finals to be held in Northern California this December.
As the official organizing body of the tournament and its qualifiers, Min-Liang Tan, Razer Co-Founder, CEO and Creative Director, and Street Fighter IV Producer Yoshinori Ono were present. Min-Liang Tan stated;
All the finalists have exhibited incredible level of skills and Fuudo has definitely exceeded my expectations in terms of performance, dedication and passion. We are proud to have sponsored the Capcom Cup Asia Finals and we are encouraged by the community to do more for fighting game scene in 2014.
Click here for a full breakdown of the Capcom Cup Asia Finals 2013 and qualifiers.
Never have I simultaneously wanted to get lost in the forest, and be petrified of it at the same time. But that’s exactly how this new trailer for open world horror survival title The Forest makes me feel. Indie developer Endnight Games (formerly SKS Games) have been hard at work developing the PC game – and its Oculus Rift integration – with hopes to release the alpha by year’s end.
In The Forest, players can explore a living, breathing world with rolling tides, plants that live and die, changing weather patterns, a day and night cycle, underground caverns, lakes and more. During the day, it is wise to scavenge, build shelter, lay traps and do whatever else may prepare you for the mutant onslaught of the night. Crude weapons can be constructed from raw materials such as sticks and stones and seeds can be planted in order to grow food. Check out the gameplay reveal trailer from back in May directly below. And at the very bottom of the article we have embedded the brand new trailer.
CHILDREN OF BODOM’S ALEXI LAIHO READY TO MELT YOUR FACE AS THE FINAL IN-GAME MENTOR FOR BANDFUSE: ROCK LEGENDS
Children of Bodom’s front man and guitarist, Alexi “Wildchild” Laiho, has been named both “best metal guitarist” and “best shredder.” Today, Realta Entertainment revealed this superstar as the eighth legend of BandFuse: Rock Legends, the music video game where legendary rockers transform players into real world guitarists, bassists and vocalists.
The newly released BandFuse: Rock Legends trailer featuring Children of Bodom’s song “Are you Dead Yet?” can be viewed
“The musical path I have chosen has been amazing so far, and a new part of this journey is having the honor to be part of BandFuse: Rock Legends,” said Laiho. “Being able to deliver my thoughts on shredding technique in game – not in avatar form but as myself – makes an unimaginable impact on my desire to take part in this game. BandFuse: Rock Legends is a terrific way to learn how to blow minds, melt faces and play killer music.”
Laiho joins BandFuse: Rock Legend’s stunning group of super-talented rock legends. The seven other previously revealed musical luminaries include Slash, Bootsy Collins, George Lynch, Mike Ness, Zakk Wylde, and Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook.
During his time with Children of Bodom, Laiho has been called the “Best Metal Guitarist” in the 2008 Guitar World Reader’s Poll, and his guitar work on Children of Bodom’s 2003 release “Hate Crew Deathroll” earned the album a place among the magazine’s “50 Greatest Guitar Albums” of all time. Laiho was also named “Best Shredder” at the 2005 Metal Hammer “Golden Gods” awards. Children of Bodom’s enthralling mix of modern heavy metal, melodic hooks and instrumental acrobatics has solidified the critically acclaimed Finnish band as one of the most revered hard rock acts in the world. The band released its highly anticipated eighth studio album, “Halo of Blood,” in June 2013, which landed on Billboard’s Top 200 chart in the U.S.
Seamlessly connecting real guitars, basses and microphones to game consoles, BandFuse: Rock Legends empowers players to jam to a fully unlocked library of hit songs from rock to metal and punk to funk, featuring 55 massive genre-jumping songs from Slash, Maroon 5, Rush, The Strokes, Heart, Halestorm, Pearl Jam and more.
BandFuse: Rock Legends is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and will be published by Mastiff in North America on November 19, 2013, and by Hamster in Japan on December 19, 2013, on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems. A release date for Europe will be announced soon. To learn more about BandFuse: Rock Legends, please visit www.bandfuse.com, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow the game on Twitter.
Kill la Kill Episode 6: Don’t Toy With Me on a Whim
Having gone through some pretty intense realisations last episode, Ryuko is understandably irked after chancing upon some evidence that reveals that Mikisugi has connections to her mohawked foe. Apparently the threat of vivisection carries some clout as he manages to disclose the name of his organisation: Nudist Beach. Ryuko scoffs at this “reveal” citing Mikisugi as a liar and vows to become stronger, in the hopes of getting a straight answer.
As luck would have it, Athletic Head Uzu Sanageyama, one of Satsuki’s trusted Elite Four is fairly fed up with Ryuko and wants to battle. Naturally this requires the President’s go ahead. After “sneaking” up on Satsuki, we are treated to a flashback that details their first meeting in the distant time of three years ago. It would seem that Sanageyama was the leader of the Northern Kanto Gang Alliance and cut a pretty imposing figure. With 500 supporters behind him, he was challenged one faithful day by Kiryuin Satsuki. Refusing her kind offer of surrendering to her, these 500 men were subsequently blasted across a field by nothing more than her stare. Gaining both Sanageyama’s fear and respect, he decided to lunge at her, sword drawn. Unfortunately for him, his skills were not enough and he was subsequently bested by the future President. However, rather than destroy him, she saw fit to extend another offer. If he joined her he would receive the training needed to utilise his latent power. This flashback was interesting in that it once again strayed into the bizarre occurence that is Satsuki’s compassionate side. It also expresses the fact that each Three Star follows her out of repsect, unlike the faceless masses of Hannouji. We can also conclude that Sanageyama was the last of the Elite Four to join Satsuki and that, at least three years ago, Information and Strategy Head Inumuta was still uncertain about her power, lending to the theory that he may have been the third recruit.
Sanageyama circa three years ago
With his permission granted, Sanageyama wastes no time in challenging our Scissor wielding vagrant to a duel. Ryuko immediately accepts said request and meets him in the Kendo Club dojo, in front of a roaring crowd no less. Wasting no time, the two combatants prepare for battle by transforming…yeah. So apparently the Kamui is not unique in its ability to alter form, something Ryuko learns the hard way. True to his style, Sanageyama’s uniform shifts into a kick ass robotic Bogu, dubbed: Blade Regalia. This in itself is a great moment in the series as it shows that there will be a bit more variation in some of the more climactic battles. Unfortunately for Ryuko, Blade Regalia’s bulk belies his speed, an aspect which Sanageyama uses to proliferate her beatdown. Not only does Regalia possess two awesome pile bunker kendo swords, Sanageyama himself reveals his Tengantsu ability which allows him to see everything. Unfortuantely for him, this ability requires him to actually be able to see, so with a little ingenuity, and fabric, Ryuko blinds and defeats the Elite Four member. Despite his loss, Sanageyama again reveals that not all characters are what they seem and that there is a great deal of new powers coming for our protagonist. Which will be cool.
I can see why he’s so powerful
With a major deal to his pride as well as his body, Sanageyama opts for some self imposed penance in order to prove to Satsuki he has the resolve to continue fighting. Gaining her approval once more, another duel is set. Donning Blade Regalia Mk II, Sanageyama lies in wait. Ryuko immediately nullifies his Tenganstu ability as she had before and leaps, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Imagine her shock when Sanageyama lands a direct hit, sending her careening across the battlefield. Befitting such a headstrong and prideful warrior, it is revealed that Sanageyama ordered the Sewing Club Head to sew his eyes shut, so that he might never become overconfident in his skill again. Once again, this is one of those intense elements that kind of makes you forget that this series takes place in a school. A chaotic, totalitarian school of fear, but a school no less. With his eyesight now non existant, Sanageyama has acquired a power which allows him to see more than he ever could before. The eyes of the mind: Shingantsu. After an absolute onslaught at the hands of a unflinching and unceasing foe, Ryuko is saved when Sanageyama overheats his uniform…so yeah, apparently that can happen. This fact alone clearly expresses just how much he has improved, in just a single episode. Sanageyama’s drive also adds a little more personality onto the Elite Four who, up till this point, have been fairly standard anime stereotypes without too much screen time. It should also be noted that his new skills allowed him to sneak up in front of Satsuki, having gained the clarity to not care about direction.
He does live by the code of the martial arts
Though not a crucial element of the episode, we also receive some more smaller glimpses into everybody’s favourite President. She herself notes how wearing Junketsu is rather draining on her physically, though she refuses any other path as she chose to seek this power.It is also seen that, unlike Senketsu who is ironed and placed on a hangar when not being worn, Junketsu is sealed behind glass and nailed to a wall, all the while flailing to escape. This hints further at the disparity between the two Kamui, though their true link is yet to be revealed. Along with Satsuki’s relationship with Junkestu, seeing her dynamic with Sanageyama was also rather interesting. Her compassion once again shows in not only the flashback, but also in her decision to actually grant him a second chance. She also notes that his inability to finish the fight was not a loss, but rather a testament to his strength. She even keeps her promise to Sanageyama by offering to have tea with him after the fight is won. Amidst all of the lust for control and power, it would seem that she has a soft spot for a select few. Her familial relationship is also teased when her mother calls, wanting to know why she donned Junketsu before her wedding day. How she will play into the series has yet to be revealed, but I’m sure it’ll be in some chaotic way. Everything in the series tends to happen that way after all.
So, what did we learn this week on Kill la Kill? Well don’t piss off a kendo master for one. It won’t end well for you. We saw that despite all of her improvements, Ryuko still has a ways to go before she can challenge Satsuki on equal footing. Also, maybe Nudist Beach doesn’t truly inspire fear as the name of a revolutionary group. Lessons were learned, eyes were stitched and heroes fled. Let the chaos continue…
Marvel Heroes Gets Godlike with Game Update 2.0 – Asgard
Gazillion Entertainment, developers of the popular free-to-play Marvel action RPG Marvel Heroes, is now taking players to the land of the Norse gods in the game’s biggest content update yet, Game Update 2.0 – Asgard. This massive update ushers in a new era for Marvel Heroes players, allowing them to play, for the first time, as the infamous Marvel character and brother of Thor: Loki. In addition to taking control of Loki’s sorcerous powers, players will experience new enemies, new items, new crafting recipes, new zones and more.
Marvel Heroes Game Update 2.0 – Asgard will feature:
· Asgard – The realm of the gods will include expansive new zones, a server-wide event to unlock the Bifrost Bridge to Asgard, new supervillains and more. Odin’s Palace will be introduced as a brand new player hub.
· Playable Villain Loki – Players can now play as the God of Mischief himself. The first playable villain in Marvel Heroes, Loki can use his sorcery to fire magical blasts, control spires of ice, and create illusions to confuse his foes. His ultimate power transforms Loki into a massive Frost Giant, gaining new powers and attacks.
· New Starting Characters – Marvel Heroes now has a brand new roster of starting heroes for new players to choose from. Expanding from the previous five choices, players can now pick a free Marvel superhero from a list of nine exciting and unique playable heroes.
· More Story Content – The epic story of Marvel Heroes continues in Asgard with brand new story missions featuring fully-voiced motion comics.
· New Items – New item types like rings and Legendary items each have their own new item slots. Players will want to hang on to legendary items, as they grow stronger and gain experience along with the player!
Marvel Heroes is free-to-play and features 26 Super Heroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine, Hulk and Captain America. All heroes can be unlocked by simply playing the game and each hero can be customized through unique and extensive leveling systems, power trees, diverse item drops and a robust crafting system. Players can choose to wear costumes from over 70 years of Marvel history, including costumes from Marvel’s recent theatrical blockbusters. Set across diverse locations from the Marvel Universe, Marvel Heroes offers fast-paced, action-packed gameplay.
To download and start playing Marvel Heroes today, visit http://www.marvelheroes.com or download the game on Steam.
Gazillion Entertainment is a privately held developer and publisher of free-to-play online games for all ages. Gazillion’s games feature revered brands, superior production quality and unmatched gameplay. For more information on Gazillion please visit www.gazillion.com.
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.
Sonic Lost World Developer: Dimps Publisher:Sega Platform: Wii U, Nintendo 3DS (Reviewed) Release Date: October 29, 2013 Price: $39.95 – Available Here
Overview Before Sonic was competing in the Olympic Games, racing a vehicle, or brawling, he was running around the hearts of many gamers for years. However while recent efforts have been hit and miss, Sega isn’t about to let everyone’s favorite hedgehog disappear. As such they have brought their latest Sonic game to Nintendo platforms in the form of Sonic Lost World. Does the 3DS version of Sonic Lost World have anything good to offer for fans of the Blue Blur?
Story While attempting to take down Dr. Eggman, Sonic and Tails find themselves on a new world where they Eggman has managed to gain control over six powerful creatures that are called the “Deadly Six.” However when these six manage to free themselves from the control of Eggman, they begin sapping the world of its power. Not only this, they have also gained control of Eggman’s badnik army. In an effort to put a stop to the Deadly Six and save not only this new world but also their own, Sonic and Eggman must work together to put a stop to these new threatening enemies.
The story of Sonic Lost World is rather mundane, though Sonic isn’t actually known for its great storytelling. That being said, the only way that the story is told is through terrible looking cutscenes which seem to be trimmed to the bare minimum as far as details go, or perhaps the story was simply not fleshed out in any way other than a reason to give Sonic a chance to take on some new opponents.
Gameplay
Sonic Lost World attempts to bring together a number of new mechanics while also keeping a number of classic elements integrated into the game. Every stage in the game sees Sonic having to run through a level, defeating or avoiding the enemies in his path, gathering rings, navigate through a multitude of obstacles and finish the stage to advance to the next area, potentially to face off against a boss.
As players make their way through the game Sonic still has his old bag of tricks where he spin-dashes, uses a homing attack to take down enemies in his path, picks up various bonuses that make him run faster, protect him from damage for a small time and other various pick-ups but this is mixed up with the new parkour aspect of the game which allows for Sonic to run along walls, jump between walls while running, and also run up and over walls as he navigates through the various levels in the game.
Various other inclusions feature the return of the Color Powers that see Sonic having a special ability depending on what Wisp he is using, Tails’ workshop which can give the player certain advantages with items that are crafted with materials earned by completing levels and boss battles, though these boss battles also turn out to be mediocre and mundane.
To start things off, Sonic Lost World displays a rather large amount of variety in its gameplay. There are early stages where players can run through an area quickly and areas where players will need to be very careful as they time their jumps and navigate through a number of difficult platforming sections. However what it offers in variety quickly wears thin when the game begins to devolve into something that may have been seen as an effort in variety and simply turned into an effort in testing the player’s patience.
While there are always numerous routes to take through a level, the level designs in Sonic Lost World are terrible. Players can find themselves taking a path only to find themselves going in a complete circle, something the game seems to anticipate considering the lengthy time limit most stages have. These issues are compounded with the fact that sometimes players simply have to take a leap of faith if they want to advance, often dying simply because they didn’t do exactly what the game wanted but giving absolutely no hint as to what they should have done in the first place. It is one thing to be challenging, it is another simply to have such poorly devised areas that eat away at lives.
It also doesn’t help that the game slows down to a crawl any time the game forces a puzzle aspect on the player, which require the player to slow down, complete a menial task, often involving pushing objects onto switches and continuing on. Of course there are now battle areas where Sonic has to defeat a set amount of enemies before he can advance, which wouldn’t be so much of an issue if the game’s lock-on system worked more often than not as Sonic would often completely miss enemies he had locked on too only to lose rings in the process. While this feature is standard, where certain enemies need to be stunned prior to being attacked, there are a number of enemies which require extended lock-on sequences simply to deal damage to which only makes the game slower and more monotonous than it ever should be.
There are a few bonus modes to the game as well as hidden elements to the game which involve collecting five red star rings. Players can return to previous levels after advancing far enough into the game to unlock new pathways and some additional gameplay from previously beaten levels. It is also worth noting that there are bonus levels where players can try to obtain a Chaos Emerald, however these stages are controlled entirely with the 3DS’ gyroscope which handles so terribly that players will probably feel sick to their stomach and quitting out of the stage long before completing it.
Visuals The Sonic franchise is known for having brightly colored areas and a lot of variety and Sonic Lost World doesn’t disappoint in this regard as each of the themed areas have a unique theme that manages to blend nostalgic areas with fresh levels, however the aforementioned issue still remains that these levels are terribly structured and designed and more often than not, boring.
It also doesn’t help that, although the gameplay itself sees Sonic looking rather nice in motion and the character designs of the Deadly Six are nice to see, the game suffers terribly whenever it is pushed to any length. If the player is hit while carrying anything more than fifty rings then prepare for a lot of slowdown as the game struggles to deal with the amount of rings on-screen. It is also worth noting that while cut-scenes are included in this game, they are compressed to such a terrible degree that every video is blurry looking, regardless of the 3D slider which actually makes things worse.
Audio It is worth noting that Sonic Lost World does have English voice work for what it is worth and it is what we have come to aspect over the years, nothing impressive but nothing too badly handled either. Thankfully the game’s soundtrack is rather impressive with some nice background music set to the stages that players find themselves having to deal with, often for extended periods of time.
Overall Sonic Lost World kicks off with a bang that helps lull gamers into a sense that this may be something great but slowly devolves into another troublesome entry into Sonic’s growing list of mediocre titles. While it has a few shining moments and a number of returning and new aspects are nice additions, terrible level design and tiring implementation of stalling mechanics make Sonic Lost World a game that fans will want to forget.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Fans of fantasy, adventure and action movies can look forward to the home release of Dragon Lore: Curse of the Shadow (previosuly known as SAGA – Curse of the Shadow) on DVD, Blu-ray and as a digitial download on Janurary 8th. The DVD will have an RRP of $29.99 while the Blu-Ray will cost $34.99. If you love movies like The Lord of the Rings then this might be a movie you should keep your eye out for. A synopsis of the movie is available below.
“Keltus, an agent of the ruling Order, is on the trail of the enigmatic Shadow cult. He reports to a local garrison to interrogate a captured Shadow cultist, but finds the man dead – murdered by Nemyt, an elven bounty huntress cursed with the Mark of the Shadow – an undead plague. Nemyt has learned of a secret meeting and a powerful treasure. Keltus frees her from prison and the two set out to rendezvous with the cult.”
Fans of fantasy, adventure and