Thief has gotten a couple different trailers recently, but hasn’t being showing too much in the way of gameplay for the return of Garrett. The new trailer today from Square Enix and Eidos-Montreal tries to make up for this showing off a little bit of gameplay as Garrett meets up with his old friend Basso and heads off to steal the Heart of the Lion.
Though the trailer isn’t 100% gameplay it does show off at least a little bit, in between snippets of action and shots for dramatic effect. Though the amount that Garrett seems to talk to himself is somewhat interesting as he sneaks his way around and attempts to escape.
Those wanting to see what the gameplay of Thief will be like when the new game comes out in February 2014, can find the trailer embedded below. Thief will be releasing for Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, and PC and is offering a special Bank Heist mission for those preordering.
BEYOND: Two Souls has finally released in stores and so Sony and Quantic Dream have put out a new trailer for the occasion. The trailer is fairly cinematic and does reveal too much about the story, but does show off a big diversity of times and locations in the life of the main character, Jodie Holmes.
Beyond: Two Souls follows Jodie across 15 years of her life as she does what looks like everything from surviving homelessness to being a lethal secret agent. Of course it wouldn’t be a David Cage game if the decisions players made didn’t have an impact on the story.
Those wanting to see this final trailer to get one final taste of the game before deciding whether they want to go out and get it for themselves can find it embedded below or even check out our write up on the exclusive demo. BEYOND: Two Souls is now available exclusively for the PS3.
Not many games fall under the beautiful genre combination that is ‘car combat’, but when one does, nostalgia hits me like a truck and I am taken back to the days of the white-knuckle classic, Demolition Derby on the original Playstation. Little is more satisfying than sending your friends flying as you crumple the hood of your car into whatever unlucky vehicle they happen to be driving at the time. Hell, it’s one of the many reasons why GTA IV’s online mode was still inhabited right up until the release of GTA V online which I’m sure will be an even greater success.
Gas Guzzlers Extreme is a new game by Iceberg Interactive that they hope will become, “the new benchmark for any future car combat title in terms of graphics, physics and gameplay.” Spanning across over 350 miles of road, 40 tracks, and 8 combat arenas, friends will be able to play online against each other over Steam for hours of vehicular carnage. Each player starts off with a small car, but by earning money in a variety of different races, you can buy bigger and better cars that will leave your opponents beaten and bruised in seconds.
You can pick up Gas Guzzlers Extreme on Steam now for £18.99/US$24.99/€22.99/AUS$24.99 (BUY HERE). Until the 15th October there is a 20% off sale so if you want it, now is your chance!
William ‘B.J.’ Blaskowicz is back and he’s crazy as ever! Literally… although comatose (a big although), he’s been in a mental asylum for 14 years for Christ’s sake! Or shall I say Hitler’s sake, for when he breaks out in 1960 and re-enters civilisation, he finds that the Nazi forces have won the war and are in total control. Do you think the former Captain would stand for this? Hell no!
At Bethesda‘s booth on the EB Games expo 2013 show floor, we were treated to a hands-off demo of the upcoming ninth entry in the long-standing, genre-defining franchise that – you may have ascertained – presents an alternate timeline. Being developed by MachineGames – a new studio owned by Zenimax and made up of former Starbreeze developers – Wolfenstein: The New Order utilises the id Tech 5 engine and seems at first to be a very basic shooter, although we are assured that there will be substantial variety in this single-player only experience. Nonetheless, just because it might be basic, doesn’t mean it can’t be satisfying.
B.J. has found his way onto a secret nazi base…okay, by “found”, I mean a driver sacrificed his life by crashing his vehicle into the side of the facility, allowing B.J. a decidedly ostentatious entrance. Soldiers swarm on the brash and patriotic warrior, who brutally guns them down. While we couldn’t get out hands on the game, it is immediately clear just how impactful and heavy the guns are. The decibel count on those bad boys is high; I mean these weapons are loud! And huge! B.J. doesn’t mess around… and neither do the Nazis, who have large mechs at their disposal.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is an old school shooter, which is probably the absolute best, most succinct way to class it. It’s essence is in line with the soul of the genre, which is simply killing bad guys. Nothing too fancy here, although there are a few newer elements that have implemented. Of note is the laser cutter, which can be used two different ways: as an offensive weapon, and as a tool. While you can certainly fry the Third Reich baddies like bacon, its the laser cutter’s functionality as a puzzle solver that is most intriguing. Not only is it useful for specific moments where something needs to be cut or unlinked, but it can also be used for more impromptu purposes…
Need to be stealthy, but don’t want to risk leaving the comfort of your cover? Laser a hole into your current cover and shoot through it! Don’t want to waste ammo, but are too curious to leave that crate untouched? Laser a hole in it and find that you were right! Grab that health pack! Wood, metal… the laser cutter can burn through most materials, and in any shape your artistic heart desires. It’s a very cool mechanic that definitely adds a little freshness to proceedings. It’s also good for finding hidden pathways and possibly collectibles. One cool usage for the laser was cutting through the breaks of an elevator while standing on the counterweight, which whips B.J. upwards at breakneck speed. It will need to be charged at battery bays, so you will have to be wary of its ammo level.
Advancing through the facility and discovering that Nazi’s landed on the moon, B.J. spouts one of the most ridiculous lines ever recorded: “They sent nazi’s to the moon? Fuck you moon!”. That should give you a solid idea of the pulpy tone found within. Is this the sort of stable man who should be dual-wielding powerful shotguns? Should anyone? They literally blot out half of the screen and demolish everything in their path. If I was a nazi, I would run. I’d also secure my experimental weaponry more tightly, as B.J. comes across an advanced version of his laser cutter called the laser kraftwerk.
Acquiring the above-mentioned laser kraftwerk requires a mini-puzzle solution, as you can operate the stationary gun, but a blast door absorbs the laserbeam and nothing happens. You have to climb the encasement, laser through the chains holding the blast door – resulting in it falling to the ground with a big thud – operate the gun again, wait out the giant, gaping, circular hole it makes in the glass wall and you can then detach it. The comparatively puny laser cutter is then discarded by B.J., who says gruffly, and plainly, “No!” as he does so. As an aside, as he leaves the area, I noticed a notification popping up saying that concept art of the zone had been unlocked.
In the final coup de gras for the demonstration, B.J. enters a hangar area, stealthily stabs a nazi and then goes to town with his “two of a kind” shotguns, rifles and more. Wolfenstein: The New Order is visceral, and the whole laser mechanic is a refreshing inclusion. It is scheduled for release sometime in 2014 for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC. And with Zenimax opening up an office in Sydney, hopefully next year Bethesda’s presence and impact at the annual EB Games Expo will be even greater.
Back during September 25-26, EA Games Australia hosted heats for the FIFA 14 National Championship. Conducted at Hoyts Cinemas across the country, the final eight emerged and converged at EB Games Expo 2013 after winning economy class airfares to Sydney and one night’s accommodation.
At the show, the semi-finals and finals were decided and then conducted on the final day of the expo. So, what was up for grabs? The ultimate winner would go on to earn the title of Australia’s EA SPORTS National FIFA 14 Champion, $3,000 in the form of a giant novelty check, a FIFA 14 and EA SPORTS Football Club Official Wired Controller and a huge trophy that kicks-balls! Soccer balls… I could have avoided that…. The runner-up also received the controller and a miniature version of said trophy. The festivities’ hosts were Jeremy ‘Junglist’ Ray of former ‘Good Game’ fame and currently the Telstra BigPond GameArena webshow ‘5-inch Floppy’, and David Basheer, host of ‘The World Game’ on SBS.
A couple of our four semi-finalists may be familiar to those on the circuit: Kieran ‘Muzza’ Murray, Matt Russell, Steven Currie and ‘Humpty’… I just like the idea of simply calling him ‘Humpty’. The semi-final match-ups were determined by a classic draw from a hat. First up was ‘Scurrie’, as Junglist Christened him, and Matt Russell. Each game was contested under 6 minute halves, with no substitutions allowed unless a player is injured – and not in the case of those pansy bandage icon injuries… we’re talking ‘health cross’ injury. Both sides chose to select Brazil as their team, but it was ‘Scurrie’ who came out victorious with a beautiful finish by Ramires from the masterful lob through-ball pass by Alves at the 13 minute mark.
Next, ‘Muzza’ played ‘Humpty’ to another 1-0 result, as another mirror match – this time in Germany vs Germany – ended with Klose completing a fantastic header from the corner for ‘Humpty’. Before finding out who will reign supreme, David and ‘Junglist’ took a break from commentary to introduce special guests: striker Tahj Minniecon and goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson from the Western Sydney Wanderers. The two briefly answered questions on the A-League, and their experience with the FIFA video game series. When asked what it is like playing under coach Tony Popovic, Jerrad stated; “It hurts!”. The two then went on to prove their prowess in football, not just on the pitch, but in-game, although Tahj’s Arsenal dismantled Jerrad’s Bayern Munich 2-0. Guess his skills as a goalie don’t translate?
And finally, the much anticipated final had arrived. Keeping their originally selected teams, ‘Scurrie’ and ‘Humpty’ engaged in a greatly competitive match… for the first half; Klose with a finesse shot at 19′ and Hulk responding at 42′ with a stunning header. But then, ‘Humpty’s’ Germany ran away with it, as Klose scored a hat trick after an amazing diving header at 50′ and the culmination of an immensely skillful build-up at 88′. Then, for the icing on the proverbial cake, Ozil strikes for goal at literally the last minute! Humpty goes home with the spoils and an impressive 4-1 win against a long time veteran of the franchise.
FIFA is one of those games that is actually enjoyable to watch, and these guys put on a clinic. Congratulations to all the contestants for a magnificent effort!
Are you still playing Disney Infinity? Are you starting to crave the next lot of content? Well guess what, starting this Halloween, Wave 2 will officially be on store shelves. From October 31st, Disney will be releasing a bunch of new figures, Play Sets and Power Discs.
Wave 2 will be lead by the infamous Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington. Hitting store shelves on Halloween, he will be playable in the Toy Box Mode. To celebrate Jack’s release, Disney have released a video which you can check out at the bottom of the artivle. Judging from the video, he has all the appearance and movement style that fans have come to expect. Sadly, he wont be playable in any of the game’s Play Sets, however two of the Power Discs in the second wave will allow you to customise the look of your Toy Box to reflect Halloween Town, including the curly mountain that has become synonymous with the film.
Joining The Pumpkin King on October 31st is the latest Play Set: Toy Story in Space. The Play Set is shaping up to be one of the best of the lot, and will come included with Buzz Lightyear and Jessie figures. The figures are fantastically designed and will look great on their own, or alongside the rest of your Disney Infinity collection.
Lastly, there are three special edition figurines that are exclusive to EB Games and are crystal variants of the Starter Set characters; Mr. Incredible, Jack Sparrow and Sully. they are primarily clear, with some of their features and detailing still coloured. They have different skills and abilities from their regular counterparts, and also get their own section in the Hall of Heroes. They were initially only available for pre-order at this year’s EB Games Expo. These crystal figures are incredibly limited, so if you haven’t ordered them yet, then you might want to head down to your local EB Games store to do so.
So that is a brand new Play Set, and four other figures all coming out on October 31st. This is far from the end of Disney Infinity, as the next lot of figures is set to release on November 28th, and will include characters from Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen among others. Since Disney Infinity is still going strong, remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Disney Infinity news as it becomes available.
Battlefield 4 had one of the most consistently busy lines at EB Games Expo 2013, with FPS fans clamouring to get their hands on the multiplayer demo available at the show. At one point, the line was held up because One Direction apparently wanted to come through and try a round… although we actually never saw them. Not that I was waiting with baited breath or anything… ahem, well, moving on. We were able to cut in (VIP Quick-Pass, yeah, that’s right) and play through a match on the Paracel Storm map – running on a PC with Xbox 360 controllers (don’t hate me!).
Split into the United States Marine Corps and Russian Ground Forces, we engaged in the new Obliteration match-type. Officially revealed at Gamescom back in August, Obliteration tasks each team with simultaneously defending three M-COM stations whilst attempting to destroy the opposing team’s with a bomb. After spawning, a notification alerts the players to the position of the bomb, of which there is only one at any given time. The bomb can be dropped, and when a station is successfully dismantled, its position resets and the scramble starts all over again. If neither team wipes out the other’s stations, the winners are determined by highest team score at round’s end.
At first, we considered Paracel Storm an interesting choice for this kind of objective because it is quite wide open. There is one main island in the centre of the map with buildings and constructs for urban warfare, and seven or so smaller isles surrounding it. Jet-ski’s provide the means for a quick escape – especially for the man with possession of the explosive – but there are so many angles and approaches to be aware of. And with each M-COM station based on a small isle, you literally have to defend 360 degrees around. This singular map embodies the original tagline of ‘Land. Air. Sea’, and in the end, is conducive to the cat and mouse style gameplay that Obliteration evolves into.
At the deploy screen, you have the necessary and expected options as it regards load-outs and initial set-up. You can spawn in on a fellow squad-mate, who may be riding a jet-ski, running, parachuting in or even piloting an attack chopper. In the case of finding yourself at the helm of a vehicle, you can easily switch among its various seats and functions at the press of a button. The game runs very smoothly at 60fps, and what was immediately noticeable was the perfect blending between animations for soldiers on-foot. Character models shift weight when turning and jumps do not look canned like in most first person-shooters. In-continuity with the Levolution system that’s been introduced, there is a much higher level of destructibility on a more minute level, as well.
Speaking of Levolution, Paracel Storm features two key events that alter the landscape: a devastating tropical storm that affects vision and even mobility – so don’t get caught in an amphibious vehicles when the waters get choppy – and a destroyer that actually changes the layout as it crashes into the Earth. Although we didn’t experience the height of these set-pieces in our play-through, feedback from other players suggests that it is very effective (and you’ll be able to find out for yourself as Paracel Storm is added to the open beta map list). A highlight of the match was shooting at an airborne Z-11W from an abandoned RCB-90’s M134 Minigun, which was quite satisfying, and exemplary of the visual feedback you get when landing direct hits on aircrafts as it lit up with fiery FX.
Our time was brief, but the improvements since Battlefield 3 are clear. And with the promise of truly dynamic, changing arenas thanks to Levolution, Battlefield 4 should really live up to its namesake. It releases October 29th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and at launch for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in November. In the meantime, check out our interview from the expo with DICE Creative Director Lars Gustavsson.
During EB Expo 2013 at Microsoft’s Xbox booth, we were lucky enough to get our hands on the latest installment in the Forza Motorsport racing game series, Forza Motorsport 5.
Much like its predecessors, Forza Motorsport 5 focuses heavily on creating a highly realistic gameplay experience for players. Be it the tight control scheme that is both easy to learn and difficult to master, or it’s astonishing photo-realistic visuals, it is evident that Turn10 Studios have prioritized realism.
On the Xbox One we see just how much a leap the Forza Motorsport series has made, with here to before impossibilities now becoming a reality with Forza Motorsport 5. Most interestingly for Aussies, would be the inclusion of the famous Mount Panorama track at Bathurst. It is a legendary track, but one that for a long time now has been difficult to capture realistically due to the immensity of it. With the power of the Xbox One, tracks that require such intense detail like Mount Panorama are possible.
Another new inclusion to Forza Motorsport 5, is another feature that was previously not possible in the series. That is of course the Drivatar feature, which is constantly sending data on your playstyle and other details to the cloud, to allow others to race you even when you are not online to play the game. It’s an ingenious system, the looks to work superbly.
The game also features the most expansive selection of playable vehicles ever seen in a Forza Motorsport game, with a plethora of cars from all manner of makers such as Ferrari and McLaren. There is of course some Holdens there for Aussies to get comfy in. Not only can you take these cars for a spin in a number of different race modes but you can also dive into the new and improved vista mode, which is now titled ForzaVista rather than AutoVista. Unlike previous titles, you will be able to explore every single vehicle in the game in great depth in this mode.
There is also the career mode, which allows you to compete in a number of races and competitions, unlocking different vehicles along the way and earning credits. The career mode features detailed commentary from Top Gear, highlighting the different types of races and vehicles you can take on.
An interesting alteration to the career mode is the ability to choose which types of races and tournaments you would like to partake in, rather than being forced into a set schedule that puts you into cars you don’t care for and races that bore you. Instead you can play the game your own way and to your liking. This looks to prevent players from being burned out on the career mode by putting them in control of what they want to do and how they want to progress. Its another ingenious addition to the game.
As previously mentioned, Forza Motorsport 5 is aesthetically gorgeous. The incredible amount of detail is utterly awe-inspiring, be it the way light refracts or the way that paint wears out or the grass moves. It is all thanks to the monster effort of Turn10 Studios and it’s a job well done undoubtedly.
Forza Motorsport 5 is shaping up to be the must-have title for the Xbox One and quite the impressive racing video-game as well. It builds upon the foundations set in Forza Motorsport 4 and develops it into bigger and brighter things. The Xbox One’s power is put to the test with Forza Motorsport 5 and it holds up nicely. This is the game to look out for on Xbox One.
Now that Natsume has announced the release date for Hometown Story, which happens to be a little under two weeks away at this point, the company has also decided to release a new English trailer for the game which you can check out below.
Unlike past games from Yasuhiro Wada, the original man behind the Harvest Moon series, the game will follow the player as they inherit their grandmother’s shop that happens to be in their hometown. Since your grandmother’s passing, the shop has become so run down that barely anyone visits it anymore and players must now work to not only live out their own lives in the game but also restore the store and make it better than it ever was in the past.
It should be pretty much accepted at this point that anytime a game is announced by a major studio or is close to being released, that a season pass of some sort will be announced and low and behold here we are with a season pass for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Today Ubisoft has announced that the season pass which will cost $20 regardless of the console you buy it on will offer players a bunch of DLC at a one time cost that will save gamers 20% if they choose to buy it all individually. Anyways, the DLC includes things such as a ship pack, weapons, collectibles, characters for online and also a single player DLC mission following Adewale.
A trailer has been released for this single-player DLC which you can check out below. Also, you can also check out our latest hands on coverage with the title here.
Lastly, there are three special edition figurines that are exclusive to EB Games and are crystal variants of the Starter Set characters; Mr. Incredible, Jack Sparrow and Sully. they are primarily clear, with some of their features and detailing still coloured. They have different skills and abilities from their regular counterparts, and also get their own section in the Hall of Heroes. They were initially only available for pre-order at this year’s 
