Bethesda has announced that The Elder ScrollsAnthology is now available in Australia and New Zealand.For the first time in the history of the award-winning series, every iteration of The Elder Scrolls series will be compiledin one complete PC collection. Along with all five PC games, the anthology also includes the official add-ons for each title. Lets run through the list shall we:
Arena Assume the role of a lone prisoner and travel to Tamriel’s most famous and dangerous sites to collect the shattered Staff of Chaos and save the Empire from the evil Imperial battlemage, Jagar Tharn. The Anthology features the original version of Arena and will launch within a DOS emulator.
In all its DOS glory
Daggerfall The ancient golem Numidium, a powerful weapon once used to unify Tamriel has once again been unearthed. In the power struggle that follows, the King of Daggerfall is murdered and his vengeful spirit haunts the kingdom. The Emperor Uriel Septim VII sends you on a heroic path to put the king’s spirit to rest and ensure that the golem does not fall into the wrong hands. The Anthology features the original version of Daggerfall and will launch within a DOS emulator.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and Morrowind
Morrowind To fulfill an ancient prophecy, the Emperor sends you, an unknown Imperial courier, to the island of Vvardenfell to rid the land of Morrowind of a dark curse. Through a series of dangerous and magical quests, you are transformed into one of the Empire’s most enduring heroes. Also includes: Tribunal and Bloodmoon add-ons, plus The Elder Scrolls Construction Set.
Oblivion With the Empire ready to crumble, the gates of Oblivion open and demons march upon the land. In the shadow of evil, a hero will rise from the ashes of a fallen Empire. You must find the true heir of the Septim line and restore him to the Imperial throne, while unraveling the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. Also includes: Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions.
This is a Fus Ro Deal
Skyrim Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel. The future of Skyrim, even the Empire itself, hangs in the balance as they wait for the prophesized Dragonborn to come; a hero born with the power of The Voice, and the only one who can stand amongst the dragons. Also includes: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons.
The Elder Scrolls Anthology will also include five physical maps, detailing the lands of Tamriel, Iliac Bay, Morrowind, Cyrodiil and Skyrim. Packaged together in an exclusive premium collector’s, the game will cost AU$99.99 and NZ$124.95. For more information, visit the official site. The scrolls have foretold…
Space Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction and maintenance of space works. Players build space ships and space stations of various sizes and utilization (civil and military), pilot ships and perform asteroid mining.
Space Engineers is in alpha stage of development; core gameplay mechanics are mostly completed and, though its still far from complete, as Marek Rosa, the founder of Keen Software states, the video below shows a pretty full package already.
Keen Software is confirms that Space Engineers is “soon” to be available on Steam Early Access for the PC; other platforms have yet to be announced.
From what Marek Rosa states, Space Engineers takes the groundwork that Keen Software laid for Miner Wars and builds on it immensely.
“After finishing Miner Wars 2081, we could have proceeded with a sequel or an MMO, but we felt that first we need to focus on construction and sandbox mechanics, integrate them into our VRAGE engine, build a game that represents them in a best possible way – “Space Engineers” and then reuse them in our future games: a sequel to Miner Wars 2081, an MMO or something else.”
Thanks to a range of classification issues, Saints Row IV has seen an unusually long delay in Australia. But today gamers here can now play it on the Xbox 360 and PC, almost a month after our review. PlayStation 3 players unfortunately have to wait until September 20 which is over a week from now.
In Saints Row IV, the leader of the Saints has been elected to the Presidency of the United States. After an alien invasion, players wield various superpowers and fight to free humanity from alien Zinyak’s mental grasp.
Deep Silver and Volition have also released an accolade trailer which you can check out below.
According to Defamer, a “source close to the show” has noted that Joss Whedon had do a full-scale rewrite on the latest scripts from the set of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Looks like ABC’s highly anticipated Joss Whedon-produced drama is in need of a superhero. A source close to the show tells us that the latest scripts that have come in have been so bad, Whedon had to pull off a page one rewrite just an hour before the table read. Given that Whedon is supposed to be transitioning full showrunner responsibilities to his brother Jed Whedon and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen so that he can focus on his 83 other film projects, this ain’t a good sign.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., created for ABC by Joss Whedon, is set to premiere later this month. If the rumor is true, it shouldn’t affect the premier, but may bring problems later on.
Full Boost adds over 20 new mobile suits, totalling some 90 units which players can pilot. The following Gundam series have been confirmed so far:
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: The Blue Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Steel Seven
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
After War Gundam X
Turn A Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Astray
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed C.E.73: Stargazer
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
A PlayStation 3 port of the previous game, titled simply Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs., was released in 2011. Namco Bandai has given no indication whether it will release these games overseas, so expect a Japan-only release.
Get ready to shell out a few more influence Points; Riot Games, the masterminds behind League of Legends have announced the next addition to their impressive set of playable champions. Meet Ao Shin.
In Riot’s “Champion Sneak Peek” they mentioned that Ao Shin is a powerful storm dragon and guardian of the natural world. Legend holds that when Ionia faces its greatest crisis, Ao Shin will descend from the sky. But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Ao Shin as he made a cameo in Spirit Guard Udyr, an animated and interactive comic based within the realm of League.
Check out more of the sneak peek:
Let’s start with the inspiration for his name: Ao is the family name of the mythological dragon kings, who rule water and weather. This tells us right away that this is a powerful, elegant being, above the concerns and rules of men. Shin can mean many things, one of which is prosperity. It also means a rising storm. Ao Shin embodies this elemental duality, capable of raining good fortune on his allies and, in the very next breath, bringing stormy, thunderous ruin upon his foes.
The community’s been asking for a dragon champion for some time, but we knew we couldn’t just do any dragon. With each new champ, we try and push the limits of what’s technically and creatively possible. Ao Shin is no different. One of the challenges we’re looking forward to tackling is how to capture his unique anatomy and movement in a way that brings a new dimension to the champion pool. It’s too early to go into much detail, but we’re really excited about the ways this champion will move across the battlefield.
Ao Shin isn’t the next champion scheduled to come out, so he’s still a ways off, but it’s still exciting news. Like Riot states “Hopefully you’re as excited about his potential as we are to keep working on him!”
This October for only $0.99, the Rabbids are making space their playground. Rabbids Big Bang is being developed by Ubisoft Paris, who have handled the brand since 2006.
Key Features:
Rabbid Control!: In this physics-based game, players will pilot the crazy critters in their jetpacks, controlling their trajectory and utilising the gravitational pull of nearby planets. But you must manage your jetpack fuel consumption… you don’t want to be stranded in deep space.
150 Missions: Reaching specified speeds, bouncing off of space cows and crash-landing on various planetoids are just some of the wacky objectives to look forward to.
Customisation: Over your play-through, you will collect coins that can be used to buy upgrades for your jetpack, new disguises and outfits, power-ups and other special items.
Signature Humour: Meet space duckies, fly to cheese planets and scream Bwaaah! as you get too close to the sun and get sunburnt (how fun!).
Check out first screenshots in the gallery below, and the reveal trailer embedded at the bottom of this article.
For the first time ever in the series’ history, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl will have a definitive story mode. But die hard fans won’t have to worry too much as there is still a certain mode for those who like the freedom of the main Etrian Odyssey games.
This gameplay mode is the Classic Mode which offers players the first Etrian Odyssey title with only the main upgrades to the game, sans story mode. To show off the Classic Mode Atlus USA has released a new trailer for the game which can be seen below. As for the game itself, it is set to be released on October 1st.
As we learned during their announcement at Otakon last month, Viz Media is planning on releasing Ranma 1/2 on Blu-ray and DVD starting early 2014. What wasn’t revealed at that time is the fact that the company is planning on republishing the Ranma 1/2 manga series from beginning to end in a 2-in-1 omnibus format that will be read right to left for the first time ever. The manga releases will also begin in 2014.
Those who can’t wait a few months to see some Ranma 1/2 will be delighted to hear that the company has placed the first four episodes of the series on Huluand on VizAnime‘s streaming service. These episodes are subtitle only at the moment but they are planning on streaming the English version of the series on Neon Alley sometime this fall.
Overview
As all of the fans know, the Marvel Universe is split into many sectors, with several storyline arcs running at once featuring Stan Lee’s vivid creations. The “Ultimate” line changed a lot of the personalities we were used to when it was introduced well over a decade ago, but the Marvel faithful took to the series quickly – giving a brand new life to the brand as a whole. Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk may be the most prestigious of the lot, featuring writing from LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof, and with art by Leinil Francis Yu. The six issue mini-series has now been re-created in motion comic form through Marvel Knights, but does voice acting, a bit of animation, and a fancy case do justice to the original? Let’s find out.
Story
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk starts out with Logan being ripped into two halves by the green monster – which as you could imagine is an impressive way to start off any narrative. Of course that is just the beginning of this feature, as the entire plot has been treated much like the original mini-series and is broken up into six different episodes. This is also a slightly grittier tale than what we have seen from Marvel Knights, as the plot involves Nick Fury enlisting a very angry Wolverine into killing The Hulk, which is nearly a suicide mission in itself.
Instead of a linear story, each episode builds upon the next and even though an entire episode (or issue, if you will) clocks in at less than 10 minutes, there is still a very satisfying feeling as the credits roll each time. A good portion of the first few shorts take the viewer from the present to past on multiple occasions, slowly creating a build-up for the big showdown. I for one am not a big fan of flashbacks as I feel like they can be a scapegoat for stronger writing. Thankfully, that is not the case here as there are so many flashbacks to for the viewer to piece together that it actually paints more of a vivid picture of the animosity and genuine humanity of Logan, Bruce Banner, and all of the other characters involved. One point you will be watching a legless Wolverine climb up a mountain, while at another Betty Ross will be going through her own emotions – dealing with the love of her life being put in the cross-hairs of a nearly unstoppable mutant.
The writing never gets weak, as there truly is no filler to be found. Sure, there are moments where the action takes a break and we get some quick laughs (such as one scene where Wolverine finds his spirit animal), but the humor is clever and on point, only complimenting three stories that run parallel until not one, but several explosive encounters take place during the final two episodes. When it comes to the story, there is really is nothing to complain about unless you want to go into the fine details of loopholes, but why bother with that when the final product is simply a joy to watch? Now, if I had to mention any negative, it would be that the “Play All” function plays every episode, but has the viewer sit through the opening and closing credits on six different occasions, which can kind of kill some of the momentum and flow of the series due to the cliffhangers that each leave off on. That however is just a small nitpick to be honest though, as a quick fast-forward alleviates that problem.
Visuals
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk rips its art straight from the pages of the real deal, but as you would expect, this motion comic adds a bit more life with subtle animations. Well, “subtle” in this feature’s case might not be the best term to use, as the animation was done with great attention to detail, highlighting small movements, facial emotions, and even background fauna in order to set the appropriate atmosphere for the viewer – as well to tell the intended story. If you have seen Marvel Knights’ other works on DVD before, this won’t come off as a surprise, but it is still a welcome sight to see considering the lower price of the DVD.
Leinil Francis Yu deserves most of the credit for the quality put into Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk. Each character’s features are very detailed and the shading dark tones and shading blend perfectly with the raw tale at hand to really capture the viewer throughout each episode. Sure, this is no Oscar winning animated motion picture, but there was still a need for Wolverine and Banner to be portrayed in this darker perspective due to two lives being on the line and thanks to the added lines, wrinkles, sweat, and blood, we really get to see this story come together in one fantastic format.
Audio
Sound wise, the quality is just as good as the animation and art style that drives these six episodes – with clear, fitting music that captures the current scene and changes appropriately to offer something more than rock for the more exciting moments. The voice acting itself was also well done, as Bruce Banner comes across as a man who is completely torn, Logan – a lovable raspy voiced asshole with a conscience, and Betty, who is portrayed with a ton of emotion and quick wit during her decent amount of dialogue. The other voice actors do a fine job as well, but I think what makes this cast sound great is the fact that they took their work seriously. This is an adaptation from a comic book, and even though the plot is over-the-top and wild, the actors seemed to have put a great deal of effort and time into capturing their roles, which makes this motion-comic feel like so much more.
Extras
In terms of actual DVD extras, don’t go into this expecting to see a lot. There is a nice little featurette that has Yu and a producer speaking about the origin of this series which is rather interesting, but that is it. No bells or whistles, just the movie and a quick retrospective of sorts. For a DVD priced under $15 however, that isn’t too much of a disappointment. The packaging itself was made collectors, as the DVD is housed in a comic book styled case that is plastered with that beautiful art from top to bottom, and that alone makes it worth owning for the hardcore Marvel fans out there needing some new love on their shelves. Even though the material is cardboard, and plastic interior lining keeps your disc safe in its well crafted home as well, which is yet another plus.
Overall
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk has made a fantastic transition to the motion-comic world thanks to this Marvel Knights installment, with a fantastic presentation inside and out. The story told in a different way, but that format proves effective as each episode is guaranteed to leave the viewer in their seat until the final set of credits roll. The voice acting and artwork blend together to near perfection, and as someone who enjoys but is not a die-hard fan of the two anti-heroes at large here, I must say I was rather impressed with how much fun I had watching this collision occur. Marvel fans, this one is a no-brainer. To everyone else who is looking for something light, entertaining, and well executed at a low entry price – this is one hour of action that is worth every penny.
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