While we know that Tecmo Koei is currently planning on adding a new character called Marie Rose to the arcade version of Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, fans have been in the dark about whether or not she would be released on the console versions of the game. Thankfully, Japanese website 4gamer was able to interview director Yohei Shimbori who stated that she would be released as an update to the game, allowing anyone with Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate or even Core Fighters to use her.
To go along with this announcement a new skintight alternate costume for Marie Rose was revealed which can be checked out below.
The battle for the medieval world continues: InnoGames announces Tribal Wars 2
Sequel of strategy-classic “Tribal Wars” planned for closed beta within the next months
Hamburg, November 20, 2013. Today InnoGames announced the successor to its legendary strategy-MMOG Tribal Wars. The game will be called Tribal Wars 2 internationally (as opposed to its predecessor, which is known as Guerre Tribale in France, Guerres Tribales in Spain, etc.), and is planned to start its browser beta within the next few months. From now on, players can apply for one of the highly demanded spots on www.tribalwars2.com. The game sports state-of-the-art graphics and will later be released as cross-platform game for Android, iOS and all browsers. Therefore, players can set up one account for all platforms and play from whichever combination of devices they choose.
“Tribal Wars was the starting point for the success story of InnoGames. The game contains so much passion and personal commitment. This is why we’re very happy that Tribal Wars 2 will be the first native cross-platform game published by InnoGames.” explains Hendrik Klindworth, founder of InnoGames. An early closed beta aims at quickly receiving player feedback for future optimization.
In Tribal Wars 2, players find themselves as leader of a small village in the midst of a medieval world. Tasked with growing and expanding their empire within a war-torn landscape, they have to fight in order to survive. The MMO’s focus is real-time strategic battles with and against other players. Army size is not all that matters – political alliances and military pacts are crucial for success. Team play is a key aspect of the game. Compared to its predecessor, Tribal Wars 2 offers a significantly enhanced set of features, with a total of 17 buildings, 26 technologies and 13 units.
Tribal Wars was developed as a hobby project in 2003 by the three founders of InnoGames, Hendrik Klindworth, Eike Klindworth and Michael Zillmer. Even though financial success was not the goal, the game grew to a size where it was impossible to maintain privately. Today, Tribal Wars has more than 50 million registered players and recently celebrated its tenth birthday with a big in-game event and a video saying thank you.
With more than 110 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. Next to Tribal Wars, the Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Forge of Empires and Grepolis.
Overview
Not many franchises survive over 25 years and deliver time and time again. Not every franchise however is The Legend of Zelda, a series that not only entertained, but inspired gamers for over two decades. One of the most treasured of Link’s adventures is none other than A Link to the Past, which debuted on the Super Nintendo over 20 years ago. Sure, it was top down and different what we have seen in the more recent entries of today, but the exploration was limitless and Nintendo’s legendary charm oozed through every pixel, cementing it forever as a classic.
In the age of remakes and reboots, Nintendo have done one better and produced a successor to the game, strapping Link in for a brand new adventure in a familiar world. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a game where quality and nostalgia shine, but is that enough for fans to cash in yet again? Let’s find out.
Story
Those who expect to see a brand new Hyrule and stunning narrative are going to be slightly disappointed with A Link Between Worlds, as this game was marketed as a successor and serves as just that to a great degree. The Hyrule we knew in the SNES classic is a thing of generation’s past, with a new, young Link serving as antogonist to a journey full of charm and gentle dialogue.
Link begins his journey here by getting caught up in another evil plot by a sinister foe. This time, the bizarre, effeminate Yuga is causing the chaos, with a mission to turn seven sages (and anyone else of beauty) into pieces of his twisted art collection. While this plot sounds a bit basic, everything flows well and as the player progresses, our new protagonist’s motives become clear – delivering yet another satisfying dish to add to those already lengthy history books. Yuga is not the most deep Zelda boss we have seen to date, but the gimmickry works and despite the lack of layers he has as a character, I must say I grew rather fond of him towards the end.
As far as the rest of the cast go, there are more than two developed faces that we run into in this revamped locale. Ravio is the first of which, who is not shy about being a houseguest and comes loaded with humor as he serves items to our hero. Hilda, Zelda’s counterpart, is also a welcome addition, offering a more grounded change in terms of a guide. Sure, she isn’t the most intriguing guide we have seen in the franchise, but much like the rest of the cast, she serves her role well and has just enough mystery cloaked around her to entice the player to not skip those dialogue sequences. There are other characters that fit in place snugly, but to myself it was the little interactions that meant the most. Paying a couple a small amount of Rupees to hear a song, hearing an old woman snarl about chicken abuse, and several other encounters found within provide a ton of heart for an otherwise standard atmosphere in the Zelda universe, and entice the player to keep exploring as you never know what lies around the next corner.
It is that element that makes a Zelda game great, and A Link Between Worlds slightly sacrifices an interesting plot to Hyrule, allowing the player to discover the secrets of the path before them.
Gameplay
There are two different elements of core gameplay intertwining within this portable Zelda. The first is nearly the same engine we seen running within A Link to the Past, Minish Cap, or any other entry that featured the same perspective. You know, the top-down, up-down-left-right controls where the player simply walks from location to location, swiping enemies as they head off to the next dungeon. That familiar formula works well here, and comes off as polished as ever – with fluid “thought free” controls. The two screens do wonders to streamline the experience also, which we were teased a bit with the Ocarina remake back in 2011. Instead of floundering through menus to use an item, the player can access any blade or bow in their inventory with a quick swipe and drag. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to navigate Hyrule with so little stress and hesitation, as that lack of pausing allows you to focus all of your attention to what truly matters.
The other aspect is something brand new – the “merge” mechanic. Link can now walk right up to nearly any wall and merge with it, becoming a piece of living art. While movement is limited as “flat Link” to side to side motions, this opens up the already decently sized environment greatly and allows the player to hunt for secrets in an instant. There is rarely any battle mechanics incorporated with merging aside from evasion tactics, but that is not the intention Nintendo made with its inclusion. The purpose of going into that wall is to explore from another angle, and to solve puzzles utilizing a much more intuitive design mechanism. For example, if there is a crack in the wall but you can’t quite reach it, you first can find a comfy spot to merge that is at the same level, and then waddle on over – collecting any painted rupees along the way.
This makes for some brilliantly crafted puzzles that are sure to satisfy every single time you find the path you’re looking for. I am a bit odd with the whole Zelda franchise though. Instead of hunting dungeons to traverse through, I have always been the type that preferred to explore the world around me. Don’t get me wrong, the puzzles here are aplenty and they are all fantastic. I don’t want to sound like I am lessening my opinion of those for a minute. What I do want to say however is that this merge mechanic has changed everything in terms of exploration. The player can now go into so many different walls, even if it does not lead to anything in a very non-linear way this time around. Why? Because that freedom exists. Sure, there are rocks that can block you and you might have to pop out or find a smoother wall down the road, but a flat surface is around every corner – meaning you can play the game at your pace and discover all sorts of hidden secrets buried within.
The rupee is even more important as well, as the currency plays a large role in success as it has a greater purpose. No longer is the player collecting unnecessary funds, thanks to Ravio, the majestic dweller who is also a shopkeeper. For the first time, players have nearly every main weapon from the beginning due to a rental system in place. You need bombs to blow up a wall? How about an arrow to strike a distant target? A trek back to your house will give you all of those goods at a lower price than normal as you can now rent them. This isn’t as much of a free ride as it sounds, however. A death will drop your items instantly, and you will have to go all the way back to re-rent those coveted supplies. I would say it is an even trade off, and as you progress onward, these items can be bought and upgraded to perform much more satisfying results in combat.
Combat mechanics are much like the rest of the game and familiar enough, but there is a bit of a learning curve with specific items. Some weapons such as the ice wand have a timed delay but are useful due to their power on contact, while other weapons are all about speed with a trade-off of power. It is a balance we have seen for years now, and for nearly all Zelda fans out there, the variety and crispness to these tools will come as no surprise from a franchise that has paved the way in terms of delivery.
If I had to be picky at all and mention any negatives, it would be that the difficulty of this follow-up is a bit lighter. Now, it isn’t a cake walk, but I suffered very few deaths by just using common sense and alternating my inventory regularly. Merging, as I mentioned also can be a savior as well, allowing Link to scutter to safety around a large swarm. The boss battles act as a bit of a balance however, as each feature some decent puzzle mechanics to provide the challenge you may be looking for. Those who have spent 20 years speed-running older Zelda titles and trying to gain all of those hard to find heart containers will be happy to hear that this game is packed full of replay value, as the end of your story is just a beginning to a new journey that can be played at any approach due to the non-ordered dungeons and enjoyable little mini-games offered up by the friendly townsfolk.
Visuals
This was big for me. When we first seen screenshots from A Link Between Worlds, I thought it looked like some 3D puzzle game from the SNES era. It is odd how not playing the game and seeing it actually in motion can deter an opinion, but to say that I was personally on the fence with the graphics is putting it lightly. My worries were over in seconds however, as the little round models look gorgeous and this may be the best looking Zelda to hit a portable period. All of the color comes of as crisp and the animations never miss a step, allowing the polish to shine through and the player to experience a living art piece at their fingertips. Merging may change the art style a bit, but it all fits in wonderfully with the narrative in place, and adds a bit more depth to the Hyrule we already know. I never play 3DS games in 3D by choice, but for this instance, it is wise to get the full impact and crank that slider to the max, as Nintendo’s subtle use for the gimmick does nothing but make this world feel larger and more spacious, with the character’s charms bursting off the screen.
Audio
As far as soundtrack goes, I really feel like this is a given. You know its good. We have a symphony that has been on tour for years thanks to demand, and tunes like the ones found within this entry are the reason why. Without its music, A Link Between Worlds would still break through as a gem, but the sweet melodies come together to punch the player with waves of warm feelings of nostalgia and comfort time and time again. This is the kind of music that you have to wear earphones to appreciate every beat, and the lack of looping or repetition through travel gives the player a smorgasbord of delight as they enter new locations on the map. The sound effects are equally as pleasing, with Link’s little groans and the sound of enemies bursting about down nearly every path you come across. Sure, it is a portable title, but no one seemed to inform the sound team as they delivered a product of console quality.
Overall
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds may be the best portable entry in the franchise to date, and yes, I am including remakes with that. The world is vast and lively, and the new aesthetics do wonders to give a once explored world that has been picked dry a humble beginning. Some could say that a title like this is just for the old fans, the ones who spent hours with their giant console’s adapter heating their room as they bashed away at Octoroks into the AM. I would have to disagree however, as the new-found streamlining allows this to be a great starting point for a new generation – while still feeding the retro diehards all of the same content and gameplay they have devoured graciously for years. A Link Between Worlds comes off as a Link between generations, bringing everything full circle to create yet another unforgettable experience.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
If you happen to be a fan of Aksys Games‘ Muramasa Rebirth or Blazblue series then you now have a chance to not only help out a good cause and also get a nice bonus for your gift. Aksys Games has announced that they are holding a charity sale through their website where four items are being sold, with a part of the proceeds going to help those affected in the Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan.
The shop to purchase these items can be found here and the sale will continue until November 25th. The items on sale cost $5.00 each and include the following items:
Muramasa Rebirth Japanese Style Foldable Fan and Abridged Soundtrack CD set
Muramasa Rebirth Lithograph and Abridged Soundtrack CD set
If you happened to guess that the teaser website from Atlus USA was for Conception II like myself, then you can pat yourself on the back because in a world where fans can enjoy Senran Kagura in English, they will soon be able to enjoy Conception II in the West as well.
Today Atlus USA has announced that they are bringing the game over to North America under its new name, Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars, in Spring 2014 on the PS Vita and 3DS. The game finds the player playing as a young man who has started working as a Disciple, a human gifted with the powers of a Star God.
This gives him the ability to fight monsters from the Pandora Labyrinth and protect the world, but because every Disciple runs out of powers when they turn 18, it is the player’s job to create more “Star Children” to fight in battle and they will do this by making star children with various heroines in the game with dating-sim elements and taking them into battle where enemies have unique weaknesses depending on where the player attacks from.
As you have probably heard, Telltale Games made quite a name for themselves last year with their take on The Walking Dead series with their video game. After receiving acclaim from practically everywhere, the series has sold more than 21 million episodes and even received some post-game DLC in the form of 400 Days after its conclusion.
As such, Telltale has now released The Walking Dead: Game of the Year Edition which costs $30 and is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac. This physical copy of the game comes with all five episodes of the first season of the game as well as the 400 Days DLC, making it a perfect way to get ready for the second season.
Rockstar‘s Grand Theft Auto Onlineexperience has just received its first substantial content additions with the availability of the Beach Bum update. The developer pledge to supplement the major paid expansions with these more regular title updates, along with the instant and seamless adding of jobs from the Rockstar Social Club. Just fire up your respective console and automatic title update 1.06 will pop up for you to download. Rockstar have also done some significant tuning and made numerous fixes. Read on below for the details in their latest notes:
NEW VEHICLES, WEAPONS & MORE
Take on new Beach Bum Races with the BF Bifta dune buggy, the rugged Canis Kalahari off-road truck or the Bravado Paradise beach camper van. For aquatic-based endeavours, the classic Speeder speedboat is also now available. All four vehicles can also be accessed in Story Mode and are available at no in-game cost. To access them in GTA Online, just visit the southernsanandreassuperautos.com in-game website (or docktease.com for the Speeder).
Also available in both Story Mode and Online (and at no additional in-game cost) are the new SNS Pistol & Broken Bottle – a pair of close range weapons perfect for any beach blanket brouhaha.
This update also features a wide array of new apparel – everything from casual canvas hats to tank tops, t-shirts, board shorts and bikinis in a wide range of styles and colours… plus new hairstyle and tattoo customization options.
30 NEW JOBS COMING TO THE WORLD OF LOS SANTOS & BLAINE COUNTY
In conjunction with today’s Beach Bum update, we’re also adding 30 new Jobs to GTA Online today. This includes new beach-themed Races, Deathmatches, Parachutes, Last Team Standings and Gang Attacks, plus the beachfront “Survival on Del Perro Pier” and more.
TITLE UPDATE 1.06
Along with the new Beach Bum update content, automatic Title Update 1.06 also includes a host of fixes and adjustments for Grand Theft Auto Online, which are listed here:
Fixed an issue where the game would delete your personal Vehicle if you have another player in it when you add a Tracker and Insurance.
Fixed an issue where players could become stuck on the aerial view when entering GTA Online with cloud servers down and having just launched a mini-game.
Fixed an issue where the mission ‘Damaged Goods’ would start even though it had previously been completed.
Fixed an issue where under rare circumstances players couldn’t claim back their personal vehicle in GTA Online.
Fixed an issue where under rare circumstances players were able to get the Declasse Sheriff SUV into Los Santos Customs and respray it causing the menus to malfunction.
Fixed an issue where in rare circumstances players would lose all personal vehicles after being idle kicked and unable to rejoin an online session.
Fixed an issue where players could occasionally get stuck after killing a pedestrian with a golf ball.
Corrected an exploit where players would retain their personal vehicle after selling it at Los Santos Customs mod shop by transitioning back and forth between Story Mode and Online.
Corrected an exploit where players could keep repeatedly selling a Bati 801 to Los Santos Customs.
Corrected an exploit where players were able to duplicate vehicles by accepting a Mission while leaving a high-end garage.
Corrected an exploit where a player could start a Team Deathmatch with all players on the same team.
Players are no longer able to delete their GTA Online character while the Rockstar cloud servers are unavailable.
In tandem with today’s Title Update, we’ve also completed a new round of dynamic tuning on the game. This includes changes to the Bad Sport system and continued balancing of rewards for all different types Jobs. Notable adjustments are listed below:
The Bad Sport penalty for destroying personal vehicles has been reduced significantly.
Players will no longer receive a Bad Sport penalty when they are in a non-moving tank and other players crash a vehicle into them.
The GTA$ and RP rewards for Races, Deathmatches and Parachuting are now based on the average time they take to complete.
Players now receive GTA$ and RP rewards when failing a cooperative Job or being a member of the losing team during a Versus Mission, depending on how long the Job / Mission lasts.
Players now receive a bonus GTA$ multiplier for Missions when played at the higher difficulty levels (Normal = 1.25, Hard = 1.5).
In Team Deathmatch, all players on a team now receive the same GTA$ and RP rewards, with the winning team getting roughly 4-5x what the losing team receives.
Removed some instances of debris in specific Races, including the cardboard from the ‘Down the Drain’ Race.
Deliveries from Pegasus have been reduced from $1,000 to $200.
The cost of removing a wanted level by calling Lester has now been scaled based on the amount of stars you have – at a cost of $200 per star.
Restricted cars and vehicles that have been added to player garages through exploits have been removed. This includes tanks, helicopters and police vehicles.
The following vehicles have been added to the southernsanandreassuperautos.com website in-game: BF Dune Buggy, Canis Bodhi, Karin Rebel, Maibatsu Sanchez 2, Vapid Sadler, Vapid Sandking SWB.
To eliminate any remaining vehicle loss issues, an additional automatic cloud save will occur when purchasing a vehicle or vehicle modification.
As we continue to tune and adjust the evolving Grand Theft Auto Online player experience in the weeks and months ahead, we ask that you keep sending us your feedback – just fire over an email to [email protected] and tell us what you’d like to see implemented in future updates.
“Fight for your Father. Fight for your legion. Fight for Rome!” Marius Titus’ path to vengeance will soon be tread as Ryse: Son of Rome launches alongside Microsoft‘s Xbox One in two days. Check out its launch trailer embedded at the bottom of this article.
Although the Crytek title has been through the ringer since its reveal, it has definitely been well represented and marketed these last few months. Its recent trailers – including this one – present a truly epic story that, along with the stunning graphics, should sell the game for many. We’ll hopefully be leading legions throughout the Roman Empire ourselves in the coming week. Everyone loves a blood-soaked revenge tale, and so we’re hoping for an appropriately powerful experience.
Cowboy Bebop Remastered Sessions Collection 1 Studio: Sunrise Publisher: Madman Entertainment Format: Blu-Ray Release Date:October 16, 2013 Price:$39.95 – Available Here
Overview What makes us alive? What makes us dead? Cowboy Bebop asked these questions 15 years ago, by the end of its troubled original 1998 TV run it had reached an answer. We don’t die until we’re forgotten and we’re not alive until we have something worth remembering. In many ways Cowboy Bebop embodies these notions. 15 years after it wrapped up its 26 episode run, it lives on in the minds of anime fans around the world. Why is it that this anime has stood the test of time? Well it’s quite simply one anime series that you’ll never forget.
Story Mars, Earth, the expanse of the Universe – this was the vast playground that made up the world of Cowboy Bebop. Throw in a rag-tag group of bounty hunters traversing the enormity of space in search of a quick buck and you’ve got yourself the makings of a pretty good anime series. What makes Cowboy Bebop truly great however is what lies beneath – heart and soul.
Cowboy Bebop is of course the work that made Shinichiro Watanabe the renowned director he is today. This was the series that changed the landscape of anime forever. Cowboy Bebop became a wild success throughout the world, especially in the West where it came along with a tide of anime series proving that anime had a mature side too. There are many things about Bebop that made it so popular in the West, such as its many Western-styled settings and themes, but at its core its real success came from the fact that there was just simply nothing like it.
It was a special breed of anime and with these remastered episodes, the series hasn’t aged a day since 1998. The stories are just as impactful today as they were back then and the same goes with these characters. It has a timelessness to it that will likely never fade. There is something for everyone to relate to in here because no matter how extraordinary the lives and adventures of these characters may be, the emotions that come with them ring true. Once again it is that genuine heart and soul beneath Bebop’s surface that make it such an endearing series. Watanabe understands that sincerity is necessary for connection and in Cowboy Bebop the storytelling is about as emotionally genuine as it gets. Bebop understands human emotion and it underpins all of its stories with it in one way or another.
Whether it is feeling philosophic or adventurous, episode after episode, Cowboy Bebop proves to be a profound journey that is every bit as fun as it is thought-provoking. With this first collection the journey may have only just begun, yet so very much has happened. It is a true testament to Cowboy Bebop’s superb writing that it can accomplish so much in so little time. In what would take lesser series an entire season to do, Bebop does in one smooth episode. With each passing episode another layer is added to the world of Bebop and the tales that string it all together. This is storytelling at its finest.
Cowboy Bebop is not considered one of the greatest anime of all time for no reason. It is genuinely ground-breaking, following the beat of its own drum and being something unique in the immense history of the medium. To this very day, Cowboy Bebop still stands out as an anime masterpiece the likes of which few can match. It is the heart of Bebop that keeps it alive and it is its soul that keeps it in our memory.
Visuals and Audio As far as aesthetics go, Cowboy Bebop was far ahead of its time. With sprawling locales and highly detailed character designs that were both distinct and creative, it is hard to forget the visual style of Bebop. Blending film-noir, westerns and space opera, Cowboy Bebop stumbled upon a unique aesthetic to use as a backdrop for the series action. Each of the planets is varied and detailed in their own way, crafting a sense of true scale for this universe sized canvas that Watanabe and his team were painting. The animation is superb, with high level fluid sakuga being prominent throughout. You can very much tell that Watanabe and his team were at a creative high point when developing the series world and characters. In this special remastered edition of the series it only looks better in HD, with true crisp pristine visuals preserving the original work for modern audiences.
One of the most touted features of Cowboy Bebop is its brilliant soundtrack, with this remastered collection it is easy to see why. Yoko Kanno’s immortal compositions sound incredible on this release. The soundtrack itself is every bit as brilliant as they say, not only adding immensely to the action on screen but also at times being a part of it. Kanno truly had a special vision for Cowboy Bebop and that musical creation stands the test of time as one of the greatest ever as far as anime goes.
Extras Madman Entertainment have done an absolutely remarkable job on this collected release of remastered episodes of Cowboy Bebop. The release comes jam-packed with a plethora of bonus content and goodies that are sure to delight fans of the series and make this release a true collector’s item.
The Remastered Sessions Collection 1 comes bundled with a 40 page art book that compiles several of the series original design artwork for characters, vehicles and locations. It is a great look into the world of Bebop in the form of an art book. Not only that but there are also several commentaries both Japanese and English, the music video for theme song Tank! and much much more. It is real value for money and a must have for all fans of the series.
Overall 15 years later we still remember Cowboy Bebop, it still captures our imagination and evokes thought and introspection. For a series that had its initial TV run aborted and put into question as to whether it would ever be completed, it is actually quite fitting that it has experienced such a long shelf life with anime fans. That’s the Cowboy Bebop way after all, rebellious through and through. In fact its not hard to believe that 50 years from now people won’t still remember Cowboy Bebop and the real folk blues it brought to the world.
Cowboy Bebop is simply an anime masterpiece, an adventure that all anime fans must take. This is heart and soul, love and hate, time and space, all wrapped up into what is one of the greatest anime of all time. And you know, this collection is only the beginning, what lies ahead is something you’ll really never forget. So until then, just for now – See You, Space Cowboy.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Namco Bandai Games have just announced the official release date and further details for the upcoming swashbuckling RPG adventure game One Piece: Romance Dawn for the 3DS. The game is set for an official release both digitally and physically on February 14th, 2014.
One Piece: Romance Dawn is said to retell the infamous story of One Piece in RPG action. The game will feature several of the greatest moments of the One Piece anime series such as the Arlong arc and even Drum Island arc.
The game will be released physically in a special limited holographic cover editions that will be exclusive to Gamestop and EB Games. These holographic editions are extremely limited and will serve as a great collector’s item for One Piece fans.
Stay tuned for more information on One Piece: Romance Dawn as its release date approaches.
