XCOM: Enemy Within made a showing at PAX Prime this year where it showed off many of the new elements that would be coming to the expansion. When it comes down to either showing players the new additions or telling the players about the new additions 2K and developer Firaxis Games decided to better play it safe than sorry and do both with a narrated gameplay demo.
The video, narrated by Lead Designer Ananda Gupta, shows a bit of the new this time around for Enemy Within, though more focused on the human side of the conflict than the alien side. From mech suits, to genetically tinkered soldiers, to new weapons, players will have plenty of new toys at their disposal. But, the video does end with a little look at the alien mech that will be joining the forces players will oppose.
Those wanting to see these new elements in action can check out the trailer embedded below. XCOM: Enemy Within is currently set to release in November for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Dark Souls was without a doubt a game that took the world by storm (check out our review here). FROMSOFTWARE and Namco Bandai managed to blend intense action, deep RPG elements and an absolutely brutal difficulty to create something that was far more than a sum of its parts. Since the announcement of a sequel, fans everywhere have been dying to delve back in to the world of Lordran once again.
Well guess what, now you have that opportunity! Starting today, Playstation 3 owners (sorry Xbox 360 users) can download a free Beta Invite Ticket. Once downloaded, you go in for a chance to be a part of Beta test for the upcoming Dark Souls II.The beta will run in two stages; the first beginning October 12th, and the second on October 27th.
For more information, and detailed instructions on how to get your Beta Ticket, then head over to the Dark Souls Facebook Page, or the Playstation Network site, and start downloading. Are you ready to sharpen your swords, traverse the lands of Lordran, and die over and over again? Let us know in the comments below what you are most excited about. Dark Souls II is set to release on current-gen consoles in March of next year, so remember that for all the Dark Souls news as it becomes available, be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
The opening features more character portraits, attack animations and Fairy Fencer F’s theme song “Resonant World” by Maho Matsunaga of pop group StylipS. The game will also have an ending theme by singer Choucho.
Fairy Fencer F is set in a world where devils and goddesses waged war long ago. Since then, warriors known as Fencers have arisen wielding Fury weapons left behind by the powerful entities. War breaks out again when two young Fencers meet, Fanga and Tiara. Within Fang resides a Fairy named Alyn whose memories have disappeared.
The PlayStation 3 exclusive is part of Compile Heart’s new Galapagos brand, catered for Japanese players, and is set to launch in Japan on October 10.
It’s only been two days since Total War: Rome II was released for the PC and Creative Assembly are hard at work on an update. Full patch notes along with the patch itself are expected on Friday, but apparently it will address known instances of crashes due to hardware conflicts and several other performance fixes.
Let’s be honest here. Who remembers a smooth, bug-free Total War game at launch? There are reports coming out from players with issues ranging from graphics glitches to buttons on the user interface not working as they should and various AI issues. The team sound pretty committed though, promising to update the game on a weekly basis in order to “tweak the balancing, AI routines and other features”.
Creative Assembly has advised anyone experiencing graphical issues including low resolution textures to check their support forums containing settings suggestions “which will improve visuals in almost all cases.”
Ghost in the Shell 2.0 Studio: Production I.G. Publisher: Madman Format: DVD (reviewed), Blu-ray Release Date: December 2, 2009 Price: $24.95 DVD, $29.95 Blu-ray – Available Here
Overview Ghost in the Shell. It’s almost impossible for any anime viewer to escape this title. It’s a franchise that’s worshiped by old-timers as the herald of technology and a timeless classic. For the rest of us (this reviewer included) it’s an anime that’s always at the back of our minds waiting to be watched. Forever on the to-do list if we could just tear ourselves away from the torrent of new shows. With the advent of the new Ghost in the Shell: Arise OVA series, now is the time to look back on the franchise. Ghost in the Shell 2.0 is a re-release that attempted to revive and modernise the original film. Does it do a classic justice while appealing to newcomers? Let’s dive in.
Story As far as I’m aware this is essentially the same film plot-wise as the original from 1995, give or take a few shots. Set during the year 2029, the story begins right in the middle of an operation involving Major Motoko Kusanagi and her law enforcement organisation Section 9. After a spectacular exploding-head scene, we learn from snippets of conversation between our robotic buddies that this is a society that has progressed beyond merely prosthetic augmentations to one that manufactures bodies, or “shells”, complete with cyborg brains. It’s actually become uncommon for someone to still have their old-fashioned, organic brain. That which makes you human, your soul, is known as a “ghost” thus allowing your conscience to “dive in” to computer systems and even other vacant shells.
Ignoring how awesome this sounds, such a concept opens up a can of worms regarding what really makes us human. Especially when it becomes known that cybernetic brains can be hacked into, false memories planted and people used at the whim of others. If one isn’t just a cyborg, but also has no real memories, then what are they? If DNA code is life, then is artificial computer code also a life-form should it gain sentience? This is the crux of Ghost in the Shell’s message and director Mamoru Oshii’s genius in film making.
Motoko is soon assigned to capture an elusive hacker known as the Puppet Master. The story thus far was fairly coherent, but at this point it seemingly jumps around when a female robotic body is suddenly discovered on a highway, apparently “fresh” with no ghost inside. What follows is conflicting interests between Section 9 and the secretive rival Section 6, who clearly know more than they’re letting on.
My complaint here is that while it’s ultimately a complete package (providing you pay close attention to the story), you end up with very few answers once you start asking questions. The amount of exposition in the later half and the very open ending make you feel uneasy. You want to know more, to press the pause button and hope that the characters fill you in on all the detail that’s hiding behind the curtains. An 83 minute movie just doesn’t allow you to get attached to Motoko, Batou and the rest of the crew like a TV-length series does. Since the story progresses at a rapid pace you say “Oh, OK, damn..” and move on. It’s actually difficult to remember Ghost in the Shell 2.0 unless you watch it a second time and let it sink in.
You see, GitS goes at its own pace, slow in some areas then information overload in others. Having said that, it doesn’t feel incoherent like some other anime movies. (I’m looking at you, Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works). Everything develops as it should, albeit not exactly catering to the viewer. It really is its own beast.
Visuals 2.0 retains much of the gritty visuals of the original. It’s the attention to detail, whether it’s the futuristic but almost depressingly run-down city or the authentic weapon design. Ghost in the Shell feels alive and completely believable despite the far-flung concepts of artificial intelligence and cyborgs. Oh, and this needs to be said. Robots are HEAVY, no matter how lean the body is. GitS is fantastic in portraying this fact, with Motoko crumpling the ground as she lands from the air despite her size and unable to float on her own in the water.
Onto the CGI, this is a hit and miss. Personally I wasn’t that bothered by the almost PlayStation 2-like cinematic graphics that were injected in some scenes. Admittedly, they probably should’ve just stuck with the original animation as pure CG wasn’t good enough but it also wasn’t smoothly and discreetly implemented like in Evangelion 1.11. This might be a deal-breaker for diehard fans, but newcomers have enough to digest than to waste brain power worrying about the CGI.
The several action set-pieces are visceral, not over-the-top, largely thanks to the authentic combat direction and hand-drawn animation. Weapons do real damage here, whether it’s a 9mm or high-calibre. Unlike many modern sci-fi anime where the plastic-like guns and sidearms simply spray, ineffectively bouncing off everything.
Audio The sound has been remastered and the voice-acting re-recorded with the original voice actors. The Puppet Master has been given a new voice, however. I watched this in Japanese out of preference, but given how downright gritty and mature Ghost in the Shell is you’d be glad to know the English cast perform admirably.
The sound effects are great too, matching the well-crafted visuals. The highlight in the audio department is the soundtrack. Kenji Kawai (Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works) has faithfully recreated the ethereal and atmospheric musical score that gives the whole movie this bleak feeling. It’s just phenomenal when everything stops and you’re fed images of the populated but at the same time eerily empty city to the backdrop of this music.
Extras With no physical extras in sight, you get on the disc a Making-Of “Production Report”, Creator and Director biographies, character dossiers, a theatrical trailer and a glossary for those who have no clue what anyone’s talking about. There’s more than a few of us out there.
Most importantly, though, you get the original “1.0” film included. That pretty much seals the deal for anyone unhappy with how Production I.G. have handled the remake and, in particular, the fairly obtrusive CGI.
Overall This is essentially a re-release of a proven classic for the modern market. Ghost in the Shell 2.0 provides a solid sci-fi romp in a fantastically realised setting, with plenty of intrigue as the plot takes a more complicated, almost psychological turn. It isn’t perfect, though. The open ending won’t work for everyone, the visuals aren’t consistent and the story can sometimes be as elusive as the Puppet Master himself. I can’t help but feel a longer run time would’ve allowed everything to sink in, maybe insert another action scene or two if need be. Many people will sit there for 83 minutes and feel a little cheated at worst but wanting to see more at best.
This film was ahead of its time in its depictions of AI and technology, often serving as inspiration for further science fiction hits down the line. The whole “dangers and threats” (if looking at it from a politically correct viewpoint) of hacking and information warfare are more relevant in today’s world than ever before. The year of 2013 is strikingly different to 1995 when this was made. We might not be plugged into networks as depicted, but we’re connected 24/7 to technology all the same. In this regard, Ghost in the Shell is important to watch, now more than ever.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
We already know that NIS America has the license to both seasons of YuruYuri but until today we only knew that the first season of YuruYuri was going to be released on September 3rd and is already available for purchase.
Well today now that the first season has been released, the company has announced that YuruYuri Season 2 Premium Edition will be released practically at the beginning of next year. The second season will be available for purchase on January 7, 2014. This version will come with the usual Premium Edition features such as a collectible oversized slipcase, a hardcover art book and the series itself which will be available on Blu-ray only.
The PlayStation Network’s PS2 Classic section just got a little bit bigger. Originally released back in 2005, Atlus USA has released the old PS2 game Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity onto the PSN for a discount price at only $9.99. The game is a classic tactical strategy game that features hand-drawn artwork and 21 possible characters to recruit.
The game itself offers over 50 hours of tactical gameplay while players can take advantage of team management and item fusion to successfully defeat their enemies and save the world of Solum with Spero, Linea and their allies from a Miasma that destroys all that it touches.
Those of us who grew up in the 90s likely remember how terrible some of the old infomercials used to be. Hell, some of them today can be even worse. But if they had been stylized like Deep Silver‘s latest trailer promoting Saints Row IV‘s latest piece of DLC then maybe I would have paid attention to them.
Where was I? Oh the DLC. Right. Today the Dubstep Gun Remix Pack has been released as DLC for Saints Row IV and it adds the ability to shoot Classical, Death Metal, Polka, and Swing music at your enemies. The DLC costs $2.99 and is out for every console the game is available on, our review of the 360 edition of the game can be found here, but before you pick it up at least check out the video below as it is one that shouldn’t be missed.
Great news for fans of the Atelier series, Atelier Meruru Plus: The Apprentice of Arland has been released by Tecmo Koei in both North America and Europe as a digital download on the PlayStation Vita. While it was revealed earlier this week that Atelier Meruru Plus would be hitting the European PSN, the question of whether or not it would be available in North America at the same time was up in the air.
Atelier Meruru Plus: The Apprentice of Arland costs $39.99 and can be picked up on the PSNand if you happen to pick the game up before October 1st, players will receive a DLC bonus in the form of the Mushroom Princess Swimsuit and a Small Straw Hat accessory.
This version of the game features brand new costumes, stronger boss battles, all of the DLC from the PS3 version of the game, new illustrations and even a new ending. It is also worht noting that if you have a save file from Atelier Totori Plus, you will unlock a few extra bonus items as well.
20 years ago, a show by the name of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers blasted onto our television line-up, featuring five teenagers who would tackle evil on a daily basis. As the years passed, we as fans grew up and moved on, but the series continued, evolving in different ways to retain an ageless charm that has ultimately resulted in a hardcore fan following. Ranger Call is a celebration of the phenomenon, where Dustin Spencer and Andrew Day come together to speak about their memories and discuss the many tropes that the show offered throughout its many incarnations.
This week is all about catching up and talking favorites. You know, favorite episodes, villains, rangers – and so on, which means one jam-packed hour of raw nostalgia. Think of this episode as a way for us to introduce ourselves as Power Rangers fans, where we cover the basics of what we love in a short time – along with tackling the awesome and ultra cringe-worthy moments from the show . Check out episode 2 down below, tune in, and POWER UP!
