Over 1000 new features. A lot can change in a year.
SEGA has released two Video Blogs in order to reveal the changes and improvements present in their upcoming title Football Manager 2014. The Blogs detail the components of the new user interface as well as how the game delivers important news to the player, like self contained emails that don’t require linking to other pages.
FM14 is the most feature-packed and technically advanced release in Sports Interactive history, with over 1,000 new features and improvements. The FM experience is enhanced with the game available on Linux for the first time and the introduction of ‘cloud save’ technology, meaning managers can now pursue a single career from any computer, anywhere in the world.
Football Manager 2014 is set for release in late 2013 on PC, Mac, Linux and the PS Vita. For more information, visit the official site and keep an eye out for more Friday Video Blogs as they’re released.
Independent developer Coffee Stain Studios have already released a sizable DLC for their game, Sanctum 2, and they have now announced the second DLC as “Ruins of Brightholme”, which will be releasing this week. Adding new weapons, more interactive maps, more towers, new enemies, perks, and rank cap increase of 5.
This new expansion for Sanctum 2 is set in Brightholme, but the rundown aspect of the location plays a key role in the new additions. From improvised weapons like the Nail Gun and Circle Saw, each with awesome secondary attacks, to haphazard towers like the Rupture Mines and Makeshift Tower, which can critically strike or breakdown randomly. There is also new infected enemies with regenerative powers, but players will have their own edge as players can customize with seven perks with varying effects from kill streaks to bonuses while at full health.
Players wanting to get the “Ruins of Brightholme” DLC will be able to download it on PC for Steam for $4.99 , or is included with the Season Pass for $11.99 on September 6th, 2013. Those wanting more information on Sanctum 2 can check out our Review.
Minecraft for Xbox 360 will be getting a whole lot more versatility now that the latest update allows for the addition of texture packs, so that players will be able to get almost anything to look exactly how they want. With this latest update, developer 4J Studios has gotten started with “mash ups” that add lots of textures and skins from other IP and the first they will be releasing is for Mass Effect, from BioWare and EA.
Players will be able to play as Captain Shepard and crew, plus plenty of the other alien races for a total of 36 new skins, while the environment itself can look like the settings that Shepard is used to. To show this off the Mass Effect Mash-Up Pack will also include a world save of the Mars Facility. Also included are a Mass Effect themed UI, as well as a soundtrack with 22 songs based on Mass Effect 3.
The MinecraftMass Effect Mash-Up Pack will be available tomorrow September 4th, 2013 for XBLA for $3.99, but those wanting to see a little bit of the additions in action can check out a trailer released by Hat Films, which is embedded below.
After offering early access to Mac and Linux fans of Wargame strategy games from developer Eugen Systems and publisher Focus Home Interactive, the official release of Wargame Airland Battle has finally arrived. Now players that took part in the early access will automatically get the full version, while those that were waiting for its full release can purchase it now.
Wargame Airland Battle utilizes cross-platform multiplayer, so that those on PC, Mac, and Linux do not feel separated from the the community as a whole. So, with the full release of the Mac and Linux versions of the game, there is an even bigger pool of players to join in the fray.
Those wanting to see all the new additions from the previous Wargame European Escalation in Wargame Airland Battle can check it all out today for any and all of PC, Mac, and Linux. Plus, anyone that already have the PC version can get the Mac and Linux version for free, and alternatively those just getting it for either Mac and Linux can download the PC version for free.
Namco Bandai has detailed their upcoming free-to-play, PlayStation 3 exclusive entry to the Ace Combat franchise, Ace Combat Infinity. We last saw the second trailer last month. Due out later this year, another trailer and the first set of screenshots have just been released.
The downloadable flight combat game will feature a new story campaign and team co-op multiplayer that borrows elements from older Ace Combat titles, such as super weapons, mixed with our real world such as in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. Wait, don’t leave! Apparently the controversial DFM (dogfight mode) is gone, leaving many fans relieved.
The Story Campaign Mode will include an original scenario that sees players take on a series of solo missions, while the online multiplayer will have them form two teams of up to four players competing for air superiority.
Check out the trailer and screenshots below. Can you recognise your favourite fighter jet? I can’t, not until we see the SU-35.
Following last year’s release of Guardian Cross, a new, free-to-play, zombie-themed card battle RPG has been announced by Square Enix, called Deadman’s Cross.
Deadman’s Cross is set in a world plagued and destroyed by the undead. You must shoot through as many of the nasties within the allotted time with your weaponry, and any zombies that you do kill will drop cards that you can collect in order to build your deck. The way of hunting for cards is back from Guardian Cross, as is ‘Hunter’s Vision’ , although it has changed from top-view to 3D to enable a fresher hunting experience.
Deadman’s Cross is will be released as this Winter for iOS and Android devices. A first-look trailer for the game will be shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in just a short while at the Mega Theatre in the Square Enix booth (for anyone who will be attending). Check out the gallery of first screenshots directly below.
Focus Home Interactive have today announced that Space Hulk: Deathwing will be the latest installment into the Warhammer 40k Space Hulk saga. Space Hulk was originally a board game, and was followed up by an iOS/Android port. Deathwing will be departing from the board game formula and instead offering a full fledged first person shooter.
Players will jump into the shoes of a Space Marine Deathwing from the Dark Angels and will be tasked with making it out of a derelict Space Hulk alive. There will be deviating skill trees to master, abilities unlocked and lots of things to shoot. Aside from these small details, we don’t know much about the game.
Focus Home Interactive have provided us with a small teaser trailer to get us all salivating, which you can check out below. For all the Space Hulk: Deathwing news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Overview It is no secret that Makoto Shinkai is a special film-maker. He worked tirelessly for many years with small project like Voices of a Distant Star and She and Her Cat, it wasn’t until one fateful film that he would finally receive the recognition he truly deserved. That film is none other than the modern anime classic 5 Centimetres Per Second.
5 Centimetres Per Second is a short yet remarkable film that provokes both deep thought and emotion. This is about as tragically real as anime gets and Shinkai puts a spotlight on the painful distance that inevitable grows between us all. He has gone on to top himself with masterpieces like Children Who Chase Lost Voices, but 5 Centimetres Per Second was the film that laid the foundations for his future works. It is a brilliant film in every regard and one that is truly timeless.
Story 5 Centimetres Per Second, much like Shinkai’s other works, heavily focuses on the theme of distance. Shinkai is quite clearly a man who knows this all too well. He writes about distance with such vivid detail and emotion, it is hard to escape the feeling that there isn’t a little bit of Shinkai in all of his films. Such is the case with 5 Centimetres Per Second, with the film’s protagonist Takaki feeling almost like Shinkai wrote himself into the film.
Takaki is a young man who forms a close bond with a girl named Akari, as time goes on and they both grow older, circumstances cause them to go there separate ways, the distance growing further and further as they grow older and older.
Over time Takaki meets new people, but he still can never escape the sadness that distance leaves him with. It all builds up and soon enough everywhere he turns there is a little bit of sadness piled up around him. This is the nature of life and Shinkai portrays it with unflinching accuracy.
Shinkai uses his trademark motif of trains to great effect in this film, with several crucial scenes playing at with a train passing by, taking its passengers to some place far away. It really embodies the distance the film is so heavily focused on quite nicely.
The film is split into three acts. The first focusing solely on Takaki and Akari as they try to deal with the growing distance between them. The second act revolves around a now high-school aged Takaki and a girl named Kanae who loves him all the while knowing that he will never love her back. The third and final act, the shortest of them all, features Takaki now an adult with an ex-girlfriend and a crappy job that he hates, wondering when the sadness around him will stop piling up.
While 5 Centimetres Per Second is undoubtedly a sad film, it ends on a hopeful note with a rather ambiguous ending. Ultimately Shinkai isn’t telling a tale of loss, but a tale of hope. No matter the distance the grows between us all, there is always a chance that one day, just maybe, that distance will grow smaller, even if it is only at 5 centimetres per second.
Visuals and Audio
One of the hallmarks of Makoto Shinkai’s films is their astonishing aesthetics. 5 Centimetres Per Second is no different, featuring a plethora of unforgettable imagery and animation. Whether it be the country-side buried under snow, the summer heat beating down upon the ocean of a quiet seaside town or even the endless urban sprawl of Tokyo, Shinkai sees beauty in everything and shares a little bit of what he seas with us in this films art. He and his team at Comix Wave are undoubtedly in the highest echelon in terms of animation. There is so much detail in the world that they have created, it is simply incredible.
On top of all that, 5 Centimetres Per Second features a stunning soundtrack filled with beautifully arranged incidental music that add immensely to the emotion on screen. This particular release also happens to feature both a Japanese audio track and English language dub track, both of which are truly great with splendid performances from all involved.
Extras
Madman Entertainment did a particular good job on this release of 5 Centimetres Per Second. The amount of bonus content on disc here is truly delightful. Included is an interview with Makoto Shinkai himself, an interview with the Japanese cast of the film, a making of featurette and the film’s original trailer. As an added bonus the release comes with a reversible cover featuring Takaki and Kanae rather than the original cover of Takaki and Akari. Both look great and it is certainly nice to have the option. It all adds up to a great release that is more than worth the asking price.
Overall
Sometimes the greatest films are the ones that don’t overstay their welcome. While it only totals in at roughly 50 minutes, 5 Centimetres Per Second is a complete package, resonating thematically and reaching true emotional catharsis. It is short but sweet and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
At one point or another we all have felt that sadness that comes with distance, whether it be someone moving away or someone passing on from this world. It is that shared understanding of distance and that universal feeling that comes with it, that makes 5 Centimetres Per Second so special. Shinkai balls up all that emotion and lets it all flow out in three beautiful and unrelentingly heartbreaking acts.
5 Centimetres Per Second is proof that Shinkai is the real deal. It is an absolute modern anime classic and essential viewing for all anime fans. If you have never experienced the work of Makoto Shinkai, 5 Centimetres Per Second serves as a perfect entry point to the world of Shinkai.
This is life through Shinkai’s eyes and what he sees is often painful, frequently uplifting, put together with some kind of magic, always wearing its heart on its sleeve and it all plays out at 5 centimetres per second.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
CasinoRPG – a free-to-play game that merges role-playing, tycoon and city building with casino game favorites like poker, blackjack and slots from Goldfire Studios, who were successful in their Kickstarter appeal for the project – has entered its open beta phase.
Since the campaign, the development team has expanded. James Simpson, founder and CEO of GoldFire Studios, spoke on the benefits of the Kickstarter platform;
Kickstarter is so attractive for indies because it offers a true win-win. The community has a unique position to participate in the development, while also providing us the backing needed to bring our creations to life.
CasinoRPG features an open, persistent online world running in-browser thanks to HTML5 technology. The uniqueness of its blend of genres means that players of CasinoRPG are able to use their virtual winnings to build casino empires, design luxury apartments and follow a vibrant story throughout the sprawling cities. These cities are then built, designed and managed by all of the players in the game, connecting the gambling side with the tycoon, city building and role-playing elements.
Luke Simkins, Chief Technology Officer of GoldFire Studios, commented on the team’s experience and the advantages of releasing games for play through web-browsers;
We’ve faced many technical challenges working with such new technologies, but we’ve come a long way and are ready to show the world what the web is capable of. We’ve barely begun to tap the possibilities of the web as a legitimate gaming platform…the future of browser gaming is very exciting.
GoldFire Studios, being the only game studio in Oklahoma City, sees staying local as part of its culture according to Simpson;
We’ve chosen to stay here in Oklahoma City rather than go to one of the coasts. Tech startups no longer have to be in Silicon Valley to succeed, and we hope to prove that with CasinoRPG.
You can visit the official CasinoRPG website to apply for a beta invite. And check out the gameplay trailer embedded directly below.
The launch trailer for Total War: Rome II has been released, heralding the strategy giant’s arrival on store shelves today. A few days ago the game’s worldwide activation time was announced by SEGA and Creative Assembly. Sure enough, Rome II went live on Steam just a few hours ago.
The award-winning Total War series returns to Rome, setting a brand new quality benchmark for Strategy gaming. Become the world’s first superpower and command the Ancient world’s most incredible war machine. Dominate your enemies by military, economic and political means. Your ascension will bring both admiration and jealousy, even from your closest allies.
Check out the game’s launch trailer below, where death and loss is ever-present in Rome’s political and military landscape.
