Razer is releasing a new USB virtual 7.1 Surround Sound edition for the popular Kraken headset. The headset features same same comfortable build of the original Kraken headset with an omnidirectional digital microphone. The microphone has an LED that allows the user to quickly identify if the microphone is muted. The headset comes with a free copy of Razer Surround to drive the 7.1 virtual surround sound.
“As we continue to develop and build on our software front, we’re able to add more and more capabilities to our products. What we put into the Razer Kraken 7.1 is a great example of just that, from the customizable, personalized surround sound engine, to the optimized digital microphone algorithms that gives this headset its incredible performance,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director.
The Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset is available now in stores around the world and on Razer’s online store for $99.99 USD/$169.95 AUD.
Konami is wrapping up the season with a big sale on Xbox Game on Demand titles. From now until August 26th, some of Konami’s most popular games’ prices will be knocked down to almost 50% off. The following titles are on sale:
Kick-Ass 2 is a film adaptation of the comic book of the same name, and sequel to 2010’s Kick-Ass, which was written and directed by Matthew Vaughn. This time around, Vaughn has stayed on as co-producer with his production company Marv Films, once again joining Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, but has given the reins to the personally selected Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down). The film carries on shortly after the events of the first, with lead stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Chloë Grace Moretz reprising their signature roles. Does the movie deserve the super-villain sized beating it has received from critics?…
Story
Dave Lizewski is Kick-Ass no more. He has hung up the… scuba gear, and lives an everyday, adolescent life; something Mindy Macready is trying to maintain. She is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place; a promise she made to her late father, aka Big Daddy, that she would never stop defending the city, and the promise she later made to her now guardian, his best friend Marcus Williams, that she would do the opposite and resign to experiencing some semblance of a normal, teenage life (something Big Daddy “stole” from her). But everyday, once she gets dropped off at school, she waits until the coast is clear, and takes a cab to the old hideout.
Dave wants to get back out there and be a hero once again after seeing his influence on the news, as numerous citizens have followed in his footsteps, wearing homemade outfits and patrolling the streets. But he can’t do it without Hit-Girl. Convincing her to train him expectedly draws the superhero out of Mindy, who gets caught by Marcus as she feigns being ill in bed, but doesn’t realise she has blood on her neck, which tips him off to her one-off bout of crime-fighting. Not wanting to disappoint Marcus again, she makes good on her promise to him, attending high school. This leads Dave to find the others like him, to make a supergroup with like-minded individuals.
He meets Doctor Gravity (Donald Faison) who introduces him to the already formed ‘Justice Forever’, headed by ex-mafioso Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). All the while, Chris D’Amico suffers another tragedy in his life – though caused by his own hand – the results of which direct him towards a revelation; that he is destined to be the world’s first true super-villain, inspired by his Dad’s corrupt ways, and the urge to avenge his death by bazooka, courtesy of Kick-Ass. After christening himself ‘The Motherfucker’ (you’ll see why), he himself sets out to put together a powerful team of bad-guys who would be known as the ‘Toxic Mega C_nts’.
Once the sides are established, ‘The Motherfucker’ and his henchmen ‘Black Death’, ‘The Tumor’, ‘Genghis Carnage’ (awesome name) and ‘Mother Russia’ – the heavy – begin to wreak havok. Without explicitly spoiling anything, you will instantly hate them after they kill someone in particular, who was poised to become a fan-favourite, in cold blood. Lines are crossed as loved ones become involved, with one thing on D’Amico’s mind – revenge. You can safely assume along the way to the all-out brawl conclusion (a sneak peak of the setting in the image above) that much blood is spilt. In fact, Kick-Ass 2 features one of the more gruesome deaths in recent memory. Hint: do not fight on a moving van! No, that wasn’t a possum under your wheel…
Hit-Girl is still more kick-ass than, well, Kick-Ass, but viewers will also gravitate towards the imposing Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina). Olga is a real-life bodybuilder and it shows…if any man says he is not intimidated by the absolutely jacked, amazonian woman, he is a liar. She definitely presents the biggest threat, and has an epic one-on-one with Hit-Girl at the climax of the film. She is also responsible for the most outlandish kill sequence of the movie, when she decimates a series of cop cars in quite inventive fashion. First Sinister, and now this?! I’m just gonna hire someone to do the lawn-mowing now…the action is adrenaline-filled (literally, at one point) and you’ll also be laughing hysterically…unless potty humour is above you. In that case, sir, this film just ain’t for you!
Visuals & Audio
Kick-Ass 2 maintains the contrast of the charismatic and colourful visage of these larger-than-life (attempting to be at least) vigilantes against the plainer, more generic city-streets setting. The visual style and language of the first film has carried over here in the second, although it may at times feel less dynamic due to the difference in directorial styles between Vaughn and Wadlow. That being said, Wadlow certainly handled his own here with the fight set-pieces being well choreographed and captured, proving that he indeed knows how to shoot action and have it read well.
The score by Henry Jackman – who composed the original and has worked with the likes of Seal and Hans Zimmer – and co. is your usual superhero fare. Moments of courage, sadness, peril…they’re are all underscored with an appropriate sound, sometimes able to pass as a Spider-Man soundtrack. The licensed music is used to much superior effect with tracks such as ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You’ by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and ‘Dance’ by Danko Jones being a couple examples of very fitting choices.
Overall
While also being a subversive, effective superhero flick in its own right,Kick-Ass 2 is as much a ridiculous parody of the usual superhero clichés as the first film; it just happens to tackle different, more mature elements of the genre archetype this time around, such as the “orphan prerequisite”. In doing so, it is considerably darker than its predecessor, but just as, if not more, fun. It’s only natural, being a sequel, that its central concepts and motifs don’t feel as fresh now…but who cares as long as it’s entertaining?! And that’s exactly what Kick-Ass 2 is.
The first act in particular is hilarious, the moments of over-the-top carnage are intact, and the pace rarely slows for any substantial period of time. Jeff Wadlow may have brought a more grounded approach to the direction than Matthew Vaughn, but frames the insane action just as well in his own style. If I had to fault the film for any one big thing, it would be for depriving the audience of more scenes with Jim Carrey’s wacky Colonel Stars and Stripes. Kick-Ass 2 is still an, ahem… ass-kicking (original, huh?) comic-book blockbuster. Just ignore the overriding critical opinion at the moment, loosen up and enjoy the adrenaline-spurred ride. The fans have spoken.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
In Ubisoft‘s Watch_Dogs, Dedsec have declared Aiden Pearce alone…they don’t defend him, even though the hacker group seemingly share many of his ideals.
You can check out the new Dedsec trailer embedded at the bottom of this article, which starts off as a city advertisement for ctOS before the transmission is hacked. They warned the city that the ctOS was flawed, and now control of Chicago is entirely in the hands of one man. The video shows the chaos that Pearce can cause with that sort of power. As a result, in the words of the mysterious Dedsec spokesman; “now is the time to wake up!”
A set of new screenshots have been released for Square Enix’s Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII fresh from this year’s Gamescom 2013. They depict the familiar sights of Sazh, Moogles, Chocobos and more Lightning in action, so be sure to check them out below!
Square Enix also released a new story trailer and an extended look at the Cloud Strife gear in case you missed them earlier which definitely should be checked out.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will be available February 13, 2014, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Let us know what you think of new screenshots in the comments section below.
The day is here. After months of talking, and week after week of new videos, screenshots and teasers the ultimate imagination fueled game is here. Disney Infinity is available right NOW on store shelves across the world.
Available right now on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Wii, 3DS you can grab the Disney Infinity Starter Set and join in on the fun. the game comes with three different Play Sets (Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean and Monsters U) and three characters to match (Mr. Incredible, Jack Sparrow and Sully respectively). In addition, you can also get additional characters, power discs and the Cars and Lone Ranger Play Sets.
In addition to the Play Sets, the game also offers its amazing Toy Box Mode. Toy Box Mode has been talked about heavily but just to remind you one more time; Toy box is a completely free building, sandbox experience that allows you to use toys, tools and environments to create your own levels, worlds and games.
Disney Infinity is a truly massive game that is filled with more content than you could poke a magic wand at. We here at Capsule Computers are tackling the seemingly insurmountable task of reviewing it. Be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for our upcoming review, and for all the Disney news as it becomes available.
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Complete Collection Studio:TMS Entertainment Publisher:Madman Format: DVD Release Date: 3rd July 2013 Price: $59.95 – Available Here
Overview Everyone wants to be stronger. Whether to fight enemies or protect friends, people strive for power. It’s a fact of life. People are judged and grouped on their abilities, interests and demeanour. So what happens when a coward breaks that system? What will it take for him to become the Mightiest Disciple?
The strongest coward you’ll ever meet
Story Kenichi Shirahama is just about the wimpiest person you could ever meet. He runs from everything and lacks any kind of athletic skill. But he wants to change. He even joined the Karate Club in the hopes of becoming stronger. Unfortunately for him, the club doesn’t want “Weak Knees” Kenichi ruining their image, so they challenge him to a fight…not good. However, luckily for Kenichi, he recently became friends with Miu Furinji and she kicks ass. After witnessing Kenichi’s courage, she agrees to introduce him to the masters of the Ryozanpaku Dojo.
After proving himself worthy of their tutelage, Kenichi becomes the First Disciple of Ryozanpaku. Learning from each of the five masters, he strives to become stronger. He is taught Karate, Jujutsu, Muay Thai, and Chinese Kenpo, using each discipline to increase his strength exponentially. The series focuses a great deal on the intricacies of various martial art styles taught and strives to explain the mechanics behind each move Kenichi learns. For example, rather than simply show the classic anime “flash step” the series explains that it is a quick dodge technique called “Kouho Haiho”. Though the masters possess ungodly powers to express their mastery, it all stems from these simpler skills. Rather than a simple power up or new transformation, Kenichi improves through learning new skills. Though he is nowhere near as powerful as his opponents physically, Kenichi’s knowledge of various styles grants him a certain air of unpredictability.
Don’t mess with Miu…seriously, she’ll kill you
The series constantly touches on the theme of effort. Certain characters that are introduced claim to have a natural affinity for the martial arts. Athletic, strong, relentless. These traits lend to a great fighter, but it isn’t enough. Rather than Kenichi being some legendary fighter he’s just very, very determined and trains really, really hard. The subtle time jumps, usually a week or month, also show that Kenichi is improving fairly realistically, rather than immediately being imbued with martial arts knowledge.
As the series progresses and Kenichi grows stronger, he gains the attention of a street gang called Ragnarok. With names based in Norse mythology and the power to back those titles up, they prove to be a constant source of stress and struggle for our hero. Each of the higher ups of Ragnarok possesses their own unique and powerful fighting style, forcing Kenichi to train harder and learn faster. What began as a goal to become stronger transforms into a quest for survival. The situation escalates further when Nijima, school-yard information broker and personal enemy/friend to Kenichi, suddenly takes an interest our Mightiest Disciple and adds fuel to the fire. A lot of fuel.
Towards the end of the Ragnarok Arc, the story begins to delve into the more spiritual side of martial arts. Characters begin to explain the concept of ki, intimidating enemies into submission with their killing intent alone and seeing their opponents movements with their inner eye. These spiritual abilities cause the fights to escalate in intensity, increasing the speed and power of each combatant immensely. Whilst these elements lend to the reveal of a larger story that continues after the anime ends, the series doesn’t feel like it’s cut short. Finishing at the end of an arc adds a sense of finality to the plot, whilst also leaving the idea of a future open.
Somebody just got elbowned
Visuals Since the show is so focused on the technique of martial arts moves themselves, a lot of slow motion and freeze frames are involved during the fights shown across the series. These moments are generally narrated by one of the combatants, presenting it as a view through their battle trained eyes, rather than just slowing it down to show you a cool kick. Freeze frames are also generally used during the final strike of a combo, emphasising the power behind it. These moments don’t get in the way of the action too much, as they explain the martial arts moves which are the core of the show. During some of the more important strikes, the animation receives a slight bump, becoming more intense and detailed to convey the intensity of the moment.
Whilst in combat, it is fairly common for fighters to be set ablaze by their fighting spirit. Each character generally has their own colour associated with them, expressing their ki and fighting spirit. This is generally a sign that someone is angry, or about to hit someone. Hard. Another constant visual throughout the series is glowing, pure white eyes. This generally appears to show that a character is intimidating or angry and can escalate to the point that their eyes look like headlights. Demonic headlights. Of death.
On the lighter side, Kenichi spends a majority of his time in chibi form whilst training. This style is used whenever he is beaten down or defeated by a master…which is a lot. This style is a good sign that whatever is happening is just for fun, so when a training sequence is animated normally you know it’s important.
Sakaki always did have a big head…
Audio The soundtrack definitely suits the overall feel of the series. The audio is extremely varied and fits well with the different moments. During the sombre and reflective scenes, the soundtrack relies heavily on violin and piano to convey the intensity of the situation. The more humourous aspects are aided by the use of more comical sounding instruments, such as the xylophone and even clapping. Even 8-bit chiptunes are employed at certain times. But when you hear a guitar…something cool is about to happen.
The English dub of Kenichi is great. Avoiding the classic problem with certain dubs, each character sounds unique and retains a great deal of emotion in the dialogue. From constantly angry, to hyperactive or rarely heard, the Ryozanpaku masters are…different. Each one is voiced well in their respective style, adding to the personalities of the characters. Even a character who is supposed to sound bored and monotone is voiced well, in that you can tell it’s intentional and not due to a lack of skill. Kenichi, being the character that he is, constantly sounds worried, jumpy and all around wimpy…until you hurt his friends. The character changes and he gains a far more furious tone. Josh Grelle (Kenichi’s voice actor) apparently also possesses a talent for mimicry, copying the voices of other characters at certain points in the series. Sound is also a defining trait of a particular member of Ragnarok. Believing in the music of combat, words like “allegro” are thrown around constantly. A lot of “lalala” and humming is also fairly common. The character even sings dialogue to the tune of Beethoven, adding more culture to say the least.
Head to head combat
Extras The Kenichi collection features the standard extras of an anime release. Disc 4 includes textless versions of the opening (“Be Strong” and “Yahhoo”) and ending themes (“Catch Your Dream” and “Run Over”). Also included are trailers for other series. Disc 8 contains the same extras, adding a textless version of the new ending (“Kokoro Kara no Message”) to the list. The trailers are also identical to those on Disc 4.
Overall Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is fun and interesting. The explanation of each move gives you an added insight into the fights, not present in other animes. It also makes you feel as if you’ve taken away a little self-defence knowledge for yourself…not that you should start any fights to practice. For an anime so crazy and intense it feels fairly grounded, centring on an average guy and his quest for strength, along with highschool jerks and overly intense masters. Kenichi is a cool anime that continues to escalate and just keeps getting cooler. I mean, there’s a fight on the roof of a speeding bus, and it’s not even a major fight. Awesome.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The collector’s edition of Total War: Rome II is pretty much sold out in most places, but that shouldn’t stop those of you who missed out from salivating over these rich contents.
But your saliva won’t be alone, as the loony folk at Creative Assembly have forced Rally Point’s Craig and Will to run for their lives whilst being chased and chewed on by trained attack dogs. They still have to unbox the game, of course.
Check out the unusual unboxing video below to see what remains of them. Rome II hits shelves on September 3 for the PC and those who pre-order get the Greek Culture States DLC for free.
The manga adaptation of Valvrave the Liberator which is titled VVV is set begin exploring one of the series’ popular side-characters in its upcoming chapter in Jump SQ magazine.
The upcoming story arc which is titled ‘Valvrave the Liberator – Record of the Bancho Thunder’ will explore the past of Raizo ‘Thunder’ Yamada and his motivations to reject his humanity by piloting the ‘Valvrave’ mecha.
While it can be presumed he pilots the mecha simply because he is a badass bancho, it is in fact out of vengeance for the death of his childhood friend Nobu who nobody remembers ever being in the anime.
The Valvrave anime series is set to resume with it’s second season in October this year. Stay tuned for further information on the Valvrave series as it surfaces.
To be fair, The Impossible Line isn’t an impossible game, but it sure does feel that way at times! I’ve always felt that the heart of good puzzler usually lies somewhere between making every goal seem reachable, while also making me stress to the point of hair loss. The Impossible Line hits that sweet spot with intuitive controls and polished presentation. Like many retro favourites, this title relies on simplicity and increasing difficulty to keep players engaged. However attempting this can be risky, as sometimes being a little too simple can make the experience rather unrewarding. Case and point: The Impossible Line.
Gameplay
For better or worse The Impossible Line may very well be one of the most simplest video games I’ve ever played in my entire life. Basically a level starts off showing you a maze. Once you are ready to play, the maze then turns invisible and you must drag your finger to the end, hoping you don’t hit any walls. And…well…that’s pretty much it! Sure it sounds a little lame, but once you pick it up it’s easy to find the beauty within the game’s simplicity. Remember how awesome it was to solve mazes as a kid in your colouring book? Well that’s back on your iPhone except now it’s also testing your memory. The Impossible Line really takes puzzle games back to basics on this one. While these are just the core game mechanics, some bells and whistles have also been thrown in in true modern gaming free-to-play style. Completing levels earns you coins that can be spent on the two power ups available: the ability to see the maze for an extra 3 seconds mid-gameplay and also a touch that will show you the walls when you get really close to them. These are slightly helpful but for the most part players will be relying on the hit-and-miss radar noise (and a little red dot) that warns the player when they are near a wall.
All these elements may make the game sound easy, but it’s not. And with no ability to skip levels or even a level selector most of the game’s countless levels won’t be seen by most players as they will more than likely rage quit and give up. What is kind of cool is once you fail the game will show a replay in action with the maze visible. It’s actually pretty fun to watch yourself mess up like an idiot. But unfortunately that gimmick wares of quickly. Other than that there really isn’t anything left to say about The Impossible Line. There’s no level editor and has very few achievements to unlock. Ultimately The Impossible Line is a really simple title that has nothing left to offer after the first five minutes of gameplay. It’s a decent concept that isn’t explored into very much depth and unless you’re really hooked on invisible mazes you’re not going to find it very engaging.
Audio & Visual
There is a common theme with this title and that theme is simplicity. Visually what you see is what you get. It’s a blackboard with white chalk. That’s all. It’s presented well and has some nice polish but don’t expect much more than what you’re seeing in these screenshots. Audio-wise there is no music for the game, but that works in it’s favour. Music would just be distracting and would drown out the game’s radar. Perhaps it’s best to compare it to the likes of Pong as the sound effects really become the game’s soundtrack. These sound effects are appropriately chalk on a blackboard and an occasional sound effect when you get coins. No nails on the chalkboard, thankfully.
Overall
The Impossible Line is a decent concept where simplicity works in various charming ways. However it’s lack depth into exploring this idea can leave players feeling wanting more. Sure power ups, replays and achievements add to the experience but it’s simply not enough with just the basic game mechanics holding the entire game on it’s shoulders. With all that said, The Impossible Line is a charming experience that reminds us that simplicity can still be fun. Just don’t expect that fun to last very long.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
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