From Software has posted the final Japanese box art image for its hard-as-hell RPG, Dark Souls II. While we’ve come to associate that dusty grey image of the iconic warrior’s back as the game’s cover, it turns out Japan’s copy will be looking very different. Check it out below.
Now this isn’t exactly new since both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls had different and arguably cooler box arts in Japan than in the West. This one hits all the right notes; it’s dark with a bright soul illuminating the shell of a warrior. More subtle, forlorn and an emphasis on the “dark”.
South Korean developer and publisher Joymax has launched a new promotion in celebration of their popular MMORPGDigimon Masters recently reaching its 2nd anniversary.
The ‘Fall with Friends’ promotion entices potential adopters to join the game and its community by offering digital gifts, bonuses and rewards to supplement their experience online. Gamers have until the 26th of November to register for an account and receive these bonuses. They are as follows:
Once a player creates their new Tamer, check out the DATS Center for your gifts!
Level 1: ExpBooster+60% (30days) Level 10: Inventory Expansion (7), Warehouse Expansion (7), DigimonArchive Expansion Level 15: Imperial DigiEgg (Event), Amplification Booster +100% (10), Music-Playing Headphones (7days), Red Sports Sneakers (7days) Level 20: Evoluter (3), Amplification Booster +200% (10), Red Star Hoodie (7days), Military Short Pants (7days) Level 25: Evoluter (6), DigimonArchive Expansion, Premium EXP (7days), White Power Gloves (7days) Level 30: Digiclone[A] (20), Digiclone[B] (20), Backup Disk (10), Fruit of Goddess (10)
When the new Tamer reaches landmark levels, both the new recruit and the veteran Tamer will receive a bevy of rewards!
Level 5 New Player: Expansion Package
Veteran: Fruit Of The Goddess Level 10 New Player: Mystery Mercenary DigiEgg, Evoluter (3), ExpBooster 60% (7days)
Veteran: Evoluter, Amplification Booster 200% (3) Level 20 New Player: Mystery reinforced Mercenary DigiEgg, Evoluter x5, Premium EXP (7Days)
Veteran: Evoluter, Amplification Booster 300% (3), Premium EXP (7Days)
Level 30 must be attained no later than promotion’s end in order to acquire the full spectrum of rewards. Veterans of the title are also receiving a little something extra, with two new dungeons now available to explore – “are you up for challenging the Crack of Devimon, and are your Digimon brave enough to delve into the Secret Ancient Ruins?” Fans can find everything and anything about Digimon Masters Online on the official Facebook page.
We are one month away from the launch of the PlayStation 4 ‘down under’, and Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) has been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of anticipative fans across the country.
According to recent research undertaken by Roy Morgan Research (July-August, 2013), approximately 600,000 gamers are already intending to purchase PlayStation 4. This statistic equates to almost double the number intending to purchase the Xbox One. SCE Aust.’s very own research revealed the top three features people are most excited about to be the PlayStation 4’s powerful processor, its line-up of announced games so far and the new design DualShock 4 controller.
Driveclub delayed… looks like it didn’t have enough members.
Managing Director at SCE Aust., Michael Ephraim stated;
We’ve known for a while that we have something really special with PS4 and the number of pre-orders we’re seeing through our retail partners affirms this belief. It’s been seven years since we launched our last console in Australia and it seems the appetite for a high quality gaming experience continues to grow.
Sony Computer Entertainment believes that it is important to offer as many gamers around the world the opportunity to get their hands on PS4 this year. The features of the PS4 have really captured the imagination of Australian gamers, making demand far higher than we anticipated. It’s clear that PS4’s powerful features, personalisation and unrelenting focus on what gamers love most is building up to one of the most exciting launches in our industry’s history.
Sony is boasting “the strongest line-up ever for a new PlayStation platform”, although many of the games listed will not be seen at retail until 2014, such as Bungie’s Destiny and the recently delayed Watch_Dogs, as well as indie titles such as Transistor, The Witness, Rogue Legacy and Hotline Miami 2. But, first-day adopters will have Killzone: Shadow Fall, FIFA, Knack and Call of Duty: Ghosts to look forward to.
The PlayStation 4 launches in Australia on November 29 for a recommended retail price of AUD$549.95. Join the conversation on Twitter with #4ThePlayers.
EA have just released a brand new trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming installment in the legendary Need For Speed video-game series, Need For Speed Rivals. The trailer focuses in on the game’s ultimate cars, speed and rivalry components.
You can check out the awesome new trailer below for a look at what to expect from Need For Speed Rivals. We recently got to go hands on with the game at EB Expo 2013, you can check out hands on preview here.
Need For Speed Rivals is racing into stores on the 21st of November, 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Next generation releases are said to follow not long after.
Command & Conquer just can’t catch a break. In rather startling but not entirely surprising news, EA has cancelled its upcoming free-to-play iteration of the franchise which was already playable in its alpha stage. Not only that but they have also shut down the developer, Victory Games.
In a statement to its fans, Victory Games explains:
“Your feedback from the alpha trial is clear: We are not making the game you want to play. That is why, after much difficult deliberation, we have decided to cease production of this version of the game. Although we deeply respect the great work done by our talented team, ultimately it’s about getting you the game you expect and deserve.”
Those that have put money into the alpha will be getting refunds:
“Over the next 10 days we will be refunding any and all money spent in the alpha. If you have a question about your refund, please contact help.ea.com.”
Although the latest effort at Command & Conquer has failed, the team are optimistic:
“We believe that Command & Conquer is a powerful franchise with huge potential and a great history, and we are determined to get the best game made as soon as possible. To that end, we have already begun looking at a number of alternatives to get the game back on track. We look forward to sharing more news about the franchise as it develops. Thank you again for your participation and support.”
When this game was first announced as C&C: Generals 2, fans were hopeful for a return of the franchise ever since its stagnation with Command & Conquer 4. Now it seems such a return is as distant as ever. We hope the former team of Victory Games will find new work as soon as possible.
PC RAM and hardware manufacturer Kingston Technology has announced a new partnership between its HyperX line of memory and QPAD, designer of gaming peripherals. A collector’s edition Battlefield 4 mouse pad will be bundled with Kingston HyperX memory and SSD products in what is described as a show of support for the eSports community. Kingston also recently brought out a new Solid State Drive, the SSDNow E50.
“The Battlefield series is one of the popular games ever and the latest version will be no different. We are honored to work together with QPAD, a company the gaming community knows for high-quality mouse pads, mice, keyboards and headsets,” said Kingston.
The mouse pads will come in two sizes and will be available in selected regions of the Asia Pacific in time for Battlefield 4’s release. For more info on their products, visit the HyperX and QPAD websites.
Astro Gaming is introducing six new sets of speaker tags to celebrate the launch of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. Three sets will be available for the Astro A30 and three sets will be available for the Astro A40 headsets. The art has been provided by Ubisoft. Combined with the previous sets of tags, the Astro A30 and the A40 each have five different sets of speaker tags to customize headsets with.
The A30 Speaker Tag sets are available for $19.99 each and the Astro A40 tags cost $24.99. Buyers can also purchase an Astro A30 Audio System with a set of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Speaker tags for $209.99 and the Astro A40 Audio System with the ACIV speaker tags are available for $259.99.
EA has posted the multiplayer launch trailer for its vehicular first-person shooter, Battlefield 4, and it’s everything you can expect from the franchise. Check out the video below which highlights some new maps and vehicles that we haven’t seen before in the game. Did we just see the new Chinese stealth plane, the J-20?
Battlefield 4 builds upon its predecessor with new features such as “Levolution” and more strategic destruction, returning features like Commander Mode and all-new weapons, maps and vehicles. Not to mention the revamped Frostbite 3 graphics engine.
Look forward to our review of the PC version in the coming days. For a look at the singleplayer component, also check out the Story Trailer released earlier.
Namco Bandai have announced the release of their newest game featuring and yellow power pellet chomping hero, PAC-MAN.
Set to release for XBox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC via Steam, PAC-MAN And The Ghostly Adventures is based on the storyline from the hit animated series aired on Disney XD. Our unlikely hero is destined to save PacWorld from the evil plots of Betrayus and the ghosts!
Pac will still have that same ghost-munching familiarity, but the Netherworld ghosts will require a whole menu of Power Berries to take out. Pac will be able to burn or freeze ghosts, bounce around like a rubber ball, turn into a giant granite ball, and more.
For more information, you can check out the game’s official website here.
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Part 1 Studio: TMS Entertainment Publisher: Hanabee Format: DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Release Date: October 16th, 2013 Price:$59.99 – Available Here
Overview Lupin the Third is the world’s greatest thief but in the form of the seductive femme fatale Fujiko Mine, he has met his match. They say behind every great man is a great woman. In the case of Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, she isn’t behind him but standing side by side with him. Fujiko is a tough as nails thief in her own right and in The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, she gets equal billing to the anime icon. Despite that, this isn’t the story of Lupin, this is very much the story of the mysterious Fujiko Mine and the woman that she became.
Story
This is not the usual Lupin the Third anime. It is a true departure for the long-running series, yet at its core it maintains the one thing that has always defined Lupin the Third, a spirit of adventure. It is a sense of romanticism that transcends all in the world of Lupin. They are all on an adventure in one way or another, it is the feeling of freedom that comes with it that drives them.
In the character of Fujiko we see a woman free of attachment, free of inhibitions, free of compassion, free of pain. Or so it seems. With each passing episode, much like the clothes Fujiko wears, layers are stripped off to reveal a softness beneath her exterior. She is a woman that somewhere along the way was broken. For Fujiko, losing everything was freedom.
Perhaps an insight into her desire to steal, is her subconsciously fighting back at the world. Trying to take back what she believes was taken from her. There is a real air of mysticism to Fujiko that is highly intriguing. Who is this woman? How did she become this way? These are questions that Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine ponders and bit by bit reveals some insight to. But with this collection only featuring up to episode 8, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is still holding its cards close to its chest. The episode ‘Death Day’ does however serve as quite the teaser for things to come.
All around, Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine features a superb cast of characters that have all been well-tread over the decades since their conception. Each character feels fully lived in here and bare a personality so distinct that it is easy to imagine their many adventures that we don’t see.
That is really what Lupin the Third is all about, adventure being the gateway to freedom. An escape from the rules of the world, a journey to remember, living on your own terms. These are the things that embody freedom in the world of Lupin. But inevitably, all forms of freedom must come with sacrifice. What Fujiko had to lose to be free, may very well be the thing that cages her heart.
Visuals and Audio
Aesthetically Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is an absolute masterstroke. The squeaky clean visuals that most other iterations of the Lupin the Third series feature has been tossed aside in favour of a gritty art style to pair with it’s tonally darker story. Anime fans may recognize this aesthetic to be the work of Takeshi Koike of Redline fame.
The character designs are smooth and appealing, at times sexual in nature. While there may be a great deal of nudity, it doesn’t ever come across as excessive of out of place. In fact there are times in which nudity is justified and adds a great deal to the plot playing out on screen. On top of that the darker screentones used provide the anime with a old-school vibe that hearkens back thoughts of the original Lupin the Third anime and anime of that time all the while updating that style for modern audiences.
The soundtrack for Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is simply superb. From the incredible haunting opening theme to the unforgettable ending theme and all that lies between, this anime features brilliant musical composition that is somewhat off-kilter, but somehow so very fitting.
This release features an English dub as well as the original Japanese audio, both of which are excellent. The dub is produced by Funimation Entertainment, a company known for their quality English language localizations. There are some real stand out performances here, Sonny Strait in particular breaks type as a smooth as silk Lupin the Third. Michelle Ruff also provides a memorable performance as the femme fatale Fujiko Mine, seductive, delightful and layered. The dub is very faithful to the original Japanese version and is a credit to Funimation’s actors and directors.
Extras
Hanabee Entertainment have once again produced an incredible product here with Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Part 1. While there is few on disc extras, the release itself is a DVD and Blu-Ray combo, giving you the best of both worlds in video playback. On top of that the release itself comes in a lovely hardcover book that features a plethora of artwork from the series, a pop-up book style page with Fujiko holding all of the cast in her hands and an information section on each of the episodes on the release. This is more than you could possibly ask for from an anime release and shows that Hanabee are willing to go well beyond expectations for their fans. The only downside here is that the series is being release in two parts, which does seem a little unnecessary given the 13 episode count for the series.
Overall Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is a stunning piece of anime, that is every bit as ground-breaking as it is astonishing. It is a landmark anime for many reasons, but the most important is that it brings the spirit of adventure that defines Lupin the Third to a new generation.
The ideals of freedom that Lupin the Third romanticizes is every bit as mystifying as it was 40 years ago. If you aren’t hooked in by the wild hijinks of Lupin and friends, there is no doubt that the woman called Fujiko Mine will steal your heart. Lupin the Third is back and better than ever.
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