Bohemia Interactive has released one last update to the ArmA 3 Beta before the final release in September. The star of the update is Steam Workshop integration. Previously, scenario makers would have to share their creation on third party websites and forums. Now, ArmA 3 scenario makers can share their creations on Steam Workshop where they can be downloaded, rated, and commented on by the community. Additionally, the update brings a plethora of bug fixes and improvements.
ArmA 3 is the latest addition to Bohemia Interactive’s military simulator. The game features overs 290 km² of land to explore and is currently in beta testing. It can be purchased at a discount until the final release at the official Bohemia Interactive Store and on Steam.
Since the last trailer from E3, there hasn’t been too much more on the parkour/zombie game Dying Light from developer Techland of Dead Island fame and publisher Warner Bros. To make up for such a long wait, a 12 minute gameplay video has been released showing off not only the parkour that players will be utilizing to move through the environment, but the change that comes after night fall as well.
While some of the mechanics may look very similar to Dead Island such as the graphics and some of the weapons, i.e. the electric knife, the parkour moves make all the difference. Using zombies as launch points, leaping straight over zombies as well, and climbing poles to get to better heights all open up the map an incredible amount. Plus, the drastic change in enemies after dark helps make Dying Light much its own game.
Those wanting to see the footage for themselves can watch the gameplay video embedded below. Dying Light is set to release for both current consoles Xbox 360 and PS3, next generation consoles Xbox One and PS4, and PC in 2014.
While the last dev diary covered the addition of super powers to Saints Row IV the newest, and likely final before the big release of the game itself next week, talks more about the characters. From Daniel Dae Kim coming back as Johnny Gat, to the two different Shaundi’s, plus the players choice of the Boss him/her self, Volition and Deep Silver have it cut out for themselves to try and bridge the favoritism between Saints Row 2 and Saints Row The Third.
Check out the newest dev diary embedded below to hear what the developers and voice actors have to say about the characters in this over the top adventure. Saints Row IV will be releasing next week for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC and if there are any doubts about getting the the craziest Saints Row yet be sure to read our Saints Row IV Review.
Those looking forward to the upcoming Rambo The Video Game have a little more incentive to preorder as today Reef Entertainment announced that a series of limited edition figurines would be offered, though interested buyers will have to choose between the two of them.
While a full list of which retailers will be offering which figurine is still on the way, those in Australia need not worry as theirs are already detailed. Those wanting the First Blood figurine with John Rambo with his M60 can receive it by preordering from JB Hi Fi, while those preferring the Rambo: First Blood part 2 figurine with his RPG can preorder from EBGames.
Those wanting to see a full size version can click on the image above to get a better look, though the base of each figurine is not finalized just yet. Rambo The Video Game will release near the end of this year for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Pro Evolution Soccer publishers, Konami, announced today that they have secured all of Chile’s top flight clubs to be a part of the next Pro Evolution Soccer game.
The 13th game in the Pro Evo series will feature all 18 Primera Division sides which is sure to excite South American fans. Pro Evolution has had trouble securing official licenses for teams ever since FIFA got a stranglehold on the market so this is big news for the brand that has stood resolute despite EA’s dominance. The president of Konami Digital Entertainment, Tomoyuki Tsuboi, wants their new game to resonate with fans all across the globe. He especially wanted to drive home the importance of fans being able to interact with their beloved hometown teams and players even though the sport is celebrated globally.
Boasting Kojima Production’s new FOX engine, Pro Evolution Soccer 14 marks a huge forward stride in the game’s level of immersion and fluidity. Everything from how the player receives the ball to how he puts it into the back of the net is set to be revolutionised in the next release which will be landing in stores on the 24th September in North, South, and Central America. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 will be supported on PS3 and Xbox 360 as well as PC later in the year. Read our review of the previous game in the series, Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, here.
You will embody Garrett the Master Thief, who is entangled in the growing conflict between Baron Northcrest – believing that the old and the poor are holding back his city – and the oppressed masses led by Orion, the voice of the people. In a city on the brink of revolution, Garrett’s skills are all he can trust as he walks the fine line between politics and the people. Check out the official box arts below directly below, and beneath that is the newly released ‘Uprising’ trailer, made for Gamescom 2013.
Overview
In the current anime landscape, sports anime are a dime a dozen. The genre is undoubtedly tried and true, but after a while many of them tend to blur together. In a landscape so cluttered with the same old sports anime, how does one stand out? Well it’s simple really; do something new and defy expectations.
Chihayafuru, although hard to pigeonhole, is technically a sports anime. But what makes Chihayafuru so good is that it is so much more than that. It focuses on the game of karuta and the passionate people who play it. Chihayafuru is a series about romantics and their impassionate love. Love comes in many shapes and sizes. For these romantics, it is in the shape of karuta cards.
Story
Chihayafuru Part 1 serves as an excellent introduction to the world of Chihaya and friends, beginning with the Childhood arc it showcases the origins of Chihaya’s passion for karuta and the bonds she created over the game. It is through this arc that we come to understand the workings of karuta and the appeal of the game.
Karuta is a game focused heavily of memorization and reflexes. Remembering the cards location isn’t enough to win, you must also be fast enough to take the card. The series gives the game a sense of beauty both through its representation of the poetry behind the game and the way it portrays the complexities of the sport. It is easy to understand why these characters love karuta so much, with the game almost being portrayed as a character in and of itself with it’s own distinct personality.
Over the course of this collection, we see Chihaya and Taichi form their school karuta club, compete in tournaments and grow as both people and players. This is undoubtedly a coming of age story, but there is also a deeper underpinning theme that lies at the series core. Chihayafuru is a love story, not in the sense one would expect, but a love story none the less. Love is something almost anyone can relate to, regardless of whether it is for something or for someone. Most have felt a kind of love at some point in their life and that is where the emotional resonance comes from in Chihayafuru.
Passion and conviction are the driving forces in Chihayafuru and each and every character has a bit of both to their credit. The cast is well rounded with a multitude of unique well-developed characters who are rich with personality and story. Each of the main cast has a complex personality with multiple layers, each telling a story in their own right. How they all connect though is what is really special about Chihayafuru. All of these characters bond over their passion, they love karuta and for these people who otherwise would likely have never met, karuta brings them together.
The only problem with this otherwise excellent collection is that it concludes on one hell of a cliffhanger. It ends with Chihaya and friends as they prepare to enter the Omi Jingu tournament, also known as ‘the one they spent the whole series so far trying to get into’. It is a tasty cliffhanger that will leave you hungry for more.
With all of its heart and all of its soul, Chihayafuru Part 1 is an excellent release from Siren Visual and a great starting point for the series. If you have yet to experience the magic of Chihayafuru, don’t wait any longer, go pick up this release now. This is one of the most important anime releases of the year and one that should be on all anime fans radars. Chihayafuru is pure brilliance.
Visuals and Audio
One of the most amazing parts of Chihayafuru is the way Madhouse animates the game of karuta. There is so much beauty in that animation, with the characters movements having a sense of fluidity akin to poetry in motion, you couldn’t ask for more from Madhouse. On top of that the characters themselves are incredibly well designed and quite distinctive. Each character tends to have their own colour palette that is ascribed to them, a concept that works a real charm in adding to the personality of each. The design work overall is commendable and proves yet again that Madhouse may very well be the highest quality animation studio going today.
In terms of audio, Chihayafuru implements an incredible soundtrack that mixes pop-based rhymthms with traditional string compositions. The opening and ending themes are likewise stunning, in particular the infectious opening theme by 99RadioService. An all round impressive composition from top to bottom for Chihayafuru. Unfortunately however this release does not feature an English dub, instead only featuring the original Japanese audio track with English subtitles. This may not be an issue for die hard fans but it may alienate casual viewers looking for a dub release.
Extras
Siren Visual have done a decent enough job on this particular collection of Chihayafuru, managing to bundle in the standard clean music videos to top off an already great product without going all out. Here is to hoping however that Part 2 comes bundled with a bit more bang in terms of bonus content, especially considering this is a subtitled only release as it is. More content surely wouldn’t hurt and for an anime like Chihayafuru, it deserves it.
Overall
Chihayafuru has enough heart and soul to fill the Tatsuta river. It is all about passionate people chasing their passions and finding happiness in that love of theirs. There is a message that underpins this series and it is that if you love something enough, there isn’t anything that can pull you away from it. If any of this speaks to you on any level, then Chihayafuru is a series worth your time. It plays all the right cards and wears its heart on its sleeve and we wouldn’t have Chihayafuru any other way.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
With Battlefield 4 set to be released in a couple of months, DICE and EA have begun “The Road to Battlefield 4” blog series where they will discuss the various changes they have made to the game and the hurdles they had to overcome along the way.
In the second post to the blog, DICE’s Core Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz has detailed all of the new and tweaked elements that will be in Battlefield 4’s multiplayer mode. This includes an in-depth look at the Field Upgrade system and how the company has listened to fan feedback to better balance the multiplayer. The full, exceptionally detailed, blog post can be read here. Also revealed today were the new skins for the multiplayer classes, with US, Chinese and Russian variants, which can be found below.
If you’ve already picked up the first half of the first season of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan then you’ll be happy to hear that Viz Media has just announced that the second half of the first season will be hitting store shelves next week on August 20th.
Set 2 will cost $44.82 US/$43.24 CAN on DVD while the Blu-ray version will run for $54.97 US/$66.15 CAN. Set 2 includes episodes 14-26 and as far as bonus features go, this second set will only feature production art and the official trailer for this release.
Viz Media has provided a synopsis for Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Set 2 below:
In Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Set 2, the Nura Clan faces a menacing new threat: the 88 Demons of Shikoku, led by Inugamigyobu-Tanuki Tamazuki! Tamazuki sets his plan in motion to weaken the Nura Clan by targeting their key source of power – the local deities of Ukiyoe Town. In the absence of Supreme Commander Nurarihyon, Rikuo’s resolve to become the Third Heir is put to the test, as he must unite the clan to face Tamazuki and his malicious weapon the Devil’s Blade!
Welcome back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed last week’s, or are new to the suggestions, click on the link below and check out what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS device along with the introduction on how the suggestions work. (suggestions 1 has how it all works)
A great week on iTunes! As always, it started slow and but ended with a bang! There are many must-buy games this week in all departments, FREE, 99c and over 99c. This week I’ve suggested a total of 15 great quality titles. Make sure you check them all especially… Doodle Fit 2, Cognition 2, DYING, Perfect Kick, Sage Fusion 2, Righteous Kill 2 just to name a few.
Break down below :
6 – FREE Games
2 – $0.99c Games
7 – Over $0.99c Games
As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should take a look at and consider spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. Well the Free games just below certainly should all be given a shot as they won’t cost you anything!
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
Doodle Fit 2: Around The World – Price : FREE – Publisher –NAMCO Bandai (Travel the world, solving puzzles as you go! Visit 10 countries, each with 20 puzzles based on an item or landmark from that country. Some puzzles have multiple solutions and some feature interesting facts. Play in Around the World, Time Attack and Challenge modes, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Doodle Fit 2 introduces a brand new Community section, featuring puzzles from players around the world. You can also easily draw or fit together a level of your own, give it a name, then share it with the world and your friends on Facebook and Twitter!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Linkies Puzzle Rush – Price : FREE – Publisher –Ludia (Linkies Puzzle Rush shakes up the world of match-3 games with a twist. Link matching shapes as they collapse, collide and rebound before time runs out. Unleash powerful special effects and beat your friends’ high scores. Collect enough stars in each level to unlock new worlds and new puzzles! Every level is a surprise!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Dots: A Game About Connecting – Price : FREE – Publisher –Full Flat (The task is simple; connect as many same-colored dots as you can in 60 seconds. Get competitive by connecting Twitter and Facebook to see your friends’ scores on the High Scores list. For the first time in Dots, an un-timed, moves based mode is available; kick back and take your time while planning strategic moves. You can also prove that you are better at Dots than your friends with our local Multiplayer mode. Play a board then pass to a friend for an ultimate one on one showdown. ) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Animal Voyage: Island Adventure – Price : FREE – Publisher –Pocket Gems (Explore mysterious islands and rescue stranded animals that need your help! Save exotic creatures from flooded islands and bring them safely home to build your very own animal paradise! ) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Gold Diggers – Price : FREE – Publisher – Gamistry(Follow a team of notorious Gold Diggers while you take control of one of the wild west’s best kept secrets: Gigantic Superlicious Steam-Punk Digging Trams. Your goal? To find yourself some Gold! Just steer the Digging Machine through multiple layers of the earth while you dodge Giant Worms, Flame Pillars and any dangers hidden in the depths of our planet. ) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Perfect Kick – Price : FREE – Publisher –Chillingo (Become a star striker in Perfect Kick. Think you’re the best at penalties in soccer? Put it to the test against other players from all around the world!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
W.E.L.D.E.R – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Ayopa Games (Weld words in the word machine! Create clever combos and multiply your score using gem and gold tiles. Increase your vocabulary using iOS 5’s in-built dictionary – discover definitions of words you never even knew existed! Earn powerful special abilities like Group, Reverse, and Jump Swaps, and complete particularly tricky terms with blank wooden pieces. Supports iOS 5’s iCloud saving feature. Potentially unlimited gameplay!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Cytus – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Rayark (In the distant future, the only sentient beings in the world are robots. They are the last remnant of the human spirit. However, mankind is not dead. Technology exists that is capable of transferring memories to these robots. But with limited space, new memories will gradually overwrite the old. To prevent the emotions in human memories from fading away, the robots resorted to converting the emotions to music, and storing them in a place called Cytus. The robots use these songs to experience human emotion and dream that souls exists in each of them…) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MasterAbbott’s over 99c Pick Of The Week!
Cognition Episode 2 – Price : $3.99 – Publisher – Phoenix Online Studios (When someone close to Erica is kidnapped by the Wise Monkey, a serial killer fixated on the gruesome mutilation of their victims, Erica is in a race against time to save his life. With the Wise Monkey case in her hands and the FBI’s resources already stretched thin, she’s on her own to find the killer before it’s too late – again. Erica Reed’s investigation continues in Episode 2: The Wise Monkey.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
DYING: Sinner Escape – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – NEKCOM (DYING: Sinner Escape is a 3D horror Room-break game that combines a deep storyline with rich and seamless cinematics. Troy Dunniway, an award winning Creative Director on over 80 top AAA games, such as “Age of Empires” and “Ratchet & Clank”, is the Executive Producer on this exciting and horrific new title. Created by top Hollywood movie and game development talent, the game features a mysterious and compelling storyline that revolves around a curious plan and secret events.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Sage Fusion 2 – Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Kidalang (Set in a futuristic universe in which artificial intelligence is considered religious taboo, Sage Fusion 2 tells the adventure of a businessman and his bodyguard who descent to an underground world, trying to get back their reportedly stolen spaceship after it fell and crashed in the middle of the city—an accident behind which lies a conspiracy that involves the galactic government, the military, the church, and centuries-old historical legend.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Righteous Kill 2: Revenge Of The Poet Killer– Price : $5.49 – Publisher – G5 Entertainment (Join tenacious NYPD investigator Erica Dean in her next search as she hunts down the dangerous “Poet Killer.” Carefully study a rash of murders across New York City, each of them connected by a tantalizing note left behind. Scour the crime scenes for evidence and clues, dust for fingerprints, re-assemble torn documents and compare bullets in the ballistics lab. Be careful who you trust and act fast in order to prevent the next murder!) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Hill Bill– Price : $1.99 – Publisher – B27 (Hill Bill is a motorcycle trick jumping game starring a hillbilly with Evel aspirations. Play across 6 beautiful worlds and over 60 levels. Our hillbilly Bill dreams to be just like his idol Evel Knievel. With his trusty 3rd hand garage sale bike he sets up his very own ramps and starts riding. Soon he’s mastering jumps and tricks on bigger and bigger homemade ramps in his backyard.) runs iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Solar Flux – Price : $3.99 – Publisher – Firebrand Games. (Galaxies are in turmoil as their suns are dying. The Solar Galaxy Federation has deployed vast Flux Accumulator ships to collect plasma and restore the suns’ equilibrium in each nebula. Solar Flux is a unique space puzzle game where you journey across the universe using both puzzle solving and dexterity skills to bring order to the cosmos. Supernovas, Asteroid Fields, Meteors and Black Holes are just some of the challenges you will encounter as you sail your ship through the solar flares of each imploding sun. ) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Pirate Legends TD – Price : $4.99 – Publisher – Super Hippo Studios Limited. (Are you ready to set sail and blow some salty sea dogs to smithereens? Scour the world in this amazing new nautical strategic defense game – Welcome to Pirate Legends exclusively on iPhone and iPad!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
There you have it folks these games should keep you busy for quite some time well until next week at least. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if you would also like to suggest your own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below or in the iOS forum section on the site here.
