Remember last month how Namco Bandai announced that Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst would be heading to the West? Well today Namco Bandai has announced that the game will be released as both a digital download and at retail for the PS3 and 360 in both North and South America on October 22nd. To make things even better, a Steam version of the game will also be released on the PC sometime in Fall 2013.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst is a revamped version of Ninja Storm 3 and features a number of newly added characters, the 38 DLC costumes already unlocked and ready for use, brand new missions and revamped cinematics. Also revealed today is that anyone who pre-orders the game will be given an art book from Studio Pierrot.
While gamers in the states have been able to enjoy Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan for many months now, the game won’t be hitting store shelves, or digital shelves for that matter, until August 30th as a physical purchase and September 5th as a digital download.
Well if you don’t want to wait that long to get a taste of what Etrian Odyssey IV has to offer, then NIS America has some good news for you. Today the company has announced that they are releasing a demo for the game on the Nintendo eShop on August 15th. Those interested in seeing what the game has to offer can check out our review for the North American version of the title here.
It was obvious to many that Call of Duty: Ghosts would feature a number of new upgrades in its multiplayer mode, however despite the game’s November 5th release date growing closer, Activision had yet to reveal anything about the multiplayer mode to the game.
Well today the company rectified that situation in a major way by revealing numerous additions to Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer mode, including numerous gameplay mode additions, refined weaponry and for the first time ever, an ability to not only customize the look of your soldier, but also a chance to play as a female soldier. Check out the videos below for more details.
Official Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Reveal
Call of Duty Ghosts – Multiplayer Gameplay Mode “Squads” Footage
Call of Duty Ghosts: Clan Wars
Call of Duty Ghosts – Multiplayer Reveal Gameplay Full Match
Anyone who has played the atmospheric Metro: Last Light by Deep Silver will agree that the music was fittingly dark and eerie. Well now over 60 original tracks are available to pre-order from the Sumthing Else website, iTunes and other digital stores.
Composed by Aleksey Omelchuk, the digital release also includes four bonus tracks by the in-house metal band at 4A Games, Aranrut, that can be found in the game via hidden cassette tapes. The soundtrack is set for worldwide release on September 3 and fans can listen to samples at the digital stores.
As a bonus, Sumthing Else and Deep Silver are giving away 5 tracks including the main character’s theme “Echoes of the Past” which can be found here.
Check out our review of Metro: Last Light while you’re at it to see what we thought of the survival FPS title!
Some of you out there may remember the name “Flashback“, some of you may even remember the game “Flashback” that was originally released in 1992, well this side-scrolling, puzzler is getting a remake that will go by the same name. Ubisoft has just released this story trailer which, although vague, does tell us just enough to get gamers excited but considering the main protagonist deals with the effects of amnesia and must power through rediscovery I think it’s quite a good fit. It’s a Sci-Fi game that revolves around an agent from the Bureau of Investigation that catches wind of an impending alien take-over of Earth and must now race to stop their plans of conquering the planet.
The original game, Flashback.
The remake will be developed by the game’s original creator, Paul Cuisset, with the only difference being it’s incredibly improves gameplay, graphics, sound and the fact that it will be published by Ubisoft. The game is set for release on the Xbox Live Arcade on the 21st of August and it is slated for release on the Playstation Network sometime during the Spring of this year so stay tuned for that. For now we have the Flashback Story Trailer and hopefully that’ll keep you fans out there going until the game is released.
DuckTales: Remastered Developer:WayForward Publisher:Capcom Platform:Nintendo Wii U eShop (Reviewed), Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, Steam Release Date: August 13, 2013 (Wii U eShop, PSN, Steam), September 11, 2013 (XBLA) Price:$14.99BUY NOW!
Overview
While gamers are all united by the controller, one era separates millions. There are those who play new releases and enjoy every minute of innovation that is found within each title, and those who sigh as they push a disc in the tray due to cartridges now just being a thing of the past. In a way, a hefty responsibility has been thrown on to Capcom’s shoulders to nurture this lot of fans that are now in their mid-twenties and beyond – as they are one of the last standing publishers (aside from Sega and Nintendo) from a generation that taught us how challenging a game should be, and that a tutorial was nothing more than the first stage.
WayForward have taught us through their own releases however that newer developers can pull off old tricks while retaining a feeling of freshness – and with the company’s rise as of recent due to a growing library of high quality platformers, there has been no better time to bring back one of the most beloved franchises. Capcom and WayForward have done the unthinkable and brought back DuckTales in all of its glory, with love put into every pixel and all of the moon theme that a retro gamer could handle. Is it enough though? Did the stars align for no reason with this “Remastered” remake, or should we still be pulling out our old consoles to get that regular McDuck fix? Let’s find out.
Story
Even though I loved the original DuckTales, I didn’t quite remember it much when going into remastered in terms of a story. Sure, there was plenty of treasure and loot to collect, but aside from those aspects and saving some nephews, the rest had kind of blurred out. This remake retells the tale, but with a much greater emphasis on narrative due to dialogue sequences that have literally been inserted into each stage. Scrooge McDuck is on a quest to collect five treasures from all over the world, but past enemies such as Magica De Spell and Flintheart Glomgold are acting as a roadblock, constantly showing up to cause trouble for the lovable old McDuck and his large family.
The story in many ways plays out like five episodes of the television show, with one for each major stage. Sure, its a bit cheesey and non-nonsensical, but if you are like myself and still go back and watch the show from time to time, you should know what to expect as the little one-liners, plot points, and other fare do well to capture the essence of the original cartoon while still feeling relevant by today’s standards. This title is meant to be a blast to the past, and once those theme tunes start cranking up and Alan Young starts squawking those famous lines, you will be instantly placed in your childhood on a Saturday morning. Honestly, that is all one could ask for, and DuckTales delivers nostalgia and then some on that front.
Gameplay
Like most NES classics, DuckTales did not have a lot of gameplay mechanics – as the gameplay ran off a very simple formula where the stage carried the player through a properly set pattern of enemies and objectives. If you remembered where the enemies were, they didn’t cause an issue as each foe spawned at the same place, and suffering through some trial and error was part of the fun of overcoming the intense challenge. In Remastered, WayForward have stuck to that mindset when revising these worlds completely, as Scrooge still only has his cane that acts as a pogo stick, which can also smack obstacles into enemies while up close. Aside from jumping, that is all Scrooge does to battle his way through the chaos – but it works and proves to be effective, proving simplicity and preservation goes miles when recreating something as special as this little gem.
To further explain how these mechanics come together once progressing through a stage, it goes a little something like this. When the player sees a group of small platforms that are spaced apart, they must bounce into the air using the cane and try to tap each piece of land to get across. At times, enemies will come into the equation as well, and the player must then use their bodies to make it across a pit of spikes or other hazard found on the floor. In not so dangerous areas, the pits are replaced with hazards such as plants that cannot be bounced on or chains that you must latch onto to make it to a higher platform. For these types of places, all that is needed is precise platforming, and while I made a few missteps during my own journey, each death doesn’t feel cheap as the game is all about memorization and proper precision.
If I had any gripes about the gameplay, it would be that when WayForward said that they were going to stay true to the original, they meant it in every sense. There are a lot of platforming aspects that have evolved since DuckTales released on the NES over twenty years ago, such as hitting “up” to snag onto a chain while in mid-air. Yes, you can get this down with proper practice, but those used to the hand-holding and non-manual platforming will be properly be questioning their retro love after a good number of pit deaths and blows to one’s pride. Funny enough, I am one of the only retro fanatics I know that finds memorization in the genre to be a bad thing. I never was a fan of Mega Man, as I preferred to explore an in-game world without a formula in place. That said, DuckTales: Remastered strikes a perfect balance of exploration and formula, preserving a rock solid challenge while allowing the player to take in every aspect of the beautifully crafted stages along the way. For every hair-pulling moment, there is a reward right behind it, and that means if you can stick it through – that golden, NES feeling of accomplishment will be there to greet you at every checkpoint.
As for what has changed, boss battles are now far more involving and require the player to learn the pattern of a large foe in order to conquer it. This makes for a satisfying finish the first time around, and playing on a tougher difficulty later will tweak the rules to keep you coming back for more. The stages have also been expanded upon, with more objectives and much bigger spaces to roam. Every stage feels completely different to the next due to the differences of foes and obstacles, and that trait of the original keeps this remake in full form throughout, killing a lot of repetition that would normally be found in similar titles from the era of 8-bit. If by chance you find yourself throwing the controller at the tough challenge DuckTales offers, an “Easy” mode is also available outside of “Medium” as well as a Hard, and even Extreme level of difficulty. These difficulties don’t do a lot to effect the challenge, but instead give the player an option of not having a stock of lives or having each hit of damage only do do half a heart’s worth, rather than taking a whole heart in one hit.
As I mentioned, the story sequences have been placed in the actual game itself, and while you can skip cutscenes, there is no option to turn them off completely. This is something that will turn away speedrunners, and after dying ten times on one section – one can only take so much of the hijinx of Launchpad, no matter how endearing it is. While you do some exploration in each stage, gems can be collected to increase the worth of McDuck, and that currency can be used later to unlock a great number of concept artwork, music, and other goodies. Due to the high cost of these unlockables, this means you will probably be headed back to the Moon, Transylvania, and other famed locations time and time again, collecting cash and furthering the experience by testing the waters with tougher difficulties. There is even a money vault that players can swim around in for no reason at all, and like the hug button in WayForward’s other NES remake of “A Boy and His Blob”, it just goes to show that minor additions can make a huge difference when it comes to showing love to an audience.
Visuals and Audio
Instead of going for the dated 8-bit design, everything has truly been “Remastered” for this brand new DuckTales, with bright, vivid color and stunning 2D art making each world come alive all over again. McDuck and family look fantastic and animate to perfection aside from their mouths staying closed during dialogue sequences (which really isn’t a problem), as well as enemies wobbling about through each stage in their perfect little patterns. Sure, there is a little bit of stiffness at times during cutscenes and the 3D items look out of place in the 2D animated world, but as someone who has played the original a countless number of times, that is a small hiccup in what is otherwise a beautiful recreation.
As for audio – where do I begin. There has been newly added voicework that features the original cast reprising their roles in order to sprinkle in the magic from the television series, and yes – it does its job very well when it comes to slapping a smile on your face. Alan Young (the voice of Scrooge) sounds a bit tired due to his age, but still delivers a memorable amount of dialogue as what may be one of the most beloved cartoon characters of all time. The music is honestly the part of the game that holds the most merit. Its a very rare thing for a game’s soul to be tied to a soundtrack, but that has always been the case for DuckTales. Thankfully, every redone melody is even more power behind it, and as you would expect, the Moon theme is yet again the winner of the collection, but with a lot of competition due to new spins on old tracks such as the very upbeat Himalayas tune and the majestic beats from the Amazon. Its hard to describe what makes the soundtrack of DuckTales special, but you should know that these remastered tracks are dripping with nostalgia and as sweeter to the ears than Mrs. Beakley’s cake.
Overall
By today’s standards, DuckTales: Remastered is a bit dated and is much more challenging that it appears, but as a remake of an NES favorite that we thought we would never hear from again, it stands the way it did over twenty years ago – showing an entire industry how its done. Nearly the entire experience has been preserved, with a fine coat of polish and freshness bringing the final product to a shine. Many people would use that term “nostalgia goggles” with a remake like this, but nostalgia is just a term used to describe something that brings back good memories and should not be feared or looked down upon. DuckTales: Remastered is that and then some as it has been revived at a time where video games are going for more serious tones, to which it counters that with hours of happiness, innocence, and some of the purest gameplay you can find on consoles. Go ahead, take a dive into Uncle Scrooge’s money vault, your childhood is waiting.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Mastertronic, Devolver Digital, and Mediatonic announced today that they have a new game coming to PC and Xbox Live soon. The demon-hunting brawler, named Foul Play, will be released on September 18.
Developed by Mediatonic, characters will play through the on-stage adventures of Baron Dashforth. It’s a side-scrolling brawler that rewards players for performance over blindly bashing buttons. You’ll strike, smash, beat, and banish all of costumed extras unfortunate enough to get in your way. The stage sets will range everywhere from the deserts of Cairo to Victorian London in a truly astonishing Foul Play.
To check out some footage of the game, be sure to watch the announcement trailer in the video player below this article. You can also check out their official website here.
Last week, the official Collector’s Edition for Batman: Arkham Origins was announced, and boy was it impressive. The incredible statue alone made the whole package worthwhile. For you collector’s edition hunters out there though, don’t be so hasty to throw down your money just yet, as today Warner Bros announced the Batman: Arkham Origins Definitive Edition.
Announced last night as the US-exclusive collector’s edition, EB Games this morning announced that they would be the sole stockist of the Definitive Edition in Australia. Alongside the game, the pack includes;
Exclusive Arkham Origins premium statue featuring LED effects produced by TriForce
Beautifully rendered and highly detailed statue measuring approx. 9” x 13” x 11.5”
80-page, full-color hardcover artbook measuring approx. 7.5” x 10.75” x .5”
Two key pieces of evidence taken directly from the Gotham City Police Department crime lab
Batman Wanted Poster
Batwing Prototype Schematic
Anarky logo stencil
Glow-In-The-Dark map of Gotham City
Wayne Family Photo
Assassin’s Intel Dossier, which includes files on the 8 assassins as well as Black Mask’s contract
1st Appearance Batman Skin: Look just like Batman did during his first appearance in Detective Comics #27, released in 1939.
Deathstroke Challenge Pack – Unlock the ability to play as one of the world’s deadliest assassins! Usable throughout all the Arkham Origins Challenge maps. Also includes two bonus challenge maps and two bonus Deathstroke Skins.
Bonus Black Mask Challenge Maps DLC (Exclusively available as an EB Games pre-order incentive)
The edition is a little pricey at AU$139.00, but it is more than worth it. That Joker statue alone would almost cover the cost on its own.
Will you be pre-ordering the Definitive Edition? Sticking with the Collectors Edition? or are you just in it for the game? Let us know in the comments below! I already have my Definitive Edition on pre-order and am counting down the days until it is available. So bat-fans, for all the Arkham Origins news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers; same bat-time, same bat-channel.
Saints Row IV Developer:Volition Publisher:Deep Silver Platform: PlayStation 3, PC, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date: August 20, 2013 Price:$59.99 – Available Here
Overview Continuing a franchise that has already taken things to an extreme is always a difficult hurdle to overcome. Should the next game turn it up to eleven or should it return to its roots? What if fans of the franchise find the next game in the series less enjoyable than former titles? With a game like Saints Row: The Third already being known as one of the most ridiculously titles in memory, Volition had a lot to do to top their last game, so is Saints Row IV able to take things to the next level?
Story After a brief series of events that seems like an immediate ending to the game, with allies saying their goodbyes as their boss rockets into the sunset to the tune of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” the Saints end up in power with the Boss, you, becoming the President of the United States. Unfortunately for you however, players aren’t able to take advantage of their powers as Commander and Chief since an alien invasion has to bring the party to a close.
The Zin Empire with its leader Zinyak have come to take the best and the brightest that Earth has to offer, meaning that almost the entirety of the Saints crew is abducted by the aliens, including the Boss. Rather than force the Saints to perform some menial tasks or something similar, the Saints are placed in something so close to the Matrix that it isn’t even trying to hide it. The Boss and the rest of the members of his/her crew, or since he/she’s the president, cabinet, inside of a virtual reality world that is being controlled by Emperor Zinyak.
While clearly taken straight out of the Matrix, purple fluid filled pods and all, Saints Row IV takes this idea and makes it their own. Players must break free of their own simulation and then rescue their crew from other simulations which have been designed to be their own personal virtual Hell. Only once the player manages to get the whole gang back together can they take the fight back to Zinyak, and the main way to do this is to cause hell within the simulation and allow it to be hacked by Kinzie.
While it may sound very basic at its core, this is Saints Row we’re talking about here. Every story element is laced with references to other pieces of pop culture and so much comedy that it’ll be impossible not to laugh, even if you happen to be someone with no sense of humor.
Hell, even when playing the basic gameplay and exploration I don’t believe I went ten minutes straight without laughing at least once, and that doesn’t even take into account the various side missions you can go through which sees players take on special Loyalty missions for their crew members to tap into their potential, most of which can be so off the wall they are almost ludicrous, but in a good way.
Gameplay
Outside of their own personal simulation, Saints Row IV is very much the same game as before, however within the simulation there is so much gameplay to be found that it can be overwhelming at times thanks to the fact that there is a plethora of activities and over a thousand different collectables to be found in virtual Steelport.
One of the biggest gameplay aspects added into Saints Row IV are the super powers that are unlocked as the player makes their way through the main storyline, with additional power-ups locked behind side-quests. Thanks to the way that super powers work in the game, it is hard not to make comparisons to other open world games that offer similar abilities, such as Prototype with wall-running and gliding and infamous with blast abilities. However comparing Saints Row IV to these games only scratches the surface.
Through the use of collectables, every ability that the player acquires, such as super sprint, super jump, telekinesis, ground stomps and the ability to throw elemental blasts can be upgraded and refined. To add to these enhancements, various skills can have element shifts, allowing players to throw lightning or freeze balls or stomp the ground and levitate enemies rather than send them flying. Basic navigational abilities can also be upgraded, with super sprint becoming so fast that cars are practically useless as you zip through the streets, possibly causing a tornado in your wake.
This is a good thing too, considering the fact that the entire simulation is open to the player right from the get-go. If players choose they can have cars or aircraft spawn with them already inside, run like a speeding bullet through the streets or up the sides of buildings, glide through the air and more, all making navigation through the streets an afterthought as you speed through the gorgeously designed virtual Steelport.
It is worth noting that there are no rival gangs to fight in the game, though they do make an appearance, and instead players will always be facing off against cops and the Zin. There are numerous types of Zin including a handful that wield special powers of their own, meaning that while the player may always seem to have the upper hand, it isn’t always the case. Of course when you have alien weapons such as a dubstep gun, a gun that shoots black holes and more it is difficult not to kill enemies in every way imaginable.
Outside of slaying enemies, there are numerous activities that can be performed, each of which has three award tiers in the form of bronze, silver and gold and these include races, super powered fight clubs and more. Also available are numerous targets where players can steal vehicles, eliminate security constructs, fight off waves of enemies to install a virus and much more. The amount of options available in the game are simply astounding, even for an open world title.
As I mentioned earlier, not every mission takes place in the Steelport simulation and outside of the simulation, players fight with basic skills, though they may still have access to numerous alien weapons. Also the gameplay itself might even be changed up as Volition changes things around when players rescue their crew. One mission may see you fighting in a 2D side-scroller, creeping through a level like Solid Snake or even play through a text based adventure.
Visuals The majority of Saints Row IV takes place inside of simulations and Volition has actually managed to pull off quite a convincing virtual world. What at first may appear to be graphical issues are legitimate parts of the game, with walls shimmering, various citizens de-rezzing and pixelating and more. That isn’t to say that there aren’t legitimate problems as well though. Numerous times throughout the game my player ended up stuck in a wall or bridge, requiring a reload of the most recent save and there are some unplanned slowdowns when things get too hectic on screen.
Outside of that however, virtual Steelport is quite breathtaking as everything has been decked out in small touches such as subliminal Zin advertising and posters saying to obey Zinyak. Player customization is as varied as ever, with numerous hair styles, body customizations and clothing options to choose from. Even weapons can now be customized with different skins where they will shoot out different looking bullets and make different sounds while fired.
Audio As I mentioned, character customization is still a major factor in Saints Row IV and there are numerous voice actors to choose from for the main character, with a handful of male and female voices available, each of which can be slightly adjusted in pitch. As for the other characters, all of their voice actors have returned to reprise their roles and continue to be as impressive as ever with the ridiculously amusing dialogue and swearing that the script contains.
Thanks to the fact that driving vehicles is something players can simply do as a past time, players can now choose to listen to music even while walking through the streets or gliding through the air and what a selection of music they have to choose from. There are a handful of radio stations to choose from and a mix tape where players can select their favorite tracks to play from. The music contains everything from dubstep, reggae, classic rock and literally classic music, giving players a little bit of everything to choose from.
Overall Saints Row IV has taken the anarchy that the series is known for, the super powers from numerous other open world titles and threw in more collectibles than you can shake a stick at all while managing to maintain the same over-the-top humor that makes Saints Row what it is. Minus some performance issues, Saints Row IV is easily one of the most enjoyable games you’ll have the pleasure of playing. Packing countless hours of content, tons of customization and refined gameplay which takes it over the limit, Saints Row IV is a must have, dubstep and all.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today, Reef Entertainment and First Star Software Inc announced the European release of Boulder Dash-XL 3D on the Nintendo 3DS. Set in a system of caves packed with glorious loot and deadly creatures alike, Boulder Dash-XL 3D is an intense action-puzzler that will rack your brains for hours on end. A sequel to the wildly successful 1984 hit Boulder Dash on Atari 8-bit computers, this flashy 3D remake promises a more challenging and varied experience to bring the title into the new age. Featuring 4 new game worlds, 5 game modes, and over 15o deep and interesting caves to delve into, this puzzling game offers hours of game play and enough variety to keep you constantly guessing what you’ll be faced with next.
Boulder Dash-HD XL will land in the Nintendo eShop on the 22nd August and will be available for download for a reasonable £4.49 in the UK or €4.99 across Europe.
