Developer and publisher Joymax has just started a special reward for the month of August, to go along with other summer events, just for players logging into their MMORPGDigimon Masters. Players that log in and stay for lengths of 30 mins, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours consecutively per day will receive reward items. Starting today and lasting until August 27th.
The Digimon Masters reward items range from Miracle Fruit, Amplification Booster +200, a Diablomon Boss Card, and Summer Coin. The Summer coin itself is a new currency that players will be able to spend at JumboGaemon. Players will only be able to acquire a total of 29 Summer Coins though, so players will have to carefully plan what they will want to get from the prizes listed below:
Item Effects Number of Coins
1 Evoluter Expand Champion and Ultimate evolution slots 5
10 Plant DATA Plant Class DigiEgg hatching ingredient 6
10 Aquatic DATA Auatic Class Digi egg hatching ingredient 6
Warehouse Expansion Extra Warehouse slot 7
ModeSelector Extends the evolution of riding mode 9
1 Backup Disk Corrects Adverse Effects in Digimon Evolution 10
1 Hatching BackupDisk Prevents penalties in failed hatching attempt 12
1 random Reinforced mercenary digi egg 25
So, players should be sure to consider all their possibilities with such a limited number. Those wanting to get started earning rewards can check out their Offical Website and be sure to stay logged in to get as many rewards as possible. Digimon Masters playable for both PC and Mac.
Fans of the 2011 hit anime The iDOLM@STER rejoiced this week as it was announced that the highly anticipated movie adaptation, THE iDOLM@STER MOVIE: Kagayaki no Mukōgawa e, will hit Japanese theatres around the beginning of 2014.
Limited edition ticket packs featuring artwork of the cast and a bonus background music CD sold out on the first day!
Not much has been leaked in the way of plot, but we know that it will feature a brand-new story not yet seen in either of the two main anime series. A-1 Pictures have been given the responsibility of doing the artwork and a host of other staff who have previously worked on The iDOLM@STER are to be involved in its production.
The iDOLM@STER follows the story of a group of 13 aspiring idols as they strive to reach their goals while overcoming a multitude of challenges that they meet on their path to stardom. Originally based upon an Xbox 360/PS3 game, it has inspired several anime adaptations and a spinoff series called Puchimas! Petit iDOLM@STER featuring chibi versions of the main cast
Those that remember Saints Row The Third‘s Initiation Station shouldn’t be surprised that developer Volition is releasing something similar for Saints Row IV. This time titled the “Inauguration Station” players can download it today to start designing the president for their game. Still attached to the character from Saints Row The Third? Players can download and update them too.
Volition and publisher Deep Silver have also put out a new trailer for the release of the Saints Row IV Inauguration Station to show off lots of different options players will be able to choose from, but there will of course be plenty plenty more. After creating the perfect president users can upload them to the Saints Row community site to show off their mad prez making skills.
Those wanting to check out the trailer can find it embedded below. Those wanting to download the Inauguration Station can find it on Xbox Live and PC (via Steam) today, while PSN will be getting it tomorrow for worldwide release, except America where it will release August 13th. Download, create, and upload to prepare for Saints Row IV‘s release on August 20th.
NisiOisin‘s latest novel in the Monogatari series, the long awaited Owarimonogatari, is set to be released this fall according to the NisiOisin Anime Project’s Twitter account. This news comes just days after the supposed release date slip-up by Sony regarding the Kizumonogatari movie, also set to release this fall.
Fans that can’t wait to dive into the latest novel will be glad to know that the first story entitled “Ugi Formula” will be published on September 9th in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. This particular story in the Monogatari series will detail the events of when the main character Koyomi Araragi meets a strange new girl called Ugi Oshino.
After being teased by a tentative April release date and then a summer release date that never happened, fans will be relieved that this seems to finally be set in stone. The sequel to Owarimonogatari is still seemingly planned for next year, but whether Zokuowarimonogatari meets its planned release date better than its predecessor is yet to be seen.
An anime adaptation of Monogatari’s second season is currently being aired and news of any future Monogatari developments can be found in our anime news section.
Warner Bros and Turbine Inc’s upcoming MOBA; Infinite Crisis is shaping up to be one hell of a game. Based on the DC Comics Multiverse, the game will see heroes and villains from not only DC’s main continuity, but also lesser known counterparts from their ‘elseworlds’ comics. Characters like Cyborg and Zatanna will join forces with Gaslight Catwoman (from Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Nightmare Batman (who first appeared in Batman & Dracula: Red Rain).
Today, Warner Bros have put up the first installment of a special behind the scenes video feature for Infinite Crisis. The video has memebers of the creative team Jeffrey Steefel, Brent Schmidt, Cardell Kerr and Chris Clay as well as DC Entertainment icons Geoff Johns and Jim Lee as they discuss why the game is being made and how it is being developed.
The video is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of DC Comics, or MOBAs in general, as it looks like Turbine are bringing some interesting stuff to the table. You can check out the video below, and if you want to try and get into the game’s beta before its official launch, then you can do so here. If you also want to pre-order the game and become a Founder, then you can do so at this link.
The game’s roster is already impressive with 12 awesome champions to choose from, and there looks like there is no end in sight. So to stay up to date with all the Infinite Crisis news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Paradox Interactive, cultivators of epic facial hair (their words, not ours), have just announced an all-new multiplayer action title called War of the Vikings that utilises the technology used in the 2012 medieval squad-based combat game War of the Roses – both are developed by Fatshark Games.
Be prepared to enter the Viking Age, where fighting is in every red-blooded male’s DNA. Whether sacking England as the mighty Norsemen, or defending the nation as a brave Saxon, you will design your own custom warrior with rich customisation options. The skill-driven, close-combat experience has never been so visceral or brutal before, with large scale 64-player battles amongst authentically inspired settings and with era-accurate weaponry. Executive Producer for the War of the Roses franchise, Gordon Van Dyke, said;
War of the Roses was a fantastic experience for us to launch, and as it’s evolved over time, eventually growing into its current Kingmaker edition, we’ve been inspired many times over by the possibilities of the close-combat genre. It’s clear to us that that there are many more experiences we can share with our players, and War of the Vikings is our next step in establishing Paradox and Fatshark as leaders in the art of online war.
History Comes to Life (and then you kill it) – Historically inspired content from the Viking Age, including levels and environments, weapons, helmets, shields, and heraldry
Close Combat and Ranged Ravaging – Skill-driven fighting blends swinging, blocking, and dodging with intense ranged combat, including arrows, spears, and throwing axes
Mod Your Squad – Enhanced squad features allow players to define a role for their warriors in battle using custom squad perks to buff your hirdmen
A Viking to Your Liking – Design your own Viking or Saxon warrior, choosing everything from weapons and armor to battle perks, customized taunts to unhinge your foes, and a variety of beard options
Pick Your Battles – Game modes include up to 64-player epic battles, new hardcore “Pitched Arena” mode with 32 players and no respawns, and a Training Ground to test out new character builds
War of the Vikings is scheduled for release in Q1 2014. Check out the announcement trailer embedded below. You can sign up for the War of the Vikingsalpha here, and find more information on the title at www.warofthevikings.com.
The game is set to feature an in-depth physics system, creating a more realistic experience. A player physics system is included, taking each cricketer’s height and weight into account, altering their movement, power and speed accordingly. The physics system also applies to the cricket ball itself, providing realistic bounces, catches and rolls.
Bowled through the Big Ant wickets
The game will also include:
Career Mode, allowing you to take control of an aspiring young cricketer and take him through the ranks to International glory.
Unique Batting and Bowling Controls, giving full 360 Shot control and Line and Length delivery without pitch markers.
A fully featured fielding system that allows you to run down the ball and slide to prevent a Four, catch a high ball on the boundary rope, or knock down the stumps to take a vital run out.
Appeal and Electronic Review system allowing for the first time challenges of the umpires decision.
Practice Nets, Hone your skills to perfection before taking to the field.
Dynamic time of day, Weather System and Pitch Degradation that are based on real world data with effects occurring in real-time throughout a days’ play.
The Cricket Academy, allowing for unparalleled customisation of your Cricket experience, creating Teams, players, Tours, Competitions, Match Types and even Umpires.
More than 4000 Community created Players and teams ready to download and use in game.
An online Save system that lets you continue your match whenever you want with online opponents.
Caught…or throwing in celebration
Sebastian Giompaolo (HES Managing Director) said:
“It is indeed an honour to be able to bring the greatest player to a technology savvy generation of fans in what promises to be the greatest cricket game of all time. Big Ant Studios have been working hard on this title for four years and we at HES are really excited with what they have been able to achieve. It is far superior to any cricket game in the market.”
Don Bradman Cricket 14 will be released on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC later this year. For more information, visit the official site. The legend continues…
Overview
The Tales Of series has been around for about 15 years. After more than decades of incredible fantasy tales, we arrive at Tales of Xillia, the latest installment of the series that has come to the West. Fans of the series likely know that Tales of Xillia was given a sequel already in Japan which is simply titled Tales of Xillia 2. The game undoubtedly has a lot of hype surrounding it, but is it the next great chapter in the tale or is it a tale best left forgotten?
Story
After so many games in this long-running series, how do you keep things fresh? Well for the thirteenth installment in the main Tales series, Namco Tales Studios have taken a very interesting approach to this game and it really is make or break.
Unlike previous Tales games which opt for a more traditional fantasy style setting, Tales of Xillia has a more sci-fi-fantasy mash up kind of feel reminiscent of another popular JRPG series’ thirteenth installment. It is a very fresh setting for the series, but it could be one that might just make or break it for long time fans of the series. This is definitely a departure from the norm, but one that is deeply fascinating. The world of Reive Maxia is gorgeously detailed and brimming with life.
The plot itself is told from two different perspectives, allowing the player themselves to choose which one they would like to play through. The choice is between Jude and Milla, a male and female protagonist. This is something never before seen in the Tales series but it is something that is very much a welcome addition to the game. While the main arc of the game remains largely unchanged depending upon your choice of main character, the perspective is what matters most. The eyes you see the world through and the feelings you experience largely come from the character you choose. It is an ingenious concept that gives players a reason to play again to see the other side of the story.
Although Tales of Xillia does try new things and tells an interesting story with some equally interesting characters, it does ring hollow emotionally, instead opting for a cool tale instead of a touching one. If you enjoy a story for emotion and heart this may not be the Tales game for you, as Tales of Xillia is somewhat lacking in both, struggling to leave a lasting impact.
Gameplay
Tales of Xillia shakes things up a lot in terms of story, characters and setting, but it is for the most part traditional Tales in terms of gameplay. Other than a few new additions, it sticks closely to the working formula that the series has developed and proven tried and true.
The battle system is largely untouched, running in an action-RPG style allowing you to roam freely and attack and defend freely. This system has been part of the Tales series since the beginning, becoming more refined with each passing game. Tales of Xillia is easily the most refined incarnation of the Tales battle system. It has a dynamic feel that is both easy to grasp and difficult to master. There is a great level of depth to combat that grows deeper and deeper as you progress through the game.
There is also a lot of fine details in the game that unless you take the time to truly explore you would easily miss out on. There is a number of side-quests and other manner of goodies to uncover if you explore. Sadly though it feels as though the exploration element that has always been a significant part of the Tales series has had some of the emphasis taken off it and placed more on the story of the game. The exploration is there but you have to make it happen instead of it occurring naturally.
The game also features a new means of travel which does cause the game to feel somewhat linear and even a little bit easy, that is the fast travel feature. While this is becoming more commonplace in the JRPG scene, it really didn’t need to be included in Tales series and it was not exactly a welcome inclusion in Tales of Xillia. It makes the world feel smaller and the game feel linear, which is never a good thing in a JRPG game such as this.
Despite that, Tales of Xillia is a very fun game, that stays mostly true to the form of the Tales series, being both addictive and challenging, a devious combination to say the very least. Tales of Xillia has a fresh feel to it all the while retaining what makes the series great, it is hampered by some issues, but ultimately rises above them.
Visuals and Audio
In terms of aesthetics, Tales of Xillia may just be the best in the series. It features a gorgeous array of colourful settings, each more inviting than the last, begging to be explored. Not only that but there is some incredible anime cut-scenes that really add a greater level of depth to the characters and world, bringing both to life in stunning animated sequences. The only complaint I have about the anime cut-scenes is that there is not enough of them, they are incredible, if only we could have gotten more to enjoy.
The game also features a great soundtrack composed by Motoi Sakuraba, which harkens back feelings of older Tales games while taking the series in a bold new musical direction. One unfortunate part of the game’s audio is the English dub which is sadly not up to par with the series high standard of voice acting, with several character being stiffly portrayed with jarring line readings. Not only that but there is a distinct lack of emotion in some character’s voice work, specifically Milla.
Overall
So is Tales of Xillia worth all the hype that has surrounded it? Well, yes it is. The game is a lot of fun and takes the series in an intriguing new creative direction. As with all change, there is going to be some hiccups along the way and Tales of Xillia has a few of them. While it may not be the best Tales game, it is certainly a very good one. If you are looking for the Tales you know and love, you may find yourself shocked by Tales of Xillia, this is a very different take on Tales, but it ultimately is a necessary one that will move the series forward.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
World War II strategy game Company of Heroes 2 has been taken down from Steam in Russia and other Eastern European territories, following a 17,000-strong petition by unhappy players. The publisher of the region is 1C-SoftClub, and it is unlikely this will have any effect on distribution in Western countries by SEGA.
The discontent stems from its singleplayer component and what critics believe is a misrepresentation of events on the Eastern Front of the war. Gamers in support of the petition aren’t happy with the typical stereotypes that are slapped on the Red Army, in contrast to the heroic and honourable portrayal of American and British forces in the first Company of Heroes game.
The narrative in Company of Heroes 2 differed to the original by using a main character who retells what made him feel disillusioned with the war. The Eastern Front was arguably the most horrible theatre of war in one of the world’s worst conflicts, with war crimes committed by both sides after Nazi Germany’s invasion. Gamers take issue with the fact that the focus was only on the Soviet side.
A video was recently made by TheBadComedian, summarising the issues Russian gamers have and it can be viewed below. Check out our recent review of Company of Heroes 2 as well.
Should a game be removed due to a petition with 17,000 signatures? What kind of precedent does this set? Balancing historical accuracy with a marketable plot is no laughing matter.
Giant Spacekat, the Independant mobile development studio, happily announced today that their iPad game, Revolution 60, has successfully reached it’s kickstarter goal. Because of it’s swift funding, it only took about a week to hit their goal, stretch goals have been unlocked for additional funding to bring the game to both the PC and the Mac. You can continue to contribute on their kickstarted page here.
Brianna Wu, Head of Development at Giant Spacekat, had this to say:
“We’re pleased and very grateful to the players for helping us reach our first funding goal to complete development on Revolution 60 for iPad.“Now with our stretch goals unlocked, we are looking forward to bringingRevolution 60 to PC and Mac. If our stretch goals are reached every backer will receive a copy of the PC and Mac versions of the game at launch”.
A PC version of the game has already been slated considering they have reached the $5,000 mark, if the kickstarter reachers $10,000 the company will also create a version for the Mac. As with the PC version, each backer will receive a free copy of the Mac version upon launch.
Giant Spacekat’s Official Revolution 60 story synopsis and game description:
Years in the future, in Revolution 60 an American orbital weapons platform has drifted off course, threatening an international incident. Chessboard, a special ops group led by an artificial intelligence, has tasked a team to rendezvous with the station and regain control. In this crucial mission players are cast as Holiday, a Chessboard assassin who must decide if her loyalty is to her friends or to the mission. Featuring an all female cast starring anime legends Amanda Winn-Lee and Marieve Herrington, players undertake a series of missions, and make difficult moral choices that have significant effects on the game outcome so that every ending is different.
Revolution 60 really is a mobile gaming revolution with it’s intense story in which the main character lives or dies depending on your decisions, it also boasts some complex animation which is quite a big feat for a game on the iOS. With its full facial animation and it’s fluid combat features as well as it’s adaptation to both the habbits of a hardcore gamer and a casual one this game seems hard to beat. Keep your eye on the sit and keep contributing to the kickstarter (see link above) so we can eventually see this game come to live right in the palm of our hands.
