Today it was revealed by none other than Deadpool himself via Activision that the company has released some new DLC for Deadpool‘s game which was released last month. The DLC is available now for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and costs $2.99 or 240MSP depending on the console.
Those who pick up the “Merc with a Map Pack” DLC will be able to access two new maps for Challenge Mode, which are the GRT Plaza and the Inside the Tower maps as well as two new costumes for Deadpool to wear, an Uncanny X-Force Suit and his “D-Pooly.” Also revealed today was the fact that the Xbox 360 version of Deadpool has been released on Games on Demand. As for the PlayStation 3 version, you can check out our full review of that version here.
While rare in appearance at PAX Aus 2013, there were a few booth babes scattered around the event. The Sennheiser stand featured a small female police squad ready to take Charlies Angels like photos with everyone and inform attendees of the latest headphones being made available from the longtime hi-fi equipment producer.
I actually went up to the stand because I wanted to play Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (which explains the police theme the girls had adopted), but left with a fantastic impression of the Sennheiser U320 gaming headphones which were available to demo. The sound was phenomenal. It was clear, loud and the coolest thing was I was picking up sounds I just wasn’t noticing before such as all the subtleties of the engine or lightly scraping a fence or road sign. It was truly amazing to be immersed in the game at an event with thousands of other people wandering around.
The U320 gaming headphones at PAX Aus
The U320 can be used on your Xbox 360, PS3, PC or MAC and features a mic that hosts noise cancellation technology and can be muted by simply raising it back to the default position. The CircleFlex technology ensures the headphones will sit comfortably on your ears and there is an audio control device attached to the cord so you can control the in-game and chat volume as well as access the side tones and bass boost feature.
The other pair of headphones Sennheiser were keen to demonstrate at PAX were the recently announced Momentum On-Ear headphones which will be available in four different colours upon launch. Style and substance is a large focus of the Momentum’s, with the stainless steel headband and headphones being finished in Alcantara, which is a high tech luxury material known for it’s comfort, durability and breathability. I personally tired on a pair and they were indeed as comfortable as they sound.
Sennheiser’s Momentum On-Ear Headphones come in a range of colours
The sound has not been compromised at all as the high end 18-ohm transducers guarantee full surround sound. The closed on-ear design helps ensure that outside noises are blocked out and that the user can have an isolated and comfortable music listening experience. The headphones come equipped with a detachable cord featuring inline controls for recieving and making phone calls and controlling music playback on Apple devices.
The U320 gaming headphones are available now at a RRP of $199.95. You will have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the Momentum On-Ear headphones however, as they will be releasing in Australia sometime in August. For more information on these and other Sennheiser products, please visit the Official Sennheiser Website.
Dragon’s Crown Developer:Vanillaware Publisher:Atlus USA Platform: PlayStation Vita (Reviewed), PlayStation 3 Release Date: August 6, 2013 Price: $49.99 – Available Here
Overview Dragon’s Crown has had a difficult journey on its way to store shelves. After it was announced back in 2011, news for the game went dark and the game’s Western publisher dropped out of the running. Then when Atlus picked the title up for release, many juvenile controversies were raised over something the developer has been doing since they started making games. However they say that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so has Dragon’s Crown become an excellent game that everyone should be picking up?
Story Dragon’s Crown’s storyline is unfortunately not one of the game’s strong points as it mostly serves as a system that gives players incentive to continue forward and unlock new aspects of the game as they venture through numerous dungeons. Players will meet new allies and enemies as they make their way through countless bosses as they complete a pre-determined set of missions and optional side-quests.
There is however, more to the game than meets the eye, since players will be able to navigate through the nine areas provided in the game and then through the “B-side” of these stages to not only encounter new enemies and hidden areas, but also face off against different bosses ultimately leading up to the game’s final boss.
While minimalistic, the way that Dragon’s Crown presents its story is similar to what one would experience from a Dungeons & Dragons table-top adventure and provides just enough structure for players to engross themselves in the game.
Gameplay Dragon’s Crown is clearly a beat’em up style game based in a fantastical medieval setting. Players have the option of choosing between six different classes, each of whom feature unique combat abilities and skills. There is the Fighter, the Dwarf, the Wizard, the Amazon, the Sorceress and the Elf to choose from and while some beat’em ups may simply reskin the same fighter so that, while they look different, they play the exact same, Dragon’s Crown is the exact opposite of that.
Before we even consider class customization and character differences, it is worth noting that calling Dragon’s Crown a simple beat’em up would be doing the game a disservice since it is far more than that, as it features status effects, air combos, juggling, ranged and melee differences, dodging and much more, including the ability to ride animals into combat and wield limited use items. Each class has special abilities to make them useful in combat, though it is worth noting that the two magic using characters probably play the most similar to one another in the entire roster.
The Elf, my personal pick, is versatile with swift close-range combo attacks that can lead to air juggling and punishing ground slams as well as a bow that deals superior damage to enemies. However the Elf’s arrows are limited and must be gathered from defeated opponents or boxes to replenish her supply. This is then accented by the way that players will be able to level up characters and unlock skills to further customize their experience.
Each class is given character specific skills as well as “Common” skills that are shared amongst the classes. This means that even if you were to venture into combat with four different Elf characters, each one may have a different set of skills and playstyle. However shifting focus away from the Elf for a bit, every class is capable of being useful in combat, since the Fighter has the ability to block, the Dwarf can throw enemies and the magic users can summon allies to fight alongside the party. It is also worth noting that there are numerous character slots available to each save file, allowing players to shift their class around if they feel like trying out the other classes.
As you venture through the various dungeons, players will see enemies scale to their level in a way that makes it so every level is always a dangerous venture. Even some of the beginning areas scale up to the player’s level which means that even some of the early levels can be as fun to play as some of the later dungeons, making older dungeons feel like less of a chore and more like something to conquer once again.
Those concerned about the multiplayer aspect of don’t have to worry too much about fighting alone, since players can find bones of dead adventurers in dungeons. These bones can then be resurrected into adventurers that will travel alongside the player through these fights, as AI companions that will take the place of other players. These companions do not level up however and their equipment can break and disappear however, meaning that players must manage their party or else find their allies under-leveled and under-equipped for new challenges.
Once the player completes the game, there is the option to restart the game and enter into a harder difficulty level, which raises the level cap on the player’s characters. On the basic Normal mode, characters are capped at 35, with Hard Mode and Inferno Mode allowing players to level up to 65 and 99 respectively. There is even a bit of PVP available for gamers who want to face off against others online, or bots if they feel like, and a randomly generated dungeon named Labyrinth of Chaos that expand the game’s playtime to staggering levels.
It is worth noting that while this review is based off of the PlayStation 3 version of Dragon’s Crown, I was able to try out the Vita version as well. The Vita version of the game appears similar to the PS3 version minus some drops in visual quality and some slowdown during intense moments but it also features a touch screen option. This touch screen allows players to reveal extra loot in dungeon levels as well as tell your trusty thief friend what doors and treasure chests to unlock.
The same can be accomplished on the PlayStation 3 but rather than being able to simply tap the objects, players must navigate a pointer across the screen with an analog stick and use a shoulder button to tap any objects they want opened or examined. It is also worth noting that there is no cross play between the two systems, which is disappointing to say the least since it fractures the userbase, but thanks to the aforementioned companion system, it isn’t too much of an issue.
Visuals As far as aesthetics go, anyone familiar with what Vanillaware has done in the past should know what to expect, and that is a breathtaking art style where it appears that everything in the world, including player characters and enemies, are hand drawn from scratch. The characters each feature an exaggerated character trait similar to what one would find on old movie posters or old Dungeon & Dragon’s style artwork and there are a number of color palette swaps for each character in the game.
As far as enemies go, fodder opponents are varied well enough and while there are a few duplicates here and there, each enemy has a unique look to it, especially with boss battles against some truly inspiring looking opponents. The combat is fluid and fast paced, with no slowdown on the PlayStation 3 version of the title even when all four fighters are battling enemies at the same time.
Audio As I mentioned above, the story of Dragon’s Crown feels like a genuine Dungeons & Dragons adventure and the main reason for that is everything in your adventure, including preludes into dungeons, quest discussion and more is narrated by the narrator and the only times that characters make any noise is when they are fighting or performing in game actions, creating a game that feels like a dungeon master is controlling everything as you make your way through his game.
The game’s background soundtrack is impressive and fits the medieval fantasy theme of the game, with numerous epic sounding dungeon tracks as well as some calmer themes for when the player is navigating town or inside of a building.
Overall Vanillaware, and for their part Atlus, have given gamers something special in Dragon’s Crown. Despite a minimalistic storyline, the game is positively glowing in every other aspect. The way that the title presents itself with its unique art style and storytelling paired alongside fast paced, gratifying combat makes Dragon’s Crown easily the best, if not the best, side-scroller beat’em up to grace the gaming world.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
This video right here is a real gem and not one to pass up. If you’re a fan of the TMNT franchise you’ll already know about this cool TMNT game coming out which is set for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and on the PC through Steam, it’s called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and it’s looking damn fine! It’s looking fairly gritty and, honestly, it’s unlike a TMNT game we’ve ever seen before which is really good and in a generation of gritty, fairly dark, reboots of old series’ this one is sure to win over audiences.
The guys behind the game (Activision Publishing and Red Fly Studio) wanted to give players new visions of familiar places. New York City will your playground, as it usually is for the Turtles, and it’s gritty, neon-saturated style will be sure to help you get the different feel that this game is going to be sending across to you. The team wanted you to not only see the different world of the game they also want you to hear it and feel it inside yourself as you play, that’s why they went to Hip-Hop Producer and Collaborator, Just Blaze.
In the video, which you can see below, Just Blaze takes the audience through the creation of the sountrack and how he related certain songs to certain characters and places to help aid the player into feeling more immersed in the world and story. He also talks about the challenges behind put a new spin on and old classic and also how he draws inspiration through working on a series like this that he has loved since he was a child.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is set for release on the 28th of August on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC (Steam). It will only be released for digital download so keep an eye out for it on the web and keep your eyes on the site for any and all new information to be released.
Kumotion, a new-on-the-scene mobile game publisher, announced today that Pocket Titans, an adventure RPG, will be ready for gamer consumption in September on iPhone and iPad.
Pocket Titans is a turn-based RPG puzzle adventure game. Set in a fantasy world with mages, rogues, and orcs, it blends tactical decision making with casual puzzle play to create what is being described as “Candy Crush meets XCOM meets Game of Thrones.”
Developed by two gentlemen over the last 18 months, the game will come with 8 playable character classes, 30 enemy classes, boss battles, and head-to-head two-player battles.
Pocket Titans is currently undergoing closed beta. When it releases in Semptember, it will be priced at $0.99/€0.79/£0.69. You can check out their official website here.
You thought you’d be seeing the new characters here but instead you got, I, Dio!
As the weeks and months roll by we’re seeing more and more from the CyberConnect2/Namco Bandai game JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle. We’ve seen so many characters added and so many crowd favourites making their return to the screen, or even debut, this time we’re seeing two more characters added. The developers behind this game can really do no wrong when it comes to adding characters to the roster, it seems as though every JJBA character has his or her own fan base so no matter what it’s bound to make someone happy in the end.
Funny Valentine.
The characters President Funny Valentine from the Steel Ball Run part of the series and Kosaku Kawajiri from the Diamond is UNbreakable part of the series will both be added into the game. We have extensive information on exactly what there move-sets are going to be like but hard-core fans of the series can do some educational speculation as to how they will fight.
Kosaku Kawajiri.
The game is slated for release in Japan on the 29th of August on the Playstation 3, so not too far away, we have no idea when or even if it will ever hit our shores but fans all over are praying that it won’t be too long until we see some awesome JoJo’s Bizarre Adventureaction! Keep your eyes on the site for any news or information to be released and head down to our comments section below and let your voice be heard.
It’s finally here! An English-Dubbed trailer for the Blue Exorcist movie! On Tuesday of this week Aniplex of America posted the very first English Trailer of the movie and it’s pretty awesome. It’s funny because the Blue Exorcist series was only every released with Subtitles in North America, and subsequently everywhere else, so this will be the first English showing of the franchise. Aniplex is schedualing a re-release of the DVD/Blu-rays with dual audio which will be broken up into two parts and are set for release in both July and September which means the first part should have already been released.
The actual trailer itself doesn’t give too much away about the plot but we do have the Official Synopsis from Aniplex of America:
Set at a time when True Cross Academy is in the midst of preparing for a festival celebrated every 11 years, a mysterious demon named Usamaro suddenly appears. Since Usamaro’s appearance, strange events have been happening across True Cross Academy. It’s up to Rin and the other exorcists to figure out what is going on before their city falls apart.
The supernatural, action-packed Anime is real popular all over the world and that’s why Aniplex of America has decided to partner up with Eleven Arts to screen the movie in six different cities across the United States. Places like LA, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, New York and Katy, Texas will all be showing the Blue Exorcist Movie so if you live in any of those areas it’s time to start getting excited! You can see the full list of theatres and dates here. Head down to the Featured Video section below to check out the trailer and don’t forget to hit up our comments section just below that to drop us a line.
Razer is pushing into the software side of gaming as of late, looking to branch out from hardware only initiatives. Razer Comms is one of their projects, which provides gamers with an all in one chat solution. With the help of feedback from over ten thousand users, Razer has updated the software to add file transfer, improved audio quality, and extra servers located around the world.
Razer Comms provides players with a instant messaging service with IRC style group chat features and VoIP chat. The software supports in game overlays and multiple groups, allowing gamers to keep their friends organized. It is available for free at the official Razer Comms site. Razer Comms requires a computer running Windows Vista and above.
The Arkham Games have all had one very important gameplay mechanic in common; the lack of any multiplayer capabilities. This lack of multiplayer split everyone down the middle, some gamers feeling that multiplayer is an important facet of gaming today, while others believe that a single-player experience like the Arkham games didn’t need it. Today Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have announced that Batman: Arkham Origins will be the first game in the series to be getting a multiplayer component… and it looks like it will be AWESOME!
The multiplayer game is being developed separately from the single-player campaign and is being handled by Splash Damage (the guys behind the Doom 3 Multiplayer). The game mode will pit three teams against each other. The first two will be teams of three squad members, each from a rival criminal faction (either the Joker or Bane). The third team will only be two players, but they wont just be any two. The team of two will consist of the Dynamic Duo themselves; Batman & Robin.
The game mode looks to combine the stealth and combat mechanics that the franchise is known for, and introduce third person shooter elements. Warner Bros have been kind enough to provide us with a kick-ass trailer, which you can check out below. As a side-note, the trailer also gives us more of a chance to listen to Troy Baker’s Joker voice from the game (which I personally am a big fan of; it sounds like a younger Arkhamverse joker). Also, and this is fairly obvious but I feel it needs to be said anyway; this also means that Robin is confirmed for the game.
Warner Bros have been giving us plenty to get excited about for this game, recently the Copperhead character reveal, and now an awesome looking multiplayer mode. I sure am excited for Batman: Arkham Origins global release on the 25th October, 2013 on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and WiiU. As a heads up, the multiplayer mode is as of yet NOT confirmed for the Wii U version.
Again, check out the awesome multiplayer trailer below and let us know in the comments below what you think about Arkham Origins’ multiplayer mode; does it look cool, or do you wish that it would stay as a single-player experience? As always, stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Arkham Origins news as it becomes available.
Directed by James Nunn and Ronnie Thompson, Tower Block is a modern day thriller set amongst the backdrop of a low-income apartment building. After a sniper targets the residents, it is a story of survival and escape before they are all picked off one by one. Sheridan Smith (Mrs Biggs), Jack O’Connell (Wuthering Heights, 300: Rise of an Empire), Ralph Brown (Alien 3, Jack the Giant Slayer) and Russell Tovey (Sherlock) lead the cast through what is a formulaic and at times nonsensical thriller. Despite a conclusion that anyone can see coming a mile away, and some lackluster acting performances, Tower Block does well to always keep you in a state of suspense, never knowing who is going to bite the bullet next.
Story
After two masked men brutally beat and murder a teenager in the middle of an apartment block hallway, the local police are trying their best to gather any information that will lead to the arrest of those responsible. Fearing reprisal if they speak, none of the residents of the tiny, dilapidated apartment building are willing to say a word. Not even Becky (Smith) who tried to help the boy is willing to step forward. Three months later, the residents find themselves the target of a sniper who is organised, efficient and deadly.
From here the story is about this group of people and their struggles to make it out of the apartment building alive. The killer has thought of everything through, from barricading doors through to placing booby traps around the building. The plot is a little nonsensical at times, and the ending can be seen a mile away, but Tower Block manages to keep tensions high, and have you constantly worrying about who will die next.
The characters all feel like they were lifted straight out of a textbook on stereotypes. You have the older couple, the abusive mother, the teenager obsessed with Battlefield 3, the deadbeat flatmates and the strong single woman. These stereotypes and the characters themselves aren’t that bad, but not enough is done with them. Aside from the shock value of someone dying, I didn’t find myself caring for much of the cast. The only really interesting character is Kurtis, and quite frankly he is an ass. A lot of this might come down to the acting, as the performances just didn’t draw me to many of these characters.
The movie also has its fair share of red herrings, and what-if scenarios to try and distract the viewer and have them piece together the story on their own before the dramatic reveal towards the end. The problem is that the outcome is obvious, and there are a tonne of better ways that it could have been handled.
Visuals
Most of the movie takes place in the small corridor outside the apartments of the would-be victims. The hallways is dank, dark, gloomy and cramped, which adds to the feelings dread and desperation that the movie presents. The fact that the hallway is a confined space also leads itself to the feeling of being “Trapped.” When watching, I was constantly reminded of rats in a cage who are all struggling to get out.
The camera work on Tower Block isn’t the greatest. Everything is over-exposed and all of the colours feel washed out. The combination of the two results in a movie that is filled with a lot of bland colours, with a lot of greys and dull blues. You feel sad just watching the movie, which is I guess a double-edged sword, as it helps capture you in the moment and presents the feeling of hopelessness that the characters are going through, but at the same time everything just looks boring and uninteresting.
Audio
This film is distinctly British. By that I mean that everyone speaks with a thick English accent which can be occasionally difficult to decipher. The moments where it is difficult to understand weren’t too common, and typically only happened when the characters were getting overly frantic and speaking quickly. Regardless, if you are not good with accents then you might have a bit of trouble with this one.
When it comes to music in a movie, I typically have the belief that music should be present in such a way as to add to the mood or tone of the film, without the audience member necessarily noticing it is there. This is something that Tower Block pulls off sublimely. It wasn’t until about half-way into the movie that I actively thought about the music and how I had barely noticed it up until that point. Going back, it wasn’t because it was absent, but carefully subtle so as to do its job. Tower Block’s quiet, ominous music really goes a long way.
While the music is done nicely, the sound effects can sometimes leave a lot to be desired for. The main sound effects are fine; things like doors slamming or the sound of a bullet ricocheting are done near-perfectly. The problem lies in the subtler stuff. It may sound nit-picky, but the sound that a garbage bag makes as you pick it up is distinct, and almost universally known, and the choice to omit such a sound kind of kills the feeling of life in the film. It isn’t just one instance either, there are several moments where you would expect a subtle background noise to play, and when it doesn’t you are reminded that you are indeed watching a movie.
Extras
This version of Tower Block was very much a bare-bones release, with no added extras or bonus features to speak of. The only options you are given upon loading up the disc are to; play the movie, select a chapter, or test the sound. Also the menu text for the unselected options was a pale off-white colour which made the white highlighted text hardly stand out, resulting in a menu that was more difficult to navigate than it should have been.
Overall
I guess you could say that Tower Block is a pretty average film. The good balances the bad almost perfectly. Uninspired acting and largely uninteresting characters are balanced by one well-played a**hole. Perfect music is balanced by washed out visuals, and the nonsensical plot is balanced by the tension and stress of worrying who will die next. All in all, Tower Block doesn’t add anything to the typical thriller formula, nor will it be remembered as anything other than a B-Movie. Regardless, if you are just looking for a thriller to switch your mind off and enjoy, then it might be worth your time (unless you struggle understanding accents).
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
