The Voxel Agents have released Toy Mania – a free-to-play, fast-paced arcade game on Facebook where players race to collect as many toys as they can in just sixty seconds.
Players compete to create colourful toys bigger, faster and better than their friends, tracked via Facebook Leaderboards- this is achieved by rearranging rows and columns of colourful pieces to match three or more. The studio’s Creative Director Simon Jolsin said;
I was inspired by the Rubik’s Cube. I wanted to whittle it down and hone in on what is really fun about it – the challenge of spatial arrangement’‘In Toy Mania there’s a lot of depth in how you move the pieces around on the board and we’ve really brought a whole new experience to the colour-matching genre.
Toy Mania is the first Beta release from The Voxel Agents, with Joslin explaining the decision;
We prefer to make games with our players rather than in isolation. This process of releasing games earlier in Beta form is a new approach for us but it fits perfectly with our methods of fast prototyping and exploration of new forms of gameplay.
Attendees of PAX Australia 2013 the other week were the only players in the world to experience the game on a multi-touch device up until then, and competed for special prizes given out over that weekend. You can play Toy Mania right now, however, in the comfort of your own home by clicking here. The Voxel Agents also released Puzzle Retreat earlier in the year for the iOS, which is now free.
Icon Home Entertainment are churning out some big titles for release on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital this August. Their genres run the gamut from comedy to horror and action, so no matter what your movie tastes, there’s sure to be something for you.
When their respective partners are viciously murdered, a New Orleans hitman (Sylvester Stallone) and a young Washington DC cop (Sung Kang) put aside their differences and realise that their best hope for exacting revenge is to team up in Bullet to the Head. A high stakes investigation takes the unlikely duo from the back alleys of New Orleans all the way to the city’s most powerful and dangerous corridors, where each move could be their last. Bullet to the Head will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on August 1st. Check out our review of the Blu-ray edition. Its trailer can be viewed below.
A funny new twist on a classic love story, Warm Bodies is a touching tale about the power of human connection. After a zombie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack. Julie sees that R is different from the other zombies, and as the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival, R becomes increasingly more human – setting off an exciting, romantic, and often comical chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world. Warm Bodies will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on August 14th. Our Blu-ray edition review will be up soon. Its trailer can be viewed below.
Sinister is a frightening supernatural horror from the producer of the Paranormal Activity films and the writer-director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Ten years ago, true crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) made his reputation with a best-selling account of a notorious murder. Now, desperate to replicate the success of his first book, he moves his family into a home whose previous occupants were brutally executed and a child disappeared. There, he discovers a box of mysterious, disturbing home movies that plunge his family into a nightmarish experience of supernatural horror. Sinister will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on August 14th. Our Blu-ray edition review will be up soon. Its trailer can be viewed below.
From legendary filmmaker Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition) comes a classic tale of love, honour and revenge amidst the fall of the Samurai in 17th Century Japan called Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. Seeking a noble end, poverty-stricken Samurai Hanshirô requests to commit ritual suicide at the House of Li, run by headstrong Kageyu. But after being told a tragic story of another Samurai’s agonising suicide, Hanshirô sets in a motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of this feudal lord. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai will be available on DVD, Blu-ray 3D and Digital on August 14th. Our Blu-ray edition review will be up soon. Its trailer can be viewed below.
Are you a racing fan? Have you put more hours into Grid 2 (check out our review of Grid 2 here) than you know what to do with? Are you looking for your next big racing game? Well guess what; it is (just about) here! F1 2013 is set to hit store shelves on October 8. 2013, and will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
To celebrate the announcement, the game’s publisher; Codemasters have released a work-in-progress video showing a hot lap of the Hungaroring Circuit. The video shows Australia’s own Toro Rosso-Ferrari driver, Daniel Ricciardo taking on the circuit. The video is narrated by famous Formula One driver Anthony Davidson (also serves as the technical consultant on F1 3013). In the video, Davidson tells would-be racers how they should attack each corner in order to speed their way through to first place
Codemasters today also announced some more features for their highly anticipated Classic Mode. The game will be introduced by legendary broadcaster Murray Walker, and will feature a fictional racing series for players to compete in, racing against circuits and legendary drivers from the 1980s. The cars and other content present in classic mode are also present in other game modes (like split screen and online multiplayer).
F1 2013 will also be available as a premium collectors edition, called F1 2013: Classic Edition. Additional content will be present in the classic edition, including 1990s cars and tracks for Classic Mode. The cars and tracks will also be available as paid DLC for players who don’t manage to get the Classic Edition.
If you were worried that F1 2013 was all about the past, then let me put your fears to rest. F1 2013 will include all the stars and cars for the current season, as well as letting players race as Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes and Segio Perez in the McLaren-Mercedes for the first time ever. The game also includes all rule changes, tyre changes and remodeled handling to authentically reflect the challenge and exhilaration of racing 2013’s stunning roster of cars.
Are you excited for F1 2013? Let us know in the comments below, and no matter what, you should definitely check out the hot-lap trailer below. Remember that for all the F1 2013 news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
NCAA Football 14 Developer:EA Sports Publisher:EA Platform:Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PlayStation 3 Release Date: July 17, 2013 Price: $59.99 BUY NOW!
Overview
Each and every year, EA release the next best for the long-running NCAA franchise. The brand has done well to represent college football, but with aging hardware and features that typically run behind its Madden kin, the age old franchise is starting to show signs of rust. This year, NCAA Football 14 introduces some brand new aspects to the game, with the Infinity Engine 2 headlining the experience. Does this entry end out a generation with a bang, or is this yet another step in the middle for a brand that is still trying to define itself? Let’s find out.
Gameplay
I don’t have to go into the gameplay for any EA Football game to much, as the same formula has been in tact since the days of sixteen bit. Sure, if you go pick up NCAA from ten years ago and then try out ’14, the experience will feel the same. EA Sports don’t really make these titles for the casual player however, and hardcore fans that pick up every installment are sure to notice many subtle changes and additions to this year’s entry. The Infinity Engine 2 brings the popular Infinity Engine that graced Madden to NCAA Football this year – with some extras included.
To give a bit of perspective of what this physics engine brings (or brought considering its introduction in 2012), the Infinity engine introduced weight and momentum into the game, allowing players to have greater force behind their sacks and if running or charging, not to be tackled down nearly as easy. It made for a much more realistic approach, and this marks the first NCAA Football title that has seen this physics engine introduced. There is a big “2” labeled on that this time around though, meaning new features have been implemented to make the experience even more polished. The Force Impact system enables collisions based on factors such as speed, bursts of momentum, and the general mass of the player. For instance, you won’t be able to sack a player at the tap of a button if they are bursting through the field, and for defense, the opposing player will have to put more effort into taking down a player as they run to the goal line – ball in hand. It isn’t the most noticeable upgrade, but it does make the Infinity Engine hold greater merit and effect more outcomes to game – which is a massive plus considering how stale the gameplay has gotten over the years.
There are a few other minor additions with the gameplay, but the most noticeable are tweaks made to the defense. The AI has gotten slightly better in some areas (though there are still a few glaring moments of stupidity), meaning the player has to put forth more effort in coming up with an effective strategy to maneuver around the other team’s defense. Using the right stick can allow the player to bounce back on their feet during running plays, and a new burst mechanic can offer a large change of speed to plow through the the defense. Again, it isn’t a lot, but enough to warrant a bit of merit. Over the years, EA have attempted to make this franchise and Madden more about simulation, stripping out many of the unrealistic gameplay elements that just didn’t click with the sport. NCAA Football is the closest we have seen to the real deal, event with its shortcomings and minor hiccups from time to time.
Off the field, there is still a large amount of content to be explored. Ultimate Team is now gracing the college sport, and while the card collecting is still addictive, more has been added to give this mode a bit of new life. A season mode can be accessed for players can take part in a 10-team tournament of sorts, with higher stakes added afterwards. The currency system allows players to get more coins by completing challenges and selling off unwanted goods, and thankfully – all of this menu navigation is rather to the point and more accessible than it was in the past.
Dynansty Mode has also seen some improvements, bringing the “RPG” like progression system into the game of coaching. Coach Skills act as abilities of sorts and allow the player to utilize one of eighteen abilities that can all be leveled up as the player progresses. These skills can be found in two different trees, with the first being Game Management. This set of skills effects your team’s general morale, and allows your players to keep their cool when on and off the field. The Recruiting skill tree is a bit more to the point, and allows the player to have better odds when it comes to recruiting. It is a bit odd to see this all come into effect during a football sim, but the tools given to make this mode enjoyable do their job well and even if football isn’t quite your thing, the constant upgrading, recruiting, and coaching fare is enough to keep you busy for hours on end.
Since there are so many changes, a “Nike Skills Trainer” has been placed on the main menu, but being honest, I just didn’t feel the need. Sure, there was a lot of developmental effort to make this tutorial act as something more, but at times – I was a bit curious of what better usage of space could have taken its place. I mean, there isn’t any doubt that this franchise has seen a fair share of changes, but when you are on the field, the action still is familiar and easy to pick up and go. Those who want to know the details of the sport however are sure to find some useful information to improve their game however, even if the mode is a bit overkill as far as a tutorial goes.
Visuals and Audio
How many NCAA Football titles are we up to for this generation? Well, quite a few is the answer – and sadly, the visuals have officially peaked. Throughout the years, EA have detailed it all on the field, making crowds, arenas, and even dreadlocks more animated. The players themselves look fine, animations are fluid, but the game itself just doesn’t feel like a new experience based on the visuals alone. Now, I don’t know how they could make changes without them being drastic, but NCAA Football 14 is in dire need of something it just can’t have, and that is a proper next-gen coat of paint to go with mechanics that truly are starting to push the series forward.
Audio wise, it is kind of hit and miss. The soundtrack is basic and nothing new, the chants are loud and make situations more exciting, and as always, the commentary is rather bad due to missed calls and stale voice work. If you watch a college game on the television, the commentating is still a bit dry, but as plays happen excitement is heard – and that is something the play-by-play here just doesn’t have. The physics engine is also effected in a slight form due to the sound effects, as it sounds a little less satisfying when a collision is made on the field this time around, and that moment of gratification is something that has seemed to be replaced by softer, more realistic effects. This is more personal preference, but it is ok to still have some arcadey moments in a football game, as it is still a game at the end of the day.
Overall
NCAA Football 14 is an aging player that still wants to pull out trick cards in order to squeeze out a few more years. The problem is, the changes are subtle, and while the full turn to simulation is a good thing for fans, there isn’t a ton of incentive to throw down last year’s installment aside from a revamped physics engine. Sure, Infinity 2 is fantastic, but with dated visuals and audio effects that are just not up to par with the gameplay, I still feel as if this is yet another installment that takes a step back right after making a giant leap. There is still a well refined football game at the end of the day however, filled to the brim with content – with fan feedback accounted for in several ways. With next-gen consoles on the horizon, EA are ready to turn the page – and NCAA Football 14 is a soft yet suitable ending to a brand that changed the game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Game of Watchcraft: Spawn of Squishy Developer: LCDemakes Publisher: Education Network Group Platform: iPad Release Date: 26 July 2013 Price: $0.99 (Limited Time Only), $2.99 (RRP) – Available Here Overview
Game of Watchcraft: Spawn of Squishy is part of a new trend in indie gaming called the “demake.” Developers look to take popular modern titles and reimagine them as retro styled games for systems like the Nintendo Entertainment System or the Game Boy. LCDemakes looks to take the concept to the extreme by taking one of the most content heavy games, World of Warcraft, and demaking it into one of the simplest forms of video games, the LCD based Game & Watch series. No Little Johnny, this isn’t like the LCD screen on your iPad.
Story
Being an LCD game, there is no real plot in Game of Watchcraft: Spawn of Squishy. Which really is not too much of a change from the actual World of Warcraft, since only a small fraction of World of Warcraft players actually read quest text in the first place.
Gameplay
Game of Watchcraft: Spawn of Squishy looks replicates the experience of the high end dual screen Game & Watch devices that later went on to inspire the Nintendo DS. Since the iPad only has one large screen, the iPad’s gargantuan screen displays the image of the Game of Watchcraft device and provides four buttons, the D-Pad, the action button, the mute button, and the menu button. In the middle of the screen are the two game areas, each with two different quests to play.
The bottom screen equips our hero Squishy with a pair of menacing daggers as goblins and chests spawn endlessly on the screen. There are a pair of linked portals on the map that allows for quick travels from one side of the screen to the other. A quest giver is present, who will send Squishy off to either slay a number of goblins or collect several chests. At the end of the quest, the player will be sent to the top screen to complete the next quest, either to kill the raid boss or kill several of the boss’ minions. Players will need to dodge incoming fireballs fired by the boss and minions that spawn beside the boss and run around the screen. The player can electrify themselves to damage minions and, with enough mana, fire moving lightning bolts at the boss to damage it. However, the boss will move up and down on the right side of the screen, so good timing is necessary. Upon emptying out the mana pool, players can run into a cave on the top of the screen where the healer will quickly replenish the player’s mana. Take care though, as the area is randomly fills with deadly flames, forcing the player out into the open.
Once the second quest is complete, an item will drop behind the quest giver that can be equipped. The player can then return to the start and the game continues again, with a higher level of difficulty.
Upon dying, the player will lose all their equipment and whatever progress made in the quest will disappear. Just like World of Warcraft, the player’s ghost will spawn at the graveyard and the player will need to return to their body to continue the game.
The controls in Game of Watchcraft are particularly finicky. They require the player to touch some part of the D-Pad to respond. Due to the nature of Game & Watch LCD games, there is only four directions of movements. If you happen to press two directions at once with a thumb, the game will make its best guess and move you in one direction. Using strictly the touchscreen controls, the game is best played by the player holding down on the touchscreen and then swiping their thumb in the correct direction and hopefully returning to the D-Pad’s centre to stop moving. Without some sort of third party controller aid, Game of Watchcraft’s controls can become extremely frustrating. The developers themselves used stick-on controller aids on their demo units at PAX AU 2013, called a Thumbies.
The game’s replay value rests in the Game Center integration. There are leaderboards for players to compete on and several achievements to complete. The extra two quests already provide more variation than the average Game & Watch title.
Visuals
LCDemakes make a great effort to replicate the experience of a Game & Watch LCD game. The visual stand-in for the device show an incredible attention to detail. The working mute button triggers a fake red LED to light up when engaged, and parts like screws and speakers holes are present. A nice touch that I appreciated was the intro animation for the start of each game. All of the positions where characters appear quickly go dark, filling the screen. The “physical” portion of the game provide all the colouring in Game of Watchcraft, while all the moving parts of the game are the classic dark gray colouring, staying true to original Game & Watch devices.
Audio
There is no music in Game of Watchcraft, just the beeps of classic LCD games. Clearly, a choice was made to preserve the original feel of the game, and it was the right one.
Overall
I applaud LCDemake’s incredible attention to detail, as it is obvious great care has been taken to replicate the Game & Watch experience. Unfortunately, the game is held back by really frustrating controls that need a physical button of some sort. At $2.99, the game is over-priced as it only contains one “device.” For those looking to relive the LCD based games they grew up with in the 1980’s or want to show their young children the game mom and dad played, Game of Watchcraft is a worth a try.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Another month practically gone and another round of Xbox Live news is coming to you! Thanks for joining Xbox Live News with Pipper, and we will be discussing the latest and greatest games to happen to Xbox Live. Let’s take a look at the deals first because they are going bye-bye fast!
Deals of the Week
Name
Discount Dates
Price
Clancy (Ubisoft)
July 24 to July 29
Splinter Cell Conviction
Varies
Deniable Ops: Insurgency
400 (50% off)
TC’s SC Double Agent
Varies
TC’s EndWar
Varies
TC’s GRAW
Varies
TC’s GRAW 2
Varies
TC’s H.A.W.X
Varies
TC’s H.A.W.X.® 2
Varies
TC’s RainbowSix Vegas
Varies
TC’s RainbowSix Vegas2
Varies
New Releases
R.I.P.D. The Game
From the looks of the prior new releases, this month did not get much larger. Game developers must be moving towards the next-gen consoles rather that implementing titles for Xbox Live. But we do have some updates for you. Take a look at our review for R.I.P.D. The Game to see if its worth playing!
Name
Release Date
Microsoft Points
(Games)
R.I.P.D. The Game (ATLUS)
18-July
800
Mars: War Logs (Focus)
27-July
1200
(Games Add-Ons)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Aqua Pack (Activision)
24-July
160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Pack-A-Punch Pack (Activision)
24-July
160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Rouge Pack (Activision)
24-July
160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Breach Pack (Activision)
24-July
160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Desert Coyote Pack (Activision)
24-July
160
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Glam Pack (Activision)
24-July
160
(Games on Demand)
Injustice: Gods Among Us (Warner Brothers)
17-July
Sales & Specials
In addition to the sales and new releases, Xbox Live has been the host to other sales. Check them out on your dashboard.
Other important events to take note of in the coming future are Gamescom 2013 and EB Expo 2013. You can bet your arse that Microsoft will be presenting the Xbox One at both of these shows and what better way to redeem themselves to let the attendees to get their hands on not-yet-released titles? Sounds both dirty and fulfilling. Until then continue to “Play Hard or Don’t Play At All!”
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has been going through quite an intensive beta process the last few weeks. Every weekend its servers were opened for a few lucky (ok, more like more than a million) lucky players to try out the game, make sure there weren’t any bugs and to ensure that the game was balanced correctly for its official launch August 27th.
We here at Capsule Computers got to sit down and join in on the fun. Making our way through the world of Eorzea, five stalwart adventurers all have their own story to tell. We had a range of different personalities and experience levels, from MMO Experts, to people who had played the original Final Fantasy XIV, through to long time Final Fantasy fans, and even people who don’t usually go near the MMO genre. Between us we have a huge range of experiences, thoughts and opinions on the game, so welcome everyone to the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Preview.
Andrew Day (Played on PS3)
I’m going to start off by saying that I am by no means an avid MMO player. The most I have done before this point was to spend a few hours on DC Universe Online (and even that was just because I love a good superhero story). I can say however that Final Fantasy XIV:ARR is a game that I would be willing to delve into and give up a significant amount of time for. Everything from its visuals, to the lore behind it and even the combat system was just enjoyable. The game had a few flaws, but all in all was an experience made me feel like my time spent on it was all too brief, and left me longing for the full release before I could play again.
The first thing that jumped out at me when I booted up the game was the initial menu system looked like it was ported straight over from the PC version of the game. There was even an arrow cursor that I could move around with the right thumb-stick. It left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth when I first started, but the game’s menu’s aren’t meant to be navigated that way, and you can still scroll and move through the options, settings and everything else like you could in any other PS3 title.
I know it is pretty nit-picky to complain about the menus looking like they were ported over from the PC, but when it is the first thing you see, it definitely impacts on your initial thoughts on the game. Luckily, getting past these opening menus reveals a game that is unbelievable in scope, customisation, lore and gameplay. The opening cinematic that you are greeted with is absolutely stunning. You know that indescribable aura that Final Fantasy games have? That one where even though things may look completely different to anything else that has come before it you can still tell at first glance that you are playing a Final Fantasy title? FFXIV:ARR has that in spades, and it looks absolutely beautiful.
The lighting, the backgrounds, the character models and even particle effects all burst out of the screen and are filled with the magic and wonder that you would want out of a Final Fantasy game. Considering the sheer size of the game world, and the amount of stuff that is packed into it, the visual detail on the backdrops is even more remarkable. It is no Crysis 3, but you will likely be standing in the same spots for minutes on end, just staring at the vast horizon with your mouth ajar.
Taking a step-back, before you even get to see these impressive landscapes you first have to design your character. I don’t play a lot of MMOs, but I do know that the genre doesn’t often have deep character customisation and instead relies heavily on your gear to individualise yourself from the other million players in the world. Final Fantasy XIV does away with that notion and gives players a truly mindblowing amount of creative freedom when it comes to their character’s appearance. The amount of detail you can go into (from having mismatched eyes, to scars of varying colours on your face) is on such a level that only Dragon’s Dogma and the WWE Games come close to matching the level of freedom. The lack of character customisation in a genre that is built around people being individual is one of the features that usually turns me away from the genre, and the fact that FFXIV:ARR does away with this is a huge bonus not only for it, but for the future of MMOs.
I know what you are thinking; “character customisation is great and all, but tell me about the actual game!” Ok, Ok, geez you are impatient. Anyway, after you have made your character to your liking, you do the standard video game stuff: pick your race, your class, your birthday (what?) and which diety you follow (again, what?). The classes are all mainstays of the Final Fantasy franchise, but are renamed and retooled for the MMO audience (for example, Black Mage is renamed to the Thaumaturge).I myself picked an archer, and set out to explore the land of Eorzea.
Getting into the game is where you get to see the breathtaking visuals first-hand. The problem is that you do so while engaged in a long section of dialogue set in the back of a carriage. There is no voice acting in this game, and instead ops for the traditional “loads of text on the screen at once” method. It is easy to see why this method has become so outdated in gaming today, as it makes this opening segment feel much longer than it needs to be, and by the time you reach the end, the excitement you had after creating your character can very quickly have waned. On the plus side, the dialogue does set up a sense of forboding and letting you subtly know that in the future something serious is about to go down.
Ok so now we are into the game. The first thing you are introduced to is what feels like a hundred different pop up menus. These menus tell you exactly what you need to do to control your character and how to move around etc… basically they serve as your on-screen tutorial. They do the job well enough, but the text can be a little small, and I am sure if you have a smaller tv than I did while playing, they would become quite difficult to read. Regardless their information is concise and straight to the point, trying to take up as little time as possible so you can fully experience everything that ARR has to offer.
After flicking through box after box of info, you are finally ready to play the game’s tutorial. It just gives you a rundown on where to go, what to do and general video game tutorial stuff. I’m not sure if it is because of the game having a lack of direction, or me just being hopeless (though I am leaning towards the latter), but I found myself absolutely lost within minutes. I had a chat to some random villagers and eventually through sheer luck managed to learn how to read the map and head back to where I was supposed to be.
The game controls rather smoothly, and the camera is responsive to your actions as you move along. Even though the game is in beta, there was a noticeable lack of jankiness or lag as I was playing, which is always a welcome addition in a game that relies fully on its online connectivity. The simplicity of controls even spread out to combat, where simply holding down the L2/R2 buttons on the controller would bring up your hotkey buttons. Being able to fit so many different control options into such a convenient and elegant system was an impressive feat, and made me really feel like I could pick up and play the game, despite knowing nothing about MMORPGs.
The game is jam packed with cotent and allows you to play exactly how you want to. Everything from its own currency system, to the unique way of combat and how you progress your character. There is just so much to talk about on all of these fronts, but since I don’t know much about MMORPGs, I can’t give this game the credit of talking about the depth, the combat or how it differs or stands out from the rest of the competition (although, I can say that there is a lot to talk about on all of those fronts), so instead I will hand over to people far more qualified than I am to tackle these issues.
Joe Morgan (Played on PC)
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn shows that time spent re-designing a game can be well worth it. The MMO mechanics and quest structure in place are both great and they work quite well.
What A Realm Reborn still lacks, though, is parity with many of its western contemporaries. As you would expect for a Final Fantasy game, the storytelling is top notch. Each little quest has had thought and care put into how it is presented to the players. This is a wonderful touch. Where it falls short, though, is that it holds onto presenting everything with text on a screen. Even the other entries in the Final Fantasy franchise have abandoned this method for one that favors voice acting (if only a short “Good day, sir.”).
Many of the cutscenes are also completely unskippable. This only seems to be the case when some sort of player choice or feedback is required, but it can cause situations to drag on when you’d rather be out cutting down foes.
All of that said, A Realm Reborn is easily one of the best looking games I’ve seen in recent memory. Everything is sharp and vibrant. The UI feels like it can become a bit busy (particularly when you’re using an Xbox controller), but it’s perfectly functional without being a burden. Playing the game with a controller also feels like the way the game was meant to be experienced. Mouse and Keyboard holdouts will still have a fine time with the game, but it feels streamlined for the controller. That also bodes well for the upcoming console builds of the game.
Joshua Moris (PC Player)
When I enter a universe for the first time, I want to feel as I am an integral being within the game. One such immediate aspect lies within a title’s character creation. Being able to mold my character to the exact specifications I want is what I like to call immersion. If a developer can do that, then they can truly invite anyone to the playing front. And SQUARE ENIX does just that!
During one of the several beta weekends, I opened up Final Fantasy XIV: ARR and immediately found spectators behind me. Bombarded in both directions with a cinematic in front and onlookers behind, I knew that the title was at least visually appealing. My family started making comments once I hit the character creation screen like: “That little guy is so cute!” or “Make him have big ears!”. Needless to say, I lost control of my mouse to PC gaming novices. Yet that action confirms that anyone can be intrigued to play this title.
Furthermore, character creation expands from physical attributes to job selection. Want to see your character in “job related” attire? A simple click on the customization screen will alter your appearance. Other aspects such as a birth date and character beliefs fall into place to continue the definition of your character. Want to intrigue non-gamers and gamers alike? Start taking notes…
Luke Halliday (PS3 Player)
Not only did we get to try out Final Fantasy IV on the PC but we also got to take the PlayStation 3 version for a spin to some interesting results. Final Fantasy IV on the PlayStation 3 is interesting for a number of reasons. First of all the control scheme of the PC version has been mostly remapped to a PlayStation 3 controller. It works well enough but there is always the sense that they game was simply ported from the PC, it wears the PC version in all facets, while at the same time being a beast of its own.
While there are still cursors popping up and a few frustrating menus to deal with, once you get past that and get into the combat portions, the PlayStation 3 version truly shines. The more action orientated parts of the game are highly engaging and work very well on the PlayStation 3, however when it comes to dialogue and menu surfing, it can be really frustrating. The biggest issue of course comes from the difficulty that comes with actually reading the text. It is small and the font is hardly clear to see. On top of that the controls can be a little bit of a head scratcher when trying to navigate through these things.
What really stands out from the PlayStation 3 version is definitely the combat, it is well defined and highly addictive making the grinding aspects so prevalent in MMORPGs actually enjoyable instead of a chore. It is safe to say however that Final Fantasy IV makes a pleasant transition to the PlayStation 3 from the PC, albeit still wearing the PC versions suit and tie. It is obviously ported but it works well enough that it doesn’t matter in the slightest.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn in a nutshell (a really, really big nutshell). That is four different opinions of the game, all saying the same thing: It is great, definitely check it out next month when it goes live. I know I promised five different points of view, but we have separated out the last section as its own article; Legacy Characters (AKA: Characters from the first installment of Final Fantasy XIV) are treated a little differently, and as such our own resident Final Fantasy XIV expert has done up his own piece for you to check out.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launches everywhere August 27th on PS3 and PC (with a release on PS4 due sometime next year). When the game goes live we will have a full review going up, so be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Final Fantasy news as it becomes available.
Final Fantasy XIV is the latest entry in the Final Fantasy series of Role Playing Games from Square-Enix and is also the second Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Game entry for the franchise. Final Fantasy XIV 2.0: A Realm Reborn is the second version of the Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG, with the first version closing down due to the gameplay being stale and uninspiring. It’s no surprise that Square-Enix has made an attempt at correcting that mistake, and has since come out with the second official version of Final Fantasy XIV.
When starting Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn as a returning player, you will notice that in the character selection screen there will be a server selection box in the bottom right hand corner. If you’re eligible for a legacy character, that is, a duplicate of your character from the first version of Final Fantasy XIV, then you’ll see a legacy marking on servers where your Legacy characters reside. What’s cool about this is that even if you already have a Legacy character on one server, at least in the build we played, you could still make a new character on another server.
Speaking personally, I had two characters from the original XIV game available to me. A Miqo’te and an Elezen. After comparing the characters through screenshots, I determined that nothing had really changed about them, physically speaking. Even better, is that they had retained their levels and equipment. However, when you start a Legacy character, you’re still able to modify some values, such as starting class and other minor details.
Once you start the game, things get a little bit stale in regards to Legacy characters. You see, at least in the beta build that we played, you’re treated to this cool cutscene where your character is fighting a dark figure in what seems to be a hallucination. However, from what I’ve played of the game, this is the same cutscene that regular characters are treated to as well.
After this flashy cutscene of zero relevance this early in the game, you’re taken to a scene of you on a carriage ride with the character Bremondt. On this carriage ride, you meet some Moogles that only apparently special characters can see, as make some arbitrary decisions that seem to have no bearing on gameplay, or at least no evident bearing on gameplay. Also of note is that this carriage ride is exactly the same for Legacy characters and regular characters.
Once this cutscene finishes, you’ll find yourself in Gridania (at least in the build we played). Gridania is one of the few main cities in the game and is the one located in the forest. But before you can initiate any commands, or move, you’re greeted with a popup box asking you to do some stuff. This is the same whether this is your first character or your 20th character.
The best part about being a Legacy character is that you can equip most of your (was it 5 year old, or 200 year old?) older equipment from back in version 1.x. What was kind of disappointing was that most of your jewelry no longer carries any statistical bonuses, although your armour is about right. Now with the armour, one thing I noticed was that Legacy characters can no longer wear armour higher than their previous level. This means that for those of us wearing gear one or two levels higher in order to grow into them, you’re basically starting with a bag full of unusable items. But hey, at least you’ll be able to wear something cool it 50,000+ experiences time. While we’re on this subject, it should be noted that whatever amount of Gil you had when you left 1.x is what you start with in 2.0.
Final Fantasy XIV is a pretty scripted RPG experience from my experience with both versions of the game. The storyline is linear and non-inclusive of other players, as well as having almost no way to move but forward in its progression. What irked me quite a bit was that everyone in Gridania kept referring to my obviously high level character as a newbie. Listen, Adventurers Guild person, I was here back when those things were crashing into Eorzea and I fought in that epic final battle. Do you really think that *I’m* the newbie. Compared to me, you’re the new one.
One thing that I enjoyed about being a Legacy character was that it was easy to steamroll through all of the lower level storyline quests with incredible ease. This is even after the game adjusts your level down to the storyline level so that it doesn’t seem trivial. Although, it should be noted that when this does occur, you also lose access to all of the skills higher than the level you’ve been gimped down to. I expect this to annoy anyone that has their hotbar filled with only high level skills.
Considering that you now have all of this free time from basically easy-modeing the game, you can spend it sight-seeing. What’s great about Eorzea is that a lot of the landscaping has changed. It’s actually one of the first things that players of the original version will notice. Back in 1.0, running through gridania was like running through a maze, or a Phantasy Star Online game. However, now, it is a much more open area. Although, oddly, it feels like the distance between Gridania and Uldah has been shortened. There’re more sights to see, but there are definitely either shorter, or less, areas between the two.
During my time questing through Eorzea as both a Legacy character and a non-legacy character, I can say with certainty that the game isn’t different at all in comparison to being a regular character or a Legacy one. However, it has to be noted that this was written during a Beta-test phase where most of the content was active, but still not all of it. So this may change based on, not only player feedback, but because it just wasn’t implemented yet. However, I’m not Square-Enix, I do not represent Square-Enix and I am only stating my own experiences with this build of the game.
Overall I’d have to say that so far into development, the Legacy character implementation is seeming like nothing more than a headstart for the players that have sunk in a lot of time on the previous version. While I understand that there is that level of attachment that players will feel towards their characters, based on what I have played so far, there is really no significant story benefit to running a Legacy character. There is only the character likeness, strengths and equipment to ride on. Start with your Legacy, but don’t expect too different of an experience to the rest.
Welcome back to another round of CC Comic Zone the place where we come to discuss Comics, Manga, Graphic novels and all that comes with it! Last week I spoke about Story Protagonists and how they’re better, and more engaging, when audiences can relate to them. You can read that here. This week I’ll be talking about old (older) characters not getting as much time to shine as the younger characters and how they’re just as good, if not better, at getting the job done. We’ve got a lot to discuss!
You won’t be jumping around like that in 30 years.
Teenage characters are extremely common, they are, and it’s good most of the time, you’ve got Ichigo (Bleach), Scott Pilgrim, all the characters from Teen Titans and Young Justice, they’re everywhere and they’re crowd favourites, THAT’S why there’s so many of them. I happen to like the teen characters, I did an article last week about relatable characters and there’s nothing more relatable than a teenager, but sometimes you have to sit back and think about it; there are people of other ages in this universe right? Answer: Yes, there is, and they rule! They’re wise, they’re experienced and they (now think back for a second) are always around to pick up the slack. Ok so not “always” but most of the time, yeah, they are and don’t forget that behind every powerful young person is a “pervy” old guy who taught them everything.
Your head! The shine! It’s glorious!
I want to start off with a massive example of this: Naruto. A majority of the main cast are teenagers, that rules, it’s a Manga about young ninjas learning and growing up. Naruto sets itself apart, in my opinion, from a lot of series’ by also having a large number of older characters: The Jonin. For those of you who don’t know; Jonin is a powerful ninja rank in the Naruto series (it may be in real-life too, I’m not sure) and usually the Jonin serve as the “go-to guys” of the village and they also teach the lower ranked ninjas.
Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi; they’re all top notch “older” characters who, when poop hits the fan, jump into action and sort it all out. I like the idea of older characters within Naruto because, if you look into it, Naruto deals a lot with generations and the teachings that were passed down before them, this is why I think it works extra well. The Third Hokage trained Jiraiya, Jiraiya trained Minato, Minato trained Kakashi and Kakashi trained Naruto who just so happens to be the titular character. Do you see where I’m going with this?
From Left To Right: Naruto, Kakashi, Minato, Jiraiya, The Third.
I feel like the Manga Bleach tends to not do this well at all. Ichigo is a Soul Reaper for a long time throughout the series, he has always been annoyed by his dad and has really never taken him seriously, that’s fair enough, that’s what us teenagers do BUT when Ichigo found out that his father was also a Soul Reaper, one that is quite powerful, the awe he felt was only short lived and in no time their relationship was whittled back to the way it was before he found out about it. It just didn’t feel right to me.
Let’s flip back over to Naruto, he never particularly liked his father because he left him with the Nine-Tailed Fox, understandable, he loved the 4th Hokage because he was a great hero, when Naruto found out that both the man he never liked and the man he revered were the same he went mental! In a good way of course. Fact is; Naruto used that knowledge of his Father to better pursue his goals and to save a lot of people, I don’t believe Ichigo felt the same way.
Face to face. Father to son.
I’m going to move on over to the western side of things now and bring up Mr Frank Castle who is also known as The Punisher. While his presence as an older “hero” probably isn’t as significant as that in Naruto I still feel like he is a great example of this done right. Now Frank isn’t super old, he’s not an old man but he was in the Vietnam War so you can imagine him being fairly…dated. Apart from being a big-time killer and trained mercenary he was also a family man, I say was because his quest for justice started when he watched his family be killed by mobsters. Look the point isn’t to make you sad the point is to show that he’s experienced, he’s not Spiderman, he’s not little ol’ Peter Parker scrounging up money to pay for rent or getting bullied at school.
Frank Castle is damaged, he’s hurt but he’s not broken. I like the way that Marvel comics portrays these types of characters, I really do. It’s characters like The Punisher and Wolverine, the guys who have been around since Christ was a boy (sometimes literally) who have the most damaged pasts but who have the most drive and the greatest knowledge to share. There will always be the character like Wolverine who, when a team is talking about an enemy, will say something like; “When we met in 19xx he did this and that and yada yada” and it makes you want to see what happened!
Don’t let the skull fool you, he’s a sensitive and loving man.
There are so many more characters I want to talk about but if I could I’d definitely be here all day and night, what I will give you though is some honourable mentions of great older character who both influence and kick the butts of the younger characters:
– Master Roshi, Dragon Ball Z: Yes, Goku beats all the bad guys, but who taught Goku?
– Van Hohenheim, Full Metal Alchemist: Ok so the guy left his kids when they were young but he comes back…eventually, to kick the ass of God.
– The Librarian, The Strange Talent of Luther Strode: He’s old, he’s bald, he’s dapper and he’ll rip you limb from limb.
– Mr. Chau, Scott Pilgrim: He only appeared once in the comic but this guy has incredible Dad strength!
– Magneto, X-Men: Teaching the youth…how to be evil.
– Nick Fury, The Avengers: You don’t rise through the ranks of military without getting some greys.
You can’t see his face but ugh…he’s…he’s pretty old.
That’s the difference between the Western and the Eastern takes on the older character: In the West usually the older characters ARE the Frank Castles, they’re the ones who have been beaten down, shot up, cut to bits but still have something to fight for, they still have something they don’t want to loose and can show these young ones who’s boss where as the Eastern style shows the older characters passing down teachings and traditions to keep their legend (or the legend of those who came before them) alive. I may be wrong about a lot of this but that’s the way I honestly see it. There’s always a few sides to the same story which means there will always be different takes on certain things and while one seems to be a great deal deeper it does not discredit the other. If executed properly anything can be good.
Looks like another #EvilReborn trailer featuring the PS3 version of Diablo 3 has been released to the public. This segment is named “Too Late” as the Tristram Police Department have been sent to investigate a disturbance in the neighborhood. Is it only too late for the gamer or too late for the Tristram Police Department to save themselves? Watch the video below and see how weird this series is getting.
If you haven’t seen the previous #EvilReborn trailers, you can find them (here). With September’s release date looming closer, what will happen when darkness falls and the hell fires rise? Stay tuned for more Diablo 3 news.
