ChronoBlade is a new game that is, as of right now, in open beta to play on Facebook and as a demo on the Ouya. It’s an action, RPG that boasts high graphic quality and awesome gameplay but I’m not here to talk about that, what I am here to talk about is the comic that the company who created the game, nWay, has released and will continue releasing. The comic is based on the game but does not tell the story of the characters in the game, it is more of a background explanation. It explains the “multiverse” in which the game takes place in.
Right now there’s only one chapter that spans over five pages so there’s not much I can talk about Story wise, we’re shown a hooded man who seems to be placed in some sort of limbo where he is to watch over a mass of different universes but can not step foot in one, well, it’s not that he can’t it’s more so that he shouldn’t but he doesn’t seem to like that idea too much. That’s about as much as we’ve got right now but I’ve read a lot of comics in my time and I can definitely see this one going somewhere.The art style is so gritty and, let’s say, “blocky” in a way. It’s as if there are no curves, environments are sharp and so is the hooded man, I personally love the art style, it reminds me a little of the Hellboy comics just with more colour. The earthy colours of both the hooded man and the environment clash in a real cool way with the colours of the multiverses he looks upon so you clearly see the divide between the two. That’s the artist in me coming out but you can definitely see where I’m coming from.
Personally I think this comic is going to be a real awesome addition to, honestly, the already awesome game. The first chapter is only five pages long so it’s not extensive at all but it’s a good little set up for what will come. I want to see more of this character and, eventually, how it will tie into the game. It’s live and you can read it here on their Facebook page so give it a look for yourself.
It has been revealed that two past Tales costumes will be available in Tales of Symphonia Chronicles and they will be from Tales of Vesperia. These costumes will not be sold as DLC and will instead be given to anyone who has beaten the game and goes into New Game+ Mode. It is also worth noting that these costumes can be unlocked immediately if the player has a Tales of Vesperia save file on the PlayStation 3, but sadly Vesperia’s PS3 release was never released in the West by Namco Bandai, so this limits Western players to only accessing these costumes in NG+.
Anyways, Sheena will receive an outfit based on Judith while Colette will be dressed as Rika. Images of the costumes as well as some new screenshots have been unveiled by Famitsu and can be found below.
For those of you keeping an eye on JRPGs, FuRyu, the makers of Unchained Blades, have been working on a new RPG for the PlayStation Vita and 3DS called Exstetra. While it was originally meant to be released in Japan on October 17th the game has now been delayed a few weeks and will be released on November 7th instead.
However despite this minor delay, the company has released a new character trailer which gives us a look at Mizuki, a high school girl who comes from the same world as the main character Ryoma and becomes a Knight of Prisma after kissing Ryoma.
I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record lately, but Disney Infinity’s Toy Box Mode is shaping up to be a game-changer when it comes to sandbox experiences. Being able to mix and match different Disney properties together, as well as make your own unique worlds and playgrounds is something that is sure to capture the hearts and minds of children and adults everywhere.
Disney have given us TWO new trailers, the first of which gives us another look at how detailed the Toy Box creation tools will be. Designed to be so simple that even a child can use it, yet detailed enough for players to create new worlds, new stages and even entire games on their own. Check out that trailer below, and keep reading for information about the second Disney Infinity trailer to go live.
The second trailer is the “Unexpected Pairings” video, and shows how some of Disney’s most unusual characters can come together to make magic. The Lone Ranger squaring off against Woody at high noon, Davy Jones and Syndrome riding off into the sunset, and even Jack Sparrow and Agent P (Perry the Platypus) coming across each other for the first time. I can only imagine how children are going to feel seeing their favourite characters meeting like this on their tv screens at home.
Also, eagle eyed viewers will notice that a few playable characters that haven’t been officially announced are shown in the video. Wreck-It Ralph characters Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz are shown, as are Buzz, Woody and Perry the Platypus. We have known that these characters would be making appearances in the game, but their inclusion in the latest trailer pretty much seals the deal.
Check out the Unexpected Pairings trailer below, and remember that Disney Infinity will hit store shelves August 18th in the US and August 22nd here in Australia, and it will be available for Xbox 360,PS3, Wii U and 3DS. So for all the Disney Infinity news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers..
The name Chaos Rings may ring a bell for some of you, considering it was released three years ago for the iOS and received a sequel release a year later. Since then the game has been released on a handful of other mobile platforms but now the game is also available for anyone who happens to own a PlayStation Vita or something with PlayStation Mobile.
The Square Enix title is basically a straight port with physical control options added in and it is available for $7.99. Interestingly enough, Chaos Rings’ Vita port was only announced for Japan but it also appeared on the English PlayStation store, so if you’re looking for a new RPG to tide yourself over for a while, probably not a bad option.
Overview
Contra is one of the most known and loved franchises in this entire industry. Just saying the name to specific groups will instantly start chatter of speed-runs and memories of the classic, which is the main reason I was so excited to sit down with a brand new re-imagining. Punchbox have brought us Contra: Evolution for the iOS marketplace, with improved visuals and more accessible gameplay. Does this new version pull off a modern, touchscreen play-style, or is this platform just not cut out for a game with such high expectations. Let’s find out.
Gameplay
I really don’t have to detail a story for this title, as if you don’t know the small plot going on within Contra by now, you need to go back and play the original or one of the many ports before even touching this remake. I don’t mean to come off as elitest with that statement, as in all honesty, you would have had to have played the classic to appreciate the offerings within Evolution. Red Falcon is attacking the Earth, and Lance and Bill are humanity’s last hope. As usual, the objective is to kick ass in style, with two buff protagonists that are now world famous in the gaming scene.
The iOS is a tricky platform to port any game like Contra on however, but being a remake, exceptions can be made for this version’s shortcomings. To better explain, the run and gun action has been left nearly untouched and each stage feels the same – gameplay wise, aside from a few tweaks to difficulty. Players can access most of the weapons they need to from the start, using a new currency system based on coins and gems to upgrade. Sure, its not what we are used to, but this is the iOS, a platform made for short-burst gameplay sessions – it is completely forgivable. Hardcore fans will notice quickly that the difficulty of the game has taken a massive nerfing, with less flying bullets and a quicker progression rate. With this change comes the greatest sin one can do to a classic however, and that is to apply micro-transactions for extra lives and more powerful weaponry.
Every single time you lose your little stockpile of lives, the game will try to persuade the player to buy more gems and coins to make their life easier. I could understand this slightly if this were a freemium title – even though I don’t approve of the idea of it, but at times Evolution feels like it is a casino, charging an entry fee for the player to lose money. Evolution has been made more accessible in several ways, but throws the modern idea of a save or checkpoint system out the window in order to get the consumer to pay out of pocket. Sure, when you start – you already have some gems and coins to work with, but you can go through those quickly, meaning the further you get – the more you are going to want to pay once your loot has run dry. If you say no to these tactics, well….its game over, friend. I could write on and on about how sad it is to see a publisher like Punchbox Studios do this to a classic – and a well structured version of one at that. This review is meant to speak about the work of the developer however, so let’s get to the good stuff.
The control system is one of the finest features of Contra: Evolution. Is it perfect? No. There are three different schemes to pick from, with a fixed and loose analog, as well as the classic D-Pad. The D-Pad, being touch driven can be a bit of a headache, as it has problems when Bill or Lance are trying to precisely jump diagonally. The fixed method is much better, but leaves some of the stage blocked due to your thumb covering it up. The loose method however allows for placement to be anywhere on the left side of the screen, and provides a much more fluid experience as a result. Yeah, I had a few moments of frustration as Contra is a game that demands tighter controls and is not and will never be fit for a touchscreen device, but the choices given and decent performance of the game as a whole allow the player to pick their own preference and run with it. Despite my own complaints, most of these layouts can easily be adapted to as auto-fire is on by default (and can also be turned off if you are up for the challenge), which means you will spend less time worrying about tapping the right portion of the screen, and more time aiming that gun at the next target.
Mission Mode comes as a bonus, which is more for score driven gamers out there that want to test their skills on three different difficulty challenges. If this is your thing – than have at it and enjoy. Otherwise, some could think of this mode as a supplemental addition that serves little purpose other than increasing the chances you will spend money on more lives and upgrades. On the upside, there are a few bonus unlocks such as characters and other quirks, so you are being rewarded at times, just not as much compared to other remakes such as Double Dragon Neon.
Visuals and Audio
The most exciting experience of this new breed of Contra is seeing how the new stages and even character models look. Instead of the 8-bit sprites of the past, Bill and Lance have been given an incredible facelift that stays true to their characters, with a heavily detailed, slightly cel-shaded model ready to tear through the game. The stages look just as good and have been remade from the ground-up, bearing a heavy resemblance to the past title to keep that nostalgic vibe, but pulling off a much more polished and colorful look that is pleasing on the eye.
The soundtrack is made up of remixed tracks from the classic- and all were done quite well and fit with the new art style perfectly. The only problem is that these tunes are all short, and looping is apparenent each time the track replays. Not a big deal, but still noticable. Sound effects sound as they should however, with guns and bullets blaring out effectively, and explosions setting the scene yet again for one crazed battlefield that our heroes must run through.
Overall
Contra: Evolution has almost everything we would want in a remake, as minor flaws aside, it plays better than most of these types of re-releases on the iOS and the work of the developers shine through when it comes to the heavy amount of control customization that the player can choose from. The downside is that retro gamers are going to be the audience here – and when you replace the Konami Code with a very expensive in-app purchase, you have sucked a good amount of spirit out of the classic. Contra has evolved over the years, but Evolution should not mean that an old favorite should adapt to deceitful and borderline offensive tactics. If you want to see a solid recreation, by all means pick this title up as the price is right. Those who are wanting to find a better experience however that doesn’t try to trick your wallet should grab that old cartridge and blow out the dust however, as this remake’s charms are only available to the highest bidder.
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nWay’s new action, RPGChronoBlade has been in Open Beta for a little bit now and it seems like the general public are absolutely loving it, the reception for this game is fantastic and that’s no surprise because it looks incredible. So far it’s only playable on Facebook and as a demo on the Ouya but it is said that once the game is complete, or at least closer to completion, it will be released on mobile devices so look forward to that. I have played the game and I have to say that I really enjoy it. For a game that is playable on Facebook the graphics are incredible and it’s probably one of the best on the social networking site but that’s not all I’m excited about.
As well as updates to the game and any maintenance that comes along with it the guys there at nWay will be releasing an eComic for the game that is said to explain the backstory of the game’s universe. It will go into detail about the “Multiverse” within the game and, I think, will help to make the game’s experience all the more better. We’ve seen this type of thing with massive titles like Borderlands and Darksiders where the release of the comics just add to the hype, not only becase it has to do with the game but because it gives the game a hell of a lot more depth.
It’s something interesting and really anybody that has any interest in the game at all should shoot over to their Facebook page and give it a look. You can see the first Chapter: Ragnarok here. Keep playing and stay excited for the full release to be released in the near future.
If you haven’t heard, Hatsune Miku’s vocaloid software is going to be released in North America by Crypton Future Media and this release will feature an entirely English voice bank, allowing English songs to be created using the popular Vocaloid software. While previous Vocaloids, such as Megurine Luka, have been able to sing in English, this is the first time that an English voicebank has been provided for users.
Anyways, to demo the software which will be released soon, a song named “Coming Together” by BSC a.k.a. kuni has been created using the software and can be found below. Whether the Vocaloid software will be as popular here in North America as it is in Japan is still unknown.
Today Konami announced that fans of Pro Evolution Soccer can expect the next iteration of the game to be released on September 24th worldwide. This means that gamers will be able to experience PES 2014 as it takes advantage of Kojima Productions’ FOX Engine in what the company is calling a more fluid soccer experience.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 has focused on six key gameplay improvements, including TrueBall Tech giving players complete body control, a Motion Animation Stability System to simulate body contact amongst players on the field, a “Heart” system that will handle player emotions on the field and even a PES ID which allows gamers to easily recognize some of their favorite soccer players since the game will recreate their play style and running styles.
Today Viz Media announced that they will be participating in the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF) which will be held during the 2013 J-Pop Summit. This is the first annual Japanese film festival in Northern California and to kick things off Viz will be bringing numerous films to show off to those who want to catch them long before their physical release.
The company will be bringing Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning, Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower, and Berserk The Golden Age Arc II – The Battle for Doldrey to show at the event. Tickets can be purchased early here, here, and here. All movies will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles and tickets will cost $13.00 each unless it says otherwise. The air times for each of the movies can be found here.
