We can only hope this isn’t running the minimum spec.
Creative Assembly’s latest panorama of Total War: Rome II, stretching across a mighty resolution of 30,000×4087 pixels, happily reminds us that Egypt was just as chaotic in the past as it is today. You can scroll across and zoom in on the high resolution version hereon the Panoramic page.
Impressive detail aside, the image also shows Rome II’s combined land and sea battles, where your fleet can assist and reinforce your armies in real-time as they ground-pound across the battlefield.
Also on show are the elephant units, seen employed by the Romans to devastating effect. In the heat of battle, these beasts can lose control and trample your own forces so be prudent in their use.
SEGA and Creative Assembly have also outed the system requirements for the latest entry to the Total War series. If you had to free up room for Shogun 2, be prepared to format a drive for Rome II’s 35GB installation size.
The devs promised that Rome II would only be as demanding as Shogun 2, but the requirements are still awfully vague. A 512MB DX9 card may as well be from 2005! They do recommend a 1GB DX11 video card, though, so that alludes to a PC with a fairly recent mid-to-high end GPU.
Be sure to get more info on Rome II right here ahead of its September 3 release later this year.
Nintendo have been dealt a blow, losing a court claim involving the World Intellectual Property Organisation, after an attempt to take control of the already registered domain name WiiU.com. The original owner registered the domain name way back in 2004, well before Nintendo’s original Wii console was even released upon the market. The site was also briefly listed for sale, but quickly removed once Nintendo’s claim had been made.
Despite the domain name’s close reference to Nintendo’s latest console release, the courts decided that the gaming giant had no claim to it, and deemed it to remain the property of the original owner. Whether Nintendo decide to appeal the case, or simply pay the owner a tidy sum outside of court we shall have to wait and see. The team over at Microsoft will also be watching very closely, as they face a battle themselves, trying to claim XBoxOne.com and XBoxOne.net from a London resident.
If you thought our last hiatus on Anime Girl of the Week was mild, then this one had to be disastrous. Anyways, after having some mild back end issues regarding this little feature it is now back! For those who don’t know about what Anime Girl of the Week is, it is where we take one female character from a currently airing anime, usually not the main heroine, and give them some time in the spotlight by going over their personality and history as well as a number of images featuring the character ranging from official artwork to fan art.
This time around however we are actually focusing on the heroine of a series and this series happens to be Hataraku Maou-sama. As you may or may not know, the series just ended with its final episode last week and this time rather than featuring Chiho or Suzuno, we are focusing on the main girl and the hero, Emi Yusa.
It is worth noting that the information found below only features information gleaned from the anime itself and not the light novel it is based off of, but it is worth noting that the pictures may contain potential spoilers for future anime seasons.
Originating from Enta Isla, Emi Yusa is the Hero which was backed by the Church to put an end to the Devil King’s reign of terror. She was raised by a man who she believed to be her father, only to learn that she was in fact a child that is half human and half angel, giving her the powers she needs to take down the Devil King. Her resolve is strengthened further when she learns that the father who raised her as his own was killed and her hometown was destroyed by the Devil King’s army.
After managing to drive the Overlord into a corner, Emi followed him to Japan in an effort to finish him off, but after observing Maou in Japan long enough, her desire to kill him has diminished greatly. So much in fact that she has started to question whether or not he should be killed.
Now that she is in Japan, she is limited in using her special abilities which require spiritual power, but when she does use her powers she is capable of sprouting angel wings and using a holy sword to do battle. Emi has acclimated quite well to Japan and is living a moderately comfortable life working as a Call Center operator.
Despite her past glories and her confidence, Emi is prone to exaggeration at times and plenty of exaggerated facial expressions and often stalks Maou and the other demons in an effort to make sure that they aren’t doing anything bad. Despite being skilled in combat she can be very clumsy at times and has a severe complex about her breast size, causing her to compare her breasts to every female character and often needlessly defending her small chest size.
Currently Hataraku Maou-sama is licensed for release in North America by FUNimation under the name The Devil is a Part Timer! and it can be seen here in Japanese with English subtitles.
Watch_Dogs has been no stranger to publicity, and Ubisoft have taken it one step further by launching an interesting new website by the name of WeareData – which serves the purpose of gathering and graphing the publicly available data that govern people’s lives in a single location. Yes, it is a bit eccentric, but so is the product that this website promotes – so this little page comes off as a perfect fit.
Here are some details of this fully-connected website:
In Watch_Dogs, the highly anticipated open world action game from Ubisoft, the fictionalised city of Chicago is run by a Central Operating System (CTOS), linking all of the city’s online infrastructures and public security installations to one centralised hub. Information is at the heart of the game and also at the heart of WeareData.
With WeareData, visitors will discover that much of the hyper-connected world imagined in Watch_Dogs already is a reality, and that everything and everyone is truly connected. The amount of and potential uses for public and personal information that is readily available online has never been more relevant, as evidenced by today’s headlines. WeareData is designed to provide a glimpse into this reality and to give visitors a new perspective on the cities in which they live.
Watch_Dogs’ WeareData allows users to access the real-time data that organise and help run the cities of Berlin, London and Paris, as well current information on their inhabitants. Via a 3D mapping system, the consolidated, openly available information that can be easily viewed includes public transport schedules (such as subways and public bicycles), telecommunications networks (including mobile antennas, WiFi spots and advertising networks), energy consumption, traffic and safety infrastructure (like CCTV cameras and traffic lights) and regionalised socioeconomic data (such as average net income, unemployment rate and crime rate). Also available are geo-localised social media activities for the cities’ residents, including their public posts on Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram and Twitter.
You can check out three screenshots as well as a production video of the product below, or get in on WeareData for yourself by following this link. Who is watching? We will find out that answer when the game releases later this year on all platforms.
Madman Entertainment have made several title announcements this past weekend at Supanova Perth 2013, one of which will be seeing it’s first ever release outside of Japan. Following their announcement that Makoto Shinkai’s Garden of Words would be the fourth film at REEL Anime this year, they announced the following titles had been acquired:
While little is known on the dates in which these titles will all be released, it was confirmed that Madman’s release of Psychic School Wars is indeed the first time the film will see a release outside of Japan and it will be released on both DVD and Blu-Ray formats.
They have also confirmed that the release of Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie will include the original Japanese audio. They were unable to comment on whether they would acquire the second Cardcaptor Sakura movie at this time. Stay tuned for more information on these titles as they come to light.
Yesterday (Sunday the 30th of June) TV Tokyo released information about the up and coming Pokemon Anime. The title of the next Season/Series will be “Pokemon XY“, pretty much exactly like the games, and will begin its run on October 17 which about a week after the Pokemon X and Y games are released (October 12).
The New Design of Ash!
Ash will return as our leading man alongside Pikachu. The series is said to begin in Lumiose City which happens to be the epicentre of the Kalos Region. All the newest Pokemon will be shown and it’s implied that Ash, like all of the Series’, will be making new friends and have new companions. It’s going to be another huge adventure!
We will be seeing GoGoat, Helioptile and Noivern in an upcoming episode of the latest Pokemon series so we’re getting a fairly early look at some Generation 6 Pokemon in action before the Generation 6 Anime has been released. Some Official Artwork of the newest starters – Froakie, Chespin and Fennekin – have been released alongside the new design of Ash and it’s looking great!
Keep an eye out on the site for any and all information about the new Pokemon Series and the Games as it’s released and don’t forget to head to our comments section below and drop us a line.
Overview
The iOS has always been a platform where polished touch controls are the main factor that either hold a game back from reaching its potential, or provide innovative mechanics that let it excel. Platformers, action titles, and shooters normally fall flat due to the awkward virtual joystick, but if one genre was meant for your handheld device – it is tower defense. Crescent Moon Games have brought us the latest and greatest for the service – dubbed Siegecraft TD, where you as the player have to protect your sheep from hordes of angry lizards. With a bit of comedy and light-hearted effects tossed in, does this defender win, or is it one title on the marketplace that never gains its footing out of the castle?
Gameplay
I wouldn’t say Siegecraft TD does not have any type of narrative, as there are some colorful characters that try to put on a bit of a show for the defending objective – but honestly, they don’t quite justify their existence well other than introducing new areas and baddies. At times we will also see a cheesey joke made to pound in some humor for the player, but again – this is all very surface level. Since this is a tower defense title at the core, that is completely forgivable however, as Siegecraft gets it right with the gameplay engine involved.
Siegecraft TD plays a bit like veteran tower defense titles out there such as Plants vs Zombies, where the player must defend their castle by placing turrets, walls, and other weaponry on the map to stop waves of enemies before they reach their mark. To do this, the game utilizes the touch control at full, having the player drag and drop their tower of choice to any desired square on the grid – to which we see the totem instantly come to life and start blazing arrows or dumping buckets of lava on unsuspecting lizards. Each area has different terrain that effect where the enemy camps spawn point is, so the player must try to line up all of their own towers strategically in a maze-like format to snipe foes as they come out in lines.
One would probably say “Why can’t I just block the enemies in with walls?”, and you would have a point with that statement, but this title doesn’t take itself too seriously as it is, so throwing logic out the window is the best way to enjoy the product before us. The camera often starts out from a top-down view, and most of the time, that is effective enough to keep an eye on the entire battlefield. When chaos starts erupting however, there will be times when you will need to get a different perspective. Thankfully, an easy to use two-finger pinch mechanic has been added in just for that, allowing players to quickly zoom the camera to get a closer look, as well as spin the camera around to see the action happen.
Its all very run-of-the-mill tower defense during the main campaign consisting of a decent grouping of landscapes to defend, but what makes Siegecraft TD stand out a bit is the leveling system in place. While out on the battlefield, each turret, tower, or device used to slow enemies can be leveled up by utilizing game currency. The player starts out with a small chunk of change to build their first towers, and as each wave of enemies are defeated, more gold is rewarded to keep you busy adding more units. For instance, if you wanted to add a pot of lava to douse enemies as they passed by, that would be 30 gold. To improve the range and power, you can choose to spend your next gross of gold on an upgrade, which costs slightly less than a new unit. Creating a winning layout with the tools provided is what it is all about, and with around 15 different towers in all that come unlocked as you progress, there is plenty within the main campaign to keep the experience fresh for hours.
To keep the game going after the Campaign is complete, a multiplayer mode can also be played, and works in a different fashion. This asynchronous mode has up to four players go at it online in a turn based affair, where the player must partake in two different phases of combat. The first phase is defense, which plays just like the main game, where you are simply defending your sheep that are tucked away in the castle. Once a specific number of waves pass, the game will then go to the second phase, where the player assigns knights to fight for enemy territories. Think of it as a strategical battle for supremacy. Sure, its a bit basic, but a welcome addition that adds in a hefty amount of replay value to the main experience.
If I had any gripe with the gameplay of Siegecraft TD, it would be something that should be able to be corrected with a patch. You see, enemies come in waves, and each wave produces a greater number of lizards to take out. Nearly every time I would get past wave 15, the game would crash. There is a checkpoint save between waves to jump right back in on the previous battle, but its rather frustrating to see the game come to an abrupt stop during the most enjoyable and chaotic moments in the game. As I said though, a patch could and probably will be applied down the line.
Visuals and Audio
The visuals in Siegecraft TD are rather pleasing to the eye, with 3D environments filled with bright color and nice textures, allowing each area to appear different from the next. Enemies reminded myself a bit of the Kremlings from Donkey Kong Country, as they appear to be your standard, yet goofy, walking and squawking reptiles. Animations stay stable for the most part, but when large amounts of enemies are on the screen at once, there can be a little bit of slowdown, but not enough to hamper the experience unless a full-on crash occurs.
The audio is a little less desirable. You see, Siegecraft TD tries to be funny, but the humor is very subjective and was not my personal cup of tea. From time to time, an Australian commentator of sorts will shout out different phrases while you are doing well within a game, and this will lead to you hearing classic zingers such as “Gangnam Style!” yelled out that kind of take away from the charm the game had going for it. Enemies are rather sub-par here as well, with generic grunts and horns played as hordes come down to attack. The music I can say is fitting, but its hard to enjoy the sound for what it is due to all of the forced humor that does so little to add charm to an experience that didn’t need commentary.
Overall Siegecraft TD is a well-polished tower defense game that doesn’t beg for micro-transactions and provides some rich and strategic gameplay sessions due to the unique leveling system in play. Its a shame that we didn’t see a bit more depth added to the story, as there is a charming romp waiting to get out here, only held back by with bad attempts at humor and basic character design. With that said, the price is still right for Siegecraft TD, as it delivers a large amount of fun for very little dough, and should only improve as patches are applied to make the main experience more stable. Sure, you won’t find a lot here that differs from the genre, but if you have been craving to save sheep from armies of hungry lizards, you can now get your fix.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Now then… This week, for the fourth episode of Honesty Box I’ve turned my attention to Doom 3 (BFG Edition); The Id Software and Bethesda classic sequel to the much adored original FPS PC series Doom.
Expect even more of the same in terms of what occurred in last week’s episode but now I’m bleeping out some particular fricative phrases as they’re only going to become more abundant as time goes by. Topics discussed include the lack of newness, Open GL problems and lots of praise is sung in the way of Doom 3 in terms of when it first came out.
So… This week, for the third episode of Honesty Box I’ve turned my attention to Max Payne 3; Rockstar‘s newest installment in the Max Payne series.
Expect more of the same in terms of what occurred in last week’s episode but with the introduction of even less patience. Topics discussed include the overall lack of characterization, the stifling amount of sheer bravado, and the GTA shooting mechanics that only further remind us that Max can’t drive, swim, or go anywhere within those very linear, funneled levels.
Samurai Shodown II Review Developer: DotEmu Publisher: SNK Playmore Platforms:iPhone (Reviewed), iPad, iPod Touch, Android Release Date: 27/06/2012 Price: $9.49 – Available Here
Overview
Do you miss the good old days back when fighting games would reward you with points or a high score after defeating your opponent? Well if you do you’re in luck because SNK’s beloved Samurai Shodown II is one of those titles, and it’s back now on mobile devices! This title has gotten a lot of love lately with a recent port to XBLA, and now again with a mobile port. SNK did a fantastic job with bringing King of Fighters to mobile in recent years, but can they do so again with Samurai Shodown II? Read on to find out!
Gameplay
The mobile port sees all the original gameplay elements return. For those unaware of the franchise it’s a 2D weapon-based fighter, which paved the way for other titles such as Soul Calibur. The typical stuff is all there from light, medium and heavy attacks as well as a special meter to unleash more devastating attacks along with both the standard arcade mode and a casual mode which allows special moves to be preformed with a click of a button. The twist with Samurai Showdown is that characters can be disarmed and fight with bare fists until they pick up their weapon again. The original 11 character cast return plus with 4 new additions to make a complete roster of 15 and new movement options have also been included such as various rolling mechanics to make gameplay a little more updated. Furthermore multiplayer is also included but unfortunately it’s only available in bluetooth and no online play. Unfortunately all these new inclusions aren’t enough to save the game, as gameplay still does feel a little outdated. For example characters often don’t have the weight as you’d expect and as a result gameplay doesn’t feel as grounded as it should. In Samurai Shodown’s defence, it still plays the same way the original did, but keep in mind the game is almost a decade old and in comparison to other mobile fighters it doesn’t hold up as much. Perhaps gameplay will appeal most to those with arcade nostalgia or hardcore SNK fans.
Visuals & Audio
Audio and Visuals have been ported perfectly, but this comes with both pros and cons. Audio sounds perfect beat for beat and provides a classic retro feel. Graphics on the other hand while ported accurately, can seem blurry and not exactly clear. Furthermore on the iPhone 5 the entire screen is not being taken advantage of with the sides being simply black. Buttons are also not ideal in their placement and while this can be adjusted they aren’t always clearly visible as they should be and can be occasionally frustrating. This doesn’t break the game or make it unplayable but they are very noticeable in presentation. It’s not all bad though as the camera does zoom in and out of the action and coloured flashes make everything seem more intense. Artwork is remarkable with a very Japanese stylistic approach staying true to the samurai theme. It’s truly a work of art which is why it’s a shame to see it not presented perfectly. This isn’t to say it’s not nice to look at, it’s just that it could’ve been better.
Overall
Samurai Shodown II is fun, but it’s far from a perfect port. While additions have been included to improve the game such as new movement options and 4 new characters, graphics don’t hold up as well as you’d like and gameplay does feel a little outdated. Also the lack of online multiplayer is disheartening, but at least it has multiplayer via bluetooth. It’s not all bad though as the action does feel nostalgic and it’s great to see that the developers did put effort into updating the game. However, as a title that’s almost $10 it’s not easy to recommend unless you really are a hardcore fighting fan.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
