For the first time ever in Australia, Microsoft will be showcasing their upcoming home media center / game console, the Xbox One at the Penny Arcade Expo in Melbourne, Australia, this year. During the show held in July, Microsoft will be having a trio of unveilings for the device.
These unveilings will be held in the Main Theater at the Penny Arcade Expo in Melbourne and it will be there that Microsoft will have presentations on their vision with the Xbox One. The presentations will be held at the following times:
Friday 19th July 2013. 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Saturday 20th July 2013: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Sunday 21st July 2013: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Be sure to check out the official PAXAus website for more information.
You can check out the complete video interview below for your viewing pleasure. Hanabee also hinted at several upcoming announcements, what could these hints be? Check out the interview for an exclusive clue to Hanabee’s next title announcement. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below.
“And why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall? Because he took his eyes off the prize!”
Moeka Kohime is a big player of the game Second Life, she is also a builder for the game who makes mods and costumes and what not but this time Moeka has gone above and beyond with the new Attack on Titan mod that gives you not only the Military costume for your character but the ability to zip around using your very own 3D Manuever gear. Moeka has also created an Attack On Titan-style map to swing through and also a killable enemy which, as of right now, is the “decoy Titans” that the Military from the series uses to train.
Players can buy the gear in-game from Moeka Kohime’s Edelweiss store or try a demo for free just to see if it’s worth putting in the money. If you’re a fan of the series I seriously suggest you log into your Second Life account right now to go and check this out because, at this point in time, this is the closest we’ve gotten to an Attack On Titan game and you don’t want to miss out.
Head below to our Featured Video section to check out Moeka Kohime’s official mod video and don’t forget to head down to our comments section to drop us a line.
Today Square Enix has released a piece of key visual art, the full version of which can be seen below, for Final Fantasy XV and along with the image we have some info about each of the cast as well as a brief story summary which can all be read below. Currently the title is set to be released on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 sometime in the future.
• Noctis Lucis Caelum: A childhood affliction endowed Noctis, heir apparent to the throne of Lucis, with the mystical power to see a heavenly light, through which he could sense others’ deaths. Noctis rejects rigid royal conventions and acts as somewhat of a renegade, much to the dismay of those who tend to him. Yet while “Noct” may act brash at times, he does so in defense of those loyal to him.
• Gladiolus Amicitia: As lord of the noble House Amicitia, Gladiolus continues a line sworn to protect the crown. “Gladio” shares a friendship with Noctis that transcends birth and title, and his loyalty to his liege is born not of duty, but of brotherhood.
• Ignis Scientia: Ever the unwavering voice of reason, Ignis was weaned on shrewd logic and a classical education from boyhood so that he might one day counsel the would-be king, Noctis. He applies the deep mutual understanding and trust they have built over time to help smooth over Noctis’s brusqueness with others.
• Prompto Argentum: The puckish playboy Prompto befriended Noctis in his school days. He wears a chip on his shoulder as an outsider to the royal circle, but remains eager to do all he can for the cause.
• Cor Leonis: A living legend of Lucian lore, Lord Commander Cor Leonis’s devotion to the art of war is surpassed only by that to his king. Little love is lost between the ill-starred stalwart and Noctis’s retinue, yet honor binds him to keep watch over the group all the same.
The only crystal left to the world lies in the Kingdom of Lucis. Upon striking a peace with the garrison state of Niflheim, Lucis rejoices in having at last brought the cold war to a close. Their celebrations, however, are premature. Under the guise of amity, Niflheim dispels the anti-armament runewall and launches a full-scale invasion of the kingdom. The peaceful lives Crown Prince Noctis and his entourage once knew are consumed by the flames of war as they struggle to mount a resistance.
Today Square Enix released a new piece of artwork for Kingdom Hearts III. Don’t get too excited however, as the company has only given us an image of how Sora, Donald and Goofy will look once the third game in the series is released.
Little is known about when the title will be released and with the series’ director stating he thought that the game was announced too early, it may be a long time before we see Kingdom Hearts III released on the PlayStation 4 and also the first Kingdom Hearts title ever on a Microsoft console via the Xbox One.
With the launch of Project X Zone less than a few hours away in North America, Namco Bandai has chosen to release two more short promo videos for the game which feature pairs of characters using off their team finishing moves.
The two teams highlighted this time happen to be Dante and Demitri, which can be seen below, as well as Kos-Mos and T-Elos, which can be seen below that. In case you didn’t already realize it, Project X Zone is set to be released June 25th in North America while gamers in Europe will have to wait until July 5th to access this incredible looking title.
A new trailer was released for Grasshopper Manufacture’s Killer is Dead and while the video may be in Japanese, it still give us a chance to check out more of the game’s over the top gameplay as well as a closer look at one of it’s over the top villains who happens to be the evil king of the moon.
Why is Mondo on the moon you ask? Well the moon goddess has asked him to assassinate David after he kicked her from the throne. It is good to see that not only can the female character designs be outrageous, but those of the male characters can as well. Currently Killer is Dead is set to be released by XSEED Games sometime this Summer, likely early August, on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Knights of Pen and Paper started its life out as a tongue in cheek mobile retro styled RPG for Android and iOS. It quickly became a huge hit, and developers Behold Studios teamed up with veteran publisher Paradox Interactive to expand the game and bring it to Mac and Windows. The desktop version brings new content, including new dungeons, character options, and the Tavern.
Story
Knights of Pen and Paper follows the story of five brave heroes who band together to hunt down the mysterious Black Mage and stop his nefarious plan to conquer the many realms. The plot strikes the right balance of corny RPG tropes and classic retro charm, mixed with a dash of satirical humour. Though the plot itself isn’t the most memorable thing ever, anyone who has ever played a pen and paper RPG campaign will instantly feel at home with Knights of Pen and Paper. Most pen and paper RPG players have personally experienced the random comments by the players and the game master’s excuses for random plot holes and terrible naming choices. Behold Studios does a fantastic job of creating a SNES era retro RPG fused with pen and paper RPG culture.
Gameplay
At its heart, Knights of Pen and Paper is an easy to learn retro RPG that has a surprising amount of depth. Each class has four skills that are a mix of passive and active abilities. Players will travel around the world, killing a variety of monsters and completing a variety of quests for NPCs. The difficulty level can be tweaked by the player, adding or removing the amount of enemies in a fight. This is a handle option that can make the game easier for RPG newbies or a blistering challenge for veterans. Besides the main story quests, there are lots of side quests to be completed to access new classes or players can create their own quests for even more variety.
The classes are the stereotypical fantasy RPG type. They fall under damage, support, tank, heal, or some combination of the previous types. The game starts with six classes unlocked and a large variety of players to mix with the classes. Each player has their own unique passive ability that compliments certain classes well, providing opportunity for the dreaded power gamer to min/max their way to success.
There are times when the game turns into long marathons of grinding. Buying the final two party members requires gold, upgrading equipment is a risky money losing venture as it is a luck based roll, and there are plenty of accessories for both the characters and the game room that serves as an additional gold sink. It is a little strange as a PC gamer to see in game purchases for currency in a full ten dollar release, but these are all too common in the mobile sphere. Players have the option of buying the Digital Deluxe edition and starting out with 800 gold, but those trying to save some money will be in for some grinding and some smart early purchases.
As the game started its life as a mobile game, the game is played entirely with the mouse and left mouse button. The menus are nice and chunky, lending itself well to those gamers who may not be so accurate with a mouse for whatever reason. There is a slight problem with targeting the larger enemies in the end game as the hit boxes seem to overlap, making accurate targeting a bit of a chore. There are some nice small touches that make the game’s controls easier, like the game automatically targeting the last enemy in a fight, cutting down on the amount of clicks needed.
Visuals
There is only one graphic quality setting in Knights of Pen and Paper, aptly named PixelArt. The visuals are a great throwback to the glory days of the SNES. There is some serious inspiration from the old console, from the FFVI styled hats denoting the player’s class to the Super Mario inspired world map. The game is able to scale from 640×480 up to a massive 1920×1080, but I found that 800×600 seems like the game’s sweet spot in terms of size and usability. Though a few creatures look a little odd, the visuals in Knights of Pen and Paper is simply a retro delight.
Audio
Knights of Pen and Paper is full of retro chip tune goodness. The sound effects sound like they came right out of an old SNES or Gameboy RPG. The only problem with it is that there are exactly two songs you will spend your time listening to. The battle music and the out of battle music. The two songs are good, however spend more than 30 minutes playing the game in one go and you will soon find yourself turning off the music. Considering the game received a +1 edition, I expected more tracks added to the music.
Overall
Whether you are looking for a simple RPG to get your loved one hooked on the genre, needing a casual RPG to play on a laptop/mobile device, or looking for a hit of nostalgia, Knights of Pen and Paper is a fantastic game. I wish there was more music in the game as the same two songs are tiring and the game does require a bit of grinding, but there is lots to like about Knights of Pen and Paper.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
A 36 second teaser was aired yesterday on NTV’s every. program for Hayao Miyazaki’s latest anime film, The Wind Rises (Kaze ga Tachinu). A special press conference was also held by Studio Ghibli and film distributor TOHO in celebration of the film’s completion.
In a surprise move, Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno is debuting as a voice actor, playing as the main character of the film. The character in question is Jirou Horikoshi, the designer of the legendary Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane of World War II.
The theme song, “Hikouki Gumo” (Airplane Cloud), will be performed by singer and songwriter Yumi Matsutoya. The song was composed when she was just 16 years old.
Apparently The Wind Rises is the first time Miyazaki “cried for one of my films”, as he is quoted as saying. The film is opening in Japanese theatres on July 20 this year.
For those that are weak at hearing, Diablo III is making its way to PS3 and Xbox 360 September 2013. Coming with that notice, a lot of heated discussions have taken place concerning cross platform functionality and console-only perks. For those that have worked extremely hard in earning paragon levels, you may have right to be mad by not being included on the coming release. However, the console version is to be a meticulously crafted title that incorporates the very essence of a true multiplayer.
Where does Blizzard need to start in order to make this version of Diablo III different? They first disconnect themselves with the PC version – allowing a “taint” free environment. There are many that would complain that they have leveled to the highest degree and moan that they hate Blizzard for making this decision, but I know where the dedicated ones will be. And those that hate the very essence that is Diablo III may be entirely disappointed with the coming result. The console version will create both local, online, or combination parties of adventurers to roam the grasslands and dunes of Sanctuary.
One of my favorite past times involves a group of friends huddled around a singular television ready to button smash to grab loot. One cannot mention a console hack-n-slash RPG without bellowing “Champions!”. In many households the word ‘Champions’ rings tenderly in weary adventurers’ ears calling out to play Champions of Norrath developed by Snowblind Studios. Even upon hearing the term, I would be one to rush to grab my PlayStation 2 stash and immediately begin connecting four controllers to the multi-tap device (allows four player local co-op). When among friends, none can be the richer; but when among ‘Champions’ and friends, someone always steals your loot!
Diablo III stands to gain much glory by taking on a similar role to that of Champions of Norrath. By delivering both offline and online multiplayer to the consumers, Blizzard has re-opened the gates of hell to more than the PC gamer. Do you think Diablo III will stand to be a ‘Champions’? Take a look at the gameplay trailer for the console version below: “No One Fights Alone!”
