Square Enix sure know how to drop a bombshell from time to time. After seeing decent numbers for Dragon Quest X in Japan on the Wii U, the company has announced a port for the MMO on PC, which will hit this September in Japan. Those who want to get in on the beta can do so at this link by downloading the benchmark tool, and if your system can handle the game – an application can be submitted.
No word if this will come to the west, but more Dragon Quest can always be thought of as a good thing for all so let us hope we hear something in the coming months.
If you own a 3DS, you’re probably aware that there hasn’t been an update to the system in some time, but as promised – that has changed and a ton of new features have been added to the Mii Plaza, adding in more things to do after Streetpassing. The free side of this comes with new expressions that you can make to guests that visit, while the paid side includes four new Streetpass games – which are StreetPass Squad, StreetPass Garden, StreetPass Battle and StreetPass Mansion.
Here are the deets:
In StreetPass Squad players blast their way through enemies in a scrolling space shooter with the help of StreetPass characters. StreetPass Garden challenges players to grow a garden of flowers and cross-pollenate them with the plants of visitors that they meet through StreetPass. Players collect troops through StreetPass in StreetPass Battle, clashing with other warlords to take over the world. StreetPass Mansion lets players design and explore a multi-level mansion using rooms and hallways received from StreetPass characters. Completing accomplishments within these four additional games unlock new full-body outfits and hats for their Mii characters.
You can find these games on the eShop, and update your 3DS as of today to have the latest firmware upgrade. Nice little batch of games up for grabs here, so if you need some new Streetpass love, grab them while they’re hot!
Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within Developer:Deck 13 Publisher:Nordic Games Platforms: PC (Reviewed) Release Date: June 28, 2013 – Available Here
Overview Jack Keane is a man of adventure. Jack Keane is a man of passion. Jack Keane is a man…who leaps before he looks. Deck 13 and Nordic Games have brought him back for his second adventure with some new faces. How does this new point-and-click adventure handle itself? Is it a beacon to be lauded or should the fire within be smoldered? Let’s find out.
Story
When the game opens, Jack is trapped in an oriental prison. His roommate is an elderly shaman who bestows Jack with the first piece of an amulet and a mind altering trip inside Jack’s own head before passing away. After working his way through the prison, Jack meets up with his love interest, the beautiful tomboy Amanda. What follows is a whirlwind trip around the world to find the other pieces of the mysterious amulet before the rich Mr. Umbati. Jack and friends will have to solve puzzles at every turn and work out their feelings in the process if they’re to have any chance of success!
Gameplay
The point-and-click adventure game genre has been around for nearly as long as video games have been popular. Classics such as LucasArts’Maniac Mansion and Secret of Monkey Island franchises helped to cement the genre into the landscape of video games forever more. Anyone who has experienced one of those classic games will feel right at home here.
For those new to the genre, the gameplay mechanics are easy enough to follow. You will use the mouse cursor to move your characters around within the environment. You can add objects in the environment to your inventory, examine things in the world for more information, and use your inventory to solve environmental puzzles. The puzzles are generally pretty well designed, and solving also lets you enjoy watching a scene unfold.
Jack Keane 2 also offers players the ability to move around the environments using the WASD controls on their keyboard, but they’re ultimately a concession that acknowledge the world has progressed beyond the basic tenets of the genre.
One of the most pronounced characteristics of Jack Keane 2 is the way it uses humor to flesh out the world. Like Guybrush Threepwood and others before him, Jack and his companions always have a joke at the ready. Not all of them land, but there are definitely enough funny moments to keep you looking forward to the next. The comedy generally blends into the puzzles as well, often employing absurd solutions to the problems you’ll face.
As you play, you’ll quickly realize that Jack and his traveling companions have more than the amulets and sailing around the world on their minds. You’ll get to witness and influence how certain love stories play out. Jack will definitely have his hands full sorting out that mess.
One of the weakest components of the game is its hand-to-hand combat sequences. These typically consist of seeing your enemies first attack, using a specific “stance” to avoid the attack, and then countering with an attack of your own. Though this fits in the line of it being a puzzle-solving game, it lacks any real sense of impact and presents itself as another obstacle to conquer. The combat does employ a slow-motion aspect that lends some redemption to the combat, but it gets old after a while.
Though the point-and-click gameplay is fantastic, the game is not without a few annoyances. Misusing items in the pursuit of solving a puzzle will lead you to hear the same phrase voiced by actors over and over again. This could lead you resenting those voiced lines. Character pathing also seems to hang up more than occasionally, which can be a real problem if you’re clicking an item on the other side of the screen.
Game glitches also still rear their ugly heads on occasion. Realizing seven or eight steps into a puzzle the item you need won’t register with your mouse click is pretty frustrating, especially since you’ll likely have to reload before you picked up that item and work through the puzzle again.
Visuals & Audio Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within is a fantastic looking game. The environments are rich and colorful, helping each location feel unique and alive. The color palette and art style lend the game a light-hearted ambiance. This makes the game feel like it takes place in a comic book or Saturday morning cartoon, where humor is expected and whimsy runs free. Thanks to the graphic design, characters and environments feel vibrant and alive.
The audio design in Jack Keane 2 is nothing spectacular. It’s not bad, but it won’t win any awards either. The voice over work in Jack Keane 2 is decent. Most of the complaint can placed on the script, which is set up to be campy to begin with. It doesn’t help that you may sometimes hear the same phrase several times while working through a puzzle, too. Apart from that, it’s not bad, which is considerable since there’s so much of it in the game.
The music is upbeat and entertaining. Most of what will stick with you are lighthearted tunes that never feel unwelcome, even if they occasionally feel out of place. I can only imagine this works so well because it’s a good way to offset some of the frustration you’ll experience when working through some of the game’s harder puzzles or bugged encounters.
Overall
Overall, Jack Keane 2: The Fire Within is a great adventure game. If you can work past the occasional glitch or repetitive phrase, the game has a lot to offer. The characters and environment are vibrant and inviting, the puzzles are clever and fun to solve, and the story is entertaining as well. The comedy never feels forced and you’ll get a few chuckles along the way too. On top of that, the game looks great and the music is catchy and upbeat. If you’re a fan of adventure games, you should definitely take the time to go on an adventure with Jack Keane and his companions.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Fans of the anime Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (or Oreimo for short) will be happy to know that three OVA specials will all be airing on the same day two months after the final episode of the second season.
Episode 13 will air on the 30th of June and the OVAS are set to air on the 18th of August, the official anime page for Oreimo will be streaming all episodes and have also provided links for international viewers on where they can watch the simulcasts. Click hereto check out the official site. Currently the anime show is being simulcasted by Crunchyroll, who will also be simulcasting the OVAS in August with the help of Aniplex.
This year marks the end of Oreimo for both the anime and the original light novel; the 12th and final volume was released earlier this month and was meet with extremely mixed reactions from its fans. Speaking as someone who already knows the ending (don’t worry I won’t give any spoilers), I predict this will get more rages from people than the whole Aku no Hana debate.
Let us know what you think of Oreimo by commenting down below (no spoilers please).
Ready for sixteen new mini-games, new ways to use that Gamepad, and a lot of flatulence? Well you are in luck as today, Game & Wario has hit the Wii U, killing the drought of new titles with the returning mischievous brother of Mario, Wario.
You can pick up this title via the eShop or at your local retailer, but while you wait – you should also check out the new trailer released down below, as it shows off some of the many mini-games you will be playing, as well as the unique Gamepad usage that comes with each experience. So watch the clip, and show this other-other brother from the Mushroom Kingdom some love as Game & Wario is ready to make it’s mark on Nintendo’s new platform.
Not too long ago, we brought you news that UFO Interactive and Tragnarion were planning on bringing the popular third person shooter Scourge: Outbreakto the Xbox Live Arcade and have completely overhauled the original, with new features such as a four player co-op mode, achievements, and more hitting the platform.
Today, it is time to take a closer look as a new trailer has been released, detailing one of your squadmates known as Victor “Stonewall” Dantrix.
Here are some details on this Echo Squad leader:
A former US Ranger and sixth generation Army Officer, Victor “Stonewall” Dantrix has his crosshairs on the Nogari Corporation for a research experiment gone wrong. Compelled by the promise of having his named cleared once and for all, Stonewall was framed for a catastrophic airstrike “cleansing,” which left him as the only survivor out of hundreds. Dishonorably discharged and disgraced, Stonewall was sentenced to execution only to escape for a life on the run. Now he must keep Echo Squad together and eliminate Nogari.
Specializing in mid-range assault and tactical combat, Stonewall can take a beating and easily pay one back in double. While he may not be a tank like Mass, or nimble like Amp, Stonewall is 100% mission-oriented and determined to eliminate enemies efficiently. His Zen-like balance of recoil control and accuracy gives him a keen trigger finger, particularly when equipped with an assault rifle. Naturally, Stonewall is perfect for close combat situations. Never giving an inch of ground, his Ambrosia Suit’s Static Shield locks into place, allowing Echo Squad to return fire and decimate enemies from safety. Additionally, Stonewall’s Static Shockwave will let Nogari know he means business. Once he’s in range, he makes sure nobody gets away.
For just 800 points, I would say Scourge looks like it will fit right in on the Xbox Live Arcade and seems to be quite refreshing for the service due to the lack of third-person shooters on the service. Scourge: Outbreak launches on July 3rd, but you can check out the shiny new trailer down below.
Neverwinter is the newest free-to-play MMO on the block from Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment. It takes place in the Dungeons & Dragons universe that so many RPG fans may remember from Neverwinter Nights. Is this just another World of Warcraft clone, or does this one have the chops to stand on its own?
Join Capsule Computers editors Joe Morgan and Joshua Moris as they introduce you to the world of Neverwinter. They’ll show off questing, leveling, and more, ultimately culminating in a five-player run through of one of the game’s first major dungeons.
We will be livestreaming the footage to our Twitchpage. We’ll be sure to upload it to our YouTubepage later for those that missed the livestream as well. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter, and Facebooksince we’ll let everyone know when a livestream begins that way. Be sure to leave a comment here or head on over to our YouTube page and leave a comment so we know what you think of our newest feature.
Be sure to check out the video below!
*Note* – We apologize for the technical difficulties we had, but we were able to work through it. Thanks for your patience. Hope you enjoy the video!
Star Trek fans were in for a treat this year at Supanova, with Anthony Montgomery doing a Q&A right after Manu Intiraymi. Known for his role in Star Trek: Enterprise, Montgomery ran to the stage with great cheer and applause. Upon getting on stage he began telling a story of a woman he met in Australia back 2001 who had a Star Trek: Enterprise tattoo. To his surprise, he quickly learnt that woman was at the panel where he thanked her for her support and said that she was his “hero”. The panel was off to a great start!
Montgomery wanted to spend a lot of his time on stage promoting his new graphic novel, Miles Away, which he began back in 2001 while Star Trek: Enterprise was still on the air. Miles Away is set to be a transmedia franchise with an animated series and possibly a live action show in the works as well as the graphic novels. For more information on Miles Away, fans can check out the official website or purchase it here. He also told a story about how the previous night while watching a rugby game he was told he would not leave Australia alive if he didn’t go for the Wallabies and that he thought Australian Football was much more violent than American Football.
Montgomery was more than happy to talk about his time in Star Trek: Enterprise answers many fan questions. When asked about working with Scott Bakula, he said Scott was one of the nicest people he’d ever met and considered him a mentor as he was a big fan of his film Quantum Leap. He also made a strong point that he tried to avoid embarrassing moments as he did whatever possible to make sure he was never the reason why a production wasn’t moving forward. He also made mention that his favourite moments in the series was when the whole cast were together because he felt those moments were rare in the series and he felt like they were a family. He also said the episode “Horizon” was a favourite of his as Travis’ backstory was explored quite a bit and he “really got to do something.”
When asked about what he’d like to see with the future of Star Trek, Anthony Montgomery gave some rather interesting answers. His suggestion was perhaps after another movie, maybe they would do another TV series. His idea was that these new movies might be to excite fans about Star Trek again, then bring it back to a TV series format. Also, it was mentioned that when Star Trek: Enterprise was cancelled because “the fans needed a break” he felt that “we all knew that was BS”. Montgomery felt that they wanted to do something “different” they needed to “get rid of Rick and Brandon”. Again this is just what he felt, but he did say he knew other reasons why it was cancelled but he couldn’t share them. Anthony Montgomery left with the final thoughts that he was grateful that the new J.J. Abrams films showed homage to older series and he was a part of the franchise, concluding with that Star Trek will still be here long after we’re all plant food.
For more on Anthony Montgomery, you can follow him on Twitter or like his Facebook page.
Gloomy Hollow is a point and click style action-RPG that takes inspiration from Diablo and other dungeon crawlers. Instead of the traditional point and click controls, you navigate your way through the game’s worlds, killing enemies, gathering loot, improving your characters and retrieving mystical crystals using a series of simple gestures. The game is let down by clunky controls and a few nagging audio and visual problems, but none the less delivers a solid experience.
Story
Gloomy Hollow was once a place where the spirits of the dead could live happily and peacefully for all eternity. However, times have long changed the Hollow and it is now a dark, evil, twisted version of its former self. Demonic beasts have arisen, and it is up to a band of three wayward souls; Mustache Jim, Smithy and Rosie to the defeat the beasts, and gather the 5 Crystals of the Underworld in order to return Gloomy Hollow to its former glory.
The story is entertaining, and told through the realm’s various characters such as The Mayor and the old sage; Bulbazar the Wise. However, it isn’t the be all and end all of the game Gloomy Hollow can be enjoyed in its entirety even without reading all of the dialogue. This is accomplished by the game being very clear on your objectives – pointing out which level you should be traveling to next, as well as highlighting any enemies that may need killing in order to fulfill the game’s side-missions.
Having the game be perfectly playable without reading the text is a benefit. Some of the dialogue feels a little broken and disjointed, so being able to skip it without the fear of getting lost down the track is great.
Gameplay
Gloomy Hollow is an Action RPG/Dungeon Crawler. The control scheme draws its inspiration heavily from point and click action games (especially Diablo). While it takes this inspiration, the game’s play style is made unique by replacing the traditional “mouse” controls with simple iOS gestures. The main gesture that you use is tapping; you tap where you want your character to move, and tap enemies and objects in the world to attack them. Pinching and three-finger swiping are also used, but these are mapped to your character’s skills.
Aside from the varying skill-trees found for each character, there is also a loot-based system, where you will constantly be finding weapons and armor for the three characters. The plethora of loot, combined with the ability to upgrade your gear allows for a deep and rich RPG experience. Although each character has six skills (three primary and three secondary), I found them largely redundant in combat, and as such mostly reserved them for getting to otherwise inaccessible areas.
I personally am a fan of games that make the most out of touchscreen controls instead of relying on the often unreliable virtual joystick and buttons. However, for those out there who do prefer the joystick/button combo, it is also included as an alternate control option. While both controls are decent enough and cater to whatever preference you have, one thing that both have in common is that they can be rather clunky.
Tapping on a part of the screen will sometimes have your character walking into a wall or other object and having their movements completely halted. At the same time the joystick can seem unresponsive and slow. Moving away from the controls, the game uses an old mobile game standard mechanic; the “three star” point system for each level. This system is seen in almost every iOS game imaginable, but Gloomy Hollow has an interesting twist on the mechanic that offers an incentive for players to achieve the maximum score.
The game replaces the traditional stars with keys. These keys are attained in each level by: completing the goal, killing 100% of the enemies, and collecting all five blue espers hidden through the map. The keys are then collected and kept in your inventory where they are used to open doors and gates to otherwise unreachable areas.
This is a great addition that adds a sense of replayability to the game. This is especially true as you progress further in the game and you need more keys than you have in order to reach areas. At the same time, you normally cannot 100% complete a level (and thus get all of its keys) without entering these locked gates.
Visuals & Audio
The visuals for Gloomy Hollow are not the best the app-store has to offer, but they are by no means the worst. Using a subtle colour pallet that is primarily filled with cooler colours (blues/purples/greens/greys etc), you get a sense of the dread, despair and otherworldliness that the game presents. The cooler pallet also gives the title a sense of blandness, but it works well in with the themes of death and the afterlife.
The character models and animations are all different and unique from one another but many of the enemy designs are rehashed over and over again. You will often find yourself facing off against the same few enemies for worlds at a time (the entire first world only has three different enemy types across 10 levels). As a silver lining, the repeated enemy use means that you will never be struggling to find your demonic prey. You will always be able to find that last enemy that you are hunting down without having to second-guess yourself every few seconds.
The audio in Gloomy Hollow suffers similar problems to the visuals. Although the music has the ominous, afterlife feel, it doesn’t take too long to realise that no matter where you are, it is just the same song played on repeat. While re-used enemy design is one thing, having the same song repeat over and over like a broken record becomes very detracting from the overall experience.
The sound effects in the game all serve their purpose well. Each action has a unique, corresponding sound so that you will never be surprised if a monster is coming for you… at least in theory. In practice, the sounds can often misplay, and you may hear the sound of an enemy approaching, only to be left waiting. Most people play their iOS games with the sound off, and Gloomy Hollow is one of those games where you wont miss much by doing so.
Overall
Despite its few nagging problems, Gloomy Hollow is a game that certainly delivers. With its deep RPG mechanics, combined with traditional iOS game elements, this game is recommended for anyone who is a fan of Diablo, a fan of action RPGs in general, or who is looking for something on their i-device that will keep them coming back. Even with the game’s clunky controls and nagging audio and visual issues as it is still an enjoyable experience.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The final day of Supanova Sydney 2013 was a huge one! The Film Ink Features stage took off with a blast with Manu Intiraymi of Star Trek: Voyager fame. While Intiraymi had only a short time to talk with his fans, he managed to get quite a lot of laughs out of the crowd and made sure to leave an entertaining and memorable impression. Beginning with greeting the audience and expressing his excitement about being down under, Intiraymi quickly moved on to encourage the audience to check out a recent film of his called Fortress (2012) that didn’t get an Australian cinema release. Before he could continue however, he discovered a screen behind him projecting his image. Intiraymi then began joking that he had “gotten fat”, has been eating “too much cheerios” and “…candy isn’t as good anymore.”
Next up Intiraymi spoke briefly on the up coming Star trek: Renegades and his return to the franchise. The film is set to feature several other former Star Trek actors in a plot that takes place ten years after Voyager. He also said the story will be much darker and deal with a lot of corruption within Starfleet and seemed very excited to reprise his role as Icheb. The conversation then shifted towards Star Trek: Voyager where he admitted he still likes to watch episodes he was in. He even went as far as to say that it was some of his best acting as a result of working with other great actors and learning from them. His saids his thoughts when watching Voyager tends be “Damn! I used to be good!” When asked what it was like working with Jeri Ryan he joked “It’s hard to hide an erection in a Star Trek uniform” and said Ethan Phillips was easily the funniest person on set. One story he shared was during the filming of the episode “The Haunting of Deck Twelve”, Phillips was filming a scene where he was reading to some children.
Without warning, he changed his line to “I’m gonna read you this book kids, My Pet Duck Farts Too Much” and the children would not stop laughing. As a result it took forever to complete the shot as the kids kept laughing because of it. Intiraymi said he tried to get away with jokes like Phillips but could never pull them off as well. Old school Star Trek fans were in for a treat, as Intiraymi’s Q&A was directly followed by Anthony Montgomery.
While he only had short time to talk and answer questions, Manu Intiraymi kicked off the day with high energy and kept everyone laughing on a cold and coffee-less morning. Fans wanting more from Intiraymi can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
