1345: Nicolas Eymerich arrives in Carcassonne, city of the Inquisition, where he receives the mission to unveil the truth about troubling events that have occurred in a small village in the South of France, former territory of the Cathar heresy. Thanks to efficient investigation methods and to his sharp observation skills, the veil is soon lifted: the sickening smell of Satan and its demons is in the air!
For more information visit the Steam page and check out the trailer here.
You probably already knew that Call of Duty: Ghosts would be headed to next-gen consoles as well as the current fare, but we have not seen too much footage for those particular versions. Being E3 week and as promised, Activision have now unveiled a new trailer for the game, showing off that beautiful new footage featuring some slick underwater combat.
Also shown off was a new trailer featuring the new dogs that will run rabid within the game, and that footage should also catch your eye as this feature brings a new element of gameplay to the franchise.
Check out both clips below, and make sure you stay tuned for more coverage for both Call of Duty and E3 2013 during this hectic week.
NBA Live 14 was announced today at EA‘s E3 presentation. The announcement trailer stars Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. NBA Live 14 is powered by the brand new Ignite engine that features new technologies and more intelligent AI. The game has the new BounceTEK technology for precise physics-based dribbling control. Gamers can pull off a variety of dribbles to help defend the ball in one on one match ups. Kyrie Irving was specifically chosen for the trailer due to his signature between the legs dribble that is demonstrated in the trailer. For the accuracy and statistic geeks, the in-game AI that draws on the same data that coaches and scouts use in the NBA. This allows the players to behave in the most realistic manner possible.
NBA Live 14 will be released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this fall.
Square Enix just dropped a major bombshell for RPG fans at Sony’sE3 2013 press conference. They have officially announced that after many years wait, Kingdom Hearts fans can rest easy, Kingdom Hearts 3 has just been finally confirmed.
The game was confirmed for exclusive release on the PlayStation 4 console. However no official date has been confirmed for that game at this time. You can check out the trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3 below for your first look at this next generation Kingdom Hearts title.
Stay tuned for more information on Kingdom Hearts 3 as it comes to light. For now check out the trailer for the game and let us know what you think in the comments section below.
EA was busy today with their big E3 presentation. The new Need for Speed: Rivals received some attention with the release of not just one, but two new trailers. The first is a short video clocking in a 71 seconds providing some background behind the cops versus racers theme in Rivals. The second video is a heftier seven minute video showing off in game footage demonstrated at the E3 press conference. The video starts in the open world area as the driver pulls up to begin an illegal street race. The screen splits between three points of view: the original illegal race, the police car in hot pursuit, and the map.
Need for Speed Rivals will be available on November 19th, 2103 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC.
Mad Catz Interactive has chosen E3 to unveil its new professional gaming keyboard, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 3 for Windows PC expected in the fall of this year. The layout of the keyboard has one group in mind: the competitive players of professional gaming, and the design choices reflect just that with responsive keys boasting a unique membrane that offers increased response without the need to “bottom out” the keys when playing and eliminates the annoying clack that some keyboards produce.
“Our range of S.T.R.I.K.E. keyboards has captured the imagination of passionate gamers and we are pleased to expand the range with the S.T.R.I.K.E. 3.”, says President and Chief Executive Officer Darren Richardson, who had this to say about the product; “The S.T.R.I.K.E. 3 demonstrates our commitment to providing gamers with a product range that meets their budgets and exceeds their expectations,”
Some of the features to be excited about include the RGB backlit keyboard with upwards of sixteen million different customizable colors for a truly unique look for any gamer when combined with the three available colors: gloss white, gloss black, and gloss red. Also included is a removable wrist rest, full media controls as well as twelve macro keys, three operation modes and thirty-six programmable buttons round off this piece of gaming bliss.
Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Production I.G.’s latest re imaging of the popular series, will premiere on the 22nd of June in cinemas throughout Japan. In anticipation for the first episode, a new website has been set up to further promote the anime and the artist who created the opening theme.
The website is pretty basic looking, with the titles “Ghost in the Shell Arise” and “Music by Cornelius” at the top and ten subcategories neatly placed on the left hand side. Once you access the front page, you will be treated to a full screen display of Cornelius’ music video for the Arise OP, with the added option of removing the menu from the site leaving only the video playing within the background.
Subcategories of the site include links to the official Arise website and twitter page, a small biography about the 44 year musician/producer and information on where to purchase the Arise OP single, which will be available on the 19th of June. A YouTube page will be set up for the site, however at the time of writing the link says “coming soon” when scrolled over. Click hereto check out the site.
Are you excited or uncertain about the new Ghost in the Shell? Let us know what you think about the four part series and the opening theme by leaving a comment down below.
As one would expect, EA took some time during their E3 press conference which happened earlier today to discuss some of the new features that they are going to be adding to the next game. This time around it looks like we’re getting some precision footwork and intelligent AI thanks to the game’s “True Step Technology.”
At the same time the company also announced that the cover athlete for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 version of the game is the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson. To see the entirety of the reveal as well as some of the first gameplay footage we’ve seen of EA Sports’ Madden NFL 25 since it was announced.
You may remember that at last year’s E3 EA announced that they had purchased the rights to the UFC video game franchise from THQ about half a year before they went bankrupt. Since then nothing has been said about what EA was planning on doing with the UFC game series…
However that all changed today during their E3 press conference EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson announced that EA Sports’ UFC will be released on the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 in Spring 2014. To commemorate the announcement they have released a snippet of what appears to be gameplay footage which can be seen embedded below.
Dean Richards, General Manager, EA SPORTS UFC, said;
We are very excited to deliver the most realistic fighting experience ever achieved. With a talented and experienced team at the helm, and powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE, we’ve created a gameplay feature set for EA SPORTS UFC where every fighter, every strike, every takedown and submission will bring you inside the Octagon like no game ever has before.
Dana White, President, UFC, added;
I couldn’t be more excited about the work that the team at EA SPORTS has done on the upcoming UFC game. It’s been a great partnership and even though it is still early in development, the game looks amazing. It will be groundbreaking! Fans of all combat sports will love it and have a lot to look forward to in the spring of 2014.
Here is a truncated version of its list of gameplay features:
MMAi – Down on the scorecards, look for the AI to end the fight with a knockout or a submission. A smarter opponent equals a more challenging and unpredictable fight.
Real-Time Exertion – Through real-time vein popping, skin discoloration, muscle flex, as well as signs of fatigue setting in through the course of each round, you will witness the effort it takes to be one of the best fighters in the world.
Fighter Likeness and Facial Animations – Every single licensed fighter in the game has been created from high resolution 3D head and body scans to deliver revolutionary character likeness and authenticity. Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE, new facial animation technology delivers more expression, emotion and will communicate greater sense of awareness and intelligence in the Octagon.
Full Body Deformation – The team that revolutionized sports by bringing authentic physics to Fight Night changes the game again with an all-new, full-body deformation system that moves and displaces the fighter’s flesh in real time. For the first time, the strength of every submission and power of every strike will truly make an impression.
Precision Movement – Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE, the Precision Movement locomotion system grounds the fighters, eliminating unrealistic slipping and sliding across the canvas. More realistic physics-driven movement delivers more realistic action as the overall transfer of energy from the ground up delivers more impactful and believable strikes and takedowns.
Dynamic Striking – A dynamic environment allows you to pull off jaw-dropping moves using the Octagon, including roundhouse kicks, superman punches and much more. Combine those abilities with the best striking technology in the industry and that one perfect strike could change the fight.
Strategic Submission Battles – Like the real sport, in EA SPORTS UFC fighters will work through multiple stages as they work to advance or escape from a fight-ending submission.
Real Damage – EA SPORTS UFC introduces a non-linear damage system which can result in big damage coming from a single strike. The system produces a greater variety of cuts and contusions that is true-to-life and has never been possible in a simulation fighting game.
Lune is the brain child of six young video game designers currently studying at ENJMIN, a French school dedicated to interactive media. It is currently in alpha testing and is available for free online. Players can play the game using the Unity Web Player via a web browser at the official website. The developers describe Lune as “a game about reflection and solitude.”Lune is an adventure puzzler that will allow players to control the moon to help conquer puzzles.
Lune’s biggest feature is the ability to control the moon. The moon’s angle and distance from the world can be controlled with the WASD keys. The moon is the main light source in the game and it can be moved from left to right. Shadows play an important role in some of the puzzles in the game, allowing players to sneak past magical guardians. The distance of the moon to the world is also controllable, causing changes in its gravitational pull. Certain things in the game like water is affected by the moon’s gravitational pull. For example, bringing the moon closer will cause the water level to rise. In addition to controlling the moon, players can direct our hero to move places and either climb over or push around obstacles.
Lune is currently in early alpha. There are still a lot of bugs that need to be ironed out and the game is missing things like a save system and hints for puzzles. Crashes and other strange bugs are bound to happen, but having to start from the beginning every time is a bit frustrating at times. On the flip side, everything is still changing and evolving based on player feedback. The developers are extremely active on Facebook and Twitter, responding to feedback and suggestions.
The pacing in Lune is slow. The main character does not walk with any sense of urgency, instead choosing to a more casual pacing. Although I suspect this was done on purpose to force a state of reflectiveness, the slow pace is utterly frustrating during some of the long walks between puzzles. The puzzles themselves are absolutely wonderful, leaning heavily on the moon control mechanics. I hope to see some sort of hint system worked into the game as some puzzles can be fiendishly difficult with little hint on what the player is supposed to accomplish.
The colouring in Lune is dark and muted with a few splashes of bright colours thrown in. The art style is comic book like with a slight Asian twist. The shading is at a minimum in Lune, as everything seems to be focused on the moody shadows that is cast by the moon. There is a wonderful zen like simplicity in Lune’s style. The UI is so subtle it is practically non-existent. The all-important moon positioning marker is part of the main character, acting like a backpack halo that follows he or she around. The cursor subtly turns from a V to an X to denote an area where the hero is unable to access. Lune favours the long camera distances and wide angle shots. At times, the positioning shows off a wonderful world, other times it is so far off it can be hard to see details. There are currently some minor flickering with certain items in the world and some clipping issues currently, but the visuals currently show a high level of overall polish.
The music in Lune is without a doubt the best part of the game. It fits in the developer’s vision of reflection and solitude. Minimalism is one of the most difficult feats to pull off in game soundtracks. Be too stingy with the music and the game feels soulless, too much music and it really is not a minimal soundtrack anymore. Lune’s soundtrack feel uncluttered, with simple meditative music that compliments the sound effects in the game. The sound effects are focused on sounds found in the natural world and simple sounds like a bongo drum.
The sense of loneliness in Lune is intense. The way the music, the art style, and the overall design comes together to create an empty feeling world in the all the right ways. Even though the player will encounter things like magical robots, the feeling of being the only living thing around for kilometers is impossible to shake off.
The developers have extremely ambitious ideas and plans for Lune. The alpha prototype is a proof of concept, a learning experience, and a chance for meaningful feedback for the developers. Lune has some very interesting ideas, a control scheme that works well, beautiful visuals, and an impressive audio experience. Obviously, there are some bugs and errors that come with the alpha territory that will be fixed in due time; however, the developers need to address the extremely slow pacing of the game and some of the ridiculously long camera angles that take away from the game. Lune is well on its way to becoming an shining example of a daring and artistic style of gaming that big publishers are too scared to try.
