To celebrate the imminent release of the action blockbuster WORLD WAR Z, we’ve got a great competition for all our Capsule Computers readers. Read on for details.
United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
10 lucky entrants will win an in-season double pass to the film as well as an awesome poster! All you have to do to enter is answer the following question in the comments section below:
Besides an underground bunker, where would be the safest place to hide out during an Apocalypse?
We’re looking for the most creative/funny answers, BUT, if you can give a serious response that is well justified, we’ll be equally impressed. REMEMBER to leave a valid email address in the ’email’ input box when choosing a name to comment with. Those who login to Disqus with their Facebook accounts need not do so. Winners will be chosen and notified on June 19th.
**SPECIAL NOTE**
This competition is open to AU residents only.
WORLD WAR Z, rated M, will be ONLY AT THE MOVIES JUNE 20. Check out the international trailer found below. For further information on the film, visit www.WorldWarZ.com.au. Join the conversation on Twitter with #WorldWarZ. And ‘Like’ the Facebook.com/WorldWarZAU page.
Japanese Businessmen and women will be able to purchase Evangelion themed clothing and accessories all throughout this month, allowing them to show off their interest for the anime around their workplace in style.
Japanese clothing company Haruyama have collaborated with Evangelion to create a special event store located on the second floor of Atre Akihabara 1 in Japan. Haruyama used Eva 3.0 as inspiration for the business shirts, ties, cuff links and handkerchiefs that are currently on sale, and will continue to be until the 23rd of June. The store will be open for seven days between the hours of 10:00 am – 9:00 pm.
The two stripe shirts and blouses are designed around the first, second and third Eva units; with the colors of each represented Eva shown on the inside of the collar and cuffs. The cuff links and ties also use color to represent the characters from the movie, rather than showing the characters on the actual items.
The clothes and accessories have successfully combined the Eva themes with the business style aesthetic; the average person would not see them as anime related clothing, but rather a neatly designed piece of office wear. Click here to check out the Haruyama X Evangelion online store.
The Third Evangelion movie, You Can (Not) Redo, will be licensed in North America by Funimation.
NeocoreGames happily announced today that The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing will continue with a part two in the series. This Diablo doppelganger gained much praise from game reviewers for being a refreshing gothic-noir action RPG at a consumer friendly low price. NeocoreGames adds that previous adventurers will be able to import their saved characters to The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II or start fresh with a new Van Helsing. Viktor Juhász, narrative designer at NeocoreGames, had the following to say:
“In the first game it all seemed so simple. Defeat the mad scientist, free the land and ride into the sunset, but sometimes the fall of a villain only opens the way to more sinister foes.”
Check out our review of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (here). For more information regarding the newly announced Van Helsing title, follow NeocoreGames’ DevBlog, Facebook, or Twitter.
The free-to-play MMORPG title – Neverwinter – has seen a growing community since its open beta in April while reaching towards its official launch date on June 20th. Capsule Computers was able to reach the development team at Cryptic Studios to gain further knowledge regarding the expanding MMORPG.
Question 1: What is your name and position, and how have you contributed to Neverwinter?
My name is Lindsay Haven and I’m a Systems Designer on Neverwinter. I’ve been working on Neverwinter for over 3 years now and have contributed to many of the aspects of the combat systems as well as overhead systems such as companions, fusing, and invocation to name a few.
Question 2: If I were completely new to Dungeons & Dragons, how would you explain Neverwinter to me as an appealing game to play?
Neverwinter is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing game. That means that there is a heavy emphasis on social interaction with other players and building your own unique character in game. Since Neverwinter is based on the Dungeons & Dragons IP it’s a fantasy based game with Elves and Dwarves, magic and sword fighting, and Dragons and other mythical monsters.
Question 3: With many online role-playing games available, how does Neverwinter stand out from the rest?
Neverwinter is easy to check out and try. All the content, from minimum to maximum level, is free-to-play and the game is free to download. This means that there is no cost to play Neverwinter. Although many games are going free-to-play sometime after their initial launch, Neverwinter was built as a free-to-play from the ground up. This makes for a smoother player experience. Additionally, Neverwinter’s combat is action based. This means that players are dodging and blocking attacks from monsters, which is then combined with a simplified classic MMO power rotation. This makes combat in Neverwinter more engaging than the typical MMO or online role-playing game.
Question 4: Can you explain the licensing process in making this game a reality considering an already licensed Wizards of the Coast product – Dungeons & Dragons Online? Was it hard to establish a need for a fresh MMO?
In terms of adding a new MMO to the market, we felt that there was a lot of space in the free-to-play (and free-to-download) game space. As for a new Dungeons & Dragons game, well, most of us were pretty excited about being able to work on that, and it was something that Wizards of the Coast was pushing for as well. I think all parties involved never doubted this game had potential in the market as it is now.
Question 5: So far the races have been identified as elves, half-elves, dwarves, half-orcs, halflings, tieflings, and humans. With the coming release of the drow elves as a playable race, will Neverwinter acquire more races? Perhaps through a payment option?
There will absolutely be more playable races coming to Neverwinter. We aren’t quite sure if they will be monetized or not. Though I think we will be making that decision soon, so keep an eye out for new races on our website.
Question 6: Classes are a bit few in number at the initial release of the open beta. Can we expect more free classes to generate new characters or will they need to be purchased? Any hints to what new classes may be in the making?
We are currently working on new classes. I can’t say what classes we are working on, but I can say that we are looking at the most popular class in D&D history and listening to the Neverwinter community. We have room to expand in that direction because there are a lot of classes available to us through the Dungeons & Dragons lore. At this time we don’t plan on charging players for playable classes.
Question 7: As noted in one of the title’s latest trailers, Gauntlgrym may be a traversable area. What has Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios done to ensure the legitimacy – lore and books – of environments such as the ancient primordial forge?
We are always looking for ways to integrate IP story into Neverwinter. For Gauntlgrym we have taken the areas directly from the the Neverwinter Campaign Setting book and getting approvals through Wizards of the Coast on the content. Gauntlgrym is a very big place; the main focus at the launch of this zone is the Iron Tabernacle area (including an ancient dwarven armory and crypts), but we may be doing other areas like the primordial forge at a later time.
Question 8: I have completed R. A. Salvatore’s “The Last Threshold” recently and became immediately excited in playing a relatable story. Are you able to identify if the stories intersect – and if so, is the MMORPG a prelude into “The Sundering?
We can’t really answer that at this time other than we’re working with Wizards of the Coast on incorporating the evolution of the Forgotten Realms into the ongoing Neverwinter game.
Question 9: How far is Neverwinter willing to go? The name seems to localize the title in the immediate area in Faerun. Beyond the Underdark, can we expect expansions to led us into the deserts of Calimport or into the heavy winters of the Ten Towns?
The Sword Coast is a fairly big place and there is a lot we have yet to explore, so we’re going to focus on that for now. We have no current plans to go beyond the Sword Coast, but that may change in the future.
Question 10: I realize I have laid the questions on pretty thick. Lastly, I would like to ask you what you have enjoyed most about your experience with Neverwinter, and why is that experience that prominent in your mind?
It’s been very exciting to be able to bring to life two of my passions in a single game. Working with Wizards of the Coast to develop an exciting and immersive digital game has probably been a once in a life time experience, though I look forward to more experiences like it. And then building an MMO that’s been well received is very exciting. Both of these experiences have changed the way that I approach game development and creativity because both Wizards of the Coast and an active, mostly positive, game community makes a big difference in the collaboration and direction of the game.
That concludes the interview with Systems Designer Lindsay Haven. Neverwinter seems to be only gaining ground in the PC free-to-play market and will be an automatic guilty pleasure for those that adore the Forgotten Realms. From what we have gathered here, future classes will potentially be part of the free-to-play package. Certain races in the future may become attainable though whether or not they will be free is up in the air. And we can be sure that Neverwinter will expand to the boundaries of the Sword Coast with only considerations to stretch further. You can rush to the city of Neverwinter’s aid too by clicking (here).
BandFuse: Rock Legends gets a new trailer at this year’s E3 and it rocks! The new trailer centers around Grammy-award winning band Halestorm and their song “Love Bites…(So Do I)”.
BandFuse: Rock Legends by Realta Entertainment Group is a new music game coming to the Xbox 360 and PS3 that allows players to use real life instruments including guitars, bass guitars and microphones to play the game. The game has a number of difficulty levels to cater to the player’s previous experience so anyone can be playing their favourite songs in a number of minutes.
A large cast of rock legends are joining the game, including Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Zakk Wylde former lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and the founder of Black Label Society, bass legend Bootsy Collins. These rock legends help guide the player as they master their skills and become a legend themselves. Other bands have lended their music to the game including Coldplay, Slash, Rush, Judas Priest, Maroon 5, and Five Finger Death Punch. The game will feature over 55 tracks from all types of rock genres including punk, metal, hard rock, funk and more.
Check out the trailer below if you want to have Love Bites…(So Do I) stuck in your head all day. You can visit the BandFuse Official Website for more information on the game.
Two Tribes is inviting players to the second round of their drawing contest for Toki Tori 2. Each round is themed, and players are challenged to use their Wii U Gamepad to draw their interpretation of the theme. Last round‘s theme was “Draw an imaginary friend for Toki Tori.” Fredrick.W won top prizes with his drawing entitled Toki Torro. This week’s challenge is to “Draw Toki Tori’s ancestors.” Winners of the drawing contest will have their drawing immortalized in Toki Tori 2.
Toki Tori 2 is an indie adventure puzzler for the Nintendo Wii U and is available on the Nintendo eShop. The game will be released for PC on Steam on July 2nd, 2013.
At E3 2013, Konami unveiled the newest trailer for the upcoming installment of their key soccer franchise, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. Shown off in the newest trailer are two of this year’s biggest features, Trueball Tech and M.A.S.S. With an all-new engine, these will allow for the most comprehensive advance in the series since its inception.
According to Konami,
“…Trueball Tech allows the player to trap or knock on a pass using the analogue stick with detailed bar-centric physics determining the weight shift of the player and the height and speed of the pass, as to how the player’s body will automatically shape to receive it….”
And of the M.A.S.S.:
“Motion Animation Stability System (M.A.S.S.): The physical combat between players is a vital part of a match, and the new M.A.S.S. component simulates the bodily contact between multiple players within tailored animations that segue seamlessly into each other. …”
What this all basically rolls up to mean is that player and ball interaction will look and feel better, making for a better overall experience for the players in the end.
To check out Trueball Tech and M.A.S.S. in motion, be sure to check out the full video below this article.
Nordic Games, the folks behind the ArcaniA and Alan Wake game franchises, have finally given their new first person shooter, Deadfall Adventures, an official release date. The game will be dropping on the Xbox 360 and PC systems on September 27th, 2013.
Currently still in production, the dev team at The Farm 51 has been working nonstop to ensure the game is full of content and unique gameplay. It will feature a single player campaign, multiplayer arenas, and most recently revealed, a survival cooperation mode. The game will combine first person shooting with puzzle solving and exploration to help folks immerse themselves as the adventurer, Quartermain.
For more information, you can check out Nordic Games official website here and The Farm 51’s official website here.
What was surprisingly missing from this presentation was more information about the upcoming 3ds Zelda title. It was originally shown in a previous Nintendo Direct video as a sequel to the outstanding 1992 classic; The Legend of Zelda; A Link to the Past. A Link to the Past is considered one of the best entries in the series’ history, and fans were left puzzled as to why it wasn’t included in the broadcast.
However, moments after the E3 Direct, Nintendo started uploading game trailers to their official YouTube page. One of these trailers was for the upcoming 3DS Zelda game. The video not only gave us a further glimpse at the gameplay and art style of the game, but also gave us its official name.
I am happy to announce that the next installment in the Legend of Zelda series is: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
It is a pretty awesome name don’t you think? Check out the trailer below, and leave a comment about what you think of the game and its title. For all the Zelda news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
From the Legendary creators of Monkey Island and Voodoo Vince, comes Scurvy Scallywags and the Quest for the Ultimate Sea Shanty. Scurvy Scallywags is a match-three game in the vein of Bejewlled or Candy Crush. However it stands out from its brethren due to its rich and engaging RPG elements. The unique RPG spin on one of the world’s most played game genres, combined with visuals and sound that set the tone and theme perfectly, it is definitely a game worth checking out.
Story
It is unexpected to talk about the plot of an iOS puzzle game, but Scurvy Scallywags’ plot is the foundation behind which this great game stands. You take the roll of a pirate who is in search for the Ultimate Sea Shanty, which has been torn up and spread all over the seas. Whoever finds all the pieces of the shanty will be bestowed unimaginable powers. The story doesn’t stop there however, as this story is actually a Broadway-style musical, complete with a panicky director who gives you instructions backstage between levels.
Gameplay
From screenshots alone you would be forgiven for thinking that Scallywags is your ordinary match-three puzzler. It isn’t until you actually play that you begin to see and understand the depth that really lies underneath its casual exterior. You design your pirate, who is placed randomly on the board at the start of each stage, and by matching 3, you cause the board to shift and fill in the blanks, subsequently moving your pirate around. As you play, enemies will enter the stage and it is your job to maneuver your pirate adjacent to them so that they can do combat.
Combat is fairly simple, where you just swipe to swap your pirate with the enemy. The character with the most battle power wins the fight, and if it is you then you claim your reward. Battle power is increased by matching pairs of three swords, with every trinity adding one point to your pirate’s battle power. What starts out as a simple game of match-three soon turns into a strategic process, where you have to move and swap tiles in certain places and orders so as to move your pirate around the board in order to best combat the situation at hand.
In addition to combat, you can also gather gold, ship parts and costumes for your pirate to wear. Gold is used to purchase upgrades and special abilities from the in-game store between levels, while building new ships and wearing new clothes will bestow benefits to your pirate such as increased power, higher critical hit chance etc. As you defeat enemies, you will also gain EXP which enables you to add additional bonus points to your character.
Putting it simply, the gameplay is fun. It starts off simple and casual, allowing anyone to pick up and play this title with little to no trouble while at the same time giving players who are yearning for more depth in their iOS games something they can also enjoy.
The only hiccup I have with the game is that its multitasking isn’t well integrated. If you leave the app for any reason, returning to it forces you to load up the entire game again, even going through the trouble of confirming that you don’t want to change your pirate’s appearance. Once you get past this though, the game continues where you left off saving your place after every move. The problem isn’t big in the grand scheme of things, but if you are playing on a phone and have people SMS or send you a Facebook notification, it can become very tedious, very quickly.
Visuals
Everything in Scallywags is bright, distinct and just makes you think “pirates”. From the way the gold is drawn, through to the different costumes you can unlock for your pirate; everything just feels like it belongs on the pages of Treasure Island, or on-screen in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Monkey Island’s art style shows through a tiny bit here, with a distinctly cartoony-style throughout the whole game. However, Scallywags manages to take this artistic inspiration and still end up with something all of itself. The characters are all short and stubby, with over sized heads and exaggerated expressions, while the gold and other items on the game board are all well drawn and coloured differently so that even at a glance the player will know what move to make next.
Audio
The audio in Scurvy Scallywags is fantastic. There is really no other word for it. There isn’t any big orchestral compositions or hard rock music. Instead, what makes the sound truly stand out is how perfectly it captures the feel and energy of the game. The music all sounds “piratey.” and by that i mean, it sounds like it would be fitting in the background of any pirate themed movie or TV show.
In addition, the game has you collecting pieces of the Ultimate Sea Shanty, and each verse you collect is played to you to enjoy and (hopefully) sing along to. Once you have unlocked a piece of the Shanty you can go back and listen to it as many times as you want, and the game places them in order so you can sing the Ultimate Sea Shanty to yourself.
Overall
Scurvy Scallywags is a game that far surpasses the others in its genre. What appears on the surface as a simple match-three puzzler is really just the buried chest of this game. Inside the chest is the real treasure – a deep, yet accessible RPG that will have players hooked in minutes.
Aside from the multitasking issue, Scurvy Scallywags is without fault. It combines its beautiful visuals and sound with its engaging and downright fun gameplay to make for an experience that should not be missed. Definitely download this one, and if you are tired of your friends and family sending you requests from Candy Crush, then turn them onto it as well; soon everyone you know will be singing along to the ultimate sea shanty.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
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