With Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter nearing its open beta launch date – April 30th, Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios have mustered up a new montage trailer specifically to showcase the Great Weapon Fighter class. Care to specialize in singular weapon tactics or just look like a badass holding a mighty two-handed weapon? Then the Great Weapon Fighter class just might be for you. With the unending thirst for battle, this class build will have you recklessly charging into the fray to beat down even the largest of foes.
No need to explain anything further concerning the Great Weapon Fighter class. Look for yourselves in the montage trailer below!
You may remember that Twisted Pixel had recently announced that they were planning on releasing four of their games in one neat bundle this week on the XBLA. Well at the time the company did not mention how much this bundle would actually cost.
Today the bundle was released onto the XBLA and it turns out that this is probably one of the best deals available for these games outside of the company simply giving it away. You see, for these four games, ‘Splosion Man, Ms. Splosion Man, The Maw, and Comic Jumper, consumers only have to pay 800 MSP which translates into only $2.50 a game. When you consider the fact that Comic Jumper alone costs 1,200 MSP, this is certainly a great deal for those who haven’t picked any of these games up yet.
I keep writing these articles, waiting for spring to start in earnest. What do I get for two days in a row? Hail. That’s right. Canada is flinging around ice in the middle of spring.
GamersGate is running a huge Paradox Interactive weekend sale. Every major Paradox Interactive title and DLC is anywhere from 50 to 75% off. Most of the sales are at 50% off, but each day knocks one franchise title down to 75% off. At the time of writing, the King Arthur and all its relevant DLC are 75% off. Additionally, the Silent Hunter series of submarine sims are on sale for 75% off.
Steam is running several sales this weekend. Cult favourite Farming Simulator 2013 is on sale for 50% off. I never could get into the series, but there are some serious fans of the game out there. Dishonoredis at its lowest price this weekend for 50% off. Dishonored is the spiritual successor to Thief and is an excellent game. Be sure to read our reviewon Dishonored if you need convincing. Natural Selection II is a hidden sale this weekend at 50% off. It is a pretty good price for the game. It’s tremendously good fun when a team actually puts in the effort to work together. Steam’s Weeklong Deals are PAM: Post Apocalyptic Mayhem, Fireburst, Ducati World Championship, DCS: Blackshark and Spectraball.
Greenman Gaming has a bunch of new coupon codes for use this weekend. Defianceand the Season Pass is on sale for 30% off with the coupon GMG30-LLAKQ-WPPQZ. I’ve been pouring all my free time onto Defiance and I am loving the game. Its been a rocky launch, but its a fantastic game with great potential. If you’re on the fence, be sure to read our review of Defiance. Buyers can snag 25% off Company of Heroes 2with GMG25-COMPA-NYOFH. Of course, GMG’s now legendary 20% off most titles coupon is also running. So be sure to try GMG20-GGN5D-FC3NA on all your purchases this weekend.
Greenman Gaming is running three different themed sales this weekend. Meridian 4 titles are 75% off. Racing gameson sale for up to 75% off. Finally, titles from the publisher Nordicare also 75% off. Most of the titles are pretty forgettable, but racing fans should check out the highly regarded Dirt series for 66% off. There are some titles that are on sale that do not belong to any of the three themed sales. The FEAR series is on sale for 50% off. Although they are excellent games, I recommend skipping over them as all three games have gone down to 75% in the past. Dishonoredis 45% off and the 20% off coupon does not apply here. Steam has the better offer for Dishonored this week.
Brazilian site Nuuvem has a 2 for 20 Brazilian Real deal going on. With the exchange, it roughly works out to $10.00 USD. Buyers can choose Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Bulletstorm, Blades of Time, Omerta: City of Gangsterss, Stay Dead, Sine Mora, Alpha Protocol, Binary Domain, Deep Black, and I Am Alive. Most of the games are a little older, but if you stick to games at $20.00 or more, you are getting at least 75% off which is a good deal. Out of the available games, I personally recommend Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Bulletstorm. Revelations continues the tradition of high quality Assassin’s Creed games and Bulletstorm is just good crude fun.
Get Games has Farcry 3 Blood Dragon on sale for 15% off. This isn’t as good as Gamefly’s deal, but if you can’t purchase your copy through Gamefly for what ever reason, this is a good alternative. Assassin’s Creed III, including the Deluxe Edition, the Battle Hardened Pack, and the Season Pass, are on sale for 50% off this weekend. This is one of the cheapest prices for Assassin’s Creed 3 at the moment. The Sonic Mega Bundle which includes all of the Sonic the Hedgehog games available on Steam is 75% off. Company of Heroes is 22% off, but skip this in favour for Greenman Gaming’s 25% coupon if you can.
GameFly is running a sale on indie games this weekend. You really can’t go wrong with any of the titles, but I highly recommend picking up Hotline Miami, Sine Mora, Torchlight II, and Dungeon Defenders. Gamefly is still running their 20% off coupon, GFDAPR20. This coupon works for Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, which brings the game down to its cheapest price yet.
SG Interactive is undoubtedly excited to celebrate the upcoming fourth anniversary of the release of their golfing based MMO Pangya Challenges, and the fans will have a reason to celebrate as well. The developers plan on giving back to the fans in a big way with various interactive events and exclusive giveaways. The developers want the celebration to focus on the players that make up the loyal fanbase instead of the game itself and fans can expect great prizes and content in the form of raffle prizes.
Players traveling through Pangya Island will hope to discover one of the many “Master Keys” hidden around the land which can be used to spin the Anniversary Wheel to get some great prizes. Another inclusion for the anniversary is the Fan Art Competition in which players can enter their original art to be showcased ingame on Pangya Island as well a nice reward. Another exclusive item being raffled off is real Pangya “Comet” golfballs and gamers who subscribe for the news letter will also win a prize for playing.
Pangya Challenges is an anime-based golf MMORPG thats deeper than it appears at first glance. It feature 18 courses scattered over the game’s Pangya Island and includes five competitive modes for head-to-head play such as Versus and Tournament modes; the game also has all the real world obstacles that face all golfers like sandtraps, the fairway, and the frustrating water hazard. Gamers can find information at SG Interactives official site and those interested in getting in on the action can speed to the games site for the action.
Dungeon Hunter 4 Developer: Gameloft Publisher: Gameloft Platform: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: April 11th, 2013 Price: Free Available Here
Overview
Dungeon Hunter 4 is Gameloft’s latest dungeon crawling action RPG. The game features four playable classes, a complete single player campaign, and two multiplayer modes for co-op and arena PvP.
Story
The heroes of Dungeon Hunter 4 are members of the kingdom of Valenthia. Better known as the Valen, the kingdom defeated the demons a long time ago and entered an era of more normal struggles against their barbarian neighbours, the Kenashi. One day, the demons reappeared and all hell breaks loose. The player’s character is the archetypical chosen hero who will change the course of the battle and save the Valen from destruction.
Although the plot of Dungeon Hunter 4 ticks off all the traditional western RPG archetypes, the writing is very good. The conversations are believable and manage to have a few funny moments that feel very natural. The game does not bring anything new to the table plot-wise, but the story in campaign mode stays interesting enough to avoid becoming forgettable window dressing.
Gameplay
Dungeon Hunter 4 is a full-fledged action RPG experience that could easily succeed on the PC or console. There are four classes, each with its own play style and skill tree. The player can equip one spirit skill, three active skills, and up to four passive skills at any given time, providing lots options for different builds. There is a small shop to purchase new items and a crafting system to create powerful new items. The item system is well thought out and logical. The controls are excellent. They are responsive and provide the option to customize the button placement. The customization option is a life saver for any gamer who plays with the heavier Retina iPads!
With all these excellent points in gameplay, where exactly did Dungeon Hunter 4 go wrong? The In App Purchase scheme. It is incredibly aggressive. Every loading screen shows off some item that can be purchased with Crystals, the real money currency. Each time the player levels up, the game recommends an item to purchase at a small discount. Every item menu has a few items that can be purchased that are a marked improvement to the player’s current inventory. Extra inventory space is constantly advertised. Respeccing and unlocking skills early require Crystals. Players can revive where they died, for a price. The aggressive advertisement for in game purchases could be tolerated if it was not for the ridiculous potion scheme. The player can store up to three health potions at any time. Every eight hours, the player is given another health potion. Regularly, they cost 20 crystals, the real money currency in Dungeon Hunter 4. Crystals can be earned without using any real money by watching short 15-30 second advertisements. Each advertisement provides one Crystal, so in theory; a potion can be earned by watching approximately five to ten minutes of advertisements. Suddenly, Dungeon Hunter 4 sounds more like work than a game. If the player chooses to forgo purchasing health potions, they are stuck grinding an area to survive to the end.
Visuals
Dungeon Hunter 4 provides beautiful console quality visuals. The animations and textures are of high quality. Unfortunately, I noticed Dungeon Hunter 4 on the iPad 3rd generation suffers from the odd drop in frame rate in the first few moments of a freshly loaded level and when there are many enemies and spell effects on screen.
Audio
The audio in Dungeon 4 is top notch. The music is enjoyable to listen to, the sound effects are realistic, and the voice acting is very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the voice work for the NPCs. In comparison, I found the voice acting for the player to be a little inferior in comparison. Some of the delivery just missed the mark and felt a bit too forced some times. However, this is an extremely minor complaint.
Overall
Games like Dungeon Hunter 4 break my heart. The game is fantastic, but the aggressive IAP scheme completely ruins the game. The blame for this mess deserves to be split between the consumers and the developers, but that is a rant for another column. The controls, the gameplay, the video, and audio come together in an excellent console grade package. But all of this gets drowned out by the unending flow of advertisements and the oppressive potion scheme. I would be more than happy to fork over ten dollars for Dungeon Hunter 4 if it meant that the advertisements were banished and Crystal prices were converted to in game gold. It would be worth the money. Too bad the option isn’t there.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Much to the excitement of developer Smart Bomb, their game National Geographic Animal Jam has been nominated in the ‘Games’ category at the 17th annual Webby Awards. The nomination comes as a treat as it symbolizes a recognition of being among the best content that the Web has to offer.
For those not familiar with the goal of the game, players take control of their favorite animals in free-roaming open world gameplay. Its also an educational tool as it teaches you about various flora and fauna present in the games world, Jamaa. The game is being recognized around the world as a great tool for teaching kids about the natural world in a fun way that also stimulates the mind. The way to fame for this title was only paved due to word of mouth from the many fans of Smart Bomb’s work, with players clocking in at over an hours worth of play per session which exposes them to over 60, 000 minutes of educational videos and other features to develop mental growth.
To be nominated for a Webby is a big deal, the group received over 11,000 entries from over 60 countries around the world. The ‘Games’ category is an especially competitive category with contestants being judged on several categories including content, visual design, interactivity, and functionality.
For fans interested in how they can help propel Animal Jam to the limelight can cast their votes for the win. Additional information can be found at Smart Bomb Interactive’s official site, or play the game at the official site.
Publishing giant Namco Bandai announced that they’ve struck a deal with indiePub Entertainment for three games to be released in 2013. Storm, Capsized, and Vessel.
All three games will be available for digital download on the Xbox Live Arcade. Storm and Capsized will both be made available through the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3.
In Storm, you will solve puzzles to guide a seed to fertile soil where it will take root and spring up new life. Capsized is a 2D action platformer where you must use your grappling hook, jetpack, and more to save your crewmates from bloodthirsty aliens. Vessel presents the players with puzzles to solve in a single-player game set in a steampunk world. It features a unique liquid-physics engine and features music from prodigy Jon Hopkins.
For more information, you can check out the official indiePub website here.
Com2uS released their newest game to iTunes today, GolfStar. The golf simulation features realistic 3d graphics and physics, bringing the golf course onto your iOS device. Com2uS are very proud to point out that over 70 different factors calculated in every swing. Each character has ten skills to master, a large variety of outfits and accessories to wear, and can participate in a variety of game types including career mode, multiple online modes, and major tournaments. To ramp up the competition, GolfStar features a weekly competition.
GolfStar is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and can be downloaded for free on iTunes.
Welcome back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed last week’s, or are new to the suggestions, click on the link below and check out what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS device along with the introduction on how the suggestions work. (suggestions 1 has how it all works)
A great week on iTunes! As always, it started slow and but ended with a bang! There are many must-buy games this week in all departments, FREE, 99c and over 99c. This week I’ve suggested a total of 16 great quality titles. Make sure you check them all especially… Gemini Rue, Rayman Jungle Run, Lumber Jacked, HEAVY sword, Crime Connection, Dungeon Hunter 4 just to name a few.
Break down below :
7 – FREE Games
5 – $0.99c Games
4 – Over $0.99c Games
As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should take a look at and consider spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. Well the Free games just below certainly should all be given a shot as they won’t cost you anything!
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
MASTERABBOTT’S FREE GAME PICK OF THE WEEK!
Dungeon Hunter 4 – Price : FREE – Publisher – Gameloft (The Demons, a race thought to have been extinguished eons ago, have returned. You awaken from what seemed like a nightmare to find your kingdom, Valenthia, decimated. Unharmed from the battle, you are mysteriously gifted with tremendous new power and skills. You could be your people’s only remaining hope…) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Crime Connection – Price : FREE – Publisher –TAITO Corporation (Lead your own gang to victory against deadly rivals in a battle for city-wide domination!
In this crime simulation you’ll gain both territory and enemies as you climb the ranks from street thug to Mafia Don!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Tink – Price : FREE – Publisher –BulkyPix (Tink is a gluttonous frog with an endless appetite. And there is good news: the swamp just got invaded by a flying insect swarm! Tink can count on his old pal Otto the otter. Otto holds a shop in the middle of the forest, where he brews mysterious concoctions. Try them
all to upgrade Tinks skills, freeze the screen, to speed up your gulping aptitudes or to unleash the full-blown tornado!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
4 Elements – Price : FREE – Publisher –Playrix (The ancient kingdom is in trouble! The magic of the four elements that kept it running for centuries has been corrupted by evil powers and the altars no longer yield the energy of life. It is up to you to unlock the 4 ancient books of magic and collect 16 mysterious cards that will help you restore the kingdom to life. An adorable little fairy will be your aide in this perilous journey as you encounter elementals, dragons, knights, and various magic creatures.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Pocket Village – Price : FREE – Publisher –Wooga (In Pocket Village, build a tranquil mini-paradise for your Pocketeers to live in. Trade with the mysterious balloon trader as she passes through your village. Help the cute and happy Pocketeers gather a host of interesting treasures as well as extract rare natural resources. Craft, create and explore with the Pocketeers in this lovable and attractive 5 star game.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
RAD Soldiers – Price : FREE – Publisher – WARCHEST Ltd(Assemble a squad of fearless soldiers and lead them into explosive, turn-based battles against your friends and single player missions around the globe. Use the outrageous special abilities of your mighty mercs to turn the tide of battle and come up with hilarious new ways to leave your opponents eating your shrapnel/bullets/dust. Level up your squad as you play to master new abilities and use the spoils of war to unlock brand-new soldiers, weapons, and outfits.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
GolfStar – Price : FREE – Publisher –Com2us (Introducing GolfStar™, the greatest golf game you’ll ever play, featuring realistic graphics, a multitude of pro golf techniques, and powered by physics-based gameplay. Play with other golfers from all over the world in real-time! Experience heart pounding, hole-in-one action with GolfStar™!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
Heavy Sword – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Monster Robot Studios (Inspired by classic platformers of old! Take control of a young hero by the name of Pike! Run, jump, dash, chop, bomb, smash your way through Goblin, orcs, ogres, Robot knights, Wizards, lava, falling rocks, man eating plants, and loads of other dangers on your quest to rescue the Princess Lucinda!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Bottle Cap Blitz – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Big Pixel Studios (Introducing Bottle Cap Blitz, the explosive one minute action game where you fire bottle caps to smash as many ice cubes as possible in 60 seconds!) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Lumber Jacked – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Everplay (Take on the role of Joe the Lumber Jack in his quest for justice against the notorious Bustin Beaver and his band of beaver bandits! Bustin Beaver has stolen the lumber that Joe worked so hard to collect and those bandits seek to build their own dam nation. This cannot be allowed!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Runaway Snack – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Alawar Entertainment (Help a cute little fish make sure he doesn’t become the next meal! Escape the alien chef, ready to cook you for a tasty snack! Play through over 80 levels, but be extremely careful! Obstacles and traps await you along the way! Absolutely stunning graphics, the cutest hero you have ever seen, and top notch physics gameplay await you in Runaway Snack!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Mr.Crab – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Illusion Labs (Join Mr. Crab on his greatest adventure! Mr. Crab is a super fast arcade game with a twist. Take control of Mr. Crab and jump your way to the top, rescuing as many baby crabs as possible. Just tap on your screen to jump and climb to reach the top of the ever-spinning tower. But be aware, there are some foul enemies that will do anything to stop you.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MasterAbbott’s over 99c Pick Of The Week!
Gemini Rue – Price : $3.99 – Publisher – Wadjet Eye Games (A sci-fi noir adventure in the tradition of “Blade Runner” and “Beneath a Steel Sky.” Azriel Odin, ex-assassin, arrives on the rain-drenched planet of Barracus. When things go horribly wrong, he can only seek help from the very criminals he used to work for. Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a man called Delta-Six wakes up in a hospital with no memory. Without knowing where to turn or who to trust, he vows to escape before he loses his identity completely. As fate brings these two closer together, we discover a world where life is cheap, identities are bought and sold, and a quest for redemption can change the fate of a whole galaxy.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Where Angels Cry– Price : $2.99 – Publisher – G5 Entertainment (Embark on a secret mission to a mysterious and isolated monastery! Journey deep into the Alps to a remote medieval monastery, where you must investigate the disappearance of Brother John as well as the curious case of a weeping statue. Explore the monastery and its eerie surroundings while interrogating its inhabitants, completing challenging tasks, solving perplexing puzzles and playing dozens of mini-games. Uncover a sad and shocking story of love and treachery in this exciting adventure game!) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Rayman Jungle Run– Price : $2.99 – Publisher – UBISOFT (The legendary platforming hero is making the jump to your favorite iOS device! Rayman Jungle Run is powered by the same UbiArt Framework engine that brought you Rayman Origins – Winner of numerous Game of the Year and Platformer of the Year awards.) runs iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Blue Toad Murder Files: A Touch Of Mystery – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Relentless Software (As one of the detectives from the infamous Blue Toad Agency you arrive in the quaint village of Little Riddle for a well-earned break. But there is murder and mystery afoot. Eliminate suspects, get witness evidence and solve the puzzles to discover Whodunnit. Who is the mysterious murderer?) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
There you have it folks these games should keep you busy for quite some time well until next week at least. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if you would also like to suggest your own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below or in the iOS forum section on the site here.
Despite failing to meet its target on Kickstarter target of £300,000 , Ambient Studios hasn’t given up on Death Inc. yet. Instead it’s moving the game to a paid alpha model that let’s gamers start playing today for $10.
The full game will be available in November 2013 for $19.99 ,but players who want to support the title’s development can pledge their support now and get immediate access to the alpha version, which is downloadable from today for $10. Those playing the alpha will gain a unique insight into the game’s development until launch, including access to special pre-purchase-only development builds, secret forums and other assorted goodies.
Boasting a quirky art style, and genuine laugh-out-loud play mechanics, Death Inc. places players in the shoes of Grim T. Livingstone, freelance reaper, as he wanders through 1660’s England spreading fear, pestilence and the bubonic plague.
Jonny Hopper, Director at Ambient studios has said
“We were overwhelmed by the support we received during our recent Kickstarter campaign.Despite the fact we didn’t reach our initial target, we did raise support of over £122,000 – that’s a tremendous amount of support which has given us the confidence to push on.Players who pre-purchase the game now will be able to join us on this incredible journey as Death Inc. helping us shape it into the game we know will be enjoyed by the world over.”
Death Inc. can be pre-purchased now from www.deathincgame.com, and Death Inc. will be released in November 2013.
