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A Lucky winner will be drawn at random on March 30th, 2013. Good luck to you all!
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Gamers have probably seen the standard UFO games before, aliens come in muddle around, maybe drop a thing or two allowing humans to improve our technology. It makes for a fun concept and strategy, facing a superior force and turning their tech against them over time. The developers at UFO Studios however are interested in giving players a chance at seeing the situation from the other side with Revelation.
Revelation is set to be a UFO simulation where players take on the role of the UFO invaders that must try to silently infiltrate Earth, the first game to ever take this approach. The difficulty comes from two points, the first being that humans can improve their tech utilizing the player’s alien tech anytime they fail and the second being another alien race. Sounds like a pretty unique concept. Main features of the game include:
Variety of alien ships.
Playing as the infamous Greys.
Flight using electrogravitic and electrostatic behavior.
Centered around modern UFO and alien mythology.
Unique tech, from implants, to biotechnology, to weapons, to ships.
Evolving gameplay as humans adapt captured alien tech.
New flight simulation for UFO for very different aerial combat.
A focus on stealth within the UFO
Currently, Revelation is in the developing stages, but still needs some help funding and is hoping to hit Kickstarter March 25th. Those players that want to see more about can check out the trailer embedded below, while those that are interested in helping to fund the game can do so from its website HERE, which will also link to the Kickstarter when it’s finally up.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform: Nintendo Wii U (Reviewed), Nintendo 3DS Release Date: March 19, 2013 Price: $59.99 – BUY NOW
Overview
The Wii U has had a fairly decent start, but has suffered from an onslaught of ports since release. Mass Effect 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, Need for Speed: Most Wanted..heck, even Ben 10: Omniverse was a port. I think you see where I am coming from. What is good is that those blue cases are filling shelves, and we are finally starting to get news of brand new IPs for the console. Better news? Well, these ports are starting to step up their game entirely, and no title has proven itself to be “more” than Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the Wii U. Sure, its a port (Wii) of a port (3DS), but one done right in many ways with a brand new coat of HD paint and plenty of new features. Does this version warrant a purchase from Wii U owners hungry for a new game? Let’s see the results.
Editor’s Note: We already reviewed Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the 3DS in heavy detail. This version is the same product aside from console specific features that the review down below will tackle. Check out that review HERE, and read on to find out more about the Wii U version.
Gameplay
If you have forgotten or are new to the Monster Hunter franchise, I will yet again give you a brief recap of just what is in store for all players as they head into this large, living and breathing world for the first time. Monster Hunter has always been about quests, and with this expansion of sorts – that is still the theme. Players take the role of a young hunter for hire and will quickly begin to receive quests from residents of one of the many areas, which usually include activities such as fishing, collecting, capturing, and of course slaying monsters. There is a lot to this formula, most of which was broken down in our 3DS review of the game, but thankfully, the Wii U version is able to pull all of this off effortlessly.
You probably didn’t come here to hear about how well every aspect of the game blends together – with its perfected mechanics of upgrading rather than leveling and themes of exploration, as the Wii U version is indeed a beast in it’s own right. The Gamepad is part of the experience that indeed makes things so accessible for new players, as while it is your controller, it also plays as your menus, inventory, and map screen. Yes, this all fits quite well, and just like the 3DS version, you are able to transfer icons and customize the Gamepad to include the features that you, yourself want at your fingertips. Convenience at its finest.
Also like the 3DS version, Capcom have implemented several control schemes to satisfy every type of Monster Hunter out there. The best option comes with the Wii U Pro Controller. Yeah, we haven’t seen too much use out of the wiresless controller, but every button comes well mapped, allowing for the solid combat to remain fluent and simple. Cameras can also be better controlled with the extra analog stick, letting the player whip the view behind them at any given time, ensuring that if you do die, it probably will be at your own fault. Another plus of using the Wii U Pro Controller is the battery life. Let me first say I do love the Gamepad’s use in Ultimate, and was pleased with how well it handled – but let’s face the facts. There is no other game on the Wii U at this moment that will take more of your time than Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, meaning that unless you want to be running to your dock after a long play session, this controller just makes more sense.
Getting back on the Gamepad for a moment, if I had anything to criticize, it’s that Capcom seemed to copy and paste nearly the entire game straight from the 3DS version aside from a few small details when it comes to the Gamepad’s screen. This isn’t a bad thing, as that worked well enough and the customization seems more relevant on the Wii U, but those who are playing both are surely going to take notice at the features that seem out of place like the touch screen D-Pad – which gives a further camera control option and seemed unnecessary due to the extra analog already being on the Gamepad controller. Those battles however feel more epic on the big screen, and the ultimate reason to have both versions of the game under your belt comes in the form of multiplayer.
Since the Wii U released, there haven’t been a ton of online games. Sure, Black Ops II and Assassin’s Creed III work better than their cousins on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in my opinion (an opinion based on the community rather than the actual gameplay), but Monster Hunter is one of those games where the online and multiplayer experience in general may raise a few extra questions. Well, to squash those fears, I must say that Capcom have shown us yet again that they know how to implement a clever and well balanced multiplayer for this franchise, and just like the Wii’s Monster Hunter Tri, Ultimate comes with more than enough option to keep you busy outside of single player combat.
The first thing I want to speak about is lobbies. Up to 100 people can be in a lobby at one time, where users can use the keyboard to chat among the crowd as they prepare to gather friends and allies for battle. Every one of the eight locations from the main game has 10 different lobbies to play in, and the host can customize their own game and name their room to their liking to ensure preferences are met accordingly. I know having an on-screen keyboard may not sound like a game changer for online, but Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate breaks new ground with the feature as chat has never came easier on a console. Making matters even sweeter is that voice chat comes straight from the Gamepad, meaning you don’t have to have a headset to speak to your squad. The only real issue I had with the online mode here is that if the host is being a jerk or just happens to bail for any reason, the game ends abruptly. Maybe we will see this patched, but for now – those pondering of hitting the packed servers need to ensure everyone is in it for the long haul before starting a game.
The 3DS also plays a decent role in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate‘s offerings. Remember when we used to play Pokemon with friends, and then go to Pokemon Stadium to bring our team to the big screen? Well, the local play is sort of like that. Up to three 3DS owners can join in on multiplayer quests with the user that holds the Gamepad, and since this is the same game, all players see everything in unison on their device. For both online and 3DS local, I did not suffer from any lag or hiccups during my many hours with the games, which is an indication of how solid this title syncs up. Also, soon – but not yet, a patch will be coming to allow for saves to be transferred between the two games, meaning you can take the same save file on the go after saving and transferring to the 3DS. It sounds like an awesome feature, but its quality remains to be seen until Capcom post the update.
Visuals and Audio
When I played Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the 3DS (which is the first version I played through), I was blown away by the stunning environments, models, and scale of the game. Now, being on a big screen, the shock effect has worn off due to the fact that we expected to see great things anyway considering the Wii U’s power, but the beauty of this game remains in tact, allowing for every monster encounter to still pack a punch of intimidation and excitement. I did however have a bit of a problem with the text size during dialogue sequences of NPCs. The menu text, HP bars, and general HUD information displays fine, but the dialogue itself is very small and located in the very bottom left-hand corner of the screen. I have an HDTV that is decently sized, but I still felt as if I needed to move closer to be able to see every bit of text from a conversation. Menus from the Gamepad that do show up on screen can suffer from a size shrinkage as well, appearing somewhat cluttered compared to the 3DS version.
The Wii U version takes the soundtrack that was already powerful and an absolute masterpiece and enhances it in every way. Sound effects blend with the music to give the player an intense and realistic atmosphere to hunt in, and those who choose to play the game with the volume down are certainly going to cut their own excitement from encounters down dramatically. That said – while online, many users have their volume cranked up to enjoy this. Is that a problem? Well, not really, but it can get a bit frustrating have to hear the same music and roars of foes while trying to speak to someone. That isn’t the game’s fault, but it is a reason to think about investing in a headset – even with the convenience of the Gamepad’s mic coming into play.
Overall
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a port, and honestly feels as if it were ripped straight from the 3DS version with upgraded HD visuals and online features added in. Due to the way the multiplayer here works however, I don’t think I would want it any other way. No title thus far has done more to show how the Wii U can handle an online experience like Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and those wanting to capitalize on their own experience need to honestly consider picking up both versions as they fit together just like those old Pokemon games did with Stadium back on the Nintendo 64. Sure, it might not bring a lot on it’s own and has some minor flaws that come with it, but Wii U owners looking for the “Ultimate” version of the franchise can look no further, as there is no better way to hunt than with this upgraded console version of a modern classic.
Just the other day, Rising Star Games announced that Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut had a date (April 30th) and let us in on the features. Today, a new trailer was released to introduce the player to Greenvale, but it comes with a bit of a catch.
While it shows off the graphical upgrade well, this trailer is full of spoilers. I repeat, DO NOT WATCH THIS TRAILER UNLESS YOU HAVE BEATEN DEADLY PREMONITION. Appreciate it’s glory, but don’t peak too much as there are plenty of things that the trailer shows that might take away some of the shock that this tale brings.
Now, with that out of the way, you can see the clip down below if you must.
I will keep this short and sweet, as we have been keeping you all up to date of where to get Meloetta as of late. Meloetta is of course a rare Pokemon that has been getting its rounds via distribution events as of late, and now Pokefans can get their hands on the little species at GAME starting today.
Fans who also show up with Pokedex 3D pro will be able to add the Mythical Pokémon at Level 50 in its Aria Forme, including a variety of powerful moves – Close Combat, Teeter Dance, Psychic, and Round to their Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 video games. And there you have it. Go and download, and build that Pokedex while you can.
It’s hardly surprising that there’s money to be made in the free-to-play world but hundreds of millions of dollars is a big deal no matter your sales strategy. Kabam has done just that, having just surpassed the $200 million mark. In achieving this feat, their game ‘Kingdoms of Camelot’ is now the leader in free-to-play core games in the western world. This milestone also puts them in the top ten strategy franchises of all time.
After hitting $100 million after 3 years of operation, the next $100 million took less than one year to make. That’s a level of success even the majors would be deeply jealous of. The mobile version of the game ‘Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North’ contributed to this outcome by being the top-grossing iOS game in 2012.
The news couldn’t have come at a better time for Kabam either. They’ve just released ‘The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age’ to a hoard of bloodthirsty fans. I hope this translates into a highly playable movie tie in game for once. For more information on Kingdoms of Camelot and Kabam’s library of games, visit www.kabam.com. You can follow the company on Twitter and ‘like’ Kabam on Facebook.
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere Season 1 Studio: Sunrise Publisher: Madman Entertainment Release Date: February 20, 2013 Price:$64.95 – Available Here
Overview: Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is one of the more bizarre entries into the anime medium in the past few years with a plot rich with oddity, a colourful cast of characters that just keeps expanding with every passing episode and a setting that is as unique as it is deep. All of this combines to create what is an all-round raucously fun anime series the likes of which haven’t been seen in quite some time. Its many things but above all else it is uniquely Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere.
Story: It is not often that one can claim that a series is in a whole other playing field of its own, but that is what Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is. It really has no equals simply because there isn’t anything even remotely like this series. It really comes down to the simple fact that Horizon has a little bit of everything – something for everyone to enjoy. Do you like romance? It’s got it. Do you like mecha? It’s got it. Do you like magic powers? It’s got it. Do you like high school comedy? It’s got it. Do you like high octane action? It’s got it. Do you like fan-service? It’s got it. Whatever it is that you want from an anime, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere probably has it.
The cast of Horizon for the most part appears to be a seemingly random selection of a number of different anime archetypes, yet in spite of that it does well to develop these characters beyond just that. This series features an immense cast with each playing a part in the rich mythos of the world of Horizon. A world which might I add is incredibly well detailed for a mere 13 episode season of anime. The history behind this setting is well-realised – though it can feel convoluted at times – Horizon does stick the landing however and conveys a world and its inhabitants that you will grow to love (and for some – hate).
Horizon’s plot revolves around a future in which Earth has been devastated by some unknown cataclysm which has effected the entire world except some portions of Japan. Society took to outer-space but couldn’t make it that far due to unknown causes instead they now exist in the sky an attempt to repeat history in order to find a solution to the world’s predicament. It all seems so very serious, yet Horizon is often filled with quite lighthearted moments to juxtapose its more dire situations.
There is really a lot to this anime series and you get the sense that this first season alone barely scratches the surface of how vast this story is. This particular season ends in the middle of all the action, but one can rest easy knowing that Madman have the second season lined up for release which continues where this one left off.
At its core Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is a story about fate and the way it ties us together. It may not be the most straightforward series with so much going on at any one time, but it with sheer bombast and unbridled energy it blasts through some very dense material in a way that gives you the essential information while focusing on the more exciting elements of the series.
This is a series that owes a great deal to its pacing and energy. Without either of those things this series wouldn’t be very good, in fact it would probably be a tedious mess of lengthy explanation and political filibuster, which is everything this series shouldn’t be. So it really goes without saying that Sunrise did an excellent job highlighting the more interesting elements of Horizon while tempering a lot of the banal exposition beneath the action and excitement that makes this series so fun.
Visuals and Audio: Sunrise have a habit of creating some of the most incredible action sequences in anime and they have not missed a beat with Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. Beautifully animated, Horizon is a pleasure to watch in all regards. This is slick, fluid and electric animation at its finest. The best part of it all is that the standard of animation is upheld throughout the entire course of the season without a drop in sight – A hallmark of quality by all counts.
The artwork in and of itself is gorgeous, even being awe-inspiring at its best. Horizon’s character designs are all very distinctive and appealing in many ways. The cast is as previously mentioned incredibly varied and there is a lot of memorable designs here.
In terms of music, Tatsuya Katou no doubt has people lining up for his services after his work on Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. He has composed a beautiful soundtrack that compliments the series perfectly. The opening and ending theme songs for Horizon are also notably good and well suited to the themes represented in this anime.
This release happens to feature an English dub which was produced by Sentai Filmworks and I must say they have done an admirable job at transitioning this series into the English language, with impressive performances across the board all of which adds further evidence against the ‘dubs suck’ stigma that some anime fans have grown attached to. Sentai have really done a great job with casting for this series and the performers an excellent job portraying these colourful characters.
Extras: This Blu-Ray release of the first season of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is an impressive one to say the least. It features dual audio as well as a number of bonus features for you to sink your teeth into. With a special video that details the history of the world of Horizon in a school-like lecture, clean opening and ending themes, promos, commercials and of course your standard trailers.
It must be said however that Madman have made a few errors with the bonus content on this release. Usually when they bring over a North American companies product they tend to put in more effort to rebrand it as their own, sometimes creating their own menu screens etc. However with Horizon on Blu-Ray they seem to have simply directly used Sentai Filmworks version. This is heavily noticable due to the trailers section of the special features being titled ‘More Anime of Blu-Ray from Sentai Filmworks’ which is somewhat troublesome for those who have no idea who Sentai Filmworks is due to their lack of presence on the packaging what so ever. It was just something small that I felt could have been fixed, but it doesn’t affect the overall product.
Overall: Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is a wildly imaginative anime series that has a little something for everyone. It is hard to find an anime series that is this much fun. Although it can border on convoluted at times, it is a thrill ride that maintains a sense of purpose and direction from start to end. If you are looking for a fun watch with a level of depth that you don’t find too often in anime then look towards the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
So my wish came true. I just wish I was more specific. Steam’s Spring Sale started yesterday, however it only contains indie games. Rats. Anyways, there are simply too many titles to list them all. There are some great games, some of them at really good prices, some of them at not so good prices. I recommend picking up Terrariaat 75% off. People often describe it as a 2d Minecraft, but describing it as just that is quite the disservice to the game. Those who are looking for more games that support Big Picture mode should check out Deadlightwhich is also 75% off. If you are looking for more platformers, the whole Trineseries is 75% off too. Check out A Valley Without Wind 1& 2for 75% off. The games are bundled together for the price of one and has been improved upon heavily since its release. If you’re looking for something that isn’t a platformer, give AudioSurfa try. The game is 75% off and one of the earliest indie games released on Steam that made it big. As long as you stick with 75% off deals on the Indie Sale, you really can’t go wrong as most of these games are only a few dollars in price.
Steam is still running their weeklong and weekend deals along side the Spring sale. Grotesque Tactics II: Dungeons and Donuts, Binary Domain, Cities XL Platinum, Lucius, Monday Night Combat, Disciples III Renaissance, Jagged Alliance 2, The Secret World, Natural Selection 2, and Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition are all on sale until Monday. I would love to recommend Monday Night Combat, but unfortunately the servers are pretty dead these days. The Secret World has been praised for its creative research missions, if you can survive the lack luster combat. However, at 25% off, you probably can wait for a better deal. Dark Souls is a great game and is on sale for 50% off, however it will need a patched file to overcome the FPS limiter. Natural Selection 2 is a great game with an excellent community. It is free to play for the weekend and 50%, so I highly recommend giving it a try. Don’t buy bother buying Binary Domain from Steam. It is much cheaper at Amazon right now.
Speaking of Amazon, they are holding a big sale on Sega games. Binary Domainis at one of the cheapest prices yet, at 80% off. The fantastic Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War II series is 67% off, it’s definitely one of those underrated RTS titles that deserve a play through.
GamersGate has several Steam Games on sale this weekend. Galaxy on Fire 2 HD is on sale for 75% off. The space sim series started on the iOS and made the jump to PC. If the X series is too complicated for you, give Galaxy on Fire 2 HD a try. The Cave is also 50% off. This is one of the lowest prices in a while. The indie adventure game was created by Ron Gilbert of Monkey Island fame and Double Fine Production. The price is the lowest so far. Just Cause 2 Complete Editionis on sale. It contains the full game, all of the DLC, and the strategy guide for $7.50. If you are looking for a less serious open world game and found Saints Row 3 a little too ridiculous for your taste, give Just Cause 2 a try. I am a huge fan of the title and the Just Cause 2 Multiplayermod makes it worth the price.
Get Games has several big titles on sale this weekend. Pre-orders for the upcoming MMO shooter Defianceis at 22% off. If you missed Greenman Gaming’s 25% off pre-order sale, this is your next best bet. Sleeping Dogs is on sale for 75% off. Short of Steam’s pricing error over the Winter Sale, this is the lowest the game has gone. I highly recommend this game just for its excellent reproduction of Hong Kong alone. The Tomb Raider series is also on sale. The older titles are 75% off and the new Tomb Raider prequel is 20% off. Check out our review for Tomb Raider here.
Finally, Greenman Gaming has Borderlands 2 on sale this weekend for 66% off. Its the cheapest prices for a fantastic game that easily was a top competitor for 2012’s Game of the Year. Aliens vs Predator is also 75% off. There are a bunch of Total War games for 75% off. Don’t bother picking up Spellforcefrom Greenman Gaming. You’re better off picking it up from Groupee’s Build a Bundle 5 with another game for a minimum of $1.50 price. Plus you get the cozy feeling of donating 20% of your money to charity. Check out all of this weekend’s deals here. If you still haven’t found something you like, use the code GMG20-FDSCL-AQQXD for 20% off your purchase. This code does combine with most sales for an extra 20% off.
Gears of War: Judgment Developer: Epic Games, People Can Fly Publisher: Microsoft Studios Platforms:Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date: March 19, 2013 Price: $59.99 – Available Here
Overview
The Gears of War franchise has been around since 2006.In the last seven years, we’ve witnessed the epic struggle of a select few COGs as they fought, not only for their friends and family, but for the fate of the entire human race. Though the original trilogy has drawn to a close, there is still plenty of room left to discover how those heroes became who we’ve come to know. Gears of War: Judgment tells the story of Baird, Cole, and the rest of Kilo squad when the fight was brought to their doorstep. How does Judgment stack up? Does it earn its revered place in the Museum of Military Glory or should it be sentenced to solitary confinement for the rest of its days? Let’s find out.
Story
Judgment focuses on the story of Damon Baird. When the game first opens, we witness Baird, Cole, and the rest of Kilo Squad as they disembark from a helicopter, hands bound in blue, glowing cuffs. As the city of Halvo Bay burns around them, they’re taken before a tribunal and ordered to give their accounts of what happened in the hours leading up to their current state of bondage.
Gameplay
Players familiar with Gears games will quickly notice the streamlined inventory system. Instead of carrying two rifles, a pistol, and a grenade, all which required the D-pad to access, you now carry two firearms that you switch between with the ‘Y’ button. Grenades are now dedicated to the left bumper as well. This helps inject the pace and feel of combat with a much needed boost, keeping you in the action more instead of forcing you to stop, switch weapons, and continue.
Kilo squad is an eclectic troop. Damon Baird leads Kilo squad, sans the wisecracking attitude he was known for throughout the franchise’s history. Augustus Cole, Thrashball all-star, is present but he’s far less bombastic than the Cole Train we’ve all come to love. The two remaining members are Onyx Guard cadet Sofio Hendrik and Private Garron Paduk, a former UIR officer during the Pendulum Wars. The only real standout in the bunch is Paduk, who often clashes with his teammates due to his history as an enemy of the COG.
The story is told over the course of several chapters, each broken into a series of missions. The idea that each chapter represents the testimony of a different member of Kilo squad is a fantastic storytelling tool. Playing through a chapter from the eyes of a different squad member functionally changes nothing, but seeing events through the eyes of the witness really lends itself well to the immersion of the story.
The mission structure of Judgment recharges and refreshes the franchise, truly setting it apart as a positive example of how to handle story moving forward. Instead of barreling your way from the beginning of a long mission to the end with multiple checkpoints in between, each mission focuses around a single battle or encounter, usually with a single checkpoint around halfway through. They also offer a good bit of variety, giving you the occasional wave-based defense mission or escort mission instead of perpetually running from A to B. They usually only take 10-15 minutes to complete, as well, giving players the freedom to play for just a little while and still feel like they’ve completed something significant.
Another significant feature added to Judgment is the introduction of “Declassified” missions. Represented by the classic “blood omen” (a COG symbol with a skull inside) spray-painted somewhere near a mission’s starting point, these present the player with a chance to earn some bonus points and give the unwritten account of what actually happened in a certain situation. These place extra constraints on the mission (such as “pistols only” or “enemies also attack from behind”) that increase the difficulty but offer a faster rate for earning the maximum rating on each mission.
Judgment also introduces the “Smart Spawn System.” Much like the A.I. director in Left 4 Dead, the Smart Spawn System generates enemy spawn layout on the fly by looking at your performance and placement within a room. This will allow players to replay missions and experience a different encounter than they had the last time. It helps keep you on your toes and prevents things from being too predictable.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer has traditionally been a huge part of the Gears experience, and that’s no different with Judgment. From the moment you enter the game, everything is set up to accommodate playing with friends, whether the campaign, competitive, or cooperative game modes.
Judgment offers four different competitive game modes to quell your craving for some online action. Overrun is a class-based mode that pits humans tasked with defending a point against Locust who must take take a series of points to win. This game type grants the locust access to different creatures, just like Gears of War 3‘s Beast Mode. This is arguably the best addition to Judgment‘s multiplayer and gives you a welcome break from the standard game types you’ve played so many times.
Domination puts two teams of humans, red versus blue, into a level with three flags. Players must capture and hold these flags to earn points until the target score is reached. This can make for some hectic experiences as teams will swarm around, trying to capture and hold everything at once. The two remaining game modes are the standard Team Deathmatch and Free-For-All modes. The only truly noticeable difference between Judgment and prior Gears games is the complete absence of the Locust in Team Deathmatch and Domination.
One glaring omission from Judgment is the absence of Horde Mode, which allowed players to set up fortifications, taking on up to 50 waves of enemies with friends. Regarded as one of the franchise’s most well loved modes, it’s a little baffling that you would remove it. In its stead is the new Survival game mode, which cribs from the Overrun competitive mode. It sets four players up as Humans defending wave after wave of Locust as they try to reach a series of holes. It’s fun, but it feels lazily rehashed and is certainly no suitable substitute for Horde Mode.
While it remains true to its predecessors, there are a few glaring issues with multiplayer design choices in Judgment. The game shipped with only four maps available to play in each mode. This feels woefully lacking and quickly feels unfair – especially when looking at the plan for upcoming DLC, which will give three maps per pack to gamers willing to shell out more money.
Microtransactions come more to the forefront in Gears of War: Judgment, too. Not only can you purchase new weapon and character skins, but you can also purchase Double XP Boosts that will last for a set number of games, effectively letting players pay to rank up faster online. This wouldn’t be an issue if the retail game didn’t feel like it were so lacking on content already.
Visuals & Audio
Judgment is easily the best looking game in the series. Several of the characters we’ve known for years have been overhauled to make them look both younger and cleaner. Though the game ultimately sticks to the gritty shades-of-brown motif it’s so well known for, the developers have done a good job showing that Unreal Engine 3 still has some real power.
The sound in the game is serviceable but nothing fantastic. Sound effects are reused from previous games. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but there’s nothing fresh here. The voice work is well delivered, but apart from “gruff” and “angry”, very little emotion is ever conveyed. The tracks do well conveying a sense of how ominous the situation is, but every track sounds virtually the same and, unlike its contemporaries (such as Halo), no major theme can be synonymous with Gears of War: Judgment.
Overall
Overall, Gears of War: Judgment is a fantastic game. With one of the most solid, interesting campaigns in a third person shooter this generation, a few interesting new enemies and weapons, and some innovative systems for the campaign, Judgment earns its place in the Gears universe. It’s unfortunate that there were some missed steps with the multiplayer, causing it to feel as though it lacks map variety. At its core, there is still a fantastic multiplayer game with the potential for long legs. Though players familiar with the Gears franchise that aren’t interested in past titles will find nothing to change their minds here, Gears fans and folks looking for a great shooter should absolutely pick up this game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is going to be a free to play card game available on Windows, Mac, and iPad. You can sign up for the Beta right now at the Hearthstone website here. The game is designed to be deceptively simple and engaging to players of all backgrounds.
This particular game is meant to be much more accessible than Blizzard’s other titles. Hearthstone is made to have the option to pick it up for a quick game, and then put it down. There will be a Play Mode, where you can play online against other people with your own deck. Or you can use the Practice Mode to play against the computer. A third mode is The Forge, where you build a deck from random cards and get matched with a player with a comparable deck.
If you want to see the developers talk about the game in detail in their own words, watch the video below.
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