Anuman Interactive has announced that it will be adding a new series of adventure games to its catalog of Microïds games. The new series will be based off of the Nicolas Eymerich novels, by Italian writer Valerio Evangelisti, about the historical character who wrote the Directorium Inquisitorum, the procedure for the Spanish Inquisition.
The new game series will follow the character throughout his history, which Anuman hopes as “the beginning aof a long series of successful titles”. The games will be coming from Ticonblu, an Italian developer like the author of the novels, with the first part of “The Inquisitor: The Plague” series to come in Q2 of 2013 for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. Those interested can check out the full artwork by clicking the screenshot below.
Ef – A Tale of Melodies Studio: Shaft Publisher: Hanabee Format: DVD, Blu-Ray (Reviewed) Release Date: Feb 6th, 2013 – Out Now Price: $49.99 (Available Here)
OVERVIEW
Ef: A Tale of Melodies is the second season of the Ef anime series. Not to be confused with the first season: Ef: A Tale of Memories, this season details a completely different plot focusing on completely separate characters. Animation Studio SHAFT (famous for other anime releases like Madoka Magica and Negima) along with publisher Hanabee have brought this second season to Australia shores in both DVD and Blu-ray. Set as both a modern drama and romance, Tale of Melodies tells a relatively dark tale of relationships and fate. Putting numerous spins on the classic “happily ever after” romance, what kind of appeal does this collection have for western audiences?
STORY
The plot of Tale of Melodies is broken up into two separate timelines, one set in the present, and the other set in the past. The present timeline revolves around a talented musician named Shuichi Kuze. A world class violinist, the young Kuze should have the world at his feet. At least, that would be the case if he weren’t dying. Resigning himself to this fate, Kuze goes about the remainder or his days trying to keep as distant from other people as possible. However, when he meets Mizuki, a young girl with a thirst for life and adventure, he begins to develop genuine feelings of affection. We see that Kuze is torn between his innermost desire to live out the rest of his days in happiness, but doing so would bring inevitable heartbreak to this girl when his time finally comes.
The second timeline, set in the past, is focused on a high school budding romance where our hero Himura Yuu encounters a girl from his own past named Yuko. Unaddressed feelings are shown to resurface, and while the two initially avoid contact with one another, circumstances force the pair to acknowledge both the romantic tension, as well as their painful memories of the past. Even when things start going smoothly for the pair, some secrets are still hidden between the two, and the story falls into a very VERY dark place.
As far as the plot of this series is concerned, the whole story feels rather oddly disjointed. The telling of multiple stories during the runtime of twelve episodes feels unnecessary, and greatly breaks up the plot flow of the two individual continuities. It feels like this series attempted to take a page out of Durarara’s book of storytelling by having multiple characters and story elements overlap in one ultimately grand structure. We know for a fact that this style of storytelling can be done well. However, the story themes in Tale of Melodies attempt to link these two continuities together in a rather weak and ambiguous fashion. Only a very few nods are made to the suggestion that these stories take place in the same universe. They might as well have been completely separate.
The plot lines feel quite removed from one another entirely. As a result of this, audiences are more than likely to gravitate towards one of the stories more so than the other. This reviewer found the past storyline involving the high school style romance to be initially bit more appealing than that of the dying musician. (At least until around the sixth episode, where things start to get pretty nasty.) Having the second storyline jump up in the middle of a particularly dramatic moment really shatters the pacing. I can understand the artistic nature of what the series is trying to achieve, but on the whole it feels like it’s trying too hard to do so for the sake of being artsy.
This is not to say that the series doesn’t have its memorable or enjoyable moments. The ones that tended to stick the most were scenes such as Yuu coming to Yuko’s aid when the latter was beset by bullies, despite his own personal reservations about doing so. And while I wasn’t too fond about the plot of the present tense story in general, I found Kuze’s own self-sacrificial way of life rather admirable. However, few specific revelations and scenes in the two stories will really challenge some viewers’ ability to stomach numerous taboo themes.
Characterisations of the main cast are a rather mixed bag of quality. On the whole, the entire cast feels damaged, for lack of a better word. All of the lead cast are defined by some horrible or unfortunate event of their past, and this angst is still carried over into their present characterisations. In Kuze’s case, this feels a bit more justifiable, given his condition, but for the other cast members, character development is pretty limited. Beyond this, the only character I really felt that broke this mould in a convincing fashion was Mizuki, whose upbeat mannerisms appealed far more than the monotonous angst of the other leads. Character development only really happens secondarily to romance development, and not in tandem.
VISUAL
The art house nature of Tale of Melodies is apparent throughout all twelve episodes. Environments, features and characters are spectacularly detailed in the Blu Ray release. SHAFT has a pretty good history when it comes to art design of its characters and scenery. Even the “removal from reality” type scenes are drawn spectacularly well, never once leaving the viewer in a state of confusion. The juxtaposition of the real world and that of the inner corners of the mind is one that is made very subtly.
Naturally as a SHAFT anime project, the character drawings and animation are done in a typical moe style, with large focused eyes and well defined facial features. Emotional expression through this visual medium is pretty distinctive, especially in a series where the viewers are taken on something of an emotional rollercoaster in both plots.
The two different timelines of the collection are well divided visually. The visual distinction between the two was probably the most effective tool in discerning which continuity the viewer is facing. One the one hand, the visual style and colourings of the past timeline are generally darker in shading and colouring selection is a bit more monotone. The present timeline features a brighter and wider array of colour styles, most often used to reflect Mizuki’s bright and upbeat nature. However, the impact of this also serves to divide the two plot lines further from one another. Take that for what you will, however it does not detract from the fact that the drawing and animation style is certainly breathtaking where appropriate, and dark and shocking in other areas.
AUDIO
The musical score for the opening and closing theme songs were certainly exciting, providing a beat that anyone could tap their feet to. The mood set by the opening in particular sets the appropriate stage for the genre of the series. The background scores are decently considered, featuring a slow clam pace for the majority. The violin sections of Kuze’s story are superbly well done and speak as a powerful allegory for his own inner struggles with the notions of death and love.
The English voice cast play their respective roles quite well, though the presence of the Japanese dub may hold a higher degree of appeal to many hardcore sub fans. This is especially true of the dialogue, where, despite the pretty solid performances of the voice actors, many of the lines sound rather clichéd in the English dialect. Overall however, the sound quality can’t be faulted here.
EXTRAS
The extras section of the Blu Ray release features your pretty standard anime DVD release format. Of course there is a collection of trailers for other series released by the publisher Hanabee. The only other significant mentionables are those of the opening and closing sequences of the collection cut and cleared of credits. Certainly worth watching through, if for no other reason besides the addictively catchy theme songs.
OVERALL
Creating a successful anime series that addresses the drama and romance genre is understandably a difficult one to perfect. In comparison to its predecessor season, Tale of Melodies is likely to hold a degree less appeal due to the presence of pretty powerfully dark themes and situations. Of course it is visually quite stunning as a whole, but the same level of praise can’t truly be aimed at the plot and characters. Of course such opinions are subjective, and to art house fanatics and the dramatic at heart, Ef Tale of Melodies will deliver some pretty powerful and memorable moments. But to the average anime fan whose exposure to the dramatic genre is limited, it might not be their proverbial cup of tea.
For all of the impressive visuals and the high grade of sound quality, these features cannot hold up what feels like a disjointed plot as a whole. A word of the wise to the curious: approach this series with an open mind and be prepared for some very shocking stuff. The divide between artistically challenging and uncomfortably morbid is a line very thinly drawn.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia has confirmed to us the long-held rumour that Willem Dafoe would be starring alongside Ellen Page in Quantic Dream’s ‘Beyond: Two Souls”.
Dafoe (Platoon, Spider-Man) are Page (Juno, Inception) represent, not the power of Hollywood, but the power of video games and its advances in storytelling technique/proficiency. Never before have two brilliant actors such as these lent not only their voices to a video game project, but also their likeness and motion capture performance.
David Cage, the writer and director of BEYOND: Two Souls, said; “Ellen and Willem were cast for their immense talent and they bring with them the same passion and dedication you would see in the movies they star in. Never before have I seen this calibre of acting performance in a video game.”
Watch this behind-the-scenes featurette on Willem Dafoe joining the cast and his thoughts on the game and the entire mo-cap experience, which is very new to him. Below that, we also have the first gameplay trailer featuring Dafoe in action as his character Nathan Dawkins – “an enigmatic scientist working for a government division studying paranormal activities.”
BEYOND: Two Souls – Willem Dafoe Behind the Scenes Trailer
Ghostlight have announced today that the long-awaited 3DS role-playing game Devil Survivor: Overclocked now has an official European release date of April 5th, 2013. Alongside the announcement of the release date is a brand new trailer to promote the release.
Devil Survivor: Overclocked is part of the legendary Shin Megami Tensei franchise and as such has been hotly anticipated by European fans of the series. You can check out the trailer for the Europe release of Devil Survivor: Overclocked below.
Be sure to let us know what you think of Devil Survivor: Overclocked finally getting a release date in the comments section below.
Steam has three deals running this weekend. First up is War of the Roses who is running a free weekend alongside a 75% off deal. The game normally has a stunted free trial for all to play, but everything is unlocked this weekend. War of the Roses and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare are both solid melee games that were released at similar times. Both are solid games, so if you liked Chivalry, give War of the Roses a try. It is made by the same team behind Mound & Blade. This sale has been the best price for the game on its own.
Natural Selection 2 is 50% off to celebrate the release of their major “Gorgeous” update that adds new maps, tutorials, and a swathe more fixes to the game. I thoroughly enjoyed the original Natural Selection mod and Natural Selection 2 is a fantastic follow up to the game. In my experience, the community is a wonderful group of people and the game is an intense experience. If you’re a huge fan of the Alien vs Predator series, check out Natural Selection 2.
Finally Mark of the Ninja is on sale for 66% off. The stealthy platformer is made by Klei Entertainment, the team behind the Shank series. If you’re a huge platformer fan or a fan of Assassin’s Creed’s stealth action game play, give Mark of the Ninja a try.
If War of the Roses’ third person camera isn’t your thing, Greenman Gaming has Chivalry: Medieval Warfare 50% off the normal price. In addition, give the 20% off voucher a try (GMG20-P4DLK-FKYRS). I have really enjoyed playing Chivalry. It is simple to learn but difficult to master. The objective mode is an absolute blast. Each day this weekend, Greenman Gaming is putting a different game up for 75% off the normal price. Friday is kicking things off with Last Remnant. It was Square’s first experiment with the Unreal engine and wasn’t their best work. At this price, it’s definitely worth a try for Squaresoft fans. Saturday brings Hitman: Absolution – Professional Edition. This is a fantastic price and is the cheapest price I can remember Hitman: Absolution being at. Finally, Sunday brings Deus Ex: Human Revolution on sale. Hopefully, the 20% voucher works for both Hitman: Absolution and Deus Ex: Human Revolution as it currently works for Last Remnant. Check out our review of Hitman: Absolution here.
Origin has a Dead Space franchise sale. Dead Space 1 & 2 are on sale for 50% off the normal price while Dead Space 3 is 30% off. The Dead Space series is considered one of the scariest game in this generation and is worth a play for adrenaline junkies. Check out our review of Dead Space 3 here.
Get Games has Borderlands 2 on sale for %60 off this weekend. It was a close contender for Game of the Year last year and has won high praise for merging the random loot grind of Diablo with excellent RPG/FPS gameplay. I have sunk countless hours in this game and highly recommend it for all FPS junkies. Check out our review of Borderlands 2 here.
Last but not least, GamersGate is holding a Batman themed weekend sale. Batman games are on sale from 30-50% off. I highly recommend picking up Batman: Arkham City and Arkham Asylum if you haven’t played either games. They are both fantastic games that held my attention for hours. You do not have to be a comic book fan to enjoy these two games.
RuneScape community members have spoken, and their overall tallied votes of 450,000 have warranted a dedicated server for the old school 2007 version. This voting took place over the course of the past two weeks and brought with it a change in the RuneScape community. Therefore, over the next 6 months the 2007 version of the title will be free-to-play for all that have RuneScape memberships. And those active players will be given polls to decide on ongoing updates for the 2007 version.
Phil Mansell, RuneScape’s Executive Producer, had the following to say:
Although this is only a fraction of the overall RuneScape membership, it’s incredible to see how such large numbers of our community are prepared to mobilize for issues they are passionate about. It was clear very early on that there was a dedicated movement in our community for this project. We can therefore commit to the promise that the future of these servers are secured and their updates will be left entirely in the hands of our community to decide. We’ll be holding regular content polls which will allow them to help shape and direct which content or fixes they want implemented into the game.
We certainly could not have brought this content back without our community’s support and commitment, they are at the centre of everything we do at Jagex. RuneScape has always been influenced by its players, and 2013 will be no different, when the community speak we aim to please! This year is going to be our biggest year ever and our players are going to be right in the heart of it.
It is certainly exciting to see a developer not only take in community suggestions but also create a dedicated server for an older version. Imagine if other titles received this amount of attention and dedication from its working staff. To sign up and play the old school version of RuneScape, follow the link (here).
Evelend Games’ new pixelated twist on the classic story of the chivalrous knight is IndieGameStand’s latest 96 hour pay what you want game deal. Pixelry is the jousting RPG staring a young knight attempting to win the heart of Princess Arianna Annabelle di Grandigund Hyacinthe by winning her father’s jousting tournament. The player will need to work his way up from being a novice jouster to conquering The Big 5, five undefeated knights. The game is presented in pixel heavy graphics reminiscent of early Lucas Arts and Sierra adventure games.
Purchasing Pixelry will provide access to the alpha game on Desura. A Kickstarter drive is in the works to help bring the game to a full release. Those who purchase Pixelry through IndieGameStand will receive the full version upon release.
10% of Pixelry’s sales goes to support Open Source Ecology. Buy your copy of Pixelry here.
Every once in awhile you see a game in the West given so much promotion that they actually appear on a bag of Doritos or on a Mountain Dew can. This happens only for the biggest releases in the West, but in Japan strange promotional tie-ins are common practice.
So common in fact that Tecmo Koei has created a 7 Up costume for Dynasty Warriors 8’s Zhao Yun. The costume is available for free on the PlayStation Network, but then again the game has only been released in Japan today and Tecmo Koei hasn’t stated whether or not this will be heading overseas yet.
This isn’t the first time a soda has been promoted via Dynasty Warriors if you remember a few years ago when Lu Bu couldn’t get enough Pepsi Next…
Well… you remember when Bethesda mentioned that that Prey 2 teaser website which had been giving fans hope was “not something we’re doing” and claimed to have no idea who was behind the teaser site? Well it turns out that wasn’t just marketing spin, the companies literally had no clue who was doing it.
The reason for this is that the “Alien Noire” website countdown has finished and rather than reveal some major news for Prey 2 it has instead changed into a fan site that is just trying to get a petition going to get the game finished and put to market. While a great way to show Bethesda that fans still want the game, Bethesda has stated that the website “appears to be a fan site” and that they still “have nothing to do with that site.” Oh well… perhaps those hopes that the game may not have been cancelled after all may have finally gone out. Balls in your court now Bethesda.
The Magicka development team has released a large library of DLC for their satirical, friendly fire enabled four person co op game. Now, the team is rewarding Glüüms Temple to those who sign up at the Paradox Interactive website. The DLC features a new PvP map set inside the stomach of a giant creature. Players will be able to dissolve their enemies in the stomach acid or make creative use of the explosive spongy spores found around the map.
Glüüms Temple will be availabe in April, 2013. Sign up for your free copy here. Check out the screenshots of the DLC below.
Ghostlight have announced today that the long-awaited 3DS role-playing game Devil Survivor: Overclocked now has an official European release date of April 5th, 2013. Alongside the announcement of the release date is a brand new trailer to promote the release.
