East Asia Soft the developer behind the critically acclaimed Rainbow Moon has announced that they are developing a brand new role-playing game titled Rainbow Skies. The new title Rainbow Skies will be heading to both consoles and handhelds in 2014.
In anticipation of Rainbow Skies they have released a Facebook page for the game which you can check out here. Not much has been revealed about the game other than the fact its being developed with the assistance of SideQuest Studios.
What do you think of East Asia Soft announcing a brand new role-playing game? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
BioWare have formally announced two new DLC packs for Mass Effect 3, and while die-hard Mass Effect fans will undoubtedly love having even more content at their finger-tips, it is also going to be the last hurrah for our beloved Commander Shepard.
One pack – Reckoning – will be multiplayer-focused and the other – Citadel – adds a new chapter to the single-player campaign. Mass Effect 3: Reckoning will be arriving first on February 27th and will be FREE to download! It will include brand new characters, weapons and upgrades.
Mass Effect 3: Citadel will be available on March 6th for 1200 MS Points and will allow fans one final opportunity to work a mission as Shepard before we look towards the future of the franchise – one devoid of the fan-favorite bad-ass. It’s being pegged as a sentimental journey with Commander Shepard and their squad, so get emotionally prepared.
Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series, said;
“The team has poured heart and soul into Mass Effect 3: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3: Citadel. As the launch of these chapters near, the feeling around the studio is bittersweet,”said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “We have always been humbled and driven by the passion of our fans for the Mass Effect trilogy. We hope fans will enjoy spending more time with some of their favorite characters — we have certainly enjoyed spending time creating them. We’re excited to release this final sendoff for the trilogy and move forward into the future of the Mass Effect universe.”
The developers over at Bioware Edmonton will be previewing Reckoning on the official Bioware Twitch.TV channel at 4:30AM EDT on February 26. They will streaming live gameplay and also taking your questions, so take part.
The racing game Auto Club Revolution has added a replica of the Daytona 500 Racetrack to its game in celebration of the Daytona 500 event in NASCAR. Anyone with the Daytona 500 NASCAR event will know of the iconic oval-shaped track that has gone to define the event. It is this track that is being added to the game.
From Chevrolet, the developers have added the Chevrolet Comaro SS (2011 Model) to the game. This is added to the games list of muscle cars that include other great brands like Ford and Dodge.
Be sure to check out the official site for more info. Also make sure to check out the embedded video below this article.
Arakawa Under The Bridge X Bridge Studio: Shaft Publisher: Hanabee Formats: DVD Release Date:Out Now Price: $44.99 (Buy Here)
Overview
Arakawa Under the Bridge X Bridge is the hilarious sequel to the hilarious Anime series: Arakawa Under the Bridge. It follows the story of Ko and the rest of the inhabitants that live underneath the bridge. This season is the second out of two. I would also like to point out that even though this states that it is Season 2, it means that it follows directly after Season 1 (which is Under the Bridge). I have left “season 2” off of the title so as to not confuse anyone.
If you haven’t already seen the first season, I’d suggest checking out our reviewfor it and seeing if it’s for you. After watching the first season, come back and read this review. (Or you know, read on if you like, I tried my best not to spoil anything.)
Story
The story of Arakawa Under the Bridge X Bridge takes place shortly after the events of the first season. It seems that the residents of under the bridge have become more welcoming to Ko (or Rec as they call him) and he himself has managed to fend off his asthma.
In this season of the series, it seems like the plot is actually starting to pick up. This is because early on, Rec and Nino really go through some great (and hilarious) character progression, not only for themselves but also for their relationship. Also, in addition to that, it seems like it is a legitimate possibility that the residents beneath the bridge could actually be heading to Venus, Nino’s home planet due to some interestingly hilarious plot developments.
And really, most of the seasons story follows the residents of under the bridge as they prepare to head for Venus. Actually some of the most hilarious episodes in this season are the ones dedicated to some aspect of the group trying to achieve something towards heading into space.
One of the most hilarious episodes in this season is the episode where all of the residents under the bridge try to lose as much weight as possible in order to keep the weight of the spaceship within it’s restrictions. The group gets segmented into smaller groups each trying different methods of losing their poundage. I don’t want to spoil any of the moments in the episode, but the fight at the end involving Stella and one of the Metal brothers is pretty hilarious.
What I really liked about this season is that a lot of the characters that appeared once or twice in the previous season are much more fleshed out. By adding more personalities into the already insane series, there is a lot more potential for hilarity. I must admit, that this potential was reached and I was laughing all the way through.
The one thing I didn’t like about the story in this season was how vague the ending was.It felt really open to interpretation and after being built up for a solid ending throughout the entirety of the season, I was left feeling confused. Satisfied as it ended really well, but I was just confused. This is because the ending is told in the same format as the opening of each episode with it’s symbolism and really vague meanings and footage. The openings aren’t meant to be taken literally and by having the series close in a similar manner, it really makes you question the accuracy of the final scene.
The story in Arakawa Under the Bridge X Bridge was a hilarious and satisfying viewing experience. I’m pretty sure I woke the neighbours by laughing for the entire 2hr+ runtime on each disc. Seriously, could not stop laughing. Loved it.
Visuals
A lot of the jokes, gags, spoofs, etc. in Arakawa under the Bridge X Bridge rely on visual cues to help push the comedy from just funny into the hilarious zone. And it does this really incredibly well. With these kinds of cues, I really enjoyed how they would often reference a previous joke or repeat the same joke in another episode visually. By having these calls it makes the show much more hilarious to the home viewer, which is rather important to this series.
What was nice about the series was that the art style didn’t really change between seasons. Everything looks as familiar and sometimes as odd as it always has. This is great because if it was unfamiliar it’d be really hard to get into.
My favourite thing about Arakawa under the Bridge X Bridge, visually, is the huge number of facial expressions that Nino utilises throughout the series. I remember in one scene where she pulls her jacket over her head and tries to make herself look more intimidating. That was hilarious, and cute, but mostly hilarious!
Audio
Much like the first volume of Arakawa under the Bridge, Arakawa Under the Bridge X Bridge is completely in Japanese without an English dub. This means that you will only be able to watch the show in its native language while reading along with subtitles (if you don’t speak Japanese).
Unlike the first seasons opening, it took me a while to get into this seasons. It just felt a little odd to listen to. It’s like the opening theme wasn’t sure if it wanted to be a melody, a pop song or some kind pseudo-rap song. While initially it is a little strange, so to is the series, so it’s to be expected.
Honestly speaking, I think that the Japanese dubbing enhances the flavour of the comedy in the show. I’m not entirely sure why, but I think that if I heard a western voice or the same jokes in English, they’d be a bit flat. And, as this show is so dependent on it’s comedy, this would be a bad thing if it were to happen.
Extras
Arakawa Under the Bridge X Bridge comes equipped with a reasonable amount of extras. These include end credit cards, TV spots, trailers and the like. I find it interesting that the release includes the end cards of the series because they usually make for some really cool wallpapers if you screenshot them on a computer. Other than that, the Japanese TV spots are short but entertaining to watch.
The extras as they appear on the disc are listed differently to how they’re listed on the back of the packaging. So it’s quite strange to flip into the Special Features and notice that TV Spots divided into 4 different menu items and none of them actually contain the term TV Spot.
However, all of these additional extras are great and add much greater value to the end product.
Overall
Overall Arakawa Under the Bridge X Bridge is an amazingly hilarious show that is sure to make even Golgo 13 cackle. I found it a joy to watch and it’s definitely a step up from the first season. I think that everyone would find this hilarious to watch.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Are their any PC gamers that love first-person shooters, but haven’t gotten Dead Island yet? If there are and those are interested in checking it out for a great price, they have a chance at snagging it at the best price ever of FREE. This isn’t just the run-of-the-mill standard edition either, this is an all out Game of the Year Edition; however, only those that follow the rules outlined for the giveaway.
So what does it take to get one of the 5000 copies of Dead Island GOTY Edition? Well, as the promotion is part of Raptr Rewards, players looking to score a free game on February 28th must first have a valid Steam account and have run the Raptr Desktop App. After performing those easy steps, they must reach the level of “Dedicated” in any top FPS game.
Those interested can find out more from the website HERE, but overall this seems like a decent way for those that haven’t tried Dead Island out yet to get their chance before its sequel Dead Island Riptide comes out, especially for those that already meet the requirements.
Independent mobile game publisher Chillingo is bringing another set of games to the iOS App Store today with the release of The Gods: Rebellion and Cyto.
The Gods: Rebellion from Calvi Games uses the Unreal 3 Engine to bring a tale of Chinese mythology to life as the player must fight and defeat the gods legions of warriors. Featuring both single player and challenge maps, players can fight against a whole host of gods that don’t get nearly as much recognition as other mythologies in the current gaming market. Players can find out more and find the download for the hack and slash brawler HERE for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.
Coming in with a completely different play style is Cyto, a puzzler from Room 8, that tasks players with aiding the titular character to put together his fractured memory by navigating Cyto through 81 levels by flinging him to memory fragments. It also features a soundtrack by composer David Ari Leon who has worked on plenty of stuff from TV, to Motion Comics, to previous Chillingo release Contre Jour. Players can check out Cyto HERE for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.
Louisiana Adventure Publisher: Anuman Interactive Developer: SilverPlay Entertainment Platforms: PC Release Date: November 16, 2012 Price: £6.99/$9.99 – Here
Overview
Detective games have come a long way from being basic text interpretation titles to three dimensional interactive environments. Louisiana Adventure provides us with the latter inspired by real events occurring in early 1900’s New Orleans. How interactive did Anuman and SilverPlay make this title? Let’s interrogate…
Story
The Bureau of Special Investigation has chosen an agent, Katie, to go undercover to investigate a strange murder near New Orleans. However, as soon as Katie arrives to her hotel in Louisiana she is approached by her coach driver about a new murder. As Katie continues her investigation more questions are posed along with more bystanders withholding valuable information. Uncovering clues proves useful yet places our undercover agent in more trouble than she can handle. With her life in imminent danger she will acquire help from an unlikely source.
Being reinvented from a real event, the story holds great potential to maintain the player’s attention. However, the title loses face by making the player use deception, thievery, and outlandish behaviors to gain information or access restricted areas. While options are available in conversations to appease or anger people in each area, some actions are unavoidable and do not seem detective-like. For instance, in order to distract the bartender you are forced to break a water valve in your room to distract him to acquire a special bottle of booze. Let’s not forget another set of eyes are in the room – though he doesn’t “notice” or perhaps care that the bottle was taken. Or being forced to paint an officer’s behind red for the sake of selling a newspaper.
Gameplay
To start of the discussion of gameplay, I want to speak about the positive aspects about the title that should be great inclusions on a variety of titles. Concerning the detective aspect of games, Louisiana Adventure does well to include multiple responses that actually affect the relationships built in the game. Doing favors or deceiving others will in turn affect the non playable character (NPC) involved. Anger someone enough and they will have nothing to say to you.
Having a three dimensional space opens the game to more possibilities but also increases expectations. An immediate – and very noticeable – aspect of the game that I notice deals with collisions in the 3D space. When shrubs, flowers, and spaces in between such objects become nontransferable, the game fails to represent a realistic component.
Glitches and crashes are a normal occurrence when playing the game. Whether it be a visually distorted object in your inventory or an unshakable play state, the game will present such glitches at inconvenient moments. In one such instance I was seeking out Ms. Kennard for additional information regarding the murder and became stuck at the hotel entrance. I could not move beyond the gate and was forced to exit the game and retrieve a previous saved file.
The most disheartening fact about Louisiana Adventure is that a fatal crash occurs near the end of the game which renders it practically unplayable. I have done some research concerning the fatal crash and have been informed that it is not just a localized phenomenon. While trying to complete a puzzle involving a piano and hitting appropriate keys, the game will crash upon striking the final note. Another curious reviewer was able to play test the situation enough to use the (ESC) key to finish off puzzle.
Audio
A surprising feature that was not added to the title was the inclusion of voice animation to the models. As soon as the first conversation began I noticed that the models did not visually appear in discussion. At that point I decided to treat Louisiana Adventure similar to a text-based title (read text while listening to character voices) instead of focusing on the models.
Thinking of audio related sections of the title, I tend to focus on the minor disturbances that offer that slightest irritation. This occurs when you quickly skip through a conversation and loading into another stage. During this time the conversation has not been cut off and is still playing in the background. Normally when skipping a conversation you skip it intentionally. Such obsessive remarks may be considered nitpicking, but players tend to pick up on this right away.
Visuals
One of the game’s saving graces would be the environmental art direction. Each zone seems to have sufficient detail to emanate a lifelike environment. While most objects in the area may not be interacted with, the art gives a more complete scene for the player to encounter.
As far as visual impurities are concerned, Louisiana Adventure has a few to be mentioned. Beyond the lack of vocal animations, players will experience Katie continuing to run into the person she is holding a conversation with for a couple seconds (note: that this is only when she is running). Another glitch that players will encounter is in the inventory when trying to combine items. When an item is combined successfully, a glitch will occur with the items “somewhat” resembling a complete item with inventory spaces unaltered. Exiting and re-entering the inventory fixes this right away.
Overall
There are some positives that surfaced from creating this title. Detective genre titles are making more of an appearance entering the realm of three dimensional interactive environments. Louisiana Adventure presented additional factors that change gameplay due to player and NPC interactions. Adding such elements make the title more diverse and more appealing to the public.
Ultimately, Louisiana Adventure is plagued with too many bugs and glitches to be enjoyed. Facing consistent crashes towards the end of the title, I truly became disappointed with the lack of fine tuning the game received.
EA Sports have released some brand new screenshots for the upcoming interactive golfing experience Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14. The new screenshots feature the layout and interface of the Country Club mode of the game. Alongside these screenshots EA Sports detailed how the mode works.
The Country Club mode is essentially a way for gamers to connect socially by forming their own clubs. With Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, players can now form clubs of 100 people instead of the comparatively smaller number of 25 from previous titles.
Also introduced with PGA Tour 14 is the Loyalty Bonus, the more members that play consecutive days of golf the greater the reward for the club, thus giving a strong sense of unity and teamwork.
On top of that there is the Country Club Tour which allows clubs to go head to head with one another. Club statistics will also be prevalent in the game, appearing frequently as they are updated.
To add even more to this incredible social platform, there are Club chats for members to converse with one another about golf and the plethora of tournaments that the club will become embroiled in.
You can check out the screenshots for the Country Club mode below. Be Sure to let us know what you think in the comments section.
With the release of Tomb Raider less than two weeks away, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have chosen to release a brand new trailer focusing on the game’s combat and how players will be able to survive by upgrading Lara’s weapons and using her skills with firearms. You see, many of the weapons Lara acquires will need to be upgraded with various parts to be more effective in combat or else she will be in for a bad time.
Anyways check out the five minute long trailer below and keep an eye out for Tomb Raider on March 5th when it launches worldwide for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance may have just started kicking butt this week but Platinum Games already is working on providing some additional content for the title. Today the company revealed on their official website that there will be at least a few pieces of DLC in the future.
The first piece of DLC seems to focus on VR missions where players will be controlling Raiden in a side-scrolling beat ’em up where Raiden has to use only his fists to fight as well as a mission where players take control of a Dwarf Gekko and have to knock out all the guards in the area.
Also coming soon is a “Soul Snake Wooden Sword” which is a DLC weapon that apparently has the soul of Solid Snake inside of it and it even speaks with Snake’s voice when used in combat. This weapon DLC also comes with an un-detailed VR mission set.
Finally it looks like there are going to be extra missions released where players will take control of Sam and also one taking control of Bladewolf, the awesome robotic dog sidekick.
EA Sports have released some brand new screenshots for the upcoming interactive golfing experience Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14. The new screenshots feature the layout and interface of the Country Club mode of the game. Alongside these screenshots EA Sports detailed how the mode works.
