Nintendo Australia has announced that the Konami developed 3DS exclusive, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, will be hitting out shores on March 9th.
‘Mirror of Fate’ is set a quarter century after the events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. It follows the story of Gabriel Belmont’s descendants Simon and Trevor. The two venture to discover their true destiny with Trevor – a knight of the Brotherhood of Light – setting out the murder of his Mother at his Father’s hands.
His plan for revenge is not to be unmet by obstacles, as Gabriel – now the most powerful of all vampires, Dracula – has declared war upon the Brotherhood while taking residence in a mysterious castle. The ensuing showdown between estranged Father and Son is sure to be a cataclysmic event if there ever was one.
European President of Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH Shinji Hirano says, “Nintendo 3DS is the perfect platform to release the latest instalment in the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow franchise. Because of the console’s unique 3D capabilities and graphical power this will be the best looking portable Castlevania experience ever and will give fans of the series thrilling action on the go.”
Check out the newest gameplay trailer for the game below the gallery, which has a few gameplay shots and a piece of official artwork of Simon Belmont.
Deep Silver have released a brand new trailer for their upcoming side-scrolling brawler game Sacred Citadel. The new trailer focuses in on one of the games characters the Ancarian Ranger.
You can check out the trailer below to see how the Ancarian Ranger plays in some side-scrolling beat up action backed by some rocking dub-step which is of course what all the cool kids listen to these days. Sacred Citadel is said to release on the Playstation 3 digitally at some point in 2013. Deep Silver also confirmed that Sacred 3 is in development at the moment.
What do you think of the Ancarian Ranger? Will you be picking up Sacred Citadel? Let us know in the comments section below
Ankama Games has dropped a major bombshell in terms of their popular MMORPG games Dofus and Wakfu. They have revealed their plans for both MMO games in 2013.
The four main updates that will be released are as follows:
APRIL 2013: Frigost – The magical snowy tundra of Frigost will be enter its 3rd episode in Dofus which introduces the Ice Dragon egg and 5 new dungeons. Wakfu won’t miss out on the Frigost action as it will get its first Frigost dungeons.
JUNE 2013: Guild vs Guild – The alliance system of Dofus will undergo a revamping with Guilds taker a higher level of importance and given the ability to form alliances and conquer land, villages and more as well as go to war with one another. Wakfu will finally get the long awaited Haven World system which allows Guilds to create a piece of world.
AUGUST 2013: Wabbit Island – The island will be revamped for Dofus with new boss and quests. The island will finally be introduced to Wakfu.
DECEMBER 2013: Krozmos Vigilantes – New creatures which may just hold the key to saving the world from villains.
Alongside these major updates there will be minor updates to Dofus and Wakfu. For full details on the Dofus updates click here and for all the details of the Wakfu updates click here.
What do you think of these updates to Dofus and Wakfu? Let us know in the comments section below.
Today, news came out about Microsoft’s “big plans” to kill the used game industry with the next Xbox, as EDGE reported that the console will not allow for second-hand games, and need an internet connection to function due to the extremely strict DRM that ties each purchase with the console.
It sounds so believable, doesn’t it? Well, this editor isn’t buying it. Microsoft have been selling products for decades, and they are smart enough to know what keeps them alive in the video game market. Yes, rumors have been buzzing for years about next-gen consoles trying to get around used games – and companies such as the now defunct THQ and EA have attempted to make the used industry suffer with online passes – which has done very little to change things.
First off, the video game industry need used sales. This is just an obvious statement that needs to be said to remind the now paranoid public. Gamestop make billions from revenue from used sales, and while their practices tend to be shady at times with low-ball trade in values and high mark-ups, they still offer a great service by providing games to consumers at a more affordable price point. When a customer buys a used game and enjoys it, there is a high chance they will buy the sequel new, rather than used. Pre-ordering has become a layaway plan that low income families and gamers alike can get behind, and that market puts their trust into this very system to continue to enjoy new games as they release. When they get tired of them, those new games are traded towards credit – which can be used on another used game – or a payment on an upcoming release.
I know this because I, myself use these second-hand techniques to obtain games. When I get done with a game, I usually trade it in towards a pre-order for a new game, and save a little bit of money in the process. Yes, it’s a continuing cycle, but without it I certainly wouldn’t have been able to enjoy many of this generation’s releases, and that can be said about the main target audience for Xbox, which are mostly young and working from paycheck to paycheck to pay their bills. To further comfort the wary, Gamestop have a relationship with Microsoft that spans over ten years, and even EDGE have sourced the CEO of Gamestop stating “We think it’s unlikely that there will be a next-gen console [that blocks used games] because the model simply hasn’t been proven to work”. Microsoft make their money from console sales, and while software does attribute to some profit, a good portion of their own revenue is from the advertisements and shipped machines they get out on the market. The “Next Xbox” claims just do not support the idea of common sense, as it would be a suicidal move at this point for Microsoft to execute. Now if it were ten to fifteen years from now, sure. I could believe it, as digital it growing rapidly and the large retailer is starting to feel it. As of now however, the Playstation 2 has just ended and many are still behind within this generation, opting for offline experiences due to the lack of broadband internet.
So if it’s so clear, why does this rumor exist? Well, because video games. This industry over the past generation has become a medium of it’s own, and is growing even more rapidly as time goes by. With that comes rumors and false claims. This could honestly be a “source” from Sony or Nintendo for all we know, trying to build momentum for that special “February 20th” announcement, or simply a marketing strategy to get more people attached to the idea of going for a safe choice of the Wii U for the next generation – which hasn’t yet applied many DRM measures due to Nintendo’s consumer friendly decisions. If it is indeed true, then I will eat all of these words and lose all respect for Microsoft. You see, The Xbox 360 is as popular as it is right now because Sony chose to release the Playstation 3 at that intimidating $599 price point upon launch, while Microsoft offered the Xbox 360 for $200 less. Sure, Sony have caught up, but that would not be the case if they didn’t cut the price of their own console. Those same consumers are not going to stand for something that literally stabs them in the back, as they abandoned Sony once before – and it wouldn’t be hard at all for them to jump ship again.
To sum it all up, Microsoft are not going to release an always online console that kills the used industry. Not yet. Instead of worrying about rumors like this that feed more industry bull, gamers should just do what they do best and play. If that time comes, we will be the deciding factor of the Next Xbox’s success, and Microsoft know this, which is…well…Why The Xbox Rumor is False.
Remember Highschool of the Dead? It was an anime focused around a group of high school students in Japan trying to survive an apocalyptic zombie outbreak. The series aired back in 2010 and was widely seen as a success from the overseas market in the West. Well, that anime was based off of a manga which had been published for four years before the anime aired, but unfortunately for fans everywhere, shortly after the anime finished airing, the manga went on hiatus.
To be a bit more precise, the manga went on hiatus in March 2011 for unknown reasons. However after nearly a two year long hiatus, it has been revealed that the Highschool of the Dead manga will be published once again. The reveal comes from the wraparound jacket band that was placed on the 5th and 6th full-color manga volumes which state that the series will resume soon. Currently no actual return date has been specified. You can click the image to the right, courtesy of IEEE802.11, to see the announcement band for yourself.
Today Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics released part two of Tomb Raider’s “Guide to Survival” video series. This time around the video focuses on how Lara will be able to explore the island fully and fast travel. Also mentioned in the video are some of the details for the game’s base camp and how various obstacles are placed in-front of the player and how these obstacles can only be cleared when you come back later with upgraded equipment.
Check out the video below and keep an eye out for Tomb Raider which is currently set to be released on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC worldwide on March 5th.
Although shown in the recent Hobbit movie as merely a character for comedic relief, Gloin, father of Gimli, has become the next downloadable Guardian Character for Guardians of Middle-Earth and it seems safe to say that any ties with being the “funny” dwarf have been safely done away with. Gloin of Erebor wields a large axe in-game and has a variety of buffs at his disposal to increase his own damage and speed; a somewhat self sufficient Warrior class it seems.
This latest DLC comes hand-in-hand with the information that Guardians of Middle-Earth is free to all members of Playstation Plus between the 5th of February and March 6th. If you’d like to be convinced to download it for free or just if you’re interested in getting a paid copy then head on over to our review here to hear our thoughts on the game.
Gloin, father of Gimli and member of the original Twelve Dwarfs who set out to kill Smough the Dragon in the Hobbit, is now available for purchase off Xbox Live and the Playstation Network for 160 Microsoft Points or $2.50 respectively, and of course free for holders of the Season Pass. Check out the trailer down below.
Yesterday it was revealed in Famitsu that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge would be heading to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 after being a brief Wii U exclusive. Well today Tecmo Koei in the West announced that the game will be heading to North America and Europe very soon. So soon in fact that it will be released on April 2nd in North America and April 5th in Europe.
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge on the 360 and PS3 will feature all of the changes that were made to the Wii U version, such as the removal of quick time events, the return of dismemberment, improved enemy Ai and of course, Kasumi, Momiji and Ayane. Outside of this Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge on the 360 and PS3 will include a large number of extra outfits for all of the playable characters, including some rather sultry looking ones for the female cast. Check out the costumes as well as some in-game screens below.
Fei Hu Interactive will be releasing their latest mobile game, Prisonhood, to mobile phone marketplaces in March. These devices include: Android, iPad, iPhone; as well as the Facebook social network site.
Prisonhood see’s players building up one of a few avatars’ rep within the prison system in order to become the top dog and dominate the system. Players are also able to recruit their friends into their prison crews, making this a rather social experience for gamers.
Be sure to check out the gallery of images for the game below. Also be sure to check out their Facebook page for more info.
The Wii U has seen a fare share of late to the party ports thus far, but it seems as if one more title will join the mix. 505 Games announced today that Sniper Elite V2 will come to the system, boasting new features for the Wii U Gamepad.
So what’s new?
Players will enjoy the same thrilling, visceral experience as they guide American OSS agent Karl Fairburne around historical locations throughout Berlin and attempt to unravel the mysteries and dangers of the German V-2 rocket program but now with even greater tactical depth and flexibility thanks to brand new functionality through the GamePad – tag enemies and booby-traps, track enemy locations and activity, even monitor the blast radius of planted explosives – all with a glance at the touch screen and without leaving the battlefield for even a second.
Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion said “Sniper Elite is just the kind of mature game that is perfect for the different mechanics of the Wii U. It’s been a challenge to get it right, but thanks to our team and the fantastic support of our partners at 505 Games we believe we’ve brought the unique gameplay to a whole new platform.”
Sniper Elite V2 places an emphasis on learning to handle the anticipation and pressure of the hunt and using skill, patience and cunning in order to achieve mission goals. Featuring detailed sniping simulation with advanced ballistics, gamers must use their environments and take into account gravity, wind, aim stability and more. The celebrated “kill cam” from Sniper Elite makes its return and is more gratifying than ever – skilful shots are rewarded with a slow-motion sequence of the bullet running its full trajectory before the target is rendered in graphic x-ray detail, showing the bullet entering the body and causing lethal damage.
I am quite interested, I must say as the Gamepad could do a lot for the sniper sim. Due to the fall release date, it seems there will be plenty of time to polish out these features, and if there is one thing the Wii U needs in it’s library, it’s some decent shooters.
