Page 4872 – Capsule Computers

Shakugan no Shana: Movie Review

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January 17, 2013

Shakugan no Shana: Movie
Studio: J.C. Staff
Publisher: FUNimation
Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Price: $34.98 – Available Here

Overview:
Approaching a long running series can be a daunting task. Not only could there be hours’ worth of episodes to watch, but you also have to comprehend everything that is going on. As such, a series such as Shakugan no Shana, which has two twenty four episode seasons already translated into English, can be difficult to enter into.

However what if a movie was created to help compact events from the first season into only an hour and a half? Well you will have the Shakugan no Shana: Movie of course. The question is, does this movie serve as a great standalone piece or even an addition to the franchise? Let’s find out.

Story:
As mentioned in the overview, this Shakugan no Shana Movie serves as an introduction to the series and as such, I will first go over how a newcomer to the franchise would find the movie’s storyline as a whole. The movie follows the story of Yuji Sakai who is living an everyday Japanese high school life. However one day while he is out with a friend from school, the world around him suddenly freezes and a monstrous looking baby appears and starts devouring everything around him.

The baby and it’s accomplice notice that Yuji is still moving in this world of frozen victims and target him because he is a special type of person… a “Mystes.” Just as Yuji’s life seemed to be at an end, a fiery haired girl saves his life by defeating his attackers. This girl is named Shana and she is a “Flame Haze,” one who battles against these denizens of the crimson realm and prevents them from upsetting the balance of the world whenever they begin devouring living people for their power of existence.

Shana does this by replacing devoured humans with “Torches,” near-mindless beings that temporarily fill in for a lost life until it is no longer necessary. Yuji’s true shock comes when he finds out that he is one of these torches, but when news about his unique quality as a Mystes reaches the ears of a powerful Denizen with a wicked plan, Shana must fight to protect Yuji and the mysterious treasure he possesses.

Now as a movie on its own, Shana does a decent job introducing the very basic elements of the storyline as there is some mild character development between Shana and Yuji, an introduction to a prominent ally and some story development. However as far as introducing newcomers to the series, it does a terrible job of things.

Most of this can be blamed on the fact that, with only an hour and a half to work with, the Shakugan no Shana movie has to trim so much fat that not only are plenty of character building and explaining moments left out, a few larger pieces of the story are left out entirely. As such, anyone who would feel like jumping into the Shana series from even the second half of the first season would feel completely if their only previous knowledge from the series was from this movie.

As for those who’ve seen the series before and are looking for maybe something a little more, the Shakugan no Shana Movie focuses completely on the first antagonist Friagne. While multiple dialogue sequences and battles have been repeated, around half of the series features new combat or story involving Friagne as he unleashes an arsenal of never before seen “Treasure Tools” and more ambition than before.

Ultimately the Shakugan no Shana movie may do an alright enough job as a standalone product as it features some mild character development and plenty of combat, but as a whole the movie fails to provide much of an introduction to the franchise and unless you happen to be a major fan of Friagne and his personality, Shana’s increased screen and combat time is the only saving grace for this movie’s storyline.

Visuals:
Considering the fact that this Shakugan no Shana: Movie is actually a retelling of part of the first anime season, it seems that J.C. Staff decided to be a bit lazy this time around. You see, as I mentioned before, a little under half of the Shana Movie actually features new content while everything else is a retelling of the same events just chopped down to a bare minimum. The reason that I mention that J.C. Staff took things easy is the fact that the old content is literally recycled footage taken from the original series, with no apparent touch ups whatsoever.

This wouldn’t be too noticeable, if it wasn’t for the fact that there are noticeable shifts in quality whenever a newly animated segment appears. Not only are the character designs sharper, the special effects in the battles are better designed. Considering the original series aired back in 2005 while the movie debuted in 2007, the overall visual presentation still leaves a lot to be desired, but the noticeable improvements between new and old segments leave the movie appearing inconsistent.

Audio:
One thing that is good about the Shakugan no Shana Movie, is that despite being a poor introduction to the series as a whole, newcomers may find themselves growing accustomed to the new voice work that was recorded for Shakugan no Shana Season 2 and so on. This is thanks to the fact that this movie features FUNimation’s new cast of voice actors and actresses. While Yuji’s voice actor Josh Grelle still doesn’t manage to fit into the role the best, he isn’t as noticeably out of place this time around and of course Cherami Leigh’s take on Shana continues to impress. Although this should go without saying, this movie also features the original Japanese voice track as well as FUNimation’s English dub.

As far as background music goes, the Shakugan no Shana Movie features similar sounding, if not the same, music throughout the series but this isn’t too much of a detriment as each track usually fits well with the events occurring on screen. Being that this is a movie with limited run time, there is no inclusion of an opening or ending theme, though an appropriately emotional insert song is used during a dramatic moment, minus a decent sounding song that plays during the final credits.

Extras:
As far as bonus features go, the Shakugan no Shana Movie is unfortunately a bit sparse. Outside of your standard features such as the US trailer for the movie, trailers for other FUNimation products and the original Japanese promo videos and commercials, there are only two special features worth mentioning. These two being the Shakugan no Shana-Tan Theatrical Version and the Why? What? Shana! Ask Anything Question Box: Review Lesson.

These two bonuses feature the original Japanese voice track only, which isn’t too much of a detriment thanks to Rie Kugimiya’s voice work as Shana. The review bonus feature is pretty much what it sounds like, a brief coverage over the basic theories and phrases within the show and seemed to air before the movie itself came out. Shakugan no Shana-Tan once again features a tiny chibi version of Shana performing various acts throughout the movie in her new small body, often with hilarious adjustments and cutaways to side-characters making small gags.

Overall:
While the Shakugan no Shana Movie unfortunately offers a barely acceptable presentation of the first half of the first season of Shakugan no Shana, the story it does manage to tell is at least passable thanks to some great combat sequences and decent character development between Shana and Yuji. Meaning newcomers can find a passable anime movie focused around supernatural powers and a mini-mystery. However the use of older footage and lack of introduction to most side-characters and aspects of the series leave it as a rather bare-bones intro to the Shana franchise which is passable only for its expanded Friagne combat sequences.

Rise of the Guardians Wii U Review

Dustin Spencer

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January 17, 2013

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Rise of the Guardians
Developer: Torus Games
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Platform: Nintendo Wii U (Reviewed), Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Price: $39.99 – BUY NOW

Overview
With licensed properties, a video game adaptation has always been black or white. It’s either good or bad, and most of the time – we end up with the latter due to rushed deadlines and limited funding pumped into the development teams attached. Over the past generation, that line is starting to blur, and we are learning that there can be middle ground. You can take the risk on a licensed title and get entertainment, but the risk is always going to linger based on how much that team cared about the final product. Rise of the Guardians stands in that middle area, as it is a solid release, but fails to roam outside of it’s safe zone to pull off anything truly special. Why is that? Well, here is our review for the Wii U version of the magical Rise of the Guardians for the Wii U.

Story
For those unfamiliar, Rise of the Guardians was originally a book that seen a reworking into cinema from Dreamworks, and featured a cast of five children’s heroes. Now this tale of the children’s heroes takes on new life in a video game format. This game follows the likes of North, Tooth, Sand, Bunnymund, The Sandman, and Jack Frost as they go on a journey to stop the diabolical Pitch from invading sleeping children’s dreams and causing nightmares.

Now, there isn’t really anything special about the story, but the voice actors and presentation do a decent enough job at portraying the narrative within, so the targeted audience won’t have much to argue about when it comes to Guardians putting on a show. Older gamers who enjoyed the movie won’t really find the same charm – but Rise of the Guardians again really isn’t focused on producing anything to the quality of the cinematic experience, as it just seems to be content with it’s ho-hum delivery at all times.

Gameplay
As far as the gameplay goes, there are definitely a lot of games that come to mind when first starting out within Rise of the Guardians. You see, this romp is a top-down hack and slash, filled with some RPG elements such as leveling, ability upgrades, and a small amount of looting. Think X-Men Legends or Marvel Ultimate Alliance, but add in one extra character – as Guardians features five different heroes that can be switched to at any given time. The main objective of the game is to simply explore the five worlds the main heroes come from and partake in missions, such as fetch quests, unlocking doors, and rescuing children from the baddies that have taken shelter among each area.

Control wise – Guardians is pretty solid for what it has on display. Melees can be dished out at any time, while magic attacks can be used to dish out a ranged maneuver for the more distant encounters. Remember Cyclops using his eye-beam and Storm striking the opponents with a lightning bolt in X-Men Legends? Well, this game is no different, as each character is equipped with their own specially themed abilities that can be executed with a unique input. This can be a bit of a tap-fest, but most will catch on rather quickly as they bash enemies and collect the HP and MP that scatters about once defeated.

I may not sound too excited speaking of how Rise of the Guardians works, and that is because there really isn’t a lot to boast about. Sure, the game functions fine, but gives little reason to change characters as even though we are dealing with five different heroes, every attack begins to feel the same after a while. There is a decent leveling system in place, but it’s also rather unrewarding as aside from a few stat upgrades and new moves (that never quite come across as anything special as you earn them), nothing really changes except for the locations you do battle in. Sure, if you play for short bursts of time, the repetition isn’t as obvious, but those who are looking for a meaty and rich game to explore are not really going to find it here.

The Gamepad is the finest feature of Rise of the Guardians. This controller constantly displays everything the player needs at all times with a map, character leveling screen that allows you to assign skill points at a tap, bios, and the standard inventory that the player has acquired over time. Yes, it’s just a menu – but one done well and the effort to make this port unique is definitely something that shines through brightly. The multiplayer is also well implemented, allowing up to three other players to drop in and out of combat on the fly. Due to the rather dull gameplay – they might not stay for long, but Guardians feels as if it was truly built for multiplayer, and is at it’s most enjoyable when you are performing some magic with friends.

Visuals and Audio
Out of all of the Rise of the Guardians releases we have seen thus far across all platforms, the Wii U version is definitely the prettiest to look at. The cutscenes do a fantastic job at telling this tale with still imagery and color, setting the whole “fairy tale” mood nicely. The environments are a bit drab, but still manage to capture the essence of their inspired locations and give enough reason to try to explore every path these heroes come across due to how much detail that the developers seasoned each stage with.

The soundtrack is also well done – and makes the game feel as magical as the movie. Sure, you might not be humming the tunes after playing, but the melodies are enjoyable and help add in some extra flavor to the cozy stages that always seem to be missing proper atmosphere. The voice acting may be the highlight for the audio within Rise of the Guardians, as each member of this squad use some campy but lovable dialogue that is both believable, and fitting for the feature film.

Overall
Rise of the Guardians is a good game that simply refuses to take any risks. Thankfully, I am quite a fan of the playstyle featured, and those who take the plunge to the Pole will more than likely find some entertainment to be had in this well made – yet slightly boring adventure. It’s not that the concept feels too borrowed, nor is it that the characters are stale. Rise of the Guardians just lacks the incentive to explore it’s inspired locales and relies on only it’s pre-made cast to provide all of the charms – leaving the player with nothing but the same, repetitive gameplay outside of cutscenes. This adaptation certainly isn’t a bad experience as a whole, but definitely one to look for at a budget price.

The Guilt Trip Review

Benjamin Webb

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January 16, 2013

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The Guilt Trip
Studio: Skydance Productions
Publisher: Paramount Pictures
Format: Cinema
Release Date: January 24, 2013

Overview

The Guilt Trip is the film that you get to see both Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand co-star in. From my knowledge, this is literally the only film to do so, and will probably be the last of its kind. It has the two acting as a mother and son combination that travel around the country together and comedy ensues. While it has themes that everybody should be able to enjoy, does it actually pay off for the viewer in such a way?

The film has potential. Is it good though? That’s something that I hope that you will have decided by the end of this review.

Story

The Guilt Trip is a story about this guy who is a scientist. This scientists invents a new kind of super-cleaning spray that is completely safe, even to consume. So he embarks on a trip to sell this new product to as many companies as possible that would be willing to take it. The only problem here is that he is no salesperson. In fact, he is way too focused on all of the details that nobody cares about that he practically bores his clients to sleep with his presentations. After one of his sales attempts, he takes a short respite at his mothers house and this is where the main part of the story begins.

While this is a road trip movie, there’s something about it that doesn’t feel all that road-trippy. I mean, yeah, the duo do travel through a wide array of destinations and they do get into a bunch of mischief and some emotional things happen, but it seems like all of these things were planned somewhere, rather than having some kind of organic accidental plotting to it. I feel that too many things happened in the course of the story that were just bound to happen because some manual somewhere says that it was supposed.

I think that pretty much sums up this entire movies experience. It’s like it was reading off of a manual and then adapted it to fit the story. Stop at Vegas, check. Grand Canyon, check. Bar fight, check. Sexy dude hitting on woman, check. Falling out of initial party and then reconciliation within the next 10 minutes, check. Damn man, I pretty much just wrote out the entire movie based on a bunch of cliches. Whoops.

This isn’t to say the story doesn’t have its moments, Barbara Streisand and Seth Rogen have an amazing chemistry as mother and son and the story literally focuses on them the entire time. However, I honestly felt like I had seen this movie before; which I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or bad thing. Neutrality ensues.

If you’re okay with cliches, you’ll enjoy the story here. If not, then you’d be best spending your money on other things.

Visuals

Visually, this film doesn’t really push the boundaries of cinematography, but I don’t think it has to. Each scene is represented quite well and I think that fancy camerawork may have acted against the film overall.

For a movie that featured a strip club, there was a surprising lack of nudity involved. This may sound really nitpicky, but how am I to believe that this is a real strip club without some nipples and possibly vaginas? Actually this is a common theme throughout the film, a lot of the scenes didn’t quite live up to what they were supposed to be about. Like that casino in Vegas. There was all of one scene that established the location as a casino and then there was like, a little bit roulettes and then that’s all. I would have loved to have seen a little more details put into making each location believable over the course of the film.

The biggest gripe for me, visually, is that each scene is over way too quickly. It’s like, hey we’re at this point n– Oh! Wait! Next scene! This could have been avoided if the cut just a little bit at the start of the film as there was a few completely unnecessary scenes around there. Or maybe even if the film had a longer run time. I mean, it has both Seth Rogan and Barbara Streisand, this could have been a hit if each scene was just a little longer and everything was established better and the pacing was more normal. But nope, quick editing, short scenes and not enough time to take stuff in.

If you have a short attention span, this film will appeal to you from a cinematic standpoint. If you love attention to detail and the like, not much can be found here unfortunately.

Audio

I think during the film the audience laughed a maximum of three times out loud and I did once at an inappropriate moment. For a comedy film, the audience should have been roaring the entire time, but this didn’t seem to be the case at all. This makes me a little bit sad when a film featuring both Seth Rogan and Barbara Streisand can’t make me laugh at all. Something is very wrong with the world.

The best part about this movies audio though, was all the mother and son banter between Seth and Barabara’s characters within the film. I’m not going to say it was perfect, but it was somewhat believable. To be honest, I think that they both nailed what little there was to their characters and pretty much carried the rest of this poorly edited film.

Overall

Overall The Guilt Trip was an okay movie at best. It wasn’t a movie that was boring, but it wasn’t a movie that was exciting either. The movie definitely suffers from some poor direction and even poorer editing. However fans of both (or either) Seth Rogan and Barabara Streisand will probably find some amusement in the interactions between the two characters that they portray. Ultimately this is a movie that you would want to avoid seeing in the cinema unless you’re a die hard fan of either actor or are bringing a bunch of friends out with you. Wait for the Blu-Ray release for sure.

Injustice: Gods Among Us European Release Date, Collector’s Edition Detailed

Zac Elawar

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January 16, 2013

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have officially announced the European release date of April 19th for Injustice: Gods Among Us, 3 days after the U.S., as well as detailed the Collector’s Edition.

While Warner Bros. Games is releasing various editions as a mirror image of the release of Mortal Kombat, Europe and presumedly other PAL regions will not be receiving the Battle Edition in local stores. The Collector’s Edition also features a different statue to the U.S. version, as was the case with Mortal Kombat. The Collector’s Edition will set you back £74.99 (€99.99).

The contents of the Collector’s Edition can be viewed in the image above, or you can check it out in the gallery directly below along with different box shots. Although the game is also releasing on the Wii U, this Collector’s Edition will only be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Injustice: Gods Among Us U.S. Release Date, Collector and Battle Editions Detailed

Zac Elawar

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January 16, 2013

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have officially announced the U.S. release date for Injustice: Gods Among Us, as well as detailed the Collector’s Edition and the newly revealed Battle Edition.

The game will be available April 16th and Warner Bros. Games is releasing various editions – a mirror image of the release of Mortal Kombat – with the U.S. Collector’s Edition featuring a different statue to the European version and the Battle Edition featuring a custom Injustice ‘Fight Stick’ as it’s centerpiece. The Collector’s Edition will set you back $99.99 while he Battle Edition will understandably cost a heftier $149.99.

The Battle Edition’s fight-stick is made by Performance Designed Products (PDP), who also created the Mortal Kombat fight-stick. PDP is a U.S. based company, as are Netherrealm Studios, and so the design and layout of the stick will be American, no different to MK’s in regard to the concave buttons and big bat control stick.

The Collector’s Edition’s contents can be seen in the header image, whilst the Battle Edition’s contents can be seen in the image directly above. These editions are now available to pre-order and whilst Injustice is coming out for the Wii U, these editions are only available for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The Battle Edition is exclusive to Gamestop and apparently EB Games stores, so hopefully we in Australia may be able to buy it locally.

Anarchy Reigns Review

Travis Bruno

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January 15, 2013

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Anarchy Reigns
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed)
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Price: $29.99 – Available Here

Overview:
Whenever a game is delayed, fans usually sigh in frustration but accept the delay as it often means that the developer is taking time to polish the title. However when a title is delayed for half a year and even the developer of the game doesn’t know why, fans end up not only confused, but frustrated that they have to wait for seemingly no reason. However finally, seven months after the title was released in English in Japan, Anarchy Reigns has finally been released in the West. Now that Anarchy Reigns has been released, the biggest question is… was it worth the wait?

Story:
Interestingly enough, Anarchy Reigns does in fact feature a story mode, despite the fact that most of what has been advertised points towards a multiplayer oriented game. Anarchy Reigns features a double-sided story mode with the Black Side following the story of the familiar Jack and the White Side following Leo.

Considering how crazy Anarchy Reigns is, it should come as no surprise that the game’s storyline is unfortunately disjointed at best. While it actually has a rather interesting story, with Leo’s journey following his mentor-gone-rogue and Jack looking for revenge against the same man, it feels difficult to really become engrossed in the storyline. Whether this is due to the way story missions are handled via gameplay or the way the game denies the player an ending until they play through the game twice, it is hard to tell.

So while the game’s story may be a bit of a disappointment, the characters that the player comes across throughout both campaigns are the most colorful bunch of people you’ll run into. With some rather hilarious dialogue littered with profanity, most gamers will power through the story simply to see who will be shown next. Considering these stories are more or less the same (more on that later) they will run the player around four hours each, though the second half will feel like a slog-fest with a special finale rounding out the total length at about nine hours if the player chooses to rush through things.

Visuals:
As far as graphics go, Anarchy Reigns tries to keep things fresh by offering sixteen different characters, all of which have unique character designs and character-specific attacks. There are also a number of interesting arenas to fight at and each of these have a unique charm and mastering a stage’s design and layout is very beneficial for random events. That being said, most of the game appears rough around the edges and this is never more apparent than during the game’s story mode.

With the way the story is handled in Anarchy Reigns, players are forced to travel through the same areas twice and fight against faceless bad guys which mostly look alike. There are some unique designs here but thanks to repetition these designs fall by the wayside. Despite that flaw, whenever the player ventures into a multiplayer match or simulator match, they’ll find that the title runs flawlessly with little slowdown despite the fact that many of the fighters’ attacks are flashy and, in some cases, rather explosive.

Audio:
When Platinum Games looked for voice actors, one has to wonder what type of people they were looking for. Why do I ask this? Well the reason for that is the fact that the dialogue and the voice work for every character is so overdone that it is hilarious. The characters feel larger than life not only in design and power, but with their voice work as well, though this tends to be hit and miss depending on the character.

The hit and miss voice work is nothing compared to the sound track. Anarchy Reigns’ background music is incredible. There is simply no other way to put it. Not only does the game support a large number of songs that make it so it is impossible to grow tired of a song but each track feels like it fits the game perfectly for any given situation. In fact, it just wouldn’t feel like there was enough anarchy occurring without the accompanied background music.

Gameplay:
At its core, Anarchy Reigns feels like a title from yesteryear. This is for the game’s benefit however, as the reason it feels like an older title is the fact that there seem to be no titles aiming for the 3D brawler genre anymore and that is exactly what Anarchy Reigns is. Players will find themselves battling against up to fifteen other fighters in an arena that is not only littered with cybernetically powered players but plenty of hazards to keep an eye out for.

Combat in Anarchy Reigns may seem complicated at first, but easy to learn and master thanks to the fact that various attacks are broken up into categories. You have your basic weak and heavy attacks, grabs, ascending and descending mid-air attacks, killer attacks that deal heavy damage with the character’s special weapon, blocking, dodging, a rampage mode that will be covered later, 360 attacks and items you acquire. This may seem like a lot to take in at first and indeed they can be difficult to master, however Anarchy Reigns does what any fighting game should do, whether 2D, 3D or brawler… it makes combat fun.

One thing to note is that the aforementioned killer attacks require a power meter to use and this can be charged through either giving or taking damage and even then these killer moves feature light and strong/finishing move versions. As for the rampage mode, it not only makes it so the player has an infinite number of killer moves, but they can unleash insane nearly unblockable combos on their opponents for a limited time. The tension really spikes when two rampaging players attack one another, as they will then be locked in a Dragon Ball-esque exchange of rapid blows with the players mashing a certain button to overcome their opponent.

It is worth noting that it is very easy to find yourself locked into a string of combo attacks and, after experiencing a number of online battles, many opponents really love to grab, however one of the best methods to avoid this is the 360 attack. These attacks may cost some health, but they not only clear out people around you, they often are great ways to break yourself out of a combo, often allowing the tide of battle to shift or a chance to escape.

Earlier you may have noticed that I mentioned the story modes are more or less the same, and the reason for that is that each story mode is unfolded through the same five stages that the player will have to go through. In these stages players have free-reign of where they can move, within the stage’s limits of course, and they can find hidden artwork or slaughter the mindless enemies that populate the stage.

Slaughtering these basic drones is the key point of the story mode as players need to gather points by killing enemies to unlock the next story mission or free mission. Free missions can be played multiple times and are the best way to accrue points quickly. These little side-missions are usually very enjoyable as they put a new spin on things, though a few are rather annoying and troublesome, but these can be skipped.

In fact, the entire single-player story feels like something of a tutorial for the actual online multiplayer and simulation mode, especially when you consider how you will probably never try the story out a second time. Not only are players given a chance to unlock the rest of the characters for multiplayer but they will also have a basic grasp of the combat system before taking the fight online.

Before we travel online, there is an offline mode for gamers who want to take some time to either hone their skills or simply want to fight against some bots. This simulator mode allows the player to try out any online mode as often as they want with their preferred character. This means that you will never have to worry about not finding an online match, which can be a problem at times. That being said, it is unfortunate that Anarchy Reigns does not feature any local co-op. This means that you cannot play offline multiplayer with a friend via splitscreen which is a huge disappointment considering how fun fighting three other friends could be with this game.

Now for the online mode, there is some good news and bad news. The online battles are often glorious slobber knockers with players taking on one another all over the map. There are a large number of online options to choose from, such as the hectic battle royale which sees 16 fighters taking each other on in free-for-all combat, some team modes involving deathmatch and capture the flag and even an online co-operative mode to fight against creatures.

Whichever mode you choose, you’re in for quite a time as these battles can be absolutely insane. The game relishes in the fact that there is so much action going on at any given time and will even point out when there is a massive fight going on in a certain part of the map, encouraging more fighters to join the melee. To make things even more chaotic, the arenas all feature random occurrences such as black holes that randomly place you around the map, poisonous gas clouds, carpet bombing and even AI controlled enemies storming the field to kill everyone.

With so many crazy things occurring, it will be difficult to fight any battle that will end the same way. However it is unfortunate to note that, despite having a great netcode, the game doesn’t seem very populated and thanks to the way that the lobbies are set-up, it can take quite a bit to gather enough players for larger matches such as battle royale which require fourteen to sixteen players to stay in a lobby and ready up.

Overall:
Anarchy Reigns may have a few issues, such as online activity and lack of couch co-op, but despite these flaws, the game is an absolute blast to play. With over the top combat set to a stunning soundtrack Anarchy Reigns is practically a steal at its discounted price point and as such, this title was well worth the wait.

DmC: Devil May Cry Review

Dustin Spencer

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January 15, 2013

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DmC: Devil May Cry
Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), Playstation 3, PC
Release Date: January 15, 2012
Price: $59.99 – BUY NOW

Overview
Over two years ago, Ninja Theory and Capcom came together and announced DmC as a full reboot for the Devil May Cry franchise, causing the entire fanbase to erupt in anger. Dante sported a much shorter haircut, donning short, black locks – and his attitude reeked of a new found arrogance that this group just couldn’t get past. Since then, this one title has triggered numerous debates and controversy, adding in more ammunition for the distrusting public to use against Capcom.

Judgement day has finally come. Dante is back, and like it or not – DmC is the best Devil May Cry to date. That is a bold statement to start off a review – but hear me out. Changing a character doesn’t hurt a franchise when it is done right, and that is exactly what Ninja Theory achieved with this new and improved version of the much loved IP. Go ahead. Lay those pitchforks and torches down, as we present to you our review of DmC: Devil May Cry.

Story
When I first seen the original footage of DmC, I was a little put off like the rest of the world. I mean, the only Dante I ever knew sported white hair and seemed to carry himself with such confidence and style that it was hard not to want to be in his shoes. Yeah, I think the hair color is a big reason for the whole backlash against Capcom to start with, but a good part of it is surely the fact that the new Dante is much harder to place ourselves into – or relate with as a character. This Dante is quick tongued, gets any woman in bed that he wants, and starts off as about as arrogant (and borderline trashy) as they come. In fact, if I were just to be reviewing the first chapter of the game, I certainly wouldn’t have such a high regard for this reboot’s transformation of Dante.

DmC: Devil May Cry is brilliant in that aspect however, as the player is more than likely going to burst out a few sighs as they begin with this new Dante, as the constant cursing, puns, and over sexualization used make it seem that our new hero is targeted to a different market entirely this time around. As you continue making your way though the plot, Dante begins to learn more about his forgotten past, and we – as the players, get to see this lost soul transform into a true hero. Yeah – some are going to think he is still a bit much to take in – even later on, but my own time with this newer version of the protagonist made me feel as if DmC introduced me to the character all over again, peeling away layer after layer as the narrative grew thicker over time. You want to see true character growth? DmC does just that and more, and without this revamp – I don’t think I would have enjoyed the story nearly as much as I did.

Speaking of the general plotline, DmC starts out with a young, immature Dante being placed in the role of saving the world from an overlord by the name on Mungus. After forming an alliance with his own brother who runs a resistance by the name of “The Order” and a clever female sidekick, the player then straps themselves into a script that tackles hot topics such as politics, money, and human slavery as they proceed to rid the world of every demon in sight. Every aspect of the plot blends perfectly with Dante’s own backstory, and the abundance of humor keeps the experience from faltering – as many of those little jokes I mentioned are genuinely amusing and do nothing but enhance the vividly portrayed characters the player will encounter. It both a visual and narrative sense, this plot lacks a lot of the darkness of the old Devil May Cry titles, but does more than enough to stand strong on it’s own merits to capture a brand new generation of fans.

Gameplay
Everytime I have played an action game since January of 2010, I usually enjoy myself, but one title overshadows the experience. Whether it be the brilliant Enslaved: Odyssey to the West or the beautiful El Shaddai, I never quite found a game in the genre that shook me like Bayonetta. Bayonetta was so quick and full of strategical depth that I have found myself repeating the story time and time again just to get that rush. You may be asking yourself, “This is a review for DmC, why does that matter?”. Well, for the first time in three years, I feel Bayonetta now has an equal.

In many ways, DmC sticks to the same core formula that the Devil May Cry franchise laid years ago, with Dante partaking in missions, upgrading equipment, and performing combo after combo on every demon that crosses his path. As a full package, DmC however is not that Devil May Cry. This reboot sacrifices some of the depth to streamline the main game, enhancing the speed of the action while ditching a lot of the main exploration elements of the past. Now, don’t get me wrong – DmC isn’t exactly linear, but Dante’s path is a bit locked in from the start, with most of the chaos coming to him rather than lying in wait for a run of the mill encounter.

You can’t really even begin to describe the combat within DmC without first speaking about the combo system in place. Much like the classics, Dante is ranked on “Style”, where he is graded on his performance with a letter rank. This means the player controls their own score, and always has the option to just go in and hack and slash demons to bits – or take the game to the next level with multiple techniques that can be chained into combos. Combat has never been more accessible in a Devil May Cry game either, as every technique available have been mapped out accordingly, with the choice to sharpen up on your own skills in a practice mode found at many different points within the game. Using the Y button will let Dante use his sword, X brings out Ebony and Ivory (his handy dual wielding pistols), and both triggers let our black-haired leader pull off some insane maneuvers with the Demon and Angel weaponry.

There are eight different weapons in the game, each featuring a decent sized list of upgradable techniques. This arsenal is obtained over time, and thankfully is scattered throughout the entire game to keep the player hunting for a new way to kill enemies while providing the core combat with a dose of freshness as you progress onward. As enemies are defeated, the player will earn skill points, which can then be traded for new techniques to use with whatever weapon you desire to upgrade. Every weapon has a full list of these upgrades, and using them in battle is part of what makes DmC’s combat mechanics so great. You see, DmC allows the player to chain together combos at a moment’s notice. Dante normally holds four different weapons at once, and those can all be used together to decimate a for and increase your own style ranking as you fight. For instance, the player can start out with some slashing with the sword, keep the combo going on another enemy in the air immediately afterwards with Ebony and Ivory, and then whip out a demonic blade to handle a much tougher opponent. It sounds chaotic to have that much action and weapon swapping happen at once, but this title pulls it all off effortlessly with some brilliant controller mapping to match it’s own fast pace, leaving the player to only worry about the action on screen.

Sound good? Well, it gets even better as you go. Later on, Dante can acquire extra weapons for the trigger buttons as well as some new guns, which can all be switched out instantly by tapping the appropriate command on the D-Pad. This is where the game’s own combat takes a more clever turn. Imagine yourself, surrounded by enemies. Some of these demons can only be killed by a specific weapon. The Aquila (a newly introduced angelic weapon that handle like twin chakrams of shorts) can be tossed at the plain enemies to keep them preoccupied while you make work of other foes, meaning Dante continues his own combo while fighting more than one enemy at a time. The Aquila just happen to be one of these secondary demonic/angelic weapons as well, meaning once you feel ready for a change, a simple tap of a direction will let you return to your standard blade for that input. That may be a rather long example to use, but it’s just one of the hundreds of combinations Dante can use at any time. It only takes minutes for all of these combined efforts to feel second nature, and trying out each new ability keeps the game fun and fresh until those credits roll.

One part of DmC that is going to rely on personal preference of the player is the mission layout. There are twenty stages in all, with each quarter mark usually followed by a boss battle. The stages in-between are usually made up of finding an item, protecting an ally, or just killing every demon in one particular area. Yes, the combo system keeps the game fresh, but the numbered stages are a bit predictable – meaning you will probably know when a major event is about to take place based on the number of mission you are playing on at the time. I personally didn’t mind this at all and think that far too many titles that try to surprise the player with mediocre results that cripple their product’s own pacing, but I can see why some would want more of an element of surprise to their own exploration – and that is just something DmC lacks.

Enemies on the other hand are quite varied and new breeds are introduced in nearly every stage to keep Dante on his toes. These demons range from aerial foes, grounded powerhouses, and your standard baddie, but as I mentioned earlier, usually come with a required combat strategy to defeat. Boss battles are not very common in DmC, but when they occur – you will know it. Every boss encounter has a huge build-up, and each one feels as just as epic as the next. Now, these battles are not exactly mind-numbingly difficult, as once you find that weak spot, it’s not hard to make quick work out of your target. The presentation and sheer style enforced however are just oozing with charm and unforgettable, making progression an easy task. I still had a lot of fun with the standard combat, but once I tasted the delicious reward of such an event, I sped through the game at a non-stop pace – just to see what else DmC had in store.

Like nearly every other action title in existence, DmC requires a good amount of platforming. Dante is quick and agile, and will be required to pounce up to different platforms in almost every mission. Thankfully, the platforming bits are handled quite well, and are only enhanced by the way Ninja Theory incorporated weapons into the mix. Dante can use his Angel weapon as a grappling hook to swing from specific points in the stage, or use the Demonic slot to through a chain and pull a platform closer. These sections can be just as fast-paced as the combat, meaning that it will require the player to react on their toes and sometimes even combine these techniques to progress in a stage. The reward for all of your work is simply seeing it all in action, as these platforming tools make Dante flow through a world at an instant and are responsible for some of the most intense chase sequences an action game has seen to date.

Once the journey is complete, it’s really just beginning. Most of you who have played an older Devil May Cry title know what I am talking about here, as there are tons of secrets and collectibles to be found, making DmC a completionists dream come true. The ranking system and leaderboards also enhance the replay value, allowing the player to achieve higher ranks in style, time, and overall completion as the revisit past missions. DmC is definitely a cake walk compared to Devil May Cry 3 on Normal, but those who are after a challenge are also in luck as there are several bonus difficulties that can be unlocked post-game, with a few skins and extra goodies added in to sweeten this package as a whole.

Visuals and Audio
I’m not going to defend Dante’s new model, as there is simply nothing wrong with it. Instead, we all should pay attention to the beautiful world DmC has within it’s well rounded walls. Each area feels different from the next, featuring grimacing zones that feel as if they were ripped from hell – or more poppy locales to do battle in such as a fully featured nightclub that never seems to stop delivering. There are also some really nice aesthetics on display as well, which are used to show off the timid tones of red, orange, and white that are featured so prominently during the main campaign, as well as the off the wall art design that shows up during the more gimmicky one-off stages the player will encounter. DmC isn’t really the game that you stop and take in the atmosphere, but it’s nice to see so much work went into making it feel like it’s own product.

The audio may be the closest thing to the older Devil May Cry franchise within DmC. Whenever enemies grow near, a hard rock track kicks up – transforming Dante from explorer to an ass-kicking machine. Some of these punk-rock fueled screamers may not be for everyone, but they do set the stage for some intense action – and that is what DmC is all about. A lot can be said about DmC’s voice acting as well. Each performance has been handled wonderfully, allowing the player to instantly connect with this motley cast of characters as they recite their well-acted lines. Dante’s own actor will be the main voice you hear, and is able to deliver his sarcastic one-liners with a sense of confidence – and not once did I feel annoyed by even the cheesiest jokes that sputtered out of his mouth (and trust me, there are quite a few).

Overall
I went into DmC: Devil May Cry with a bit of doubt, but I am now a full believer. Ninja Theory could have scrapped this project altogether when the harsh reaction came full circle a couple of years ago, but they stuck with it, and are now responsible for one of the finest action titles of this generation. DmC is a fast-paced roller coaster with very little slowdown, fueled by it’s thrilling combat and highly enjoyable plot. Dante may not be the white-haired, suave character we remember him as, but after experiencing his change in this new installment, everything will make sense once those credits roll and the player will be hungering for more of the lore, humor, and action this franchise has to offer. DmC isn’t just a reboot, it’s a rebirth. For those on the fence – It’s time to drop past doubts and take the plunge into one unforgettable experience, with a new Nephilim leading the way into a realm of pure angelic bliss.

Death Golf Review

Matthew Vella

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January 14, 2013

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Death Golf
Developer: Mobilive
Publisher: Ayopa Games
Platforms: iPod, iPad, iPhone (reviewed)
Release Date: 01/10/2013
Price: $0.99 – Available Here

Overview:

Let’s face it – golf sucks and it’s mainly for old people. So it’s no surprise that most golf games tend to emulate that same feeling. However in the world of video games, golf has had many bells and whistles added to it to spice things up, from iconic characters like Super Mario to outlaws making it seem more badass. With this in mind, finding a game titled Death Golf was simply inevitable. So imagine my surprise when I found out that Death Golf is far from being generic. Instead, it sports interesting and creative ideas blending the sport with genres like platformers and puzzlers to keep things fresh. But Death Golf is no saviour to the sport, as quite a few hiccups do drag it down. Still, this unique concept may win over a few gamers, as it certainly is original.

Gameplay:

The concept of Death Golf is as simple as it is unique. Players take control of a charming Irish man as he plays golf on several different courses trying to grab a high score. The catch is that various creatures and obstacles wish to stop him from doing so and aren’t afraid to kill him in the process. So unlike most golf games when players spend most of the time striking a ball, the game focuses more on walking towards your next shot, jumping over obstacles and fighting off opponents. With enemies, themed levels, power ups, upgrades and more, describing Death Golffeels a lot like describing a platformer, which is what is really is at heart. It’s no simulation of the sport or a golf game, but rather a golf-themed platformer.

However when it comes to the charm of Death Golf’s gameplay it all ends at the concept for the most part as execution leaves a lot too be desired thanks to troublesome controls. Firstly to travel players just touch the screen with no on-screen joystick, which can be awkward on some occasions, blocking the view of certain objects. Jumping over obstacles is automatic (think Legend of Zelda styled jumping) but judging distance and how far the character will jump is always unreliable, killing the player more times than it should. Death Golf’s deal breaker though is having the same function for too many actions. To attack enemies with your club, move and swing at the ball is all by touching the screen, and at times the game won’t know what to do. Sometimes you’ll try to attack a killer duck or demon, and instead you end up running into the creature head-first. Sure the controls aren’t broken, but they are frustrating. Thankfully, the game is a little forgiving, allowing you to stop swinging at the ball when under attack and giving you infinite lives. But with infinite lives the value of your character’s life is non-existent and ultimately makes you care less for victory. Another frustrating aspect is to complete a level you need to reach a certain score, not just get the ball in the hole and many times you end up failing to get that score because the clunky controls have killed you to many times when they shouldn’t have. Sure there are some nice touches to Death Golf such as upgrades & combos, but that isn’t exactly going to matter if the gameplay is so annoying.

Audio & Visual:

In terms of graphics, Death Golf is less disappointing. While character designs and course themes are generic, they do the job well and are presented nicely. Graphics are colorful and vibrant, as they should. Nothing here is revolutionary, but they don’t have to be. Much like the game’s concept, they’re simple and that’s good enough. Audio on the other hand is a mixed batch. While the music complements the graphics in terms of simplicity, sound effects feel rough and at times out of place. Sometimes the character will cheer in a poorly recorded manner that to put it nicely is ear-bursting. While some sound effects do sit in well, these occasional off-putting sound effects are tolerable and forgivable, but annoying.

Overall:

To put it bluntly, Death Golf sits in an awkward position. It’s a unique and fresh idea that could work if executed correctly, but doesn’t even come close to reaching it’s full potential. However, this could all change with a few minor updates and some added content. With tighter controls and some polish, Death Golf could be something special. Until then however, it stands as a chore to play. Keep an eye on this game though, as it could be something more in the future with a bit of work.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Blood-C Review

Simon Wolfe

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January 14, 2013

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Blood-C
Studio: Production I.G
Publisher: FUNimation
Format: Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack
Release Date: January 22th, 2013
Price: $64.98 – Available Here

Overview:
Blood+ was a popular anime series during its run from 2005 to 2006, coming from a movie and leading to another albeit live-action movie. So, what better way to capitalize on the success of the name then to make another series, which is exactly what some might find with Blood-C, a (maybe?) sequel series to the original. Can Blood-C capture the audience like the series before it? Does it build upon the story or go in a new direction? With any luck it’s still the same old Saya we all love.

Story:
The argument of Nature vs. Nurture, being the main component of who we are as people, has been around a long time. Does who we are born as matter more than where we grow up? The story of Blood-C explores this in some ways using someone we already know, though not how we last saw her. Saya Kisaragi, a shrine maiden and high school girl, lives with her father and secretly fights Elder Bairns with the aid of the Sacred Blade whenever they appear to protect the town. Those well acquainted with the Blood series will notice that none of these things have anything to do with the Saya from Blood+. So, what’s going on here? Is this some awful trick, a bait-and-switch?

The Saya of this series is a clumsy girl that seems to truly enjoy life, singing songs as she walks to and from school and obviously catching the eye of several boys. This series starts out about as cliche as a school anime series can get with the saving grace of the Elder Bairns that Saya fights, which provide some really great battles against unique monsters. The other characters fit into the cliche shtick of straight man female friend, overly cute female friends, modest love interest, and the bad boy. All these together create a surreal feeling to the anime and may make some question where it is headed as a story. It also goes on to show off just how bad Saya is at saving people from these creatures as practically every attempt to defend or save the civilians results in failure, though props should definitely be given to the show for not being afraid to take out main characters.

Further into the series provides a bit more information as to what is really going on in the seemingly mostly-empty town and monsters attacking it. Without giving too much away, astute viewers should be able to pick up on the fact that not everything is as it seems and becomes a game trying to piece what is really going on together. While those that haven’t seen the previous series shouldn’t have any problem with the structure of the story, those that have may become distracted by this change in character. Have no fear though, as at the wrap of the story it will make some sense as to how it relates. Though unfortunately the ending of the series itself ultimately ends with a lead into the follow up movie, so it lacks a truly satisfying closure, but that does mean more time with a really messed up main villain, just not here.

Visuals:
The series boasts some great animation, with detailed characters and backgrounds that always look fresh. Judging from the commentary the series originally featured some heavy censorship for all the gore and violence, which is completely uncensored with this release. Those liking excessive gore should be sure to check this out, as the monsters take out people left and right, devouring them and leaving only chunks behind. The final battle features one of the most blatant disregard for the random people around as the monsters have a field day in the streets.

In addition to the ultra-violence, the monsters that Saya faces are all very interesting and unique. No two monsters look or even act alike, well other than monsters that are the same by design. From a stone statue, to a plant, to a wide variety of creatures even each battle plays out fairly differently. After really only seeing Saya fight Chiropteran in Blood+, it’s great to see it change up a lot more this time around.

Audio:
The voice acting of Blood-C is well done, especially dealing with the duality of some of the characters later in the show. Comparing the original Japanese to the English dub is difficult as they were both fairly equal in quality to each other, and even trying to compare Saya’s walking songs between the versions is tough as both voice actresses do a great job with the silly, overly happy tune. So, however one decides to view the series shouldn’t effect any opinions of the overall quality there.

The music in the series does a good job both conveying the somewhat weird nature of the show, with strings accompaniment to the more mysterious sections and even the the more happy go lucky do a good job of filling that vibe. Though in terms of music one of the best parts is the score across the ending of the last episode, not the ending theme, but last moments of the actual show. Though on the subject of themes it is important to point out that the opening theme for the show is “Spiral” by Dustz, which follows the shows themes of aspects of past and not knowing who you are, as well as the use of French in addition with the Japanese and English makes for a fairly unique song for an anime. The ending theme on the other hand is “Junketsu Paradox” by Nana Mizuki, who also plays Saya in the series, deals with the theme of losing oneself.

Extras:
The extras on this release includes commentaries, commericials and promo videos, text-free opening and closing themes, and trailers. Though not really an extra, it is important to point out that there is no option to turn subtitles on or off, only a language selection between English and Japanese, with subtitles automatically playing for Japanese. No love for English hearing impaired this time? The commentaries are for the 6th and 12th episodes, however as they clearly state in the commentary it’s a good idea to have seen the entire series before listening to either. The commentaries themselves cover things from what it was like first time directing a series for English Dub and impressions of the different characters, as well as the amount of deaths that seemed to occur through the series and their process of getting even the briefest VOs for them.

Interested viewers can check out the original Japanese commercials and promo videos and/or the U.S. trailer for FUNimation’s release. Outside the trailers for other upcoming and already released series licensed by FUNimation, the only thing really left over is the text-free themes, which there are actually 3. While only the one opening, there are in fact 2 ending themes, and while they have the same song the visuals are vastly different as the Episode 12 ending theme features the badass Saya that fans probably missed throughout the majority of the series.

Overall:
Blood-C is an interesting beast, gory and fun when it gets to there, where the only thing holding it back is the longer drawn out beginning. In some ways this entire series could have worked with any other katana wielding girl in a high school uniform, similar to looking at how they slapped Mario onto other game to make Super Mario Bros. 2 in America. Without an actual ending it is difficult to say if it’s a worthwhile addition to the Blood series as a whole, or just an interesting oneshot, which is disheartening as the monsters and villain are pretty great. If only they had had more time with the real Saya to have a deeper meaning. On the high side however, the show isn’t afraid of gore and anyone coming for that isn’t going to be disappointed.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Incipio Lexington Hardshell Folio Case Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

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January 14, 2013

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Incipio Lexington Hardshell Folio Case for iPad

Manufacturer: Incipio
Platforms: iPad
Price: $39.99 Buy It Here
The Incipio Lexington is a vegan leather folio case with a hard shell back that comes in five colours: black, gray, blue, red, and tan. The case features magnets to provide Smart Cover functionality, a micro-suede interior and a buckling closure. The case can be propped in up at several angles with the help of the buckling closure for hands free viewing or typing.

The vegan leather used in the Lexington feels more like plastic than leather. Although the finish is a very fine matte, the feel is extremely smooth with a slight stickiness when I run my fingers across it. Compared to some of other Incipio’s vegan leather offerings, this feels one of the least like animal leather. The Lexington uses the vegan leather for the front of the folio, the hinge, and a majority of the outside portion of the hardshell case. There is a benefit for the slicker choice of leather as when the iPad is rested front facing upwards, the case slides easily on a desk. The vegan leather took scratches ok. Although it survived a few rough jostles in a backpack, I found the finish scratched a lot easier than some other pieces of vegan leather. Roughly scratching the case with my fingernail caused a noticeable scratch to the finish and the leather itself.

The back of the folio is a plastic hardshell. To install the iPad, you simply snap the back into the case which clamps onto the four corners of the iPad. The clamping force is extremely secure. I found it took a great amount of effort to remove the iPad from the case, to the point I actually manage to bend one of the corners of the case when overzealously attempting to remove the iPad from the Lexington. The hardshell case has a matte finish that almost feels like a thin coating of silicon was sprayed onto it. It complements the texture of the vegan leather really well and withstood the same fingernail scratch test that marred the front cover’s vegan leather. I really like that separate holes are cut out for the camera, power button, microphone, headphone jack, speaker, and connectors. Each one is perfectly sized and since the lightning connector is located at exactly the same place the 30pin connector is, the Lexington is compatible with the 4th generation iPads. The inside of the hardshell case is either a rubbery foam or more micro-suede lining that will protect the back of the iPad while it is inside the hardshell.

The front of the folio has a magnet to provide Smart Cover functionality. It is disappointing to note that the magnet in the cover was easily spotted unlike Apple’s Smart Cover. However, this is purely a minor cosmetic annoyance. The inside of the cover is lined with a micro-suede that provides a soft lining that will come in contact with the iPad glass while closed. I noticed the cover does not close properly when the case is not closed with the buckle. It opened just enough to constantly engage and disengage the Smart Cover magnets and unnecessarily drained the batteries. I found this happened less as I broken in the vegan leather hinge with time, but it continued to happen.

The case is held shut with a buckle system that consists of a band of vegan leather attached to the back of the case and a strip of leather on the front of the case that slips in. This buckle is extremely sturdy and held the case closed tightly. Unfortunately I found the buckle to be a hassle to open. Due to the slick finish to the leather, it is impossible to slip the buckle open by putting a finger on the strip of the leather and attempting to slide it out. To remove it, I found I had to grab the edges of the leather strip with my finger nails and then pull it out of the buckle. Mixed with the difficulties with the cover having problems closing properly without using the buckle system, I soon found myself getting irritated with the whole design of the buckle.

The only saving grace of the buckle system was the fact it provides an extremely sturdy base for using the folio as a stand. There is a bed in a third of the cover. By bending the folio cover and slipping the leather strip into the buckle, it was probably the sturdiest hands-free stand I have encountered in a case yet. The case could withstand quite a bit of jostling and pressure without slipping. Unlike most folio cases that only has two possible viewing angles, the Lexington had four. A steeper angle could be achieved by simply changing the side of the clasp I slipped the leather strap. The angles provided were extremely comfortable for typing and very usable for watching videos on the iPad compared to the Smart Cover. I find the Smart Cover has a great typing angle but a nearly useless hands free viewing angle in comparison.

The case is not very bulky, managing to keep a relatively slim profile. The materials used are extremely light which is perfect when paired with the third and fourth generation iPads which carry heavier batteries compared to the second generation iPad. The design looks very simple and provides an elegant look that would be appropriate for professional environments.

Incipio’s Lexington Hardshell Folio Case is a mixed bag. It mixes stylish looks, light weight, sturdy hands free viewing angles, and good protection with a lousy buckle system, problems with Smart Cover feature when not properly closed with the buckle engaged, and an easily scratched vegan leather exterior. Priced at $39.99, the Lexington is probably not one of Incipio’s best offerings for the iPad. However, if you are in the market for a classy looking iPad folio case that provides strong protection and an extremely sturdy closure system that still manages to stay light weight and feel good to the touch; the Lexington is worth a look.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.