Namco Bandai games have announced that along with developer Revo Solutions they have released a brand new update to their popular Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy game on the app store for iPhone and iPad.
The new update features a new mode called ‘Party Mode’ which allows for four player splitscreen dogfighting skirmishes over AirPlay through Apple TV. The update also packs a punch of 12 new levels, each level featuring many new surprises to encounter.
Want to get in on the Sky Gamblers action? Well you can check it out for the mere price of $2.99 here on the app store. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
In case you haven’t yet heard, the multi award winning game series Mass Effect is receiving its own anime movie release. If you’re a die hard Mass Effect devotee, then you’d be interested to know that Madman Entertainment has offically licensed it for a physical media release on DVD and Blu-Ray. Already animated, voiced, cut and complete, the release date has been set for January 9th 2012.
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost was one of Madman’s feature preview items on show at this years EB Games Expo, which I myself was fortunate enough to watch in its entirity. For those that missed out, check out the offical trailer below! The movie’s main character is shown to be James Vega, one of Shepard’s allies in Mass Effect 3. The plot takes place during the events of Mass Effect 2 during the time period when Shepard had come down with a bad case of half-deadness. The plot revolves around how Vega came to be regarded as one of the Alliances best and and show some of the tough choices he had to make. As a series that prides itself on the concept of action and consequence, the themeing of the anime is particularly powerful, and makes the whole thing a wild ride up until the end. I won’t ruin anything, but this should be regarded as a MUST have for any self respecting Mass Effect fan.
CBS Films announced earlier this week that Scott Derrickson, director of recent horror genre entry Sinister, will be at the helm of the upcoming Deus Ex: Human Revolution film adaptation.
The official synopsis for the film should be a wholly familiar one to us gamers: “Set in the near future, when dramatic advances in science, specifically human augmentation, have triggered a technological renaissance, Deus Ex: Human Revolution follows Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT security specialist who must embrace mechanical augments in order to unravel a global conspiracy.” Step no. 1. Don’t screw with the main plotline. Check! Phew!… Derrickson will also be writing the script with his Sinister co-scribe C. Robert Cargill.
Derrickson stated, “Deus Ex is a phenomenal cyberpunk game with soul and intelligence… By combining amazing action and tension with big, philosophical ideas, Deus Ex is smart, ballsy, and will make one hell of a movie. Cargill and I can’t wait to bring it to the big screen.” All true, and it seems the two genuinely love the game, especially Cargill. When asked by Movies.com whether or not he has actually played the game, he said,”Several times. I’m in the middle of my third play-through now. I’m trying to beat it without killing anyone but the bosses, which is not easy. There’s something particularly cool about playing video games for “research” and getting to tell your wife you’re “working” while you’ve got an XBox controller in your hand.”
It’s a breath of fresh air to know that the screenwriter actually has first hand knowledge and experience with the source material…it doesn’t happen often enough, and can be blamed (partially) for the bad game-to-film adaptations of the past. Cargill also alludes to the approach the film-makers will be taking, saying “The way we’ve approached it is that we’ve decided not to make a video game movie. We’re making a cyberpunk movie.” Obviously the biggest obstacles moving forward are formed by the inherent difference in story-telling methods and pacing between games and film. Films don’t have 30 hrs to tell a story…something that Cargill acknowledges throughout the interview.
This duo of horror genre experts may not have been the first choice by the fans, but how do you guys feel about the project now? Let us know in the comments below!
Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S. has announced the release of Xbox Live Arcade original Lazy Raiders, now for the iOS.
Lazy Raiders for the iOS has players reprise control of Dr. Diggabone as he, lazily, sets out to retrieve 16 Lost Relics that he believes will grant him instant fame and fortune. Dr. Diggabone is so lazy, in fact, that the player must manipulate the world for him to proceed! Tilting, spinning and flipping the game world allows this goof of a treasure hunter to navigate his surroundings, attaining gems, money and idols (180 of them!) as he progresses. The built-in accelerometers of the iPhone, iTouch and iPads are the perfect means for how the game was meant to be played.
Of course, throughout the 60 levels of gameplay, players will inevitably come across some obstacles. In this case, they come in the form of thieves, minions and boulders (nice Indy reference). Avoiding these impediments is ideal, as Dr. Diggabone is hardly in any shape to combat them. This iOS version features full Facebook integration, so you can boast about your successful treasure hunting acquisitions, made across all three environments: the Seven Cities of Gold, Arctic Caves and Wild West.
With great graphical detail being retained, and the touch screen/accelerometer controls befitting of the original gameplay concept, Lazy Raiders is a steal at only $0.99 on the app store right now. Buy it here.
Frontline Tactics Publisher: Meridian4 Developer: Full Control, WIT Entertainment Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Mac, iOS Release Date: October 26, 2012 (PC/Mac), November 1, 2012 (iOS) Price: Free to Play – Here
Overview
When thinking of strategy games, most tend to think on the lines of Command and Conquer or even the fantasy driven Warcraft/StarCraft series. However, the one major difference in strategy titles is whether or not it is occurring in “real-time”. Unlike the StarCrafts, Frontline Tactics is completely turned based which isn’t necessarily a bad aspect. The title additionally offers many elements from other genres such as a tiered customization system normally seen in role playing games.
Becoming a social game norm, the free-to-play feature has the ability to bring in potential consumers. Like so many others, Frontline Tactics basically presents the base of the game as a demo and allows players to buy into the game’s merchandise to increased the survivability of their characters. Everyone can play the game for free, but should you dish out the extra cash for the extras? Let’s take a look.
Story
An oil-riched nation by the name of Fahrahn is being taken over by a small military sect led by the crazed propagandist Akhali Muhamar. Being a larger supplier of oil to the Western nations, Fahrahn cannot be compromised by any means. Elite soldiers from around the world have been called in to take special care of the matter. Hopefully, it doesn’t turn into a world war.
The basis of the storyline seems feasible but hardly offers the consumer anything new other than a change to the country’s name and military tyrant. Based in the near future – 2025, Frontline Tactics could be the prediction of an ensuing oil crisis since the world powers failed to transition over to renewable/environmental friendly resources. None-the-less, this event is something that has been done already and military action only solves the problem short-term.
Beyond the background of the title, the story becomes lost as each mission becomes repeatable. Soon enough you have saved the village or died trying over 10 times only to purchase better body armor. In this light, the story is not supported and merely becomes a background feature with the theme of “go get ’em tiger”. Don’t you forget your grenades now!
Gameplay
In the beginning, there were two but not Adam and Eve. Frontline Tactics starts you off with a potential squad of two personnel. One squad is supplied with proficiency in small arms, and the other is proficient in sub-machine guns. Upon entering your first mission, you can tell that each squad has an effective gun range: yellow, orange, and red. Depending on the weapon that the squad equipped, the effective range can be short, medium, or long range. For instance the small arms squad will have the most effective short range and decrease in effectiveness as the target moves away. However, long range equipment like sniper rifles depend on long range for the most damage.
Weapons like the sub-machine gun have a ‘cone of fire’ which dictates the spray area of bullets. This comes in handy when placed near three enemy squads in a tight space. Precise movement may be necessary, but mowing down a group of enemies with a sub-machine gun becomes essential early on. Other weapons that provide radial damage are stun and frag grenades. A stun grenade can deter an opponent from their next action while frags deal a heavy dose of damage. Save the grenades for grouped up enemies because it may result in a repeat turn (stun) or instant kills (frag).
At the main menu there is an option for the Barracks. The Barracks opens up to each of your squads and allows you to customize them in junction with the credits you acquire through missions. For instance, the standard weapon for a small arms squad is the USP. We can unlock the next tiered pistol – Burghetti – for 88,000 credits. But we won’t stop there. By paying an additional 100,000 credits, we can unlock a laser sight which increases short range damage done by 5 but reduces camouflage by 1. Armor is tiered the same way with the higher tiers requiring the purchase of the lesser tiered item first. You can’t just buy medium armor without purchasing light armor first! Wait, that is a little silly.
Up next is the available mission types. The six available types are as follows: Eliminate All, Survival, Area Defend, Area Capture, Area Control, and Area Escape. Not all mission types are available from the start but can be unlocked as missions are completed. Eliminate All is just as it sounds. As you begin your mission in one of the repeatable maps, your objective is to kill or be killed. The developers suggest you gang up on single targets to weed enemies down to zero.
Survival mode can be one of the hardest modes to play through. Depending on how many squads can be launched, you may end up sending your highest armored squad to the wolves. Running around becomes your best option along with the use of camouflage. Surviving 20 rounds can be devastating if reinforcements arrive, but heal up with a medic if you can and get the heck out of enemy crossfire (double damage).
All ‘Area Modes’ act on the same principal. Your squad must be in a certain area to defend, capture, control, or escape. Only by making it to these markers and performing the required feat will your squad become victorious. For example, in Area Escape the player must escort each squad to an escape area marker (looks like a running man). Once each of your squads have made it to a marker, you will receive the end mission scenario. Failing to get all of the squads to an escape marker will end the mission.
Multiplayer should be one of the key selling points to this game. However, all that remains is a lag filled disappointment. When entering a multiplayer game, you can search for a random game as versus or co-op. Players can also create a game, yet the created game is also randomized. This gives players zero control of what map or type of mission they would wish to play. Players that get a game started can expect long waiting times between moves. I was typing in the very, very small text box to another member of the community while playing an online session. We were able to send messages back and forth discussing what our screens were displaying in accordance with the moves we performed. It would seem like minutes passed before I or the community member noticed a difference on our screens. This is one area the game needs serious work.
Remember that players can earn credits when completing missions? Well, this free-to-play community offers players the ability to purchase credits to gain an advantage. Like most social games, Frontline Tactics offers a complete listing for credit purchases. I could see this being used to help players potentially complete the game with all of its achievements, but I would certainly not do so to gain an edge over online combatants with the current system in place. To compare the price differential, here is the gap from smallest to largest amounts: 200,000 credits = $4.99; 6,400,000 = $99.99 (60% more). To put this into perspective, it would take 1,400,000 credits to upgrade a squad into heavy armor alone. Imagine doing this to three squads; you just tripled that amount to 4,200,000 credits. If you were to win missions grossing minimum 20,000 credits, it would take you 210 missions to reach 4,200,000 credits. I’d honestly play the 210 missions versus spending $99.99.
Audio/Visuals
A sleek user interface combined with a straight forward menu system emanates a professional appeal. Frontline Tactics does this well by having easily maneuverable menus and large bold text/icons, so players cannot ignore the click-able items. Additionally, the transitions between menus flow smoothly and offer little distraction. As a sub-menu is selected, the main menu pulls away to the sides of the screen as new icons appear quickly from the center body. By exiting back to the main menu, the center body shrinks until it disappears as the main menu icons return from the sides. I believe the goal was to make the menu system as functional as possible considering the different platforms the game can be played on. Another lasting impression to look for is the computerized grid landscape of the level before entering the mission.
Certain visuals in the game, however, tell a different story. The developers should have taken what they put into the main menu system and incorporated similar aspects to the mission aesthetics. One such problem with the user interface is the text box for players to talk amongst each other. First, the box is too small and does not allow the player to type a lengthy message – only 40 characters. This hardly proves worthwhile when typing out sentences. Second, there isn’t a true defining characteristic to decipher your text apart from another player. The least that could be done is to have a player’s name before the sentence or even a change of text color.
As mentioned in the gameplay portion, several missions become replayable thus limiting the variety of total environments. Grinding through enough ‘unlocks’ warrants more maps to be unlocked, but the repeat commences thereafter as well. A random map generator could be quite useful in this instance to give players something new to always look for.
Main menus are infamous for looped audio intros, and the main menu audio for Frontline Tactics is not any different. In fact, you can distinctly tell when the loop is done and starts over from the beginning. This gives me that aggravating feeling like falling asleep to a movie only to wake up in the middle of the night to the repeated intro. It’s torture! Thankfully, the audio clip is long enough that it shouldn’t have to repeat often.
Sound effects present me with a mixed feeling as a variety would be welcomed, but the overall deliverance is acceptable. The sounds provided from selecting menus and score accumulation accentuates the grid/technology theme. Whereas the sounds coming from some of the equipment – pistol and sniper rifle – sound terribly alike. Character voices are obviously the same along with their appearances. All that seems different is the type of armor/equipment they are currently wearing. And where are the female soldiers?
Overall
What does the game do well? The game start-up offers a promising aesthetic feel as it has successfully ported to several platforms. The menu systems work well in accordance to visual and audio effects proving that user interface does have value to a player. Furthermore, customization within the Barracks can be fun to mess around with to create unique squad builds. In addition, the ability to unlock content by winning every ‘5’ missions sets a viable goal for players to accomplish.
Frontline Tactics does, however, fail to meet player expectations in some key areas. Online multiplayer requires additional support in areas such as: lag, level/threat select, mission select, and community user interface. Additionally, the credit purchase system would hold more merit if the game could provide a fully functional online multiplayer. Justifying the purchase of $20 or more of credits for solo missions and achievements would be like selling peanuts to a peanut factory. The player is going to acquire the credits eventually and would only need to purchase $5 worth to gain an achievement for purchasing from the store. With all that in mind, even the single player portion can become awfully repetitive by playing the same levels over. The redeeming quality is that it is free to play.
There is more Rozen Maiden on the way! Originally a simple manga series this idea has since expanded and now has already covered two anime series to date. Rozen Maiden currently attracts a cult following of loyal readers and watchers, all now eager to check out what the series will have to offer in its third season.
The overall story focuses on Jun Sakurada, who encounters and befriends a living doll named Shinku, with much of the story exploring how other Rozen Maidens (the living dolls) operate and exist in the larger world around them. While no specific date has been released for when this new season will air, fans should expect some form of communication on the matter soon. Produced by studio Nomad, there are currently twelves episodes already released and with this new reveal by Young Jump magazine, it seems more are definitely on the way.
For more info on the announcement check out this website (English only speakers/readers may need a translation).
GOSICK Collection 2 Studio: Bones Publisher:Madman Entertainment Format: DVD (Subtitles Only) Release Date: August 1, 2012 Price: $59.95 – Available Here
Overview: What make’s a mystery series good and what makes a mystery series bad? Well a good mystery series doesn’t have predictable conclusions to the central mystery. A good mystery is one that the audience is never smart enough to figure out. It leaves them completely in the palm of the creators hand as they take them for a wild ride but never letting them outsmart them. A good mystery surprises you. A bad mystery is obvious the antithesis of this, it’s obvious from the start what the solution to the puzzle is and the audience is simply watching along as the characters slowly figure out what the viewer knew all along. The characters should always be a step ahead of the viewer. GOSICK makes this mistake in it’s ill-fated second half. The mystique of the it’s first half fades into what amounts to nothing short of droll predictability.
Story:
The first part of GOSICK which I previously reviewed stood out to me for it’s deft pacing and intelligent writing. It’s mysteries were well conceived and genuinely compelling. So what exactly happened with this second half that caused things to become so messed up? What was originally an often brilliant mystery anime devolves into a utterly pedestrian affair by the time it’s final act kicks in.
It’s a shame that the creators seem to genuinely stop caring at around episode 18. The writing noticeably drops in quality and what was once engaging is now a chore to watch. The mysteries become far more straightforward and bland while simultaneously the characters almost completely come to a stand-still in terms of development. Everything becomes utterly stagnant and just screams of apathy on part of the people working on this series.
All of this of course culminates in the series finale which was nothing short of a disappointment. There was no real emotional pay off, instead things quickly tie up any loose ends and skip to the happy endings. It couldn’t be anymore benign. It’s far too predictable, a problem that afflicts the second half as a whole. The mysteries begin to become far too simple and at some point, don’t even feel like these characters are solving a mystery so much as they are moving from one action scene to the next.
But of course the biggest issue is that none of this is remotely engaging. The fun chemistry between the two leads we witnessed in Collection 1 seems to be completely strung out by the time the final few episodes roll out leaving little but boring banter amongst the two with very little substance behind it. That’s the major issue with this half of the series really, it’s just lazy and does very little to add the same level of substance as seen in the series’ beginnings. It’s nothing more than disappointing, when there was a lot they had to work with in terms of both characters and plot.
GOSICK had potential to be so much more than it was and that is a damn shame. The characters and plotting were so refined and polished, but somewhere along the way it all falls apart. What could have been a modern day classic is nothing more than yet another footnote in a long list of footnotes of anime history.
Visuals and Audio:
Aesthetically GOSICK is still a quite pretty series. It’s a shame that the soundtrack really falls off the deep end with this collection. Tracks are poorly timed and often do not fit the scene in which they are used at all. There will be a sad scene that for no explicable reason is backed by a gleeful tune and really that is the sort of sloppy work that makes this second half of the series so disappointing. The voice acting is thankfully still strong enough to deserve a mention, in particular the performance of Aoi Yuki who does a brilliant job elevating the wooden dialogue she is given as Victorique to a standard that the series should have been able to uphold from start to finish.
Getting back to the aesthetics of this collection, I must say the animation remains incredible fluid and the art is still as vibrant and inviting as always while also being able to turn on a dime at any given moment and provide some truly stunning dark imagery. Overall the art is one of the only high points of this overall weak release.
Extras:
Madman didn’t help make this release any better by only including the bare essentials with this collection. Not only is this release without an English dub, it also features bugger all in terms of bonus content. All that we have included is your bog standard content like trailers and textless opening and endings. For the price tag, I honestly don’t feel this is even remotely close to value for money. Not only does the series take a noticeable downturn in quality in this part, but it is ultimately a bare bones release with little in the way of replay-ability There is very little here that earns it the hefty price tag and as such it’s a difficult collection to recommend to anyone who isn’t hardcore about GOSICK. Like the other aspects of the product, it’s just a disappointment.
Overall:
GOSICK Collection 2 is a a difficult product to recommend, due to the fact it’s not only expensive but also a relatively weak release as a whole. The series falls apart in terms of plot, there is next to no bonus content, there is no English dub and the soundtrack is incredibly poorly timed. It’s just a top to bottom disappointing release that honestly needed a little longer in the oven in many aspects. This is one best saved for those who are mad about GOSICK. Sure it’s disappointing, but hardcore fans will still get a kick out of it despite it’s overwhelming flaws. So if that isn’t you then what do you do? Well it’s simple really, it’s best you avoid this release. That was a pretty simple mystery to solve.
Blue Exorcist Collection 2 Studio:A1-Pictures Publisher:Madman Entertainment Format:DVD (Subtitles Only) Release Date:August 1, 2012 Price:$59.95 – Available Here
Overview:
Endings are hard. A good ending usually brings things full circle, both thematically and emotionally. Now that doesn’t sound too difficult right? When you’ve built things up over such a long period of time there is surely a pay off for it all at the end right? With Blue Exorcist Collection 2 wrapping things up for our Satan hatin’ heroes, does it stick the landing? Or does it fall completely flat on it’s exorcist face? Read on to find out.
Story:
The biggest hindrance that faced Blue Exorcist was simply the fact that the manga which it is an adaptation of, barely had as many chapters as the anime had episodes to work with. From the start we knew they would have to opt for an original ending or an abrupt cut-off point. The opted for the former and judging by what we got, it was definitely the wrong decision.
The focal point of the series is of course the two brothers, Rin and Yukio. Because of that, a lot rides on the chemistry between the brothers and the handling of their individual character journeys. It’s very disappointing to say the least that A1-Pictures utterly drops the ball in the final act of the series, by taking a route that goes entirely against these characters stories and personalities up to this point. In particular the way Yukio was handled in the final few episodes was simply appalling. It made him into nothing more than a prop which does not at all do justice to a character viewers have grown to care for over the course of the series.
Of course though, the major point of interest in this second half of the series is the battle with Satan. The moment promised from the very beginning. Instead of a proper cathartic conclusion to the Satan plot we have the plot thread dangled in front of us only to have A1-Pictures chicken out and drop it in the shows final moments. Is this how you bring things full circle? Is this how you provide a satisfying conclusion? No it isn’t. Instead what we get is riddled with cliche upon cliche and convenient plotting at it’s worst.
It’s truly a shame that a series with as much potential as this had to fall of the wagon in it’s final half, but as is with many adaptations, beginning an anime series based upon an unfinished manga, is just asking for trouble and that’s what Blue Exorcist got with it’s ending, trouble. It falls short of anything close to satisfying, leaving nothing but disappointment behind.
The biggest shame of all though is that this is a series that has spawned such a rabid fan-base and for this anime to end in such a way is rather disparaging for that huge fan-base that was hoping for something a little more satisfying and meaningful from this anime.
Visuals and Audio:
Artistically this half of Blue Exorcist is just as gorgeous as the first. The animation is fluid without any noticeable drops in quality and the character designs are just as unique and interesting. It’s hard to look past the visuals of Blue Exorcist as it’s really one of the series high notes. It’s consistent and in the day and age, that’s a feat in and of itself. To look this consistently stunning is so damn impressive, I just have to give A1-Pictures credit where it is due and they certainly earned it with the brilliant artwork and animation they have done for this anime.
The music in Blue Exorcist also continues to be great, with the second opening and ending doing a good job at setting the tone as well as standing on their own as great songs in their own right. On top of that the incidental tracks are brilliantly composed and perfectly timed with precision.
It really feels like A1-Pictures know how to do pull off great animation and soundtracks, but for the life of them they can’t write their own original plots when it comes to adaptations. It’s evident where there strong point lies when adapting material and it’s in the aesthetics. Give them the job of writing for someone else’s characters and disaster is sure to follow.
Extras:
Madman have done a pretty good job with Blue Exorcist Collection 2 in terms of special features as they have packed in a fair amount of extra content to satisfy fans of the series looking for some more bang for their buck. On disc you’ve got textless opening and ending themes (a standard inclusion for anime releases), web versions of the next episode previews and a special extra animation called Ura-Ex (B-Side Exorcist) which is some nice fan service.
As you can see this is a decent amount of bonus content, considering that this release is without an English dub (an issue plaguing many anime releases as of late). I can’t express this enough, but an English dub for big releases like this should be a given. Surely it wouldn’t have hurt them to simply wait for the American’s to finish the dubbing? Regardless there is enough content here to look past the troubling lack of English audio.
Overall:
Blue Exorcist Collection 2 has the unfortunate job of containing the lackluster ending to this series. If you have been following this anime and had high hopes for an amazing finish, I regret to inform you that what lies ahead is nothing short of a disappointment. This was an anime series brimming with potential but it all falls apart once A1-Pictures tries to make up their own story with these characters. They just don’t have good enough a grasp of who the characters are the series suffers because of it. If you have followed Blue Exorcist this far, you may as well finish things off, but prepare yourself for what is ultimately a very unfitting end to an anime series that was relatively good for the most part.
Many Christmas shopping parents and children might be disappointed this year, with the news that EB Games Australia will no longer be taking orders for Nintendo’s latest console as of tomorrow. Two weeks ago, EB Games Australia announced that the cutoff date for Wii U pre-orders was to be set for the 18th of November, less than two weeks from the console’s Aussie and Kiwi launch. EB Australia has confirmed that all existing orders will be covered on the launch day, but no mention has yet been made as to when the next shipment of stock will be available. This news comes following the noted shortages of stock in North America and Europe, as EB International and Gamestop also seem to have ordered out of their day one stock.
It has not yet been confirmed as to whether or not other retailers like JB HiFi have also ordered out, the odds are that if the country’s largest game retailer has run low on stock, you can bet that many others are likely to follow. Fingers crossed that further allocation will become available to shops (and Santa) before the holiday season comes to a close.
Microsoft and 343 Industries’ live-action web series that has Halo fans clamouring, more than ever, for a feature length Halo film, will be getting a home media release.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn will be coming to Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Download on December 4th, and will reportedly feature the approximately 15 minutes of unseen footage (true, except for those of us who own the Limited Edition of Halo 4) along with all the bonus behind-the-scenes extras that Halo 4 Limited Edition owners already have access to via the included redemption code, and viewable on Halo Waypoint.
The $10 million, 90 minute production, which was broken into five 15 minute long episodes (factor in the missing 15 minutes of footage!) for the web prior to the release of Halo 4, will be presented long-form on Home Media, as a film. Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director for 343 Industries – who also made a cameo in the series – stated: “This film has a TV-14 rating, and deals with some pretty grim subjects, but in the framework of the Halo universe…Our intent was to make it ‘feel’ like the same tone as the game, but with perhaps more emphasis on grittier, more human concepts, given the medium.”
The Blu-Ray and DVD versions can be pre-ordered here.
Microsoft and 343 Industries’ live-action web series that has Halo fans clamouring, more than ever, for a feature length Halo film, will be getting a home media release.