Over the weekend Namco Bandai revealed that anyone who purchases a launch copy of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 when it is released in March 2013 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be able to obtain a special costume for Naruto. This costume will have Naruto looking like Goku from Dragon Ball Z and some artwork of what he may look like in the game can be seen below.
Also found below are a number of brand new screenshots showing off the new group fight feature which allows the player to battle against many enemies at the same time and a new trailer as well.
As many of you know, New York Comic Con happened this past weekend and Namco Bandai has released a number of new English screenshots for the PlayStation 3 exclusive Tales of Xillia to close out the event. As you can see in the images below, Tales of Xillia is an absolutely beautiful looking game.
Also revealed via the press release from the company are a few official translations for characters and the world itself. The world itself is called “Rieze Maxia” rather than Liese Maxia and Elise Lutus will now be called Elize Lutus. These changes are nothing to be concerned about and are in fact somewhat expected considering Japanese to English translations usually see Ls being changed to Rs. Currently Tales of Xillia is set to be released sometime next year.
For all you hardcore Minecraft fans out there Ubisoft today has announced the creation of a map and texture pack for Minecraft inspired by the Far Cry 3 universe, which is to be released for free on PC on the 26th of October 2012.
This pack allows users to explore and survive the Minecraft experience through the warped lens of Far Cry 3, with modifications to all aspects of the original game, including environments, weapons and tools. Players can discover key Far Cry 3 locations and characters, including Vaas, Jason and Citra, all completely redesigned in Minecraft style. The map also features over 50 Easter Eggs, hidden throughout the Islands.
With the map modded by Michael Lambert (Sacr3, creator of Newcraft City), a well known Minecraft enthusiast, and artists Axel Janssen and Yohann Delcourt responsible for the textures, the Far Cry 3 inspired pack will be released for free on PC via the Far Cry official website.
Far Cry 3 is scheduled to release for the Microsoft’s Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on November 29, 2012.
Bethesda have just announced the launch trailer for DOOM 3 BFG Edition. DOOM 3 BFG Editionfeatures re-mastered versions of both DOOM 3 and the Resurrection of Evil add-on pack, as well eight new levels of content entitled ‘The Lost Mission.’ This edition will also include the original DOOM and DOOM 2 games, certainly making it the definitive collection of the genre-defining games developed by id Software, the pioneers of the first-person shooter genre.
Some more information about Doom 3 BFG is that it’s been Re-mastered for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, offering enhanced visuals further immersing you in the demonic world like never before. DOOM 3, Resurrection of Evil,and ‘The Lost Mission’have been optimized in 3D, featuring 5.1 surround sound, along with Xbox 360 Achievements, PlayStation 3 trophies, improved rendering and lighting, and a new check point save system allowing for smoother progression through the game. id Software has fine-tuned the controls to bring the intensity of the DOOM single and multiplayer experience to the consoles, and DOOM 3 now features the new armor-mounted flashlight, allowing players to illuminate dark corners and blast enemies at the same time.
With all these great new updates and features, picking up DOOM 3 BFG will be a totally enjoyable experience for both the new comers to the game and also seasoned veterans! Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think of it. And if you are also going to be picking this up on release day!
Ubisoft have released a brand new trailer ahead of the launch of Assassin’s Creed 3 which details the games impressive multiplayer component. The trailer promises a closer look at the various locales and character types available in the mode.
The trailer shows off a variety of different things possible with the Assassin’s Creed 3 multiplayer mode. We previously got our hands on the games multiplayer and previewed the mode which you can see here.
You can check out the Assassin’s Creed 3 multiplayer trailer below. Be sure to let us know what you think of the multiplayer trailer by leaving your thoughts in the comments section.
The Black Lion Trading Company is open for business, and business is available at a retail store near you. Before gems could only be purchased with real life money in game via credit cards or PayPal. Now an official Guild Wars 2 box withholding a serial key to unlock gems is available at select retailers across the globe. Once redeemed gems cannot be traded to other players or sold; however, gifting gems will be available in the near future.
Not in stock at your retailer? Just ask to see when their shipment of Guild Wars 2 gem cards is coming in. Further information regarding the use of the serial card can be found (here).
Reverb Publishing and Phoenix Online Studios are happy to announce a special pre-order deal for their upcoming release of Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller. The pre-order consists of the Cognition Season Pass that includes all four episodes, an exclusive prequel e-comic, and the soundtrack to episode 1 “The Hangman” for $24.99. Upon the launch of the title, episodes will individually cost $9.99, and the season pass will still be available but for $29.99.
Like many of you, I did not know what Cognition was all about. Cognition is a tale about an FBI agent named Erica Reed who has a spectacular ability to see into the past. Erica is tailing four serial killers and is picking up strange clues left in the past just for someone with her abilities. Agent Reed may have more than one person stalking her in this goosebumps, point-and-click adventure.
Pre-order Cognition Season Pass now for only $24.99 (here). Check out the chilling trailer below as Erica Reed slips into the past.
NBA 2K13 featuring JAY Z Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Sports Platform: Playstation 3 (Reviewed), Xbox 360, Wii U, PC Release Date: 5th October, 2012
Overview:
The NBA 2K franchise is now officially thirteen years old with the first game being released way back in 1999. Thirteen is widely considered to be an unlucky number, with a large amount of superstition surrounding it, especially when it comes to sports. The number itself has a great deal of connotations but more so in particular with basketball. Many NBA teams have retired the number 13 jersey for a variety of reasons.
The point I’m trying to make is that the number is said to be unlucky. Now that begs the question, are 2K sports unlucky when it comes to NBA 2K13? Or does luck not matter in the case of this game? The answer is no. NBA 2K13 is easily the best basketball game to date and there is nothing a silly superstition could do to stop that.
Gameplay:
What do you get when you combine the most polished and solid top to bottom basketball video-game to date with hip-hop and rap superstar Jay Z? Something simultaneously incredible and naggingly irritating. That something is of course NBA 2K13, an all round solid game with a little too much stroking of it’s apparent Executive Producer’s ego.
The title screen reads, NBA 2K13 Executively Produced by Jay Z. This title card essentially sets the tone for the game as a whole and thankfully at the end of the day the basketball comes first and the overbearing Jay Z comes second. But let’s talk a little bit about Jay Z before we get into how the game itself goes on the court.
Jay Z otherwise known as Kayne West’s best friend and the multi-million dollar rap artist who also happens to own the Brooklyn Nets, has a large hand in the cookie jar known as NBA 2K13. In fact he apparently served as executive producer on the game. Now I’m sure that right there is confusing enough in it’s own right. I mean, what does Jay Z know about game development? Thankfully not much because his appearance in the game was overbearing and intrusive enough as it is and I personally would not want him having too much a role in how the game plays. But unfortunately you can not play the game without being bombarded at times with the man and his posse of rapping friends. There music plays almost constantly, loading screens often feature music videos of his and he is even seen at court-side for some matches. But other than that, one can look past the somewhat obnoxious influence Jay Z has over this game although it is a relatively smart marketing move to bring him on board.
The game itself is great and continues to build upon and expand the tight formula that 2K Sports have built for years with this franchise. There isn’t any real ground-breaking features to speak of but there doesn’t need to be. This game takes the template set from previous instalments and adds a nice coat of polish to it.
The centre-piece of the entire experience is the My Career mode, which returns from NBA 2K12 (previously called My Player mode). The mode allows you to play as your own created character or play as a real life player. You begin this mode by playing a rookie try-out match which leads to various interviews with interested teams and ultimately leads to you being drafted onto a team that found your answers particularly appealing. After this you play through your career, which can involve changing teams down the line and of course developing your character over the course of the career through an RPG-like character building element. The character building allows you to increase your players stats and specialities. It works well and provides a great incentive to try and earn those precious points to build your player.
In this My Career mode there is also the option to create a shoe. I know this sounds like a ridiculously trivial mode and essentially it is, but there is something fun about creating your shoes to be used in a match, especially when you create something rather extravagant that stands out on the court (hot pink please?).
Besides the My Career mode there is of course your standard exhibition mode and online modes which aren’t really a whole lot different than what we have seen in the past. You can select your team (this time around there are legendary teams from the past that are selectable as well) and face off in your standard exhibition match, it is indeed good to flex your muscles and train yourself up a little before hitting the courts online with the more competitive players. Online works effectively the same as the exhibition mode except you are playing against others in a matchmaking scenario. Both modes are incredibly addictive and pleasure to play, especially for basketball fans such as myself.
From top to bottom this is easily the most refined and enjoyable NBA experience that 2K Sports have produced and there is nothing that the overwhelming amount of Jay Z can do to hide that fact.
Visuals and Audio:
Aesthetically NBA 2K13 does not disappoint in the slightest, it is damn near photo-realistic and really immerses you into it’s atmosphere. That in itself says leaps and bounds about the visual experience provides in this game. If you are looking for realism in your sports titles, you can’t do much better than this. 2K Sports have pushed the machines to their utmost limits here and the result is phenomenal.
As previously mentioned the game features a soundtrack heavily influenced by and featuring Jay Z. Now if you like Jay Z and his music then this will be a real treat for you. However if you don’t happen to be a fan of him or his buddies Kanye and P.Diddy then you’re gonna have a bad time, because there are about 3 or 4 songs on the games soundtrack that don’t fit into the genre or discography of these people. If you can look past it though you should be able to enjoy the game for what it is. Unfortunately though the soundtrack is incredibly lacking in variety and features more Jay Z tracks than was really necessary. It gets to the point where you wonder why Jay Z had such a heavy influence over the game and why he was allowed to fill half the game’s soundtrack with his own tunes. If that’s not stroking his own ego then I don’t know what is.
At the end of the day, despite how overbearing, intrusive and sometimes insulting Jay Z’s appearance within the game may be, beneath the music is a damn good game. It’s just a shame that the soundtrack is so heavily unbalanced in comparison to past instalments of NBA 2K.
Overall:
From top to bottom, NBA 2K13 is a solid game that builds upon and expands it’s proven formula to great result. It is bogged down by a superstars imposing ego, but that can be overlooked because the game itself is good enough stand on it’s own without the name Jay Z attached.
If you buy these games every year then I’m sure this year will be no different. 2K Sports struck gold yet again with the NBA 2K franchise and this is quite simply the best basketball game on the market. It’s just that simple. If you love basketball, or heck even if you love Jay Z, this game is definitely worth a look in.
My question now is, how does 2K Sports top this? Can they keep on slam dunking or will they miss the lay up next time? Regardless of the next title, this game stands as a shining example of a sports game done right.
Hm, usually a company waits until a game is about to be released before releasing a launch trailer but considering just how excited people are for Call of Duty: Black Ops II it seems that Activision and Treyarch simply provided the supply to all of the fans’ demands.
The launch trailer can be seen below and it contains so much action and fancy gadgets that you may need to watch it three times simply to see everything that is shown, including things such as rocket jetpacks, wing suits, robotic bugs and more. As for the game itself, Call of Duty: Black Ops II is set to be released next month on November 13th.
Players that haven’t gotten a serious fix of Serious Sam in a while should be happy to hear that they can get a solid helping with the new DLC that just hit for Serious Sam 3: BFE for PC. Serious Sam 3: Jewel of the Nile adds plenty of new content in the form of 3 campaign missions, 7 versus maps, and 3 survival maps. And what better way to see what the DLC has to offer than a video showing off all it’s got.
The DLC isn’t all there is for Serious Sam news though as in addition Steam is having a Midweek Madness sale that has put Serious Sam games at 75% off. If you’ve been looking to get into the series this may be the perfect chance, but act fast as the deals only last until the end of the week. Check out the DLC on Steam HERE and the other Serious Sam games while you’re there, as well as watching the DLC launch trailer embedded below.
