This is the 63rd Capsule Computers Gaming Podcast and I’m running out of witty things to say. Enjoy it. Or don’t. It’s up to you really. I like watermelon.
Cast: Luke Halliday, Travis Bruno and Dustin Spencer; hosted by: Benjamin Webb.
Music for this podcast is from: Halo: Combat Evolved
Thanks for listening and let us know what you think!
Send all your video game or podcast questions, hints, suggestions, answers to questions and feedback to [email protected]
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
NEW PRIZE ANNOUNCED
Each week, thanks to Razer, we will be giving away a prize a week competition held through Capsule Computers Gaming Podcast.
To win, simply listen to the podcast for the weekly question and SPECIAL CODE, once you have it send us an email with your name and address to [email protected], make sure you include the secret code. At the end of the week, a winner will be randomly selected from the pool of entries. The winner will then be announced on the next podcast.
This week, we’ll be giving away the awesome Razer DeathAdder, thanks to our good friends at Razer.
Thanks for listening. Copyright Capsule Computers Pty Ltd – All Rights Reserved. All Other Samples Are Copyright And Property Of Their Official Copyright Holders.
THQ have a lot of expectations riding on their shoulders for both WWE 13, and Metro: Last Light as those two blockbusters are needed to keep the company running smoothly for at least the rest of 2013. During E3, it was announced that Last Light would be seeing a multiplayer mode of some sort, but now it appears that has not panned out and the development team would be using their resources to focus on the game’s single player experience.
Here is the official statement as it appears on Metro’s official website:
Since our E3 demo back in June, many of you have been asking about the multiplayer component of Metro: Last Light. We wanted to share some information with you, the Metro community, first.
Throughout the development of Metro: Last light a small, dedicated team had been working on a number of multiplayer prototypes. After E3, we decided to fold this multiplayer team back into the main group and focus 100% of the studio’s resources on the single player campaign. As a result, Metro: Last Light will not ship with a multiplayer component.
Your response to our E3 demo made it very clear that although there was a lot of interest and intrigue around Metro’s multiplayer, the single player campaign is what the fanbase cares about the most.
Some may find this news gloomy – but I can easily say that this makes me much more hopeful for Last Light. While THQ can certainly pull off some decent multiplayer experiences, Metro does not need anything other than single player as this franchise is about atmosphere – first and foremost. I know this must be killing Mr. Online Pass who seems to have a grip on the publisher, but I feel that Metro will do just fine without the tacked in add-on and those who have been shy to look into the game should do so with haste as there is a damn fine product emerging as it is. Metro: Last Light is due out in early 2013.
Microsoft have just revealed their Xbox Music service. This service is set to provide an easy way to listen to all of your favourite songs across multiple Microsoft devices. They are promising integration between several of their platforms, including: Xbox 360, Windows 8 and Windows RT devices.
The service is subscription based and costs $11.99 which allows you to store songs for offline access as well as allowing you to bypass ads. There is also a free version of the service that has ads and limited functionality. There is also a store that allows you to purchase music you listen to.
The following is a complete list of features –
Free streaming1 music on Windows 8 and Windows RT. Enjoy on-demand access to millions of songs for free on all Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets and PCs. Discovering and enjoying free music on Windows 8 and Windows RT is as easy as typing an artist or song name and hitting “play” — songs are instantly available to stream and for you to create an unlimited amount of playlists.
Xbox Music Pass. Want unlimited access to the songs and artists you care about, including offline access? Get an Xbox Music Pass for ad-free, unlimited playback of any track in our subscription catalogue across your tablet, PC, phone and Xbox 3601 for AUD$11.99 per month.2 Xbox Music Pass also unlocks unlimited access to tens of thousands of music videos on your Xbox 360.
Xbox Music Store. Want to own the music you love? The Xbox Music Store is a comprehensive MP3 marketplace giving you the opportunity to purchase a single track or entire album on your Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet or PC and Windows Phone 8.
Smart DJ. Creating a new form of artist-based radio, the Smart DJ feature is a quick and dynamic way to personalise your collection, discover new favourites and create ultimate playlists by launching instant mixes based on your favourite artists. With unlimited skips and a view of the full recommended music stream, Smart DJ puts you in control of your Internet radio experience.
Cloud Storage. Available in the coming year, a scan-and-match feature will take you beyond the 30 million tracks globally offered through Xbox Music. It will add all the music you own to your Xbox Music cloud catalogue, including music acquired through other services. This means you can add almost any content you have to your personal Xbox Music collection, even if it’s not available in the Xbox Music catalogue.
Social Music. Xbox Music will add unique social features in the coming year that let you share your music experiences with friends and family.
Platform Expansion. Xbox Music will become available on other platforms in the coming year.
Be sure to update your Xbox when it’s time to update for your access to this service.
Marvel had some big announcements at the New York Comic Con today. They announced the new Spec Ops 4 Missions starring Ghost Rider and the Spirit of Vengeance item for Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook. Players will be able to defeat Baron Mordo, Satana, and Mephisto while earning Psylocke, Union Jack, Captain Britain, Black Knight, Vision, and Cable.
Avengers Initiative received some love during the announcements too. A brand new trailer featuring the next star of the first Avengers Initiative content update has been released. Captain America, the first Avenger, will join Hulk in bashing heads in for S.H.I.E.L.D. and rounding up those escaped villains. Check out the trailer below. Check out our review of Avengers Initiative here.
In addition, Marvel XP is getting a small update too. Players who defeat Hulkbuster Iron Man in Avengers Initiative will receive the Iron Man Mark V armor in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
Here is our first look at Thor: The Dark World via official plot synopsis, more than a year out from its official release date. It doesn’t offer anything new, but it does confirm what we suspected, and that is a good thing. Read it here;
‘Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.”
Now that the Avengers is done and dusted, it will be great to see the God of Thunder going mano-a-hammer against the forces of evil in his own movie. And why save one world when you can save nine? Thor will come swinging into cinemas November 7, 2013.
Welcome to the fourth episode of The Gaming Connection with me as your host, Benjamin “LinkageAX” Webb. This week we look at the EB Games Expo held in Sydney this year. What happened at the expo? Was it fun? Did anyone get hurt? Find out the answers to these questions and more within this video.
Gameplay is included.
The Episode is titled The Gaming Connection with LinkageAX – LAN Gaming. Hope you enjoy it!
This weeks agenda is as follows –
The Gaming Connection – With LinkageAX.
Topic: EBGames Expo
Agenda –
Opening
– Intro to clip-reel.
Middle
– Clip Reel
Ending
– Close-up of my ass.
Just remember guys, you can contact me on Twitter with any feedback and responses for the show @LinkageAX. You can also reach me privately at my email address [email protected].
The opinions shared in this series are my own and not reflect the views of Capsule Computers as a whole. Check out the video embedded below for this weeks Gaming Connection goodness.
FIFA 13 Developers: EA Canada Publishers: EA Sports Platforms: PlayStation 3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Mac OS X Release Date: 25/09/2012 Price: $50.46 (PS3/Xbox 360, Available Here)
Overview
Another year, another season of football is upon us. It also means another iteration of FIFA. FIFA 13 on the console and PC is quite beautiful like a Christiano Ronaldo free kick when it hits the back of the net. Changes on the pitch, including Attacking Intelligence and the Physical Impact Engine, brings the realism of football a little closer to the virtual space. Career Mode is better than ever, with changes coming for Ultimate Team and Football Club. The addition of Skill Games is also welcomed. But is this enough to lift this year’s cup or will FIFA 13 suffer a heartbreaking defeat?
Gameplay
While it isn’t truly groundbreaking, EA has improved significantly with the additions in gameplay on the pitch. I have already touched on these elements when I did try out the game before release. Not much has changed since then, but I am still impressed with the changes. First Touch Control helps recreates the realism of a real football match by adding a sense of unpredictability into a player’s first touch with the ball. Instead of the football acting like a magnet as it touches the feet of a player, the player will try their best to bring the ball under their control. Whether it is successful or not is determined by various factors, such as pressure from opposition and the pass itself, as well as the skill level of the player in question. Complete Dribbling is one of my favourite additions to FIFA 13. It truly brings 360O dribbling to the virtual space. I loved it when my player would move to the side, looking for an opening to burst past the defender. It added unpredictability to the game. Would I pass this player or not? There was only one way to find out.
The Player Impact engine brings in an added physical element. The animations with the struggle for the ball were well executed. The updated engine includes situations off the ball. As in real football, defenders would only need to put attackers under pressure to force a poor touch. The same thing happens in FIFA 13 and it is great to see that. Attacking Intelligence provides the player various options in attack, allowing more creative attacking plays to fool your opposing defence. Then there are the new Tactical Free Kicks, which allow up to three players over the ball. Execute this right and watch the ball fly towards goal and hit the back of the net. I was able to execute this as Robin Van Persie in his brand new Manchester United uniform.
Career Mode is the gem in FIFA 13. The player can only choose between a player and a manager, so the player manager is scrapped, but who plays as a player manager? The reason this was scrapped has to be a feature fans have been longing for, like Arsenal fans and trophies. International duty has been added to Career Mode and it is excellent to see that. As a player, you are consigned to one international team (if the international team is available in the game) which makes sense. The manager can choose any international team so long they put forward an offer. Competitions, like the World Cup, are featured in Career Mode (unlicensed, which is strange). This doesn’t just include the main competition. It also includes the qualifiers. But international duty doesn’t come by so easily. Reputation must be built up before being considered, which is sensible as, in real life, it is rare to see an unproven manager suddenly take the reigns of an international team.
But international duty isn’t the only headlining act of Career Mode. The transfer market has been revamped. Managers can now negotiate a deal through perceived value rather than a fixed value like FIFA 12. Counteroffers can be made and the manager could also offload a player to sweeten the deal, just like the trade between Zlatan Ibrahimović (Internazionale to Barcelona) and Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona to Internazionale) back in 2009. This makes the market a lot more competitive and unpredictable. Some minor additions, such as the ability to accept a job in the middle of the season (manager) and the ability to have European club competitions in the first season, have been added. Players also have personal and club objectives to achieve each season. These will differ based on the position of the player. All in all, Career Mode is robust, executed with excellence and one of the best EA have ever implemented.
Ultimate Team, Football Club – Of course, FIFA 13 is more than Career Mode and quick play. Ultimate Team is back this year and this time it is about getting more people involved. A neat feature within Ultimate Team is Icebreaker Flow. This feature allows players to ease into Ultimate Team and really give it a go. For veterans, it’s business as usual. EA Football Club, introduced last year, also returns. For those with FIFA 12, your level does transfer over and you get a bonus as well. New to the Football Club is the catalogue, where one can purchase items that affect their Career Mode, their created player or even classic kits, going way back to the late 1800’s. Another neat addition is Match Day, where, during exhibition, one can play as the teams in their current form, reflecting the real world. Teams will go up and down based on current form and this is an excellent addition. It is easy to implement as well. Just hit a button on the team select screen to turn it on.
Then there are the Skill Games. These are available from the menu or while a match is loading. Skill Games are basically FIFA 13’s competitive tutorial. They will make you go through the basics of football, such as shooting, passing and crossing into the box. Players will perform tasks and will be rewarded with points. There are four levels for each Skill Game: bronze, silver, gold and a special challenge where the player will bring in the skills they have learned and try to obtain a high score. They are surprisingly fun. It also helps that it brings a new level of accessibility for new players. I will also recommend it to veterans of the FIFA game. They help bring a certain finesse to their game. An excellent addition to the franchise and I hope it makes a return next year.
Visuals
The visuals are clean, slick and nice, which is what one would expect from a console/PC FIFA game. Character models have the likeness of the player they are representing (most of the time). The new additions to gameplay bring in more animations and they are quite smooth when they are executed. The menus received a nice change and they look good. Stadiums are always as impressive as well as the new kits. Career Mode received a bit of a facelift too. It’s presented in a slick way and not as cluttered.
Audio
FIFA 13 features roughly 50 tracks from around the world. As with all music, what one likes another would prefer to listen to something completely different. Nonetheless, this year’s soundtrack is pretty good. EA chose some good tracks for the game. More importantly, the team of Martin Tyler and Alan Smith bring the best in terms of commentary. They are joined by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend as a selectable team. In addition to the match commentary, one will receive commentary based on upcoming fixtures and results, draws for cups and even injuries, both out of and in the game. This is an excellent addition, but goal news can be vague if involving some of the lesser teams. The crowds bring the atmosphere of a real football match.
Overall
FIFA 13 outdoes its predecessor in several fields of gameplay, visuals and audio. The new additions to gameplay, such as Attacking Intelligence and Complete Dribbling, brings the FIFA franchise closer than ever to realistic football in the virtual space. The plethora of game modes means that there is a lot to do in the game, including challenges, an excellent Career Mode and accessibility to both Ultimate Team and the game in general through Skill Games. Even Football Club was given more features to contend with. Add in slick visuals and excellent audio and FIFA 13 should be considered the champion of the virtual football arena for 2012.
FIFA 13 Developers: EA Canada Publishers: EA Sports Platforms:PlayStation 3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Mac OS X Release Date: 25/09/2012 Price: $39.96 (Available Here)
Overview
Another year, another season of football is upon us. It also means another iteration of FIFA. Yes, even though the Vita is only eight months old (in the West), EA has released a second iteration in the series, after the launch title FIFA Football. Back then, I gave FIFA Football an 8, as it brought a solid footballing experience on the portable front. FIFA 13 does bring a solid footballing experience because it is a carbon copy of FIFA Football, right down from the now year old FIFA 12 engine and the basic Career Mode. No Attacking Intelligence, no international duty in Career Mode, no Football Club. Instead, we get FIFA Football repackaged as FIFA 13.
Gameplay
Usually I will break down the gameplay, but I would be repeating my words from my FIFA Football review. Yes, the gameplay is solid, but it is a recycle of gameplay from a previous FIFA Vita game. Considering I also possess the Playstation 3 version, going back and forth between the versions is quite hard. The Vita can handle console experiences; a few games (such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss) are out there that prove this point. I suggest you read my review of FIFA Football for more details on gameplay. Vita owners should have been treated to some Attacking Intelligence. The Player Impact Engine should have made an appearance. Even Complete Dribbling would have been something. To top off the laziness that EA blatantly showed off in FIFA 13 Vita, the statistics of each player comes from FIFA Football. Take Wayne Rooney, for example. The console version rates Rooney with an Overall of 88. In the Vita version, he is only rated 85. The databases are not even updated to today’s statistics.
Game modes are the exact same as FIFA Football. There is Career Mode, where you can take the reigns of a player, manager and a player manager. If you expect international duty and a fierce transfer market, then walk away. All the features in this iteration’s Career Mode are found in FIFA Football/FIFA 12. Transfers are superficial as it is all about matching (or going above) the transfer value, tweaking your team and just simulating to the next match day. This makes the Career Mode redundant and repetitive and that’s disappointing. Being a manager is a highlight in FIFA and for EA to achieve redundancy to that is an achievement in its own right. However, unlike winning the UEFA Champions League, this is one achievement that no one should be proud of.
Then there is the lack of game modes that could work and this is where EA really dropped the ball. Ultimate Team is picking up steam as a favourite game mode in the FIFA series. Taking Ultimate Team on the go would have been fantastic. So would have taking Football Club on the go. Better yet, this is where the connectivity of the Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita could have been heralded. If Ultimate Team was included and allowed connectivity with the PS3, that would help bring more people into the mode. Imagine being able to manage and play Ultimate Team on the bus or train. Same thing could be said with EA Football Club. Players should be earning points on the go as well as playing at home. This was a missed opportunity that EA seemed to overlook. Maybe FIFA 14 will incorporate these features, but if this year’s iteration is anything to go bye, I wouldn’t count on it.
Visuals
There isn’t much to say when it comes to the visuals for FIFA 13. Not much has changed, just like the rest of the game. I would say that the animation is a little sharper and the character models do look slightly cleaner compared to FIFA Football. Of course, the visuals are the best for any portable FIFA iteration. There is no denying how impressive the stadiums, the players and their kits do look. Some menus do scream FIFA 13 as they do look like the console counterparts (the main menu bar is the perfect example). Nonetheless, every single aspect of visuals, such as the overall presentation and the animations all come from FIFA Football.
Audio
The audio department also suffered. Martin Tyler and Alan Smith return to the commentary box, but they are alone. Once again, the option to choose them or the team of Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend is not present. The additional commentary for Career Mode, where you are updated on results during the game and any injury updates, are missing entirely. Even the specific Career Mode commentary from Tyler and Smith didn’t make the cut. To be fair, the Career Mode specific commentary can be hit or miss. The EA soundtrack is only eight tracks, compared to the console versions with at least 50 tracks. The option to use custom music is not available in game either. With that said, the Vita does allow users to play their own tracks via the Music application. Still, it would have been nice to add the option to blast out some music after scoring a spectacular goal.
Overall
This is EA saying that they don’t think the Vita is a viable platform to really focus development on. If it was, then this review would be more positive as it would be taking elements from the console versions. Instead, we get an inexcusable excuse that is FIFA 13 Vita. Everything, right down from the menus, visuals, commentary and gameplay, comes from FIFA Football. Mind you, this is still the best FIFA experience on the go, but, in this case, this is not saying much. Vote with your wallets and do not give in. If you have FIFA Football, keep it and update the rosters yourselves. If not, buy FIFA Football anyway. Your wallet will thank you for it.
Zen Pinball 2 Developer: Zen Studios Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform: Playstation 3(reviewed)/Playstation Vita Release: September 5 2012 Price: Free
Overview
It may come as no surprise to hear that Zen Pinball 2 is the sequel to Zen Pinball. It may surprise you however; to find out that Zen Studio’s second installment in simulated pinball fun is in fact, free. Those with a Playstation 3 or Vita can get the game for free – well, I say game. Really Zen Pinball 2 is an arcade to house all those pinball machines purchased ever so long ago. Anyone who has already purchased the first game or Marvel Pinball can import his or her downloaded tables into this brand new shiny room.
Gameplay
People know how to play pinball right? You’ve seen those machines in cafes/arcades/wherever. They sit in the corner, taking up space and gathering dust – begging for gold coins to make them light up and for a brief moment, be granted life once more. An array of mesmerising lights, sounds, the frantic pushing of buttons as you shake the machine in frustration. Well, Zen Pinball 2 is no different. Except for the machine, and lights, and buttons, and everything physical that makes pinball so enjoyable. Instead of two small buttons flanking a large machine, the R1 and L1 Buttons of the Playstation3 controller serve as flipper control. There is no large pull of a release, instead a simple a tap of a button will suffice. So, reflecting on this, no Zen Pinball 2 is nothing like playing a pinball machine.
But all the skill-based mechanics are still there. The timing, the precision, the physics of the ball’s movement – all of which are simulated fantastically. But what would be the point in creating a pinball simulation? Zen Pinball goes one step further, adding goal-based elements to each table. The Avengers try and stop the evil Loki, perform combos in Street Fighter, use plants to defeat zombies. All these small narratives can be performed on a range of tables made available. Finding out what the table is all about is pretty easy, just press start and there you have it, the story related to each table. Some are a little easier than others of course. The Marvel Avengers table assigns characteristics to a number of different balls, and each ball needs to go a certain place on the table. It’s easy to ignore all these and just go for the top score – but it’s nice to have the option and to note the effort Zen Studios have put into the game to make it more than just a pinball simulator.
Visuals
As with the majority of pinball machines, in my opinion, Zen Pinball 2 boasts a dazzling display of lights and sounds. Of course there are different tables to choose from, each with their own unique style, so it is a little difficult to discuss the visual style as a whole. But overall, each table is designed with a theme in mind, and each table achieves that theme. The Marvel tables are littered with superheros and villains, flashing lights, the whole deal. There is a terrific attention to detail – with characters drawn all over the tabletops, as well as standing century in positions around the table. These larger characters often or not animated – of course most of these need to be triggered via an event. Plants Versus Zombies sees a hoard of zombies burst from the ground, ready to be knocked down by an equally detailed ball. The tables themselves – by which I mean the bumpers, flippers, and other essential pinball elements – all personify the theme of the table. In short, there is a huge attention to detail, and it’s hard to allow that to go unnoticed.
Audio
Similar to the visual style of the game, the audio emulates a pinball table to the best of its ability. Clangs, tilts, buzzing and sirens – an array of mechanical melodies for you to enjoy. Not only this, but each table again, has music and voice acting to convey the story or theme of the table. Characters will converse, sometimes not very friendly, the AI will narrate any bonus that is made, and thematic rock music are just some of the lovely audio features the game has to offer.
Overall
If you like pinball, this game is a must. A lot of tables are not just based on characters, but now have their very own stories. There are animated elements to convey the narrative, coupled with series of dialogues. Not to mention the amazing detail that has gone into each and every table. The tactile nature of the machine is gone, and nothing that Zen Studios do can bring that back. But they do a great job creating something new and extending the pinball simulator genre. Hey, it’s a lot cheaper than sinking all those coins into an actual machine.
Welcome to my weekly JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure episode impressions. This week, I go through episode 2 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. What did I think of the episode? Watch below to find out.
Got any questions for Anime Say? You can send me a tweet on my official twitter or alternatively drop me an email at [email protected]. I will do my best to respond to your tweets and emails as well as try read some out on the show.
What do you think of this episode impression? Let us know in the comments section below.
