If you happened to enjoy playing Rainbow Moon on the PlayStation 3, or better yet, never played it at that time, then you will be happy to hear that it will be coming to the PlayStation Vita sometime in 2013. EastAsiaSoft and SideQuest Studios revealed today that the strategy RPG will be “most likely a direct port” of the PS3 version but considering how successful the PS3 version was, then this is probably for the best.
The company has stated that the reason for the Vita version was thanks to the fact that they received strong user feedback and large success for the PS3 version. Those curious about our review of the PlayStation3 version of the game can find it here.
Sometime during Dead or Alive 5’s development Team Ninja wanted to move away from having over-sexualized female characters, but anyone who has played the game so far will probably realize that that has become something of a moot point. What made them change their minds? Well according to Dead or Alive 5 director Yohei Shimbori, fan feedback.
In an interview with Gamasutra, Shimbori stated that Team Ninja received feedback from Western gamers saying they wanted to keep the “sexiness” turned up. To be a bit more specific he said that “We were getting feedback from the overseas offices to tone down the sexuality—to tone down the sexiness of the game, and of the characters. We actually got a lot of feedback from people who were playing it, saying, ‘We want bigger breasts. Make the characters more like that.’ That was kind of surprising.”
Honestly, if gamers want bigger breasts then let them have their cheesecake. Dead or Alive has always been a series that contains a lot of fan service and anyone picking up the game at this point should know what to expect… a tight fighting game with enjoyable combat and plenty of eye candy.
If you happen to be a fan of the anime Nyarko-san: Another Crawling Chaos, also known as Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, which aired earlier during the Spring anime season, then you will be happy to hear that the countdown on the anime’s official website has ended and revealed that a second season of the anime has been approved.
Currently it is unknown when the anime will start airing, though it will probably occur sometime late 2013. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san has so far gone unlicensed in the West, which is a true shame considering it was an excellent series with plenty of references to other anime, though it was available for streaming on Crunchyroll while it was airing in Japan.
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san draws a lot of references from H.P Lovecraft’s works, but rather than the characters being nightmaric creatures, they are moe female characters with special powers that begin circling around a certain boy.
Borderlands 2 Developer:Gearbox Software Publisher: 2K Games Platforms:PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date:September 18, 2012 Price: $59.99 – Available Here
Overview: There are many games that are eventually held up as genre defining titles, however every so often a game comes along that goes beyond defining a genre and instead shatters the boundaries of genre and becomes something outstanding. Back in 2009 a game was released that created an entirely new experience that combined engrossing gameplay with excellent multiplayer. Now three years later Gearbox has brought us a sequel to that game in the form of Borderlands 2. Does Borderlands 2 surpass its predecessor? Let’s find out.
Story: Five years have passed since the events of Borderlands 1 and Pandora has become a planet overrun by the Hyperion Corporation which is led by a man named Handsome Jack. However rumors of another, even larger vault, existing on Pandora quickly bring more Vault Hunters to the planet looking for perhaps the rarest treasure in the entire world.
This draws the attention of four new vault hunters in the form of Axton, Salvadore, Zer0 and Maya who quickly discover that there are more than bandits and beasts to deal with on Pandora. Hyperion and Handsome Jack have Pandora staring down the barrel of a gun as they mine Eridium from the planet, forcing the inhabitants to either deal with it or die. Players will quickly be drawn into the struggle that the resistance faces against Handsome Jack and it is one that not only contains multiple plot twists but also expands upon the previous game.
While Borderlands 1 may have had an introduce and forget type of storyline, where players would often have only one simple goal and just a few things standing in their way, Borderlands 2 provides constant narrative about the events going on around the player, even expanding upon the events of Borderlands 1 and the original characters and providing more of a story than the first game ever did, making the main quest a joy to experience and the only thing that may side-track a player from working through them quickly are the hilarious and varied side-quests that can be accepted and completed.
Players will encounter a large number of eccentric characters along their journey to bring down Handsome Jack that need things done. What sets these characters apart is the fact that most of them have mini side-stories of their own and also have plenty of comedic dialogue. Now I’m not talking about standard people either, but people like Tiny Tina who happens to be a child with a precocious little girl who loves to blow things up, Scooter the redneck mechanic and even a few old faces appear.
While the main storyline and the side-quests create a compelling storyline, they wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t for the fact that Handsome Jack is perhaps one of the best antagonists in recent memory. He is not only humorous, but also hell bent on making sure that anyone who gets in his way is stopped, preferably while he sarcastically mocks them over their radio. His cruel and twisted personality make him someone you just love to hate but simply cannot get enough of.
Visuals: One thing that is quite noticeable to anyone who has ever looked at Borderlands in any way is the fact that the game features a cartoonish art style with plenty of bright colors. Thankfully the game is practically eye candy with how great it looks on televisions and thanks to the art style the developers could obviously take some liberties with character design, making some enemies more cartoonish and hilarious than they would have been able to pull off with any other style.
It is worth noting that unlike Borderlands 1, the massive amount of guns that the player will now come across often have a number of visual differences making almost every gun you acquire different from the last, even if it is the same type. Plus, gamers can now customize their character slightly with unlocked color skins and hairstyles to give their Vault Hunter a personal touch.
Audio: While the playable characters in the game are still giving little actual voicework, the rest of the characters in the game have been given excellent voice work. The aforementioned Handsome Jack’s personality truly shines thanks to the voice actor’s work with the character. The amount of humor that can be found within the confines of Borderlands 2’s dialogue works flawlessly thanks to the quality found in this department.
Outside of the voice work, the game features some rather standard background music which can be forgetful at times, though the game does feature some stellar sound effects which shine the brightest during hectic fights with four players taking on a mob of enemies.
Gameplay: As before, gamers will be able to select from four different vault hunters to choose from and while some of these characters bear some similarities to the playable characters in the first title, they are diversified enough to make each character a new experience. It also helps that the loot system has been revamped and players can find themselves struggling to pick certain items to accentuate the skills they’ve already trained.
Besides shooting enemies in the face, one of the biggest draws in the original Borderlands was the loot system and no one will be disappointed with the amount and quality of the loot they’ll find inside of Borderlands 2. Each piece of equipment has been made flashier in more ways than one and also diversified, often offering huge bonuses with minor drawbacks. Players can find special shields that provide extensive protection at the cost of health or grenade types that will split up into seven smaller grenades, seek out enemies and suck their health out for the player but ultimately do less damage than a standard explosive grenade.
The way that this is often handled is through a “Manufacturer” label that is placed on nearly every item in the game, especially when it comes to guns. Each type of manufacturer will have a special traight or stat adjustment, like Hyperion guns becoming more accurate while you shoot, Jakobs guns shooting as fast as you can pull the trigger for large amounts of damage but constant reloading, Maliwan types which deal in elemental damage, Bandit guns with misspelled names but more bullets and so on.
Players will quickly understand certain manufacturers which will allow for a faster item analysis, but there is just so much loot to be found that players will spend plenty of time seeing if this shotgun that shoots seven explosive rockets but has to be reloaded each shot is better than their SMG that fires corrosive bullets with a large magazine. Given that there is practically an endless flow of weapons you never know what will pop out of the latest bandit you turned to slag with your powers.
While side-quests may be something that is standard in every game, these diversions in Borderlands 2 not only provide some extra story but also are so varied that you will never have a clue as to what you are going to be doing next. There are your standard kill X amount of enemies or gather Y amount of items, however these are usually spiced up by making the items something hilarious. However there are also a number of varied side-quests as well, including racing, a few mysteries that have to be solved and even one where you simply have to shoot a guy in the face.
While most players may be able to make their character into a walking power house capable of holding its own against the forces of Pandora, the fun really starts when gamers jump online with co-op partners. As before up to four people can play in one game at any given time and there are no level restrictions, meaning a level twenty player can join a level ten game and joining and leaving games has never felt smoother as the transition is hardly noticeable.
Borderlands 2 balances out co-op partners by increasing the difficulty of the enemies that they will be facing off against as well as the amount of enemies, but also rewards co-op play with stronger loot. Of course this does mean you’ll have to share the loot however so hopefully you’re playing with some good friends who like to share. However even if your items happen to be looted on accident, Borderlands 2 features a simple trade system to trade items and money with fellow players.
Overall: Borderlands 2 does more than any fan of the first game could have ever hoped. Not only do we find more refined loot and gunplay systems but gamers are finally given plenty of hilarious side-quests and even a fleshed out and intriguing main storyline which was something its predecessor lacked entirely. With new characters and abilities to take down the bandits and creatures of Pandora with, countless hours to be spent playing with others and enough loot to fill the Atlantic Ocean, Borderlands 2 offers an experience unlike any other and one that should not be missed.
Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC will be discounted this week, so fans of the game and/or series can be sure to check out the sale. There are a lot of different DLC available, from the crossover Mass Effect armor, to enemies in the coliseum. Obviously, with all the DLC to pick from Square Enix decided to be nice and list off a few suggestions of what they feel is the best.
Fans of the story will find a lot of fun with the “Lightning: Requiem of the Goddess” DLC, which is currently priced at 200 MS Points for Xbox 360 or AUD$2.95 / NZD$3.40 for PSN. Best for those that have completed the main story and are wanting more of Lightning. Completing Lightning’s story with specific requirements will also net players a warrior in divine armor to join their party.
Those players interested in Snow can download the “Snow: Perpetual Battlefield” DLC for 160 MS Points for Xbox 360 or AUD$2.45 / NZD$2.90 for PSN. Get a hold of the crystal by competing and winning in battles to gain Snow as a party member.
“Sazh: Heads or Tails?” is available for 200 MS Points on XBox 360 or AUD$2.95 / NZD$3.40 for PSN, letting players unlock more fun in the casino, as well as a new episode featuring Sazh in Serendipity. Completing the new episode is even kind enough to unlock Sazh to join you as an ally.
The deals only last a week, so be sure to check out all the discounted Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC right away.
Yesterday, the first Zombies Mode trailer was revealed for Black Ops II. It looked quite awesome, but we were still in the dark about a lot of features Treyarch have packed into this year’s entry. That has all changed today, however, as a ton of details have came out on multiplayer in general, and what players can expect to see within Call of Duty’s most played mode – as well as the entire disc as a hole.
The first big upgrade is the all new Create A Class, which will feature the “pick-10” allocation system, allowing an unprecedented number of combinations of create-a-class content. You see, every piece of content is worth one point, and you can spend your 10 points in any way you like, encouraging a greater level of customization for individual play styles. Adding to this, the Wildcard feature allows players to “extend the system” and configure classes in more unique ways – players can take multiple perks from one category, equip their primary with three attachments, carry two lethals, and more.
Kill Streaks have also gotten a revamp, along with perks of course, and the deets on the bonuses are pretty savory, to say the least:
Guardian – A high-powered microwave turret used for crowd control that emits an intense directed energy wave, used to block navigation routes.
Swarm – Kamikaze Hunter Killer drones attack enemies and enemy equipment in a morale destroying swarm.
Interactivity: Commandeer a Hellstorm Missile and guide it to its path, or disperse a cluster of bombs and try to take out multiple enemies – the ultimate risk/reward scenario. Also, take control of a VTOL Warship and rain steel from above.
Player or AI-Controlled: Take control or let it do the work for you – engage the AGR (Autonomous Ground Robot), a sentry drone which will fight autonomously on the player’s behalf, or can be user-controlled. Sentry Guns work the same way.
Player-Controlled: Harness the power of the MQ-27 Dragonfire, a remote-controlled quad rotor with a light machine gun that can surgically eliminate targets on the ground. Use the Lodestar to find, hunt and kill anything on the map.
AI-Controlled: A range of weapons at your disposal here: call in a strafing run using the A10F Warthog and listen as the AI pilot maintains constant radio contact, informing you of its progress; the Lightning Strike allows players to pinpoint three target areas and launch an aerial assault.
Uber-weapons: Once you’ve held the War Machine, you’ll never want to hold another grenade launcher again. The Death Machine makes its updated return in 2025, giving players their own, hand-held Gatling Gun that can shred anything in sight.
While you’re at it, chew on this news for all of the confirmed upgrades, and bonus features such as Live Streaming and League Play, which should of course further CoD’s dominance in the competitive gaming scene.
UPGRADED WEAPONS, ATTACHMENTS AND EQUIPMENT: Near-future warfare means upgrades in technology that soldiers will use in the field. Additionally, weapon perks are now built into the attachments:
Assault Shield – Create and move portable cover
Target Finder – Easy identification of friend or foe
Millimeter Wave Scanner – New optic that shows stationary (non-moving) targets at close range and through surfaces
Dual Band Scope – Shows any object that generates heat, allowing for more precision in long-range shooting
Shock Charge – Non-lethal thrown device that electrocutes and stuns enemies that come near it
Laser Sight – Both visualized on the gun and seen by the weapon’s owner and other players – you immediately understand the capabilities of this perk and the player that’s got it.
eSPORTS– A huge inspiration for the team and a core pillar to the multiplayer agenda, Call of Duty: Black Ops II introduces Live Streaming and Shoutcasting, taking the competitive spirit of Call of Duty and elevating it to a spectator sport, while providing the tools to beam compelling gameplay to the world.
CODCASTING –The caster is a specialized spectator who takes on the role of color commentator for any recorded game video, providing play-by-play coverage of the action. There are a variety of shoutcaster-specific features built into the game:
Picture-in-Picture – This view shows a list of everyone in the game, their current score streak, and their status.
Map View – This view shows both sides of the battle from a top-down perspective in an easy-to-read 2d graphic.
Score Panel – Similar to what currently exists in professional sports, this view shows the big picture of overall team scores and objective information.
Name Plate – Similar to the name on a player’s jersey, easily identify the player being spotlighted.
Listen In– Drop in/out of player conversations and listen to the action as it happens.
LIVESTREAMING– To make competitive gaming not only fun to play but also fun to watch, Treyarch has made it possible to live stream from inside thegame. Players only need an internet connection with the required minimum amount of upstream bandwidth and a copy of the game.
LEAGUE PLAY– Competition is fun at any level, which is why Treyarch has introduced Leagues, offering skill-based matchmaking and seasonal ladders. Play a small number of matches to get your skill rating, and from there, you’ll be placed into a division with players of similar skill. Keep winning and you’ll move up in rank – steady progress will move you up the ladder and into upper divisions. Skill-based matchmaking ensures that you are challenged but not out-gunned.
Game modes in general have seen a lot of attention this year, with the biggest change being that objective-based romps now being round based.) Call of Duty: Black Ops II enables three game modes to play in Multiteam mode: Team Death Match,Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed. Hardpoint is a new game mode inspired by those traditional King of the Hill style modes, where teams are battling for map control. More modes that can played are detailed in full below:
Custom Games– Play with up to six teams and 18 players. All game modes, and all variants of game modes, including Hardcore, Multiteam, and Party games are available for players to be able to customize. While League Play fulfills the promise of making gameplay fun at any level, custom games ensure that it’s fun in a different way – because you get to define the parameters. Players can:
Change the default classes available in their Custom classes.
Decide if they want players to be able to use their Custom Classes, or just the defaults they designed.
Add bots to almost all game modes.
Restrict the content that is available. For example, you can banish certain attachments or Perks from being available.
Re-design the Pick 10 as a pick 3 up to pick 17.
Party Games – Formerly known as Wager Matches in Call of Duty: Black Ops, Sharpshooter, Gun Game, One in the Chamber and Sticks & Stones all make their return. These “just for fun” modes don’t use Create-a-Class or Scorestreak systems. However – unlike the previous title’s Wager Matches – players will earn XP and can even rank up the normal progression as you would with traditional game modes.
Combat Training – Evolved further, Combat Training is now integrated into the main game, offering three playlists for players:
• Bootcamp: Players rank up from 1-10 and givefull XP for doing so. Bootcamp is Team Deathmatch only with a combination of 3 human players and3 bots on their team, versus another team of 3 humans and 3 bots. It’s an excellent way to try and get the hang of MP with a lot less pressure.
• Objective: A combination of humans-and-bots versus another team of humans-and-bots, in a mix of objective-based modes where you can play beyond level 10 and earn ½ XP.
Bot Stomp: Play in an effort to demolish the other AI-filled team to practice up or just have a good time. XP is not rewarded in this humans-versus-bots mode of play, but it is a great way to practice up, level up skills, learn maps and modes and still get the multiplayer game experience.
Challenges– Encourages and rewards players for branching out and experiencing game content, always providing a new goal around every turn, as well as bragging rights for those that achieve them. With thousands of Challenges to complete, it is the way for players to unlock cosmetic content and a way to define the player persona in the world of online play.
Weapon Camos: Every weapon in the game (including launchers, knives and Assault Shields) can be camouflaged.
Reticles: All of the major scopes in the game have their own set of Challenges. Completing those Challenges allow players to customize the reticle used on the attachment, showing people how far you’ve progressed and enhancing the player’s online persona.
Playercard: It’s like your own Call of Duty: Black Ops II business card: it possesses your name and consists of an emblem (made by the player), background (unlockable), clan tag, matchmaking level of a player and current League Play rank.
Theater – Provides players with a set of features, serving as both a production tool, but also a research and training tool.
Social: Utilizing a robust system of bookmarks and content tagged with meta-data (game mode, time/date stamps, score, captures and defends,) Theater makes finding content easier by providing visibility into the “Recently Shared” listing of films and screens from among the entire community, or the “Activity Feed” of just your friends. There is also an Up/Down voting system for films and screenshots that lets fan favorites rise to the top.
Highlight Reel: Not everyone has hours to spend in the Theater to make movies, so it has been simplified to a one-touch button experience: at the press of a button, the game will do all the work, creating a highlight reel on the fly. Players can customize settings to expand/simplify the contents of a film. Once created, players can edit further, or simply save it and be done.
CODcast: A special type of Theater mode, players can CODcast previously-recorded games providing the opportunity to practice casting games, or even create a video-on-demand series, or even a training tool to study up on strategies/tactics.
New Features Theater brings with it :
Clip Count: Players can store up to 20 clips.
“Merge Clips:” If players make a film with all 20 clips and then merge them together, it becomes one big clip
“Attach to Object:”Players can attach the camera to objects in the world including many Scorestreaks like the Dragonfire or RCDX
Of course the most notable achievement for players is always their Prestige. Returning with 55 levels with 10 levels of Prestige, Call of Duty: Black Ops II does not “wipe the slate clean” and require players to start over at each Prestige – instead, it continues a player’s level progression. Weapon XP and/or earned attachments are not reset, nor are Challenges – anything earned stays unlocked for continued use.
Prestige – Awards: Upon achieving Prestige status, players receive a “Prestige Token,” which is a special type of Unlock token allowing players to unlock whatever they want – forever. That includes things for which players haven’t reached the level requirement. Achieving Prestige brings a few rewards to use such as the ability to take an extra Create-a-Class slot (up to 5 total), the ability to reset stats entirely, or secure a “refund.” (A refund returns all of the unlock tokens spent so far and relocks the content.) Players can then choose to unlock a different set of items than the ones previously selected.
MULTIPLAYER MAPS: In the gameplay rotation:
Aftermath: Ruins of downtown Los Angeles after a drone attack.
Cargo: In the docks of Singapore, where cargo containers are constantly moving and changing the shape of cover in the map center.
Turbine: Set in a wind farm in the desert plains of Yemen, Turbine is a large, open map, with the ability to climb on everything.
Yemen: Urban street fight with tight alleyways and lots of changing elevation to the battle.
Overflow: Great Urban engagements in the flood littered streets of Peshawar, Pakistan.
Express:Los Angeles bullet train station with good long to medium engagements up and down the train tracks.
Hijacked: Luxurious super yacht with frantic, yet controlled close quarters engagements.
ZOMBIES!
Tranzit 1-4 player co-op in a large open world with a variety of locations. The new Buildables gameplay elements help players move through each area to find the key tidbits that reveal why they are there and what they must do to survive. All the while, public transportation is still operational, as a bus will regularly stop at each location. Zombies ride for free.
Survival Recreating the classic mode of just purely surviving the shambling, incoming Zombie horde, Survival mode allows you to play 1-4 players co-op in specific locations from the much larger Tranzit area.
Grief You and friends can take on up to 4 people in a team vs. Zombies vs. team scenario. 2-8 players are thrown into anarea to be the last humans standing.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II features new and extensive stat tracking as well as leaderboards for bragging rights. A new skill-based matchmaking system will allow players of the same ability to take on the horrors of the night in public game modes. For players that are looking for an extra challenge, Zombies features custom games: Headshots only, higher starting rounds, and a toggling of extra items are all available.
Massive enough of an update for you? Well, this is indeed looking like the broadest and most revamped Call of Duty to date, and Treyarch have ensured that all bases are covered when it comes to where it matters with the fans, which is a great thing to see. Call of Duty: Black Ops II hits shelves on November 18th for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U.
Bluemouth Interactive have announced two accessories to tie in with the release of Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The two accessories are a Playstation 3 controller branding the game’s logo and a phone case for the iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII. These two accessories will be available on the day of Black Ops II’s release, November 13. The controller will retail for AUD$79.95 / NZ$109.95. The phone cover will retail for AUD$29.95 / NZ$39.95.
The main features of the PS3 controller are:
• Bluetooth® Controller with a rechargeable battery – made for PS3™ game.
• 6-axis and tilt sensor technologies.
• 2 vibration motors.
• Updatable flash IC.
• USB 2.0 power cable (Length: 0.8m) for sync connection and charging.
• Rechargeable battery: NiMH 700mA.
• Time life of the battery: 15 hours.
• Charging time: 3 hours.
• Up to 10 meters range.
• Orange Backlighted.
• Non slip, ergonomic triggers for precise gaming.
• Rubber grip for a perfect handling – embossed with the Call of Duty Black Ops 2 logo.
For those interested, the accessories will be unveiled for the first time at the upcoming EB Expo in Sydney next weekend. Capsule Computers will be there covering every aspect of the EB Expo. You can check out the accessories in the gallery below.
Anyone who hasnt had the pleasure of playing Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is missing out especially with all the cool new DLC being made available starting with the unleashing of the Insecticons upon the multiplayer arena. Available now for all XBox 360 and PS3 users to download is the Massive Fury pack, including Kickback, Sharpshot and Hardshell as well as Original Retro Optimus Prime and Autobot Hound. Their full body kits as well as individual parts are also available for use in the multiplayer character creator.
Also inlcuded for use exclusively within the single campaign is a character skin for Bruticus, as well as 2 Decepticon upgrades in the form of a Blast Cannon for Shockwave and a Mega Pistol for Lord Megatron.
For more information please visit the official game site or follow them on facebook
Digital Tribe Games, Green Hill and Serious Brew have announced Cargo Commander, an action-platformer about a blue-collar worker trying to finish his shift so he can go home.
The problem is, his job involves salvaging precious cargo from alien-infested space-shipping containers.
The game plays out across randomly-generated, destructible levels, whereby different configurations of containers will be attracted to your spacecraft, and you must jump and FistCannon your way through them, retrieving any goodies along the way.
Online leaderboards for each level are contextualized as players jockeying against other employees for promotions; an interesting take on an established convention.
The trailer, below, indicates that the game plays with gravity as well, but the extent of it remains to be seen.
Cargo Commander looks like an indie title to keep an eye on, when it hits the vaguely-worded “leading digital stores” on October 18.
Rockstar have announced that Grand Theft Auto III is now available to purchase from the PlayStation® Store
Theoriginal three-dimensional, open-world Grand Theft Auto title has made its way to the Playstation Store for the price of $15.95AUD/$18.90NZD.
Released in 2001, Grand Theft Auto III is widely credited as one of the most influential video games of all time and a landmark moment in popular culture. With great voice acting, an action-packed and deftly satirical storyline, awesome soundtrack and revolutionary open-world gameplay, Grand Theft Auto III delivered a new sense of freedom in videogames.
And now you can enjoy it all over again or for the first time on your Playstation 3.
