Anuman Interactive has been busy building their library of games published under the Microids Games for All brand. As seen on Capsule Computers, they announced the return of the Crazy Cars franchise five days ago. Today Anuman followed up with a scorching hot trailer and a pair of new screenshots for Crazy Cars: Hit the Road.
The trailer shows off car customization, some of the camera angles available, cross platform multiplayer, and the risk and reward game formula, and a variety of driveable cars. Crazy Cars: Hit the Road will be released on October 16th, 2012 for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Earlier today at Ubisoft’s preview event for the hotly anticipated Assassin’s Creed 3 at the Waterfront Settler’s Hall in Sydney’s Circular Quay West, I got to get my hands on the game itself and in particular it’s single player mode.
It was very clear from the get-go that Assassin’s Creed 3 was vastly different to the games that preceded it within this franchise. Ubisoft have gone from the ground up with this title in what appears to be an attempt to revitalise the series with some fresh new game play and aesthetics.
Now before I detail the game itself it is worth pointing out that I obviously have not played the game in it’s entirety and only played what was said to be a small portion of the overall experience of the game. However despite that I managed to get a strong grasp and understanding of the game’s new mechanics and features. I was simply dropped in half way through the game with nearly everything accessible for me to try out. Well let’s get right into it then.
The very first thing that I noticed in the game is that they have restructured the control scheme from that used in the previous titles in the franchise. Free-running for example is now entirely done with the right trigger button. I found this to be a little problematic as this means that one button is meant to do a multitude of tasks, some of which happen unintentionally such as jumping when trying to climb. It was a bit of a puzzling change but with some time I am sure I could grow use to it, despite it’s unnecessary complication instead of what seems to have been an attempt to simplify things.
Most of the other controls for navigating the world remain unchanged but the combat system is utterly blown away in place of a system that focuses heavily on countering and timing. Battles with animals are quick-time events which I personally find to be abhorrent but I can understand wanting to differentiate battles between humans and creatures. Unfortunately battles with human enemies is also unnecessarily complicated. In previous titles there was a great flow to battles, with fights feeling fast intense and brutal. This can not be said about Assassin’s Creed 3 though as the combat system imposing counter based fighting on you, which removes the ability to freely create carnage as unless you surprise an enemy you most likely need to counter in order to attack them. This counter system itself is very rock-paper-scissors in nature and feels more about luck that having good reflexes. During large attacks from groups it is almost impossible to fight without the combat being halted completely when you are attempting a counter only to be attacked by another enemy which breaks both the tension and flow immensely. Despite that, one on one combat and sneak kills seem to work well. The real problem was group combat, which honestly was somewhat messy.
Getting back to navigation in the game, we see the return of horses to the franchise after an absence in Revelations. Here we have what is easily the best incarnation of the Assassin’s Creed horses to date. They control well and are great to use in combat scenarios due to there speed and ability to overwhelm crowds of enemies. Besides horses you can of course travel by foot. This is perhaps the most preferable way to travel in game, unless you want to cheat and fast-travel somewhere with the map (only once you get far enough in the game of course). Now while the forests and tree top free running is said to be a big portion of the game, you sometimes find yourself getting awkwardly stuck amongst trees and odd invisible walls. Once you get use to the games forests you realise which spots on trees can get you stuck and they become easier to avoid although they really should not be there at all. It is somewhat addictive running through the trees due to their ever changing shapes and forms, with a new branch you haven’t yet seen appearing very often. Although some are repeated they are far apart so you don’t really realise anyway.
Now for the feature that the game seems to be made for, the Naval Warfare. I really don’t know why this aspect of the game is being so heavily publicised as it is quite lacking to be frank. It is both hard to control and tediously repetitive. The challenge of this mode felt more like seeing how long you could play it without exiting the mission. I was simply very disappointed by this game play aspect as it had been so heavily touted by Ubisoft only for it to be rather droll and uninspiring.
All in all Assassin’s Creed 3 left a decent enough impression on me despite it’s numerous short-comings. The portion of the game that I got to play today did not live up to the name of this franchise and felt like a step in the wrong direction. I’m not sure why the decision to make such a great departure from the series roots was taken, but it doesn’t do the game any favours. Instead it comes across as if the franchise is afflicted with an identity crisis. It doesn’t know if it wants to be Assassin’s Creed or not. That was the vibe I got and it honestly disappointed me. Of course the rest of the game is still waiting for me to play and I am sure that the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s excellent story-telling will make up for it’s shortcomings. Regardless of what I felt about what I played today, I eagerly await the full version of this game which I’m sure will fill in the pieces that I felt this demonstration was lacking. Other than that I found it to be a rather enjoyable experience despite some nagging issues I had with it.
At an event earlier today, us here at Capsule Computers were invited down to a media preview for the upcoming Assassins Creed III game from Ubisoft. At this event, we had the opportunity to sit down and play with a build of the game that featured a new multiplayer game mode that will be included with the Assassins Creed III game.
This new game mode is called “Wolfpack” and it has players teaming up to hunt-down and assassinate various Non-Player Characters within the game. What makes this interesting is that players would have to try and synchronise their assassinations, or else they’d have to chase down their fleeing targets. This is bad for the players because they only have a limited amount of time to complete the challenge within. The idea is to move through as many levels as possible before the timer runs out. The only way to replenish the timer is to kill more targets.
Of course, being the group of n00bs we were, we weren’t able to get too far into the game before losing to the timer. But watching another group playing earlier and their game ended up looking like something out of Tron, as opposed to the realities of Assassins Creed. Can I just blame the Master Control Program for making us lose all those times?
In between matches, players are taken to a kind of lobby of sorts, where they are able to customise their character by choosing from prebuilt models, add upgrades to them and even purchase goodies from the store. I’m reasonably sure this uses in game currency, but can’t back up that assertion. What I really liked about this system though, was that you are able to fiddle around whilst the map is actually loading; meaning that you’re not stuck on a loading screen and are able to do things while it loads. I think more games should do things this way to be honest.
With this build of the game, we were only able to see this one game mode in action. However, we were told that the modes present in the previous Assassins Creed games would be making an appearance in this title. This means that you will be able to play all your favourite game modes from the past in this latest game as well.
One thing we instantly noticed about the multiplayer portion of the game was that it was graphically inferior to the main story sections of the game. However we were reminded that this is still in development and that it is likely that things will change in the future. We are hoping that this will be the case as the multiplayer is one of the more fun aspects of this game from what we’ve played of it. This is definitely the part of the game that puts the Assassin in Assassins Creed.
Overall I’d say that the strongest part of Assassins Creed III is definitely going to be the multiplayer portion of the game. From what we’ve seen of this one gametype, and the fact that there will be modes returning from previous games, we know that it will be a very strong multiplayer experience for gamers. If there is any reason to pick this title up on release, this is definitely the reason I would suggest you do so. In fact, the multiplayer increases the value of the game exponentially.
At an event hosted by Ubisoft this week, us here at Capsule Computers were invited down to have an early look at the upcoming Assassins Creed titles in the franchise. At this event, there were two games on display, the first being the main Assassins Creed III title and the second of which was the upcoming Assassins Creed III: Liberation for the Playstation Vita.
What I’ve found most interesting with this title is that the game features an all new Assassin that does not appear to be related to Desmond in anyway, or if she does, it is not obvious. After speaking to a UBISOFT representative at the event if she knew if this new character was related, but I was given a generic response; something along the lines of “She is a whole new character designed specifically for this title.”
As you may have already figured from the paragraph above, this new Assassin is indeed female. This is something new for the series, as all the major Assassins featured so far have been male. From the portions I’ve played of the game, it is unknown whether or not this is just an aesthetic decision, or if there is a gameplay reason behind it. I imagine that this is only a storyline decision, considering the main point of todays event was to show off core gameplay concepts.
A cool feature that is a part of this title for the Playstation Vita is the way you interact with your inventory and other User Interface elements. I noticed that instead of accessing a bunch of menus like in the console versions of the game, players are able to simply touch on the touchpad to activate elements and then quickly navigate to the things they want to use. Disappointingly though, at least for the build that we were playing, the back panel touchscreen was unresponsive to touch. I think that this is because the game does not support this feature of the Vita, but I think it’d be interesting to see if they could implement it in the future, just because I already have my fingers behind the screen whilst playing.
Like previous Assassins Creed games, there is a decent amount of parkour – or free-running – available. What’s cool is that the mechanics of this are fairly simple for new-comers to pick up. You just hold the right-trigger button and the player character will automatically start running and climbing, etc., depending on the circumstance. I feel that this is a good control mechanism for the Vita version, where there are less overall buttons available to the player than on a console.
The games UI is very uncluttered and is both functional whilst remaining aesthetically pleasing. From a visual standpoint it really does not get in the way of the action and you are able to focus on what’s going on in the actual game, rather than worrying about a wide-array of visual nonsense that may otherwise detract from that experience.
One thing that I did notice about the story-telling in this game was that none of the characters spoke in a way that you’d imagine a native American of the time to have spoken. The end result is that the characters sound like they only exist to further the gameplay; rather than being fully realised characters themselves. Heck, one line of dialogue sounded completely robotic in its delivery. I’m sure that the full game will feature a wider array of characters to interact with, all of which are probably better acted than the characters I had interacted with in this build.
On the side of character aesthetics, I’ve always loved the character designs in Assassins Creed games. With this title, it is no different; even if the main characters design does not really fit in with the visual theme of the rest of the game. As you can imagine, the main character is largely reminiscent of the main characters shown in previous Assassins Creed games. This is a good thing for iconography within the game, as it would not feel like an Assassins Creed game if the main character did not look similar to the already established Assassins Creed aesthetic.
The mission that I was on required the player to investigate these hidden glowy animal head things. This required the player to run to a particular section of the map and activate this sensory mode skill (which is activated by pressing up on the plus-pad) in order to see them. This feature will also highlight anything else of interest in the immediate area. From first appearance this appeared to be a kind of tutorial level, especially considering later on we were being shown how to switch between weapons and how to attack targets.
I would have liked to have seen the game being showcased from a more interesting section of the game, but from what I’ve seen, this game looks like it is a lot more promising than the console Assassins Creed game. You’ll definitely want to check this title out when it hits shelves in the near distant future.
The upcoming shooter from Ubisoft, FarCry 3, has had a new video released for it. In this video we take a look at some of the characters within the game. In this instance, they would be a group of characters known as “The Savages”.
Along with this video, we have a short biography of the each of the members that I will be reproducing. So be sure to read those if you’re interested.
The first of these characters is known as Buck. He’s an Aussie bloke with a keen liking of inflicting pain on others. Probably sociopathic amounts. Here is his bio –
Character Profile – Buck
On an island marked by depravity and violence, Buck may be the most depraved and violent of all. He lives by his own rules – feeding his own insatiable, twisted desires.
His story began in Australia, where he joined the armed forces at an early age. But his commanders quickly discovered his perverse addiction to inflicting pain, and dismissed him. He fell into mercenary work, leading to a contract with Hoyt Volker, the South Pacific’s most notorious drug-runner and slave trader. Hoyt realized that Buck’s ferocious combat skills and unrelenting brutality could be of use. Since then, Buck has answered to no other. When Hoyt needs a kill, Buck gets the call.
Buck is a man of distinctive tastes. Violent torture is his favorite diversion, and he takes a perverse pride in his stomach-churning assaults. “Around here,” he says with a savage leer, “we eat what we kill.” His outsize Bowie knife is never far from his grasp – or from a terrified victim’s flesh.
Jason Brody first encounters Buck in a desperate search for his kidnapped friend, Keith. Jason learns that Buck has purchased Keith, and bargains for his safe return. Buck makes Jason a deal: if Jason can find and deliver a priceless ancient knife, Buck will let Keith go. Jason agrees, and embarks on a dangerous quest to recover the knife and present it to Buck. But Buck isn’t just holding Keith hostage, Keith has become so much more. Buck is only human after all.
Jason and Buck will have to compete for who is the better man, and only one will emerge victorious. And Buck doesn’t fight fair, he plays for keeps.
The second character is a pirate named Vaas. He appears to like murdering, enslaving and getting high. Check out his bio –
Character Profile – Vaas Montenegro
Vaas is an unpredictable, psychotic, violent, merciless, coked-up pirate warlord and slave trader who kills purely for entertainment. No one is safe when Vaas is around. Not his friends, and certainly not his enemies.
This murderer was once destined to inherit the power of his people, the Rakyat. His sister, Citra, rose to lead the entire tribe. Vaas was groomed to become the most powerful warrior on the island. But, instead, he shirked his responsibilities, fleeing the tribe, right into the hands of Hoyt Volker. Hoyt, the principal drug-runner and slave trader operating along the Pacific Rim, had selected Rook Island as his base of operations. He saw murderous potential in Vaas, and promised him wealth and drugs. Now Vaas is Hoyt’s most brutal enforcer. His favorite pastime? Kidnapping innocents, accepting ransom money, and selling them as slaves.
To those who serve under him, Vaas is a vicious and unpredictable boss. To those who dare cross him, Vaas is a lethal adversary. He’s an expert shot and a ferocious hand-to-hand warrior; his body bears the scars of savage battles deep in the jungle, which he wears with pride. But it is his explosive unpredictability that makes him so dangerous.
Early in the story, Vaas and his pirates capture Jason Brody and his friends. Vaas taunts them, explaining that he’s eager to see how much money Jason’s parents will pay for his return. But then things go south. Jason escapes. Enraged that a ‘pretty boy’ would dare challenge him, Vaas screams: “If the jungle doesn’t eat you alive, I will.” And thus begins a lethal rivalry between the two men. Jason does whatever he can to save his friends and escape, while Vaas develops a psychotic fixation on killing Jason once and for all.
But through all of Vaas’s murderous rage, glimpses of his remaining humanity can be seen. Lurking underneath the raucous façade is a disturbed exile, one running from a past that haunts him. He displays a twisted sense of humor that defies categorization. He is real. Unpredictable. Dangerous. Despicable. And entirely unique. He is Vaas.
Be sure to check out the trailer, embedded below, for more info.
Little Big Planet PS Vita Developer: Double Eleven, Tarsier Studios, XDev Publisher:Sony Computer Entertainment Platform :PlayStation Vita Release Date:20 September 2012 Price:$39.99 (available here)
Overview
Little Big Planet is oft mistreated. It’s a high quality, addictive little platformer often brushed aside in favour of more ‘mature’ titles. After two excellent entries on the PlayStation 3 and one quick foray onto the PSP, Sackboy and Craft World are finally making their presence felt on the Vita. Indeed Sony’s latest handheld is the perfect place for this franchise to be, with the touch controls and portability adding even more immersion and longevity to an already impressive title.
The game has Wi-Fi only online elements and also comes complete with the level creation tools found in the previous games – there’s very little that is lost in the transition to handheld.
Gameplay
There is a rudimentary story to LBPV, but as always with Sackboy it is light, feathery and often ridiculous. And that suits things just fine. In addition to over 40 story levels there is the Arcade, Creation mode and the entire online community to provide players with a potentially infinite supply of user generated content- and of course multiplayer playthroughs of whatever level you fancy.
The mechanics are classic LBP, increasingly tricky platforming set in dreamy fantasy worlds. The controls remain simple but responsive, and the additional gadgets and weapons from LBP 2 are also here to play once more. The Vita has allowed for some touch controls to be integrated into the mix, whether it’s for firing and guiding projectiles or poking platforms out into the layers of play. Touch just feels right for this IP, as there has always been some fourth wall breaking going on with Sackboy – why not get even more involved?
The level design is delicious, and although the tutorials may linger for a little too long, the game is a huge amount of fun to blast through. The contraptions on display here show off the usual amount of imagination, with items and objects and clothing scattered all over the worlds along with score bubbles. Every level thus prevents copious opportunity for replay, once for story progression, once for ‘acing’ (lose no lives) and several more times for collecting all the goodies.
There are few games out there that provoke moments of pure platforming pleasure, but LBPV is one of them. An early sci fi level saw my Sackboy clothed in a Deckard-esque trench, running through a neon dystopia to some atmospheric electro; a piano in the background can be played via touch, the Arcade games and unlockable minis are addictive little spins on classic concepts – this is one incredibly generous and delightful title. It’s a perfect handheld package – especially when you take into account the level editor and online community.
There have been no real changes to the editor, and although there are a vast amount of tutorials to guide players through the process it’s unlikely that those not already into creating their own levels will be sucked into the highly time consuming and complicated process. That said it is a rare thing for a handheld game to boast, and the options are by no means limited by the lack of console guts behind everything. Once again the touch controls prove their worth here, removing some of the more frustrating aspects of creating via dual sticks and buttons.
Online can be a bit tricksy in connecting to other players, but when things run smoothly it’s a ball. The number of user created levels is still building to a peak, but if other LBP titles are anything to go by there will be a huge number of weird and wonderful levels available in the near enough future. If you sign in to the PSN at the off all your level scores will be automatically ranked, and the level select screen keeps track of how many players are currently in each level. Any completed creations can be uploaded to the community space for full dissection by the rest of the world, and the overall impression is certainly one of community.
The entire game is a showcase for creativity in the name of having fun, and in the age of realistic graphics and convoluted cut scenes it is a rare mainstream exception. There is a place for games that provide an emotive and involving story, that simulate reality and boast perfect physics. But ultimately gaming is for fun, and this is it in it’s purest form, devoid of any obsession with textures, polygons, and perfect lighting.
Nintendo, the age old kings of handheld platforming, should take a close look at Little Big Planet PS Vita. Would I rather play this than the latest 3DS Mario? Absolutely.
Audio and Visual
LBPV retains the style of its predecessors, all bright colours, weird and wonderful. The levels as always boast a range of themes, from a carnival to an almost fairytale forest. The music always complements the level design, and although some of the tunes are a tad familiar to other LBP themes, they nonetheless do a fantastic job of finishing off the world laid out in the visuals.
Stephen Fry returns as the narrator of all the amiable madness ; characters still speak in gibberish when they aren’t in cut scenes, and you can play to your hearts content with the design of Sackboy, the hub like Pod and of course the levels themselves. Thanks to the Vita’s built in camera it is easier than ever to snap pics of you and yours and stick it right in game – a small but endearing feature.
Little Big Planet’s style is unmistakeable, and it is that strength of identity that sucks you in. Tune in with some headphones and prepare to be immersed in a rather happy place.
Overall
If this had marked the debut of the series, Little Big Planet PS Vita would be the system seller that Sony so craved. As it is the game is the strongest to grace the Vita so far, bursting at the seams with content that fulfils just about every desire you could have of a portable title. It is a must have for any Vita owner – well crafted, beautifully designed and almost infinitely replayable; charming, fun and a throwback to simpler times that is nonetheless equipped with a host of modern goodies.
To top that gush with some cheese – Little Big Planet has found the perfect place to orbit in the Vita.
BulkyPix announced the release of their latest title today Card Buster. The game features three of Reiner Knizia’s version of poker. Deck Buster 32 and Deck Buster Wild challenge players to create the strongest poker hands possible with the cards available with either decks of 32 or 52 cards, with all 2’s counting as jokers. In Grid Busters, the poker hands are now played both vertically and horizontally, adding an extra dimension of strategy. There are 50 levels in Card Busters to master and iPhone 5 and new iPad optimized graphics.
Reiner Knizia is the famed mathematician and board game designer behind such hits as the Lord of the Rings board game and Lost Cities.
Card Busters is priced at $0.99 and can be purchased here.
If you live in Australia and want to get your hands on the Wii U, your chance is about to land. Today, Nintendo of Australia announced that the Wii U will be coming to EB Games Expo 2012 (October 5th- 7th at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park), with plenty of launch titles that gamers can get their mitts on.
Here are some more details:
“We are incredibly excited to be able to showcase Nintendo’s innovative new Wii U game console to Australian consumers at this year’s EB Games Expo,” said Steve Wilson, Managing Director of EB Games Australia and New Zealand. “EB Games Expo will be the first time gamers in Australia get to go hands on with Wii U.”
Nintendo Australia recently announced Wii U will launch across Australia and New Zealand on 30th November 2012 with the Wii U Basic Pack launching at the SRP AU $349.95, featuring a Wii U console with 8GB internal storage and a Wii U GamePad, both in white. While the Wii U Premium Pack launches at the SRP AU $429.95 and contains a black Wii U console and Wii U GamePad, with 32GB of internal storage providing more space for downloadable digital content. The Premium Pack also contains a stand for the Wii U GamePad and console, a charging cradle for the Wii U GamePad, a sensor bar and the Nintendo Land software. Both packs also feature an HDMI cable and AC adapters for console and Wii U GamePad.
Sounds good, and you can check out the launch titles that Nintendo will be bringing down below.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Nintendo Land
SiNG Party
ZombiU
RAYMAN LEGENDS
Darksiders II
Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition
Assassin’s Creed III
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Just Dance 4
Game Party Champions
Sonic & All Star Racing Transformed
With the release of Code of Princess coming in a little under two weeks, Atlus has chosen to release a number of new screenshots showing off the English text in the game as well as some photos of the beautiful looking box art as well as the art book and soundtrack CD that early buyers of the game will receive.
In case you don’t know, the soundtrack has been handled by ACE while the little art book features artwork from Kinu Nishimura. Those looking to pick up the 3DS exclusive Code of Princess at launch will be able to do so on October 9th.
While everyone in North America has been able to enjoy Ubisoft’s Rocksmith for quite some time now, gamers in Australia and New Zealand will be able to now go out to the store and pick up the wonderful music game that promises to deliver a serious experience for those serious about their guitar playing.
The game will feature all the content released in North America as well as some special content such as a brand new bass guitar mode, plus there is even some launch day DLC to immediatly unlock various items in the game, add new effects to the game and purchase more songs. Check out some gameplay in the trailer below.
