The third episode of the free to play Command Carrier: Recruits, Perimeter Breach, is now live. In this episode of the game, players are required to infiltrate an enemy base using an APA droid. Players who have played the last two episodes will know that there is a bomb hidden in this base and the goal is to try and detonate it.
This is the second last episode in the Recruits series with one more coming after this before the launch of the upcoming Command Carrier: Gaea Mission. Players can share their successes over Facebook to enter the draw for 1 of 5 copies of the full game. However players will need to do this before August 20th.
Be sure to check out the official site for more info.
Hit and Run Studio:Primate Pictures, Kim and Jim Productions, Panay Films Publisher: Pinnacle Films Format: Cinema Release Date: September 6, 2012
Overview
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard star in a film that they both produced about cars. Kristen Bell must quest to LA in order to meet with a University in order to head her own University course. The first of it’s kind in-fact, one in conflict resolution. Dax Shepard plays as an aloof alpha-male in witness protection that is dating Kristen Bell and chooses to break his witness protection contract and escort her to LA. However some stuff happens and Dax Shepards past comes back to haunt him, setting the film into motion.
Story
The story in this film isn’t really anything special, but neither is it useless. It wasn’t strong, nor was it weak. It just was.
However, it did have some pretty good progression and the characters made it really fun. For instance, the US Marshal character is your standard slapstick comedy character, whilst the main male character is your typical aloof alpha-male type character. I also really enjoyed Kristen Bells portrayal of every female ever.
Quite often the story will do something to turn a particular trope on it’s head. For instance a particular characters vehicle breaks down and instead of the main characters providing them a lift, they just leave them their to deal with their own problem. I quite enjoyed this.
I also really liked the way the antagonists of the film were portrayed. They’re kind of really stereotypical, but are also incredibly believable. Although, I feel that they were just a way to have a pretty cool looking car chase scene within the feature.
Actually, that’s really what the story felt like it was. It felt like it was a way to get the main characters into impressive vehicles and have them drive around on screen. I’m not going to say that I know what each car was, because I have no idea, but they were all pretty awesome and appealing to people who are into a wide variety of vehicles. We had a classic muscle car, a modern sports car and an off-road rally car of sometype; and that was just with the protagonists.
Visuals
The visuals in this film worked quite well with the movies theme and story. In some cases, it emphasised the humour in a scene, whilst in others it showed how severe a certain action was being portrayed. The visuals also carried the unique feel of a character, which is something that is important for films to convey.
After watching this film, I would definitely say that it isn’t something that children should be seeing alone simply because some potentially disturbing scenes are played up for laughs. For example, there is a scene where one of the antagonists of the film are in a grocery store and are convey their discomfort in a particular patrons choice of dog food. A scene later they are in a back alley and some potentially disturbing events happen that is played up for laughs. Black humour visuals are fine, and I may have enjoyed it a little, but anyone that isn’t adult or adult-like may get the wrong impression from the way the scene was conveyed.
Touching on the point I made earlier about the characters and their visuals, you really get a sense for what kind of a person each character is by the way that they’re dressed. For instance, the major antagonist is dressed like your stereotypical douchebag. After I mentioned the last word on the previous sentence, you probably pictured something like: tracksuit pants, sunglasses in some flowery colour and a hairstyle not native to his culture. This was the major antagonist.
Speaking in an overall manner, the visuals matched the tone and feel of the film quite well. Also, as an aside, Kristen Bell is incredibly cute.
Audio
Whomever it was that wrote the script for this film is probably incredibly good with women. Or a woman themselves. How did I come to this conclusion? So many scenes in this film had every female member of the audience cracking themselves up whilst leaving most of the male members of the audience scratching their heads.
I also really liked the delivery of the jokes in this movie. I think that by having them delivered in a much more realistic fashion really added to the level of gravity and comedy of a particular situation. I think a lot of the scenes resonated with people in a ‘I’ve gone through that before’ fashion which leads to a better and more hilarious result.
The movie also had some decent music choices which has only added to the feel of the film. I feel like each song was carefully selected instead of going with whatever was popular at the time.
Overall
Hit and Run is a film that will satisfy those that like to watch movies. It isn’t anything that is a must-have or a go to immediately see, but anyone looking for a fun film for a group of friends or to sit at home and watch with your family (with the kids in bed) will find that this is a movie that they will want to have playing.
Hey, you know that awesome zombie game, DayZ? Well, someone’s taken that and turned it into a hardcore military simulator!
Wait, maybe that’s the other way around.
Regardless, Bohemia Interactive today released a retail version of Arma 2: Combined Operations, which is available in stores for the first time in Australia and New Zealand. It’s been available on Steam for a while now, but you’re now covered if you still prefer the old brick-n-mortar shopping experience.
Combined Operations is the special edition of Arma 2, and includes the base game, plus the expansion, Operation Arrowhead. And of course, you need this version to play DayZ.
Pokemon: Black and White Collection 2 Studio:OLM Inc. Publisher: Beyond Home Entertainment Format: DVD Release Date: June 27, 2012 Price: $29.99 (Buy Here)
Overview:
The Pokemon anime series has been an undoubted global success. It’s done everything it set out to do and more. So what can a series more than a decade old still do that we haven’t seen it do already The answer is simply – Re-invent everything.
Pokemon: Black and White is the freshest the Pokemon anime series has been in years. We previously reviewed the first collection of Black and White and I can say with a hand on my heart that collection two does not miss a beat, it’s still just as fresh and it’s still just as fun.
Story:
By now everyone who has ever seen an episode of Pokemon should know the general formula that each episode utilises. The episode begins with Ash and friends continuing on their journey. They encounter a new type of Pokemon and nearly every time Team Rocket for one reason or another hatches the same old plan to steal Pikachu along with this mystical new Pokemon. It’s a formula that quite frankly overstayed it’s welcome more than half a decade ago. But this is a kid show so repetition is commonplace in this genre. Now let me get this straight, this is how Pokemonwas. However with Pokemon: Black and White, this formula is long forgotten and in place is a new spin on the classic anime series.
This particular collection of the Pokemon: Black and White series continues the same brilliant pace that was set into motion by collection 1, although it begins a little bit rough after the horribly paced final few episodes of the last collection. For those that do not know, a major story arc was omitted from the series which was originally planned to see the now incredibly competent Team Rocket clashing with the Unova region’s resident bad guys Team Plasma. Unfortunately this was omitted completely from release both in Japan and the West due to scenes reminiscent of the Tuhoku Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami that occurred not long before the scheduled release of the story arc. This left things feeling empty and storylines were completely dropped out of nowhere.
Thankfully though this collection picks things back up after a few episodes of dull lack of momentum. In this collection we see Ash, Iris and Cilan continuing their quest through Unova and as you’d imagine they encounter more Pokemon and challenge more Gyms. It is generally still the same old Pokemon, but it feels fresh enough that one can overlook the repetition that the show can bring. This collection did see one major change the series which I wasn’t personally too fond of, the much loved ‘Cool’ Sandile evolved into a Krokorok and was subsequently not so ‘cool’ anymore. The ‘Cool’ Sandile’s characterisation has always been a little off, but he was always an entertaining character none-the-less but after evolving he lost a lot of his spunk and as such I lost a lot of interest in the character.
Of course though this is a show for kids and any kid that loves Pokemon is sure to find hours of enjoyment from this excellent 24 episodes of Pokemon: Black and White which places a stronger emphasis on being fun than anything. That’s what shows like this should be – fun.
Visuals and Audio:
Aesthetically this is simply the best that Pokemon has ever looked. The art work seems to be slightly improved upon collection 1 of Pokemon: Black and White, although it’s only a slight improvement. It’s very vibrant and the artstyle is instantly memorable, with plenty of endearing character designs such as that of Scraggy and Sandile. It all just makes for a gorgeous looking anime series.
From the sound aspect, everything is what you’d expect, quality voice work and an excellent soundtrack. I still love the opening theme song ‘Black and White’ which I found myself singing along to every time it played. I believe it’s the best opening theme the series has had since the theme song of Pokemon: Johto Journeys.
Extras:
As far as bonus content goes, this release in somewhat lacking. It does not feature any extra content, instead choosing to stick to the 24 episodes alone. While this may be disappointing to some of you special feature junkies out there, it is understandable as this is a kids program and with 24 episodes and the asking price of roughly 20 dollars, it is more than reasonable.
Overall: Pokemon: Black and White Collection 2 does everything asked of it and more. Not only is it a great show for children but it is also just plain enjoyable. Whether you’re young or old there is a level of fun to be had with Pokemon. There is just something so endearing about this series, that has given it such an incredible longevity. It is just that incredibly intangible that Pokemon has that generations have and will continue to fall in love with.
With Black and White Collection 2 I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Pokemon has completely re-invented the wheel and breathed new life into itself that I didn’t know it still had. More than a decade ago I recall watching this show as a kid myself, now all these years later a whole new generation of kids are finding enjoyment in the world of Pokemon. It’s an incredible thing to see and with the series at it’s best in years, there has never been a better time to jump into the land where Pocket Monsters roam.
When the Zombie apocalypse hits, what’s the most important thing you will need? A gun with ammo of course. Green herbs and a first aid spray for sure! Some food? Well, surely you’ll need something to carry all these items right?
Well thanks to the guys at EB Games, they have you covered! When you pre-order the ‘No Hope Left’ Edition of Resident Evil 6 at EB Games, you’ll get an Australia and New Zealand only exclusive Resident Evil 6 “No Hope Left” branded messenger bag.
In addition to this one-of-a-kind messenger bag you will also receive the following:
PS3 or Xbox 360 standard game
3 x DLC maps for Mercenary Mode – Rail Yard, High Seas Fortress and The Catacombs (Mercenaries Mode from Resident Evil 5 where you worked against the clock to complete a number of challenges.)
This messenger bag is available in Australia and New Zealand only. So you’ll have to be quick to own your piece of Resident Evil 6 history.
Publisher of localised Japanese video games, Nyu Media, have announced five new titles as a part of their second wave of releases. The first wave of releases is in reference to their already released titles, Cherry Highschool Comedy Club, the eXceed Collection and Ether Vapor Remaster.
These five games vary in nature, but at least three of them are shooters. The games that are coming in with this second wave are as follows: Croixleur; which is a 3D action game with RPG elements, Alltynex Second, RefleX, Kamui; the last three are shooters in the same series, and lastly, Eryi’s Action; which is a hard-as-nails platformer.
Here is an infographic detailing the upcoming releases in more detail (click to open in a new window/tab) –
Be sure to check out the official Nyu Media website for more info.
A mate summed up DayZ pretty well: “it’s half boring grind, half exhilarating nightmare.” There’s no avoiding either element, but to get the best of both worlds, play with friends. That way, they can keep you entertained, narrating their adventures while you spend ten minutes crawling through a paddock.
While I was (again) hopelessly lost in the woods somewhere near Kamenka, my mate Adam narrated the following escapade over the headset:
As the sun was setting, I slunk into an apartment complex north of Cherno, to rendezvous with a friend. The friend had been wounded in a firefight earlier and needed a blood transfusion pretty badly. Being new to the game, I decided a roadflare might help her find the particular apartment a little easier in the darkness, so I cracked one and hurled it onto the road outside. The roadflare only acted as a beacon for stray gunfire, hordes of zombies and bandits.
After waiting for what seemed like a lifetime for the flare to die out and my friend to arrive I was beginning to lose my nerves, huddled on the top floor of the apartment, in the dark, in a neighborhood now crawling with danger. Suddenly, and to my horror, three cars roared into the street below my apartment complex and came to a halt. I had never seen a single car in action – never mind three at once. I counted eight heavily-armed survivors pour out of the cars in what looked like practiced formation, and start to crawl through the adjacent buildings for supplies. I knew if they found me – and at the rate they were going, they would – there’d be no yelling ‘friendly’ or waving the white flag.
Terrified, I decided to GTFO and fast. I crept down the stairs and made straight for the first car. I leapt into the driver’s seat and without warning the engine came to life and the headlights illuminated the whole complex. Fumbling with the controls, I found the accelerator and floored it, just as automatic gunfire started tearing through the chassis and windows. The cars behind me roared to life and took chase but I’d already gotten a decent lead. I pulled off onto the highway and hurtled through the night at full speed, dodging debris, stray wire and zombies.
As I reached what I assumed was Elektro, still reeling from the escape, I was hosed with bullets through the windscreen, veered off the road and headfirst into a tanktrap. As I pulled myself from the wreck, legs broken and bleeding badly, I saw the bandits closing. Barely staving off unconsciousness, I bled to death as they went through my pockets.
Whenever a game is released on both the PC and on consoles, the PC market usually cringes because the PC version of the game will likely be a simple port that only has a few minor PC optimizations. Well it seems that all the PC gamers out there won’t have to worry too much about it, because in a trailer released today by Square Enix, it was revealed that the PC version of the game would not only have a high-resolution texture pack but also support for multiple monitors.
Also those who happen to pre-order the game will be able to pick up the title on Steam for only $44.99, a 10% discount. The company also revealed the minimum and recommended specs for the title, which you can find below the screenshots below.
Minimum requirements
• OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7
• Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz or Althon X2 2.4 GHz
• RAM: 2GB
• Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card, ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or higher.
• Graphics card memory: 512 MB
• Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card
• Hard drive: 15 GB
Recommended system requirements
• OS: Windows 7 64-bit
• Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
• RAM: 4GB
• Graphics card: DirectX 11 Nvidia or AMD ATI card, Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 or ATI Radeon 6950.
• Graphics card memory: 1 GB
• Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card
• Hard drive: 15 GB
Talk about a fast turn around. It seems that whatever issues 5th Cell was experiencing with Hybrid’s server were not too severe, as it appears that all the servers are back online. 5th Cell’s official Twitter account stated “Good news: everything is fixed. Not as good news: it might take a few hours to reappear on your XBOX dashboard.”
As one would expect this does mean that potential buyers will need to wait until Microsoft places the title back up for download, but anyone who has already purchased the game and has it on their console can resume playing the title once again. It is currently unknown if these issues will return once players flood back into the server, but we shall see.
Atlus USA announced today that they have nailed down a release date for their upcoming 3DS brawler Code of Princess. That date happens to be October 9th and to commemorate the release date announcement the company also happened to release the below trailer which introduces us to the game’s main playable characters.
It is worth noting that there are actually 50 playable characters total, though these are only available in the game’s online multiplayer mode. Still, when you have a warrior princess, an elf jester, a female thief, a female necromancer who looks like a zombie herself, a black cat and more that seems like more than enough options for me.
