Ubisoft have revealed that Assassin’s Creed 3 will be receiving a special collector’s edition titled the Assassin’s Creed 3 Freedom Edition. As part of their announcement they released a trailer for the Freedom Edition which they label an unboxing. Now this isn’t your standard unboxing, it’s an epic unboxing backed with suitably epic music. You can check that out below.
The Freedom Edition will come packaged with a limited edition figurine of the new assassin named Connor, a special steelbook with original drawings from Alex Ross (a comic artist), George Washington’s Notebook which is a mock up notebook supposedly belonging to Washington himself which features a number of factoids regarding the game, two exclusive single player missions titled ‘Lost Mayan Ruins’ and ‘Ghost of War’ and finally an exclusive multiplayer package that unlocks the Sharpshooter character for multiplayer use.
The Assassin’s Creed 3 Freedom Edition is exclusive to EB Games stores and is available for pre-order now. Be sure to check out the trailer below for a closer look at all the Freedom Edition’s content.
Medal of Honor and Battlefield fans might be pleased to know that EA have released a Developer Commentary video featuring Medal of Honor called Fire Team Gameplay as well as a Battlefield 4 Beta Access portion on the same video. This is some excellent news for fans of both series as it shows that EA are definitely taking care of their fans and releasing games well within the lifespan of the recent and existing games in their franchises.
The Medal of Honor video showcases some of the multiplayer “fire team” aspects of the game and has the developers commentate on whats happening within the game. Be sure to check out the trailer, embedded below for more info.
If you have ever been playing League of Legends or DOTA and wanted to be a little closer to the action, you may be interested in checking out Smite by Hi-Res Studios. Recently a lot of beta keys have been given out for this game and now may be your chance to snag one and get the always important advantage of extra time played learning game mechanics and getting used to champions or ‘gods’ .
If you are wondering what similarities there are in gameplay with other Mobile Online Battle Arena games, the short answer is Smite is exactly the same but in a 3rd person perspective which makes the action a little more personal. There is an in-battle store, turrets, minions and every other aspect that you are already used to seeing in a MOBA. The phrase ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it’’ comes to mind. You may notice though that the combat is even less forgiving than League or DOTA, one mistake and you are back to the starting area which can put you at a major disadvantage in your lane. As soon as the game is fully released be sure to check back for a full review!
Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012 Publisher: Focus Home Interactive Developer: Cyanide Studio Platforms: PC Release Date: June 21, 2012 Price: $39.99 – Download Version
Overview
At first glance, some gamers may look at Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012 and assume that it is automatically boring being a “manager” type genre – as did I. Being one of my first managerial games, I decided to throw away those assumptions and start fresh. And after the initial crash-and-burn stages, my scorched hands decided it would be best to read the manual.
While running simulations all-day isn’t my cup of tea, I am sure there is a population of cycling enthusiasts that could certainly steal a bike for this sort of game. Or don’t because that is illegal. Let’s read on for the good, the bad, and the silly.
Gameplay
The very first defining quality about Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012 is that it truly plays like a simulated schedule. By starting your own career, you will manage a team (custom if you choose) that you will monitor throughout the scheduled season tracking progress. Even at the very start, you can throw out your generated schedule and customize it as you see fit. Opting out of races for training camps is one such possibility.
Delving down to training camps and scouting for talent, this cycling manager takes into account more than just races. Scheduling training camps can be fairly easy, but not being careful on timing such events can cause riders to miss potential races. Camps are not free and do require a “minimal” charge per rider to attend. At the very least $300 per person should fit into your budget even if you created a custom team. Additionally, scouts are able to be amongst your home region. Keeping scouts in a singular place will increase their ability to find the best suitable talent in that area.
Career mode continues by allowing players to take control of their team’s race. This goes further than just determining what races you qualify for by actually watching 3D races. Yes, you are able to run quick simulations, but you can also partake in the 3D environment by advising your riders to attack or maintain position. Need an extra boost to revitalize a worn rider? Energy gels and water bottles will help rejuvenate a weary rider for another attack or even a sprint to the finish.
Amazingly, Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012 offers additional single player options. Players can choose to race a classic event like the Amstel Gold Race, simulate only a single stage in any race, or even take control of a cyclist in track mode. My personal favorite amongst these single player options is track mode because it offers events like sprints, relays, and eliminations where players can control the speed and movement of a chosen cyclist. While there isn’t a build-your-own rider option here, track mode breaks away from the managing bit and generates immediate excitement.
Armada is the online multiplayer option that incorporates a card collection theme. As you begin, you will start with a single pack of bronze collection cards. This pack will contain a collection of randomized riders and two random equipment pieces. This will be the basis of your starting team that can be launched directly into ladder or friendly matches. Joining a ladder match will have direct affect on your worldwide rank and grant you spendable Coins after finishing a race. Purchasing additional bronze, silver, or gold packs will increase your likelihood of winning by attaining the best possible riders and equipment. As it will take a long time to acquire Coins for a gold pack – 5,000 Coins, players have the option of purchasing Cyans with real money. Spending (US) $4.99 will result in 50 Cyans. By using the minimum payment, a player could obtain 1 gold pack and 2 silver packs which will improve his/her odds immensely. Strict use of the Coins will make for a long rigorous road when Cyans offer the easy street.
The concept for multiplayer is great, but the execution requires some work. In Armada I expected long load times for generating 3D races and a decent wait for matchmaking. However, I believed the actual race would have been fairly accurate concerning connectivity and merit a full online experience. After several attempts the game appeared glitchy and stuttering from checkpoint to checkpoint. Eventually, I was even kicked out of a game mid-race.
Another multiplayer function is available but warrants hardly any traffic. Online Track Racing could be one of the more exciting experiences of the title. By taking full control of the rider in single player, I can only imagine the intensity of facing an online opponent. Sadly, this mode might only see traffic by those creating private sessions.
Visual / Audio
User interface is one of the hardest aspects to master when designing a managerial game. Menus and sub-menus must be easily discernible and provide swift access from one action to another. For the most part, Cyanide Studios did well to incorporate a vastly in-depth menu system (Career Mode) and provide shortcut icons for ease of access. While tutorials are not available, the manual delivers adequate information regarding the layout of the manager interface.
Rapidly spitting out simulations offers zero eye candy, but 3D races allows you to get up and personal. Actively participating in a 3D race provides you with a chance to invoke real-time racing strategy all the while staring at formidable visuals. Different camera angles are up to your disposal ranging from the extremely up close to even a helicopter view. Switching between close up and distant shots, the game hardly feels the same. Up close angles give Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012 a considerable source of definition and clarity that adds to the game’s lasting impression.
As far as audio choices, Cyanide Studios performed well with choosing appropriate music. While surfing the depths of menus you can certainly enjoy flowing background music that is not overly distracting nor tasteless. In addition, I thought sounds effects were well balanced considering the format of the title. Even so players can adjust music volume, sound effects, and race commentary in the options menu.
Overall
After playing much of what Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012, I have discovered that I was pleasantly surprised at all of the playable options but left disgruntled about my multiplayer experience. The depth that can be attained in Career Mode can be overwhelming yet provides for soul purpose of the game’s creation. Shorter length single player modes offer a quick sensation of a classic race or even player controlled track races – a nice surprise.
Armada and Online Track Racing both hold great concepts that do not become fully appreciated. Armada has a fully functional concept with card collections and utilizes two different payments to access additional packs. Where the concept breaks is having a poor connection to the game’s server and lag in the routine update of individual riders. Being kicked from a game due to server connection or exiting due to severe lag are not acceptable results. The only disappointment for Online Track Racing is that the community involvement has not been reached for this game type as of yet. Rarely are players signing on to play this specific mode rather than Career or Armada.
Cycling enthusiasts eat your heart out! Pro Cycling Manager Season 2012 will be your best bet at managing a team of riders through a plethora of races. With the added benefit of other single player modes and potential multiplayer, you may not see another game like this until 2013.
At SMASH 2012 we got a chance to chat with one of the freelance artists who had a booth set up. Jeremy Flores works for Red Ape a group of illustrators that designs advertisements for a lot of companies, some ads of which you may have seen before. Jeremy Flores, who draws storyboards for Red Ape, was selling his wares to the SMASH attendees with some really choice Naruto and Kingdom Hearts drawings on show.
What did you guys think of SMASH, if you attended, did you enjoy the art on show? Was there anything in particular that caught your eye? Do you enjoy the art side of things at conventions like this?
Make sure to take a look at Jeremy’s Deviant art page je2bot.deviantart.com for some really awesome art.
Be sure to check out the video embedded below for the full interview. Be sure to check out the official SMASH! website and our SMASH! 2012 section here on Capsule.
Animavericks is Australia’s leading anime magazine and here at Capsule Computers we got to talk to Francis, one of the guys who was representing Animavericks at SMASH 2012. Animavericks was the first magazine in Australia aimed at promoting and writing about anime, games and Japanese entertainment.
If you hadn’t heard about Animavericks before, make sure to check out the Animavericks site out HERE. At $15 a magazine, or a yearly subscription for $60 including shipping (with 6 issues in total), or $75 for two years including shipping, this is definitely something to look at getting if you’re an anime, gaming or Japanese culture fan.
What about you guys, have you heard of Animavericks before, or bought an issue? Or would you be keen in getting one? To sign up to a subscription simply go HERE and fill out the form.
Be sure to check out the video embedded below for the full interview. Be sure to check out the official SMASH! website and our SMASH! 2012 section here on Capsule.
PARACOSM is a community for fans and collectors of ball-jointed dolls to hang out with each other. PARACOSM had a table set up at SMASH 2012 showing off some of the dolls that people belonging to the community owned, and they were definitely not your ordinary, run of the mill style dolls. With intricate costumes, facial features, and a far more gothic feel, these looked far cooler than anything you’d find in a store around here.
We got a chance to talk to one of the members of PARACOSM, Sharon, about the art of ball-jointed dolls, what it’s all about, and how you can get into it if you are interested.
For more information on Ball-jointed dolls and PARACOSM head over to the website HERE, or check out the doll order site Angelheim HERE. For the large international forum Den of Angels, head over HERE.
Be sure to check out the video embedded below for the full interview. Be sure to check out the official SMASH! website and our SMASH! 2012 section here on Capsule.
SMASH 2012 is a place that talented artists can go to show and sell their art, and Lucy was on of these talented artists, with the added bonus of being exceptionally young, at the tender age of 16. With an interesting Manga and cartoon range of drawings, she does both fandom and original related art with a fairly distinct style.
What did you guys think of SMASH, if you attended, did you enjoy the art on show? Was there anything in particular that caught your eye? Do you enjoy the art side of things at conventions like this?
Make sure to take a look at Lucy’s Deviant art page cloudrop.deviantart.com for some really awesome art. And if there are any Sherlock fans out there, you should definitely take a look at her page because she has some really great stuff up there.
Be sure to check out the video embedded below for the full interview. Be sure to check out the official SMASH! website and our SMASH! 2012 section here on Capsule.
In some breaking news for Hunter x Hunter fans, the previously announced movie based upon the animated series of Hunter x Hunter has now gotten a title, release date and it’s plot detailed.
Mantan Web confirmed that the film will be titled Hunter x Hunter: The Scarlet Phantom and will be released in the 21st of January, 2013. The plot will be a completely original story written by Yoshihiro Togashi himself, focusing on The Phantom Troupe and the Kurta Clan. Kurapika is said to be the film’s protagonist, with Gon and Killua being sidelined for a heavily Kurapika focused story of a ‘scarlet illusion’.
What do you think of these new details on Huner x Hunter: The Scarlet Phantom? Are you excited enough that your eyes are turning red? Let us know in the comments below.
Today Atlus USA released a new trailer today for Persona 4 Arena, giving us a brief glance at the plot of the title as well as segments of the recently revealed anime opening. It’s worth noting that the title does take place a couple of months after the ending of Persona 4, so those who haven’t tried out that game yet may be a bit unfamiliar with some of the characters.
Either way, Persona 4 Arena is set to be released on August 7th for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, making it the first time that a Persona game of any kind has appeared on the Xbox 360 console.
