After the initial open beta event for Guild Wars 2, tension is bubbling at an alarming rate for testers worldwide. Excitement and anticipation are mild feelings compared to the emotions that this upcoming MMORPG is surfacing. So with all these heated emotions, ArenaNet is happy to announce that the Beta Weekend Event #2 will begin on Friday, June 8th, at noon PDT (GMT-7) and will run until Sunday, June 10th, at 11:59 p.m. PDT (GMT-7).
And that’s not all! For those that have taken part in Beta Weekend Event #1, your characters have not been deleted. The die-hards that have already achieved level 35 or higher will happy to hear that a new explorable dungeon has been added for your plundering pleasure – Ascalonian Catacombs.
Want to join in the beta events? It is not too late! Pre-purchase Guild Wars 2 to secure your place in the upcoming beta even or keep your eyes open on Guild Wars 2 Facebook / Twitter for beta keys.
Cyanide Studio and Focus Home Interactive has released the first trailer for Pro Cycling Manager 2012, but unfortunately it is only a teaser. The teaser, which players can see below, shows a bit more of the graphics in action. It’s amazing seeing all the different cyclists moving together like a flood of color down the track and gives a better scope than just seeing what they can show from ground cameras in real life.
While details for Pro Cycling Manager are a bit limited for now, the game is expanding from 2011 with more teams and races, plus new specialized training to prepare your cyclists for the different types of courses, such as mountain terrain. The AI has also been reworked to better account for varying situations, like upcoming terrain or opponent fatigue, so that they don’t burn themselves out when taking on the other racers.
The Playstation Vita will be receiving another three apps in the coming months: Travel Bug, Ecolibrium and Imaginstruments. Each app will utilise the specific features of the Vita, taking advantage of the front touch screen, rear touch pad, 3G connectivity and front and rear cameras. Each app will be available for free, but no solid release date has been announced.
Travel Bug follows a player created bug itching for some traveling. Using the cameras, players can take snapshots of locations they visit (via their bug) and track it on an interactive map. There is also a competitive element to the app. Using near, players can compete in a mad dash to a particular destination.
Ecolibriumis an imaginative eco-system simulator where the aim is to maintain harmony within your own created environment. If the environment becomes unbalanced, species in your eco-system must be fed manually until you have restored balance and created the optimum environment for your animals and plants. Players can collect different and trade species with near.
Imaginstruments is animaginary instrument application built with the Vita inputs in mind. Players can play drums, guitar, theremin, and even the violin. Once each imaginstrument has been mastered players can record their tracks and share with other players.
Following the announcement in the latest issue of Japanese video game publication, Famitsu Magazine, a teaser site has just been launched for the next major RPG project from Atlus games, Shin Megami Tensei IV.
It’s been a while since we seen a proper entry in the main line of Shin Megami Tensei games, as for the past few years or so we have seen numerous entries in the Persona sub series as well as the Devil Survivor sub series. Worth noting however is Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for the Nintendo DS, which essentially played like the games in the main Shin Megami Tensei series, and to many fans this was in fact the fourth entry in the main series.
Turns out this was not the case as the true Shin Megami Tensei IV is set to be released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, and will be the first real entry in the main series since Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.
The teaser site only carries an image, and just by that it is pretty evident that this will be a dark, brooding, and post apocalyptic RPG like the ones before it.
Hockey is a sport that benefits from strong skating abilities. Some players go as far to take lessons from figure skaters and many retired hockey players have participated in a popular Canadian reality show called Battle of the Blades that partners retired hockey stars with figure skaters competing in figure skating competitions. So it is little wonder that EA Sports chose to make skating one of the major improvements in NHL 13.
With the big changes announced for NHL 13, EA Sports released a brand new trailer called Every Stride Matters. The video shows off the highly realistic physics based skating animations and brand new AI engine featured in NHL 13. Check out the new trailer below.
Just as we welcomed the infamous Noxian battlerager Darius, League of Legends opens its gates to his blood-thirsty brother. Riot offers a quick sneak peek for onlookers as Darius’s brother Draven makes his way to the Fields of Justice with dual cleavers. At first glance, Draven seems to be veering a little to close to crazy. Must be that Noxian pride shining through!
If you would like to flaunt your Noxian pride as well, you can find “The Blood Brothers” wallpaper (here) featuring the above image. For additional information about Draven, stayed tuned for the next League of Legends article “A new champion approaches… Draven”. To catch a glimpse of Draven’s art spotlight, take a gander below to see the creative development of blood dripping insanity.
With the release of the ‘Wiimake’ of the PlayStation 2 (and later Xbox) supernatural horror classic, Fatal Frame 2 (or Project Zero 2 to some), looming close. A nice five minute overview trailer has been released for it.
Fatal Frame 2 is among the most emotional, psychological, and horrific horror experiences to have ever graced gaming. As frightening as the experience was, it was still eerily and hauntingly beautiful, as it had an amazing art style and great use of lighting and visual effects to create an atmospheric ambience.
You can view the trailer below, which sheds a little light on the story, shows off some of the CG sequences, and plenty of gameplay action. Fatal Frame 2: Wii Edition should be a nice remake of the original.
Two billion-dollar mega blockbuster and winner of 11 Academy Awards, Titanic will be making its debut on Blu-ray 2D and 3D on September 12, 2012. James Cameron’s masterpiece will be available in high definition for the first time ever. Marking the 101st anniversary of RMS Titanic, you can now pre-order the Blu-ray in 2D or 3D with participating retailers.
James Cameron had this to say about the Blu-ray release:
“Blu-ray extends Titanic’s immersive 3D theatrical experience into audiences’ homes, where their living room becomes the backdrop for big spectacular environments and intense action, as well as profoundly intimate human moments, allowing generations of fans – new and old – to truly become part of the movie like never before.”
No only is the movie in ultimate high-definition, but it also has more than 2.5 hours of all-new bonus footage including an in-depth exploration of the film with James Cameron, as well as National Geographic documentary footage with James Cameron and Titanic experts solving remaining mysteries of why the ‘unsinkable’ ship sank. There are also 29 deleted scenes, an alternate ending, over 60 behind-the-scenes featurettes, a look at the visual effects, over 2,000 photos, three commentaries and even more. So if you’re one of those people who loves special features, this is definitely worth picking up.
I mean, who doesn’t love Titanic? The story of two star-crossed lovers who meet on the legendary cruise ship that was dubbed the ‘ship of dreams’. So why not pick up a super high-definition version with a tonne of extra features and round out that Blu-ray collection?
Titanic 3D and 2D on Blu-ray is available on September 12, 2012. Can’t wait? Head on over to your local retailer and pre-order your copy today!
The Ridge Racer game on the PlayStation Vita is getting some interesting downloadable content, as it was just announced that the iconic Hornet racing car from the Sega arcade racing classic, Daytona USA, will be appearing as a playable racing vehicle.
Ridge Racer and Daytona USA were arguably the biggest names in arcade racing during the 90s, and this can be seen as a dream collaboration of sorts. The Hornet sports its iconic paint colours and alongside this new content comes a new song called Ridge Racer USA Mix. Both items of downloadable content will be released in Japan on 6 June 2012.
You can see the Hornet in action in the trailer below.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier Developer: Ubisoft Red Storm, Ubisoft Romania, Ubisoft Paris Publisher: Ubisoft Platforms: Playstation 3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC Release Date: 25 May, 2012 Price:$59.99 (available here)
Overview
There hasn’t been a Ghost on an HD console since 2007, when Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 picked up strong reviews across the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It and the rest of the Recon series have a reputation for providing an alternative to more run and gun shooters by focusing on strategy and stealth. With Future Soldier Ubisoft have produced a very slick and cinematic third person shooter, but despite it’s many upsides it does lack a little in the strategy and stealth department. Players take on the role of a member of Hunter Squad, a team of four ghosts drawn into an ever more serious mission thanks to the game’s opening event.
Story
Future Soldier opens with a unit of Ghosts being wiped off the map by a dirty bomb. The story that follows picks its plot points from the big book of shooter clichés, touching down with bombs, arms dealers, Russians, terrorist organisations, refugee camps, civilian casualties, a snow storm…so yes, there’s likely nothing new to see here, but it’s all pulled off very well. The big bad moments are a pretty spectacular bunch, backed up by some very impressive explosions and some cinematic camera work.
Plot points are easy to follow and are backed up by mission briefs, and even in mission you’ll be able to dig up a few details about your surroundings thanks to the HUD display, which has place names and other essentials floating around in world rather than flat on the screen. The cutscenes don’t outstay their welcome, and the action beats are balanced out with some more character lead scenes that shore up the four Ghosts as personalities rather than gun and camo combos. None of them will make the break into iconic character land, but they’re likeable enough guys and are given some time to be something other than exposition dealing robots. Crucially it feels like you’re playing as part of a team, even if that team isn’t as interactive as some would expect when it comes to the gameplay.
Gameplay
Future Soldier is a third person shooter, taking the usual mission/objective structure for it’s campaign. There are some instances when the Ghosts jump into the back of a vehicle, but for the most part this is on foot action, with a heavy emphasis on knowing your enemy before he knows you. The ‘future’ of Future Soldier is most evident in its tech load out, which provides sensor grenades to scope out the battlefield, a spy drone that packs an electrical punch, and a camo system that renders the Ghosts nigh on invisible when in the crouch position. It is very much a near future setting, so don’t expect any sci-fi elements to the main weaponry.
All of these gadgets are geared towards finding your enemy, and with many objectives coming with a ‘no alarm’ stipulation, getting into the habit of using drones and sensors is a must. That said there are plenty of instances where a firefight kicks off, and even one level where you get your own personal mini AT-AT – or more officially- War Hound. It’s an incredibly over powered thing, coming as it does with an unlimited supply of mortars and missiles, but it’s crucially only around for one level, ensuring that the power play remains a fun highlight rather than a game breaker.
Sync shots are another great addition, allowing you to target up to four enemies and take them all out simultaneously. Again it creates a feeling of power, as you quickly line up your sights on a grunt and have your buddy take him down as you roll by. Pulling off a sync shot also grants you a moment of slow mo, so if you’re thinking on your feet you can kill off enemy number five while you’re at it. It’s incredibly satisfying to do, but sadly the sync shot is the only way you can interact with your team.
Even the most basic of squad commands are absent, with the lack of even a ‘go here’ or ‘hold fire’ giving the strategy a very limited scope. Your fellow Ghosts do behave quite well but nonetheless are on rails, often taking away any tension in the combat by making a bee line for the next point of conflict. That aside they stay in cover and are good at spotting enemies you might miss – their shout outs and chatter helps to move things along at a reasonable rate and bolsters a bit more team spirit.
Speaking of teams and being on rails, Future Soldier has another trick up it’s invisible sleeve. Certain sections will see Hunter Squad protecting a VIP by forming up around them in diamond formation. These sections leave you nothing to control but your shooting hand and your eyeballs and whilst they allow for some coolly filmic moments it does highlight the lack of any significant control the player has on the path through a level. Future Soldier is big on the old cinematic glamour vibe for sure, and it pulls it off well, but at the expense of real strategy. Luckily it does manage to keep away from Call of Duty and Battlefield territory, and is certainly not forgiving if you happen to find yourself in open ground.
The shooting mechanics are easy to pick up, even offering a FPS style viewpoint for more accurate aiming. The weapons on offer are standard issue stuff, but to make up for it the game has a Gunsmith feature that lets you customise weapons with a bucket load of different bits and bobs unlocked by completing objectives in all the game modes. Adding more depth are the multiple challenges for every level, which range from speed runs to specific weapon feats or low clip completions. Add in a 100 point scoring system that takes into account headshots, civilian casualties and the like and there’s plenty of reason to revisit the campaign levels.
Of course there is a considerable whack of multiplayer available to complement the 10 hour campaign. Guerrilla mode is basically another Horde mode that can be played local or on line, and the whole campaign can also be played co-op too. Having a real person to talk tactics with makes a huge difference to some of the more stealth based levels, allowing for some more complex moves and generally giving you the chance to feel that much more godlike.
The other four modes on offer include the neatly twisted ‘Decoy’, which doles out three objectives to two teams of which only one is actually real. Success can turn into failure in an instant, and the whole set up feels fresh in comparison to obvious copy cats like Guerrilla. The usual suspects (deathmatch etc) are helped along by including some of Future Soldier’s more unique mechanics, balancing things out by splitting talents over a small selection of classes – not everyone can camo for example. It promotes the same team work that is displayed in the main campaign, so everything feels like one coherent package.
Audio and Visual
Future Soldier ticks the majority of boxes when it comes to visuals. There is the occasional texture that isn’t quite as polished as the rest, but the game nails a slick and subtle future tone. The glint from the Ghosts eyeware and the blue circles hovering around their weapons hint at sci fi, whilst the camera floats around the entire team to create some impressive, if scripted, moments. Cutscenes and plot mega moments look fantastic (as long as you’re not considering any human faces), and the whole presentation is smart and well integrated. Like nearly everything else in the shooter genre, snow storms have been done before, but you’ll be snapping off you’re thermal vision to have a closer look at it for sure.
The gun fire is very impressive and visceral, each individual bullet striking with the muzzle flash. Every environment is hammered home by distinct audio set ups, so when you’re in a sandstorm you truly feel like you’re cut off from reality. The voice acting is good for the most part but squandered by the distracting facial animations, and sometimes the music feels like it’s been left too far out of the picture.
These are minor issues in a well groomed package, and the quality should by no means be overlooked simply because the genre is already full of such polish.
Overall
Future Soldier is a incredibly well made game that checks a lot of boxes when taken as a third person shooter. The presentation is slick and there are enough points of difference to make it stand out in the saturated shooter crowd – especially in a relatively quiet time for the genre. The future spin is subtle and allows for some interesting gadgets, and the multiplayer certainly offers a lot of added value: it’s a very coherent package. Whether it is a great Ghost Recon game is another matter, as the lack of any great influence over your team mates renders the single player campaign a little lacking in strategy and a feeling of control. Fans should certainly be aware of the the slight shift in focus, but the overall quality of the game still comes through.
Two billion-dollar mega blockbuster and winner of 11 Academy Awards, Titanic will be making its debut on Blu-ray 2D and 3D on September 12, 2012. James Cameron’s masterpiece will be available in high definition for the first time ever. Marking the 101st anniversary of RMS Titanic, you can now pre-order the Blu-ray in 2D or 3D with participating retailers.
