For this weekend only, Blizzard has decided to deliver the long awaited beta for those unfortunate players that have not tasted the essence of Diablo 3. This weekend should provide enough stress testing as anyone with a battle.net account can download the client and play. Once 10:00 A.M. PDT strikes on Monday, April 23, the stress servers will go offline, and participants will have only tasted a piece of Diablo 3.
Even if you have not opt-in for the beta, players can join battle.net and still be able to download the client. After the client had been downloaded, players can enjoy the gameplay of each of the five heroes to level 15. To find out more information about this open beta weekend, here is Blizzard’s FAQ.
Hell will be opened for merely three days… and unleashed forever on May 15th.
After a bit of a wait, Call of Duty fans who have yet to get Elite can now pick up Modern Warfare 3’s first content collection on the PS3. Included in the DLC is he brand new multiplayer maps Liberation, Piazza, Overwatch and Black Box along with new Special Ops Missions Black Ice and Negotiator, marking the first time Special Ops has been made downloadable online in franchise history.
Of course the Xbox 360 version of the same content has already been made available, with both versions being priced at $14.99, or 1200 Microsoft Points. The PC version’s first content collection is still listed as “Coming Soon”.
Calling all dungeon defenders! Trendy Entertainment is happy to provide you an opportunity to win some hard earned cash in their first “Dungeon Defenders Map Contest”! The first prize winner will have their map purchased for $1,000 that will be implemented into the game’s Ranked and Open modes.
Here is the simplified version of the rules:
Maps should be traditional Tower Defense, supporting 4-6 Heroes. Use of special mechanics like fans and magic carpets is fine. Boss fights are also allowed.
Use of custom materials is allowed.
Collaborations are allowed. Multiple authors can pool their talents on a single submission, and split any prizes that may be awarded. However, only 1 map per author is allowed.
Maps created prior to the start of this contest are ineligible.
Do your best to make the map actually work. You will not be disqualified if the map contains errors. I.e. a particular monster spawn is broken, last wave doesn’t end properly, whatever. However, you will suffer a small penalty in the scoring process.
Entries must be submitted no later than June 21 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
The judging procedure will be based on the following categories: Balance, Originality & Style, Detailing, and Optimization. Balance is necessary to provide a continual flow to gameplay. This means the map should be functional and planned out thoroughly. When thinking of originality and style, an author’s original touch is the focal point. Creating brand new content will definitely provide for an unique experience. Detailing will be judged by how the level is completed with created or provided objects as well as the compliance with the nature of Etheria. Lastly, optimization will be measured by lighting, monster pathing, border restrictions, and even file size. For example, an author would be docked points for having a pit that did not kill a character.
With the judging procedures discussed, authors then are ranked and scored by a collaborative system. Most importantly, the map is scored by a public majority. The viewing public’s vote will be worth 60% of the total votes as the Dungeon Defenders judges table will provide the extra 40%.
There must be more than just the $1,000 prize, right? You’re damn skippy there is! Here is the breakdown of prizes:
1st Place: $1,000 with map featured on Ranked and Open modes; Dungeon Defender pack (TBD)
Sentai Filmworks have announced that they have licensed Spring 2012 anime season series Tsuritama and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. Both series began two weeks ago, so Sentai were certainly very quick to pick up these two titles hot from Japan. Both series are set to be released digitally and physically. No dates have been confirmed for either series however.
Tsuritama is airing on the popular late night anime slot ‘noitaminA’ and is directed by the brilliant Kenji Nakamura (C – The Money and Soul of Possibility Control). The series itself revolves around a group of youths who decide to take up the hobby of fishing.
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is based upon a manga of the same named created by mangaka ‘Maybe’. The series focuses on an academy that has a history of hauntings.
Both Tsuritama and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia are currently simulcast on the Crunchyroll anime streaming service. What do you think of Tsuritama and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia being licensed by Sentai? Let us know in the comments section below.
While we haven’t seen all too much of Hitman: Absolution since it was shown off last year, there isn’t much doubt that the follow-up is set to be one of 2012’s biggest releases. As a bit of a mysterious sneak peak, Square Enix recently revealed the first issue of Hope News Times, which is the newspaper for Hope, South Dakota.
The reasoning behind this odd reveal is to give fans a bit of a glimpse into the town, as well as big-wig Blake Dexter, who will play a role within the game’s main narrative. You see, this is the kind of preview I enjoy seeing, as it doesn’t show off too much, but builds an image of what we can expect to see as Agent 47 when the game comes out. Check out the clipping above by giving the image a click, and stay tuned for more updates as Absolution steadily gets closer to launching.
A new James Bond game is coming to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 this fall. Instead of being based on the latest movie, 007 Legends will focus on six movies of the series, as 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise. Only one movie has been revealed to be in the game and that is Skyfall, the 23rd and latest Bond film in the series. The six movies will be tied together by an original, overarching storyline.
The Mi6 Ops Missions, which made their debut in Goldeneye 007: Reloaded, will also be included in the game. This single player mode features extra missions ranging from all-out action to stealth and gadget-based gameplay. Players will compete for the highest online leader board scores and get the opportunity to play as 007’s most dangerous foes. Multiplayer includes local four-player split-screen game modes and online competitive gameplay with new maps, weapons and characters all derived from the Bond movies.
More information on the game, including the other five movies, will be revealed at the official site and Facebook page soon. In the meantime, for all of the Bond fans out there, which movies would you like to see in 007 Legends?
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention Developer: Nippon Ichi Publisher: NIS America Release Date: April 17, 2012 Price: $39.99 – Available Here
Overview: While the RPG genre is flourishing in the video game world, there is a certain branch of said genre which has seen nearly zero games over the past few years. In fact, despite there now being two brand new portable gaming platforms available, there are no Strategy RPGs on either system. In fact, there are barely any RPGs for either system but that is another story entirely. With the PlayStation Vita’s release a few months ago, a slew of new possibilities opened up for developers and NIS America has stepped up to the plate with an RPG for a new generation of portable gaming.
Originally released on the PlayStation 3 back in 2008 as Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, NIS America has ported the title over to the PlayStation Vita as Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention. With brand new content exclusive to the Vita version of the game, all previously released DLC included at no cost added onto what was originally a massive experience, how does this return to the Netherworld Evil Academy turn out?
Story: In the Netherworld Evil Academy there is only one student who can be called the #1 honor student and that is a boy named Mao. However an honor student in the Netherworld is the polar opposite of an honor student on Earth. In fact, those who actually attend class like normal students are considered delinquents! The reason Mao is such a great honor student is because he never goes to class, never does his homework and spends all his time cooped up in his room playing games and doing research of his own.
That all changes when Mao chooses that he must overthrow his father, the evil overlord and Dean of Evil Academy after his father deleted his video game save containing over a four million hours of gameplay. To do this not only must he seek out a hero (to steal the hero’s title from), he must fight against countless opponents while trying to overthrow his father in what begins as a selfish kids rebellious act and evolves into a journey for the ages.
Now while Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice’s plot may sound like it is full of clichés, it sort of is. What truly sells the game’s storyline is the personalities of practically every single character in the game itself. Each character has a peculiar and enjoyable personality, and this doesn’t just include the main characters either. Small conversations can still be held with your random team-mates who all have a different personality depending on what character class they are, making for a story that will leave you laughing often with its off the wall and light-hearted humor.
Now it is worth noting that nearly all of the additional content that has been packed into Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is end game content which means that you will need to be spending a lot of time playing through the main story mode just to access the brand new chapters included in the Vita version of the title as well as the extra content which was previously DLC.
Obviously this is detrimental to those who have already played the original Disgaea 3 release as they will need to spend hours replaying story battles just to access this content. Then again, with a story mode as interesting as the one found in Disgaea 3 and gameplay to back it up, a few extra playthroughs can’t hurt.
Visuals: Considering Disgaea 3 has already been released once on a home console, it is pleasantly surprising to see that Disgaea 3 on the PlayStation Vita is presented with the same quality found in previous releases, it actually seems to surpass it. Nearly every element of this game is presented in sharp quality, and that isn’t just when players choose to use crisp or smooth sprites.
The game itself still uses the same styled sprites as seen in past Disgaea games, though they appear to be slightly touched up for this version of the title. This is especially true whenever players enter battle and begin to use special skills, outlandish as they usually are. Another highlight of the title’s visuals are any segments where the characters are speaking to one another in visual novel styled format. Every main character is given a waist-high portrait of themselves which is animated to represent the character’s emotions in each conversation. These character portraits rival what would be seen in most anime series today, which is impressive to say the least.
Audio: One of the biggest concern a gamer can have when they see a portable version of a game they love being developed is that the game’s voice acting will either be removed or chopped up to fit on the new platform. Thankfully that is not the case as every single cut-scene, previously voiced in-game dialogue and music is intact with this release.
This includes a Japanese voice track for the purists out there, but those who choose this option will miss out on the enjoyable English voice track. The rest of the game has adequate background music, though the main piece of music gamers will listen to in the main hub can grow to be annoying after a short while.
Gameplay: For anyone who is familiar with the Disgaea franchise, you already know what you are in for. For everyone else, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is an SRPG down to the core. Players will fight battles via a turn based system on a battleground with a movement grid. In battle players must command each unit separately and tell them where to move, what attacks or abilities to move and more. In fact, the battle system itself is rather simplistic at first glance; however it is much deeper than it seems.
While not an overly difficult game, Disgaea 3 will punish players for idiocy and basic battle strategies. As such, players will quickly need to learn the use of geo-block to swing the battles in their favor by boosting or lowering ally/enemy abilities, aligning their characters properly to unleash powerful combo attacks, throwing your enemies and even your allies and more.
Before you become too worried however, there are handy tutorials scattered throughout the beginning of the title which explain most of the ins and outs of combat, making Disgaea 3 accessible to those who want to simply enjoy themselves. Though gamer’s shouldn’t take ease of access as a sign of simplicity, as it can take many hours of constant fighting to truly master the combat system found in Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention.
It is worth noting that the transfer to the portable PlayStation Vita actually seems to benefit Disgaea 3’s gameplay style. Although some battles can reach upwards of a half hour in length if you struggle to defeat your opponents, most battles will last under ten minutes. While this isn’t anything special for a standard RPG, Disgaea 3 always places players back in a central hub which serves as a main town.
This main town offers all of the different item shops you will need, as well as a place to heal/revive your characters but also an easy to access save option that allows you to save the game whenever you are in the main town. This makes Disgaea 3 a perfect game to pull out of your pocket, fight one or two battles, save and put away for later with no harm or foul.
It is great that the title has made a flawless portable transition to the Vita as it still offers an absolutely massive amount of content. Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention’s main story is lengthy to say the least, but the amount of end-game content is absolutely immense. Players can take on random dungeons, try out brand new content exclusive to the PlayStation Vita and indulge in all of the DLC that was originally released for the PS3 version of the game. The sheer amount of content found in Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is unlike anything else you will probably ever see on the Vita… unless of course another Disgaea title graces the system.
Now given the fact that the game is now on the Vita, there are various uses for the front touchscreen, the rear touchpad and the GPS feature as well. Unfortunately all of these mechanics are poorly handled and feel unnecessary. The GPS feature is used to raise the player’s “Honor Quotient” faster than normal. The Honor Quotient can be raised in-game through standard means, but considering it offers various in-game bonuses and other things, those who only possess a Wi-Fi version of the game will find this feature lackluster.
The touch screens themselves can be problematic at the best of times as a few errant presses of the back touchpad can cause the camera to go out of control (which is an issue considering the camera itself can be problematic on populated battlefields). In fact, it is easier to simply ignore the fact that there are touch controls altogether as everything can still be controlled via the face buttons on the Vita. Long time Disgaea fans and newcomers will likely be choosing to use this classic control scheme thanks to its ease of use and friendly design compared to what the touchscreen controls of the Vita offer.
Overall: There is one thing that the Vita was missing before Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention was released, and that was a true lengthy title that offered boundless amounts of content that can be returned to again and again. The title may have a few small issues with the camera and poorly integrated touch controls and those who have already played the original release will be replaying most of the title over again. Despite this however, Absence of Detention is a must have title for any Vita owner with its flawless transition into the portable gaming world.
For all of those that pre-purchased Guild Wars 2, NCsoft and ArenaNet are happy to provide the first public beta weekend on April 27 – 29. Hundreds of thousands of players will finally be able to play a massive multiplayer online game that does not follow the same old conventions but innovates dynamic events as well as worldly battles.
Let it be known that the only way players can guarantee a spot on the beta playing list is to pre-purchase one of the Guild Wars 2 sets. It does not matter whether a player purchases the digital copy nor collector’s edition; he/she will be reserved a place for the beta testing. Awaiting beta testers should keep a close eye on their registered emails as instructions will come to download the game client prior to the beginning of the beta.
If you have not done so already, pre-purchase one of the Guild Wars 2 sets now to join the beta.
After quite a wait, the original journey for Pit has hit the eShop for all those who chose not to pre-order. 3D Classics: Kid Icarus leads this week of Nintendo downloads, and looks to be the strongest and most worthy title up for grabs this week on the eShop scene. As expected, the price point is $5.99, so if you haven’t already obtained this gem, do so now.
I Must Run has also hit the DSiWare this week, and resembles Temple Run quite a bit, but at a 2D side-scrolling perspective. The art style is also quite pleasant, and for just $1.99, this entry is certainly worth a look, to say the least. Demo-wise, Nintendo have put up Pyramids, which is a bit of a puzzle platformer the player is tasked with getting out of the structures with loot in hand.
The Wii is absent in downloadables this week, but those with a 3DS and Nintendo are in luck, as College Humor’s Dinosaur Office is back with anotheeeeeeeeeeer seasooooooooooooon!
That wraps up this week’s Nintendo downloads, so go to the eShop and give this lot a look.
Everybody loves stickers, especially video game stickers. That is why Square Enix has announced today that they will be offering a customizable gripped stylus for those who happen to pre-order Theatrhythm Final Fantasy in North America. This will certainly please people who enjoy physical pre-order bonuses instead of digital only content.
This stylus, which can be seen above, will come with 17 Theatrhythm Final Fantasy themed stickers that feature plenty of different characters, including Cloud, Tidus, Lightning and even a Chocobo. You still have plenty of time to go pre-order the game because Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is still set for release on July 3rd exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS.
