Discord Games has released its update for 48 Chambers for Xbox Live Indie Games and PC. In addition to releasing the update, the game can be picked up for 50% off on both Xbox Live Indie Games and PC. The 50% off is only for 48 hours though, so be sure to download it right away. They’ve also put out a new trailer to showcase more of the gameplay too, which you can check out below.
The update that they have released was in response to a lot of player suggestions, based off of issues players were having with the game. It adds a Casual Mode, which gives players infinite lives to work through the levels, conversely it adds a Hardcore Mode, that has only one life to see how far players can make it. The PC version also features a Leaderboard for the Hardcore Mode.
At 50% off, be sure to check it out of you haven’t already. Available through Xbox Live Indie Games, Discord Games, Desura, and Indievania.
Square Enix has announced the Australian and New Zealand release date for the upcoming open world game, Sleeping Dogs as well as the Limited Edition content. Aussies and Kiwis can look forward to getting the game on August 16, 2012 on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. This is one day after the American release date, on August 14 (accounting for the time difference), but that’s kind of just something we’re used to.
As for the Limited Edition, we can look forward to the following content:
‘Georges St. Pierre (GSP)’ content:
· GSP’s signature “flying punch”
· Exclusive GSP outfit including T-shirts, headband and shorts
· The GSP outfit unlocks the “flying punch” and increases grappling and throwing damage
‘Martial Arts’ content:
· Shaolin Showdown Mission
· Shaolin Warrior outfit (with increased striking damage)
· Bonus Triad XP points
· Wing Chun decoration for safehouse (with temporary combat buff)
The Sleeping Dogs Limited Edition is going for the same price as the standard edition, so make sure you get in quick and head in to your local retailer to preorder yourself a copy.
Keep tuned to Capsule Computers for more information on Sleeping Dogs as it comes. What do you guys think of this new Square Enix game? Does the whole open world Triad thing interest you? Or do you just wish you could be a straight Triad member, with none of this undercover cop business? Let us know in the comment section below.
On the back of the announcement that all Western territories will have to wait until early 2013 for Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (North America had a Winter 2012 release date before this latest announcement), Namco Bandai have released the first trailer for the game that feature English voiceovers. It covers a bit of the backstory, where it is revealed that Oliver’s mother has died for quite some time. A doll she created magically comes to life by Oliver’s tears and he transports the two of them into the doll’s world.In this world, Oliver tries to become a magician so that he may revive his deceased mother.
Both gameplay shots (mostly exploration on the map) and the incredible 2D animation that Studio Ghibli is known for are featured. Sadly, there was no battle sequences to show off, but hopefully we will get that soon. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will be released on the Playstation 3 in the first quarter of 2013 for North America, Europe and PAL territories. You can check out the trailer below.
Powered by the legendary CryEngine gaming engine, Crysis 3 is being pegged as a visually stunning sandbox shooter slated for a 2013 release. In fact, EA are saying it will be the first blockbuster shooter of the year, meaning that it may be coming incredibly early that year.
The game is set in a futuristic New York, with ‘Prophet’ returning to the city only to find that it has been encased by a ‘Nanodome’ which is a product from a corrupt super-corporation, known as the Cell Corporation. Within this Nanodome is the New York Liberty Dome, which has been transformed into a dense urban rainforest setting with trees, swamplands and rivers. In this dome there are also seven distinct environments known as the Seven Wonders, which are all treacherous environments likely designed to challenge the player.
Here is a little background on the game from the press release –
Set in 2047, Prophet is on a revenge mission after uncovering the truth behind Cell Corporation’s motives for building the quarantined Nanodomes. The citizens were told that the giant citywide structures were resurrected to protect the population and to cleanse these metropolises of the remnants of Ceph forces. In reality, the Nanodomes are CELL’s covert attempt at a land and technology grab in their quest for global domination. With Alien Ceph lurking around every corner and human enemies on the attack, nobody is safe in the path of vengeance. Everyone is a target in Prophet’s quest for retribution.
The game seems incredibly unique in its setting and the backstory seems like it has the potential to be fairly interesting. On the game, Crytek had this to say –
“Crysis 3 is a thrilling mix of sandbox gameplay, advanced combat and hi-tech human and alien weaponry that shooter fans will love,” said Cevat Yerli, Chief Executive Officer of Crytek. “Leveraging the latest CryENGINE technology, we’re able to deliver seven unique themes that offer stunning and visually loaded gameplay experiences. We cannot wait until people get their hands on the game.”
Players are able to pre-order the Hunter Edition of the game which will give players a significant level boost for multiplayer, as well as unique weapons, skins and dogtags. Players who want to dominate the multiplayer arena early should consider purchasing this pack. In addition to this, there are also three other packages on offer, which are –
In addition to receiving the Crysis 3 Hunter Edition, select retailers are offering gamers that pre-order Crysis 3 the following early multiplayer unlocks:
Stalker Pack – Includes the base game, all Hunter Edition content and the following early multiplayer unlocks: for players who like to stalk their prey from the shadows the Stalker Pack provides early multiplayer access to the deadly semi-auto Jackal shotgun. This powerful, close-range shotgun comes with a unique silencer attachment, custom weapon skin and two exclusive themed in-game dog tags.
Overkill Pack – Includes the base game, all Hunter Edition content and the following early multiplayer unlocks: the Overkill Pack features early multiplayer access to the Typhoon assault weapon and skin. Spewing 500 rounds a second, the Typhoon gives players the ability to go guns blazing to take back the Liberty Dome. Also included are two exclusive Overkill themed in-game dog tags.
Predator Pack – Includes the base game, all the Hunter Edition content and the following early multiplayer unlocks: the Predator Pack delivers early multiplayer access to the Feline submachine gun and exclusive camo. With an extremely fast rate of fire and a 60 round magazine the Feline is highly effective and deadly, at short range.
Huge announcement for Bioware fans as two of the company’s current juggernaut RPG franchises, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, are getting anime movie adaptations. Leading anime publishers, Madman Entertainment and FUNimation, will be joining forces to distribute both animated feature films on both Blu-Ray and DVD formats in 2012.
These anime movies are Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker and Mass Effect: Paragon Lost. Produced respectively by Tokyo-based animation production company, T.O. Entertainment (Vexille, Appleseed) and Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex).
“There are plenty of avid gamers at Madman, myself included, who are big fans of both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games,” said Tim Anderson, Managing Director, Madman Entertainment. “Both franchises offer great stories and rich characters, and we couldn’t be more excited to see BioWare’s immersive storytelling brought to life in these animated films.”
“Over the last few years, we have revealed different pieces of the Mass Effect world through different media. Extending the story through an anime medium is another amazing opportunity for us,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer for the Mass Effect series. “Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we will bring this rich universe to life with the utmost quality and the same attention to detail that the Mass Effect games are known for.“
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray formats on 6 June 2012, and Mass Effect: Paragon Lost will be released in late 2012.
The Playstation Network will be going into lockdown for a 12 – 13 hour period starting at 11pm on Monday 16th April until 11am Tuesday 17th April AEST. For those who are in different time zones, here is a list:
United Kingdom – 2pm on Monday 16 April 2012 until 2am on Tuesday 17 April 2012.
US Eastern – 9am on Monday 16 April 2012 until 10pm on Monday 16 April 2012.
US Pacific – 6am on Monday 16 April 2012 until 7pm on Monday 16 April 2012
While the Playstation Network is down, all services that are integrated with the Playstation Network will be offline. This includes:
PlayStation Store on PS3, PSP and PS Vita.
PlayStation Network Account Management.
PlayStation Network Account Registration.
Online Multiplayer
PSN Enabled Services
If you still want to play online while the PSN is in maintenance mode, then sign in before the scheduled time of maintenance and play away. Of course, trophies can still be earned and will be synched once the Playstation Network is back online. While it is down, why not enjoy your single player games that are collecting dust? They deserve your attention once in a while.
Rift has finally launched its eighth major content update titled Infernal Dawn. The content update brings many new additions to the game, but most notably, a new 20man Raid-dungeon to challenge all the end-game players of the game.
In the latest raid Mount Carcera, players group together to take on the two dragon lords Maelforge and Laethys. Additionally, there will be some new implementations, such as a guild finder and some new trade-skills for players to level.
Full list of features included in RIFT: Infernal Dawn:
Infernal Dawn – Epic 20 person raid within Mt. Carcera on Ember Isle
New Tradeskills – Fishing and Survival come to Telara
Leaderboards – Ascended stat tracking comes to Rift
Instant Adventure – Join the adventure on Ember Isle
Be sure to download the game and trial the first 20 levels by visiting this site, here.
We haven’t even reached the midway point of 2012 yet but that hasn’t stopped publishers from announcing games for early 2013. In fact, Namco Bandai Europe revealed that they will be releasing Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch in the first quarter of 2013 exclusively on the PlayStation 3. Obviously a more specific release date will be announced in the future, but for now the fact that it is being localized is good enough.
Better yet, the game is being given a full English dub as well as subtitles in several different languages so many people will have a chance to play it and understand what is going on. For those who don’t know Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch follows the journey of a young boy named Oliver who sets out on a journey in a parallel world where he is trying to become a magician in an effort to revive his mom from the dead.
A new colour for the Playstation 3 will be released in the United Kingdom. The colour will be Scarlet Red, which is sported on both the console and the Dualshock 3 controller. It will be the Slim 320GB model that will sport the colour. According to a listing on Amazon UK, the console will be available on April 27 and will retail at £249.99 (AU$382.83), which is more expensive than the retail price of regular Playstation 3 units. No games will be bundled with the console.
The United Kingdom is not the only possible area of release as EB Games Australia have a listing for the Scarlet Red console on their website. A point of difference with their listing is that the console will include two Dualshock 3 controllers rather than the one in the UK and a place holder date of May 31. The Australian price is set to be AU$458, a little higher than the AU$399 retail price tag. There has been no mention of the colour on the European Playstation Blog (or any official announcement) or a release date in the United States.
Aero Vacation
Developer: Black Pearl Games Publisher: Chillingo Platforms: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: April 12, 2012 Price: Free Get it Here
Overview
Chillingo adds a new entrant to the freemium arena with their latest game. Aero Vacation allows players to build their dream airship and fly it around the world. Players use gold coins to build amenities, energy to upgrade their amenities, and Aero Credits to speed through build and flying times. All these currencies can be purchased through an in app purchase ranging from $0.99 to $49.99.
Story
There isn’t much of a storyline at all in Aero Vacation, so once again you will have to create your own story for Aero Vacation. Maybe you’re attempting to run a family friendly cruise or maybe you are flying around the world’s richest clients in a world tour.
Gameplay
Aero Vacation is best described as a mash up of Tiny Tower and Mega Mall Story. Rooms your guests can use such as cafes, spas, casinos, and hot springs will bring in coin over time that needs to be collected after a certain period of time. These coins are spent to build more rooms or generate power that will upgrade your rooms to high levels, bringing in more money per minute and eventually allowing you to pay to transform them into more profitable services. By placing harmonizing services together, you can boost your revenue. Experience is gained over time, building new services, and traveling. As you level up, opens up new destinations to travel, therefore unlocking new services.
The level of depth in this game is a little deeper than your average freemium game, but not nearly as deep as Mega Mall Story. The depth comes from managing your time and positioning your services to trigger bonuses to make the greatest profit possible in a given set period of time. There is no customer satisfaction or needs to worry about. This makes it simple enough that even younger gamers will be able to enjoy Aero Vacation. Even in its simplicity, Aero Vacation is insanely addictive. I found myself timing my airship’s travels and designing my ship’s services around my schedule. Thankfully moving your ship’s services around to optimize revenue flow is free as long as you have spare space to move the services around.
The controls in Aero Vacation are flawless. Even on the smaller screen on the iPhone, buttons were responsive and pressing the wrong button was rare. There is a very generous level of zoom which is great for the small iPhone screen. The UI is well thought out for the most part. I only wish it was possible to find out how much experience and coins I was going to earn upon landing at my destination.
It is possible to play Aero Vacation across multiple iOS devices. The game requires an active internet connection to play which can be a bit of a pain for iPad and iPod Touch users. However, for those fortunate enough to own both an iPhone and an iPad, you can play on your iPhone while out of Wi-Fi range, come home and pick right up where you left off on your iPad.
Visuals
Aero Vacation uses a cute, family friendly westernized anime style that looks great. Each service has visitors that will use the amenities, bringing life to your airship. However, after staring at the game for hours on end, you’ll notice that each room plays the same set of guest visits on loop. You will never see guests travel from one room to another. Although the animations look great, the lack of traveling guests makes the airship feel a little disjointed and insular. The graphics do not appear to be optimized for the new iPad’s Retina screen. As a result the UI is noticeably pixelated. Overall, Aero Vacation sports visually pleasing graphics that could use a little bit of improvement.
Audio
The audio can be a little bare at times in Aero Vacation, but what is there is good. There are a small handful of sound effects for actions such as collecting money or power that are used repeatedly. These are good sound effects, but the total lack of variation can become tiring after a while. The music is an elevator muzak type music that fits perfectly with the theme of the game. It is cheery, bright, and pleasant to listen to for short periods of time when you check in on your airship. It too becomes a little repetitive after 20 minutes straight, but considering most of the time players will spend only a few minutes checking in on their airship, it’s not too bad.
Overall
Aero Vacation is a great game. I haven’t been this addicted to a freemium game since Tiny Tower. The internet requirement can be a bit of a pain when I take my iPad on the go, but the ability to play on my phone then switch seamlessly to my iPad makes up for it. However those who only own an iPad or iPod Touch need to be wary that they will not be able to play their game on the go. The graphics are fun and child friendly and the sound is fitting for the game. If you’re coming off your Tiny Tower high and looking for another freemium game to soak up your time, give Aero Vacation a try.
