While those of us in North America still have to wait until next week on February 28th to take the war to the machines, the battle has already begun in Europe and Australia because Sega’s Binary Domain is now available in both those regions.
Created by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the man well known for his Yakuza series, Binary Domain places players in an emotional war filled world where humans are in a battle against an army of robots in 2080. With illegal robot-human hybrids known as ‘hollow children’ appearing all over the globe, the world begins to change for all of humanity. Players will take control of Dan Marshall, who leads the covert operations R.U.S.T. crew in an effort to discover who is creating the hollow children.
Capcom has revealed today that they are planning on bringing a PC version of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City to gamers everywhere, however it won’t be on March 20th alongside the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game. Instead, PC gamers will have to endure a two month wait as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City on the PC is currently set to be released on May 18th.
The PC version will offer support for Nvidia 3D Vision so those with fancy 3D computer monitors will be able to make use of them, and will also include “stunning high-resolution visual effects.” To go along with this announcement Capcom also released a new brutality trailer which can be seen below.
It seems that Sony is feeling quite generous. Next week gamers will be able to download the multiplayer section of Killzone 3 without having to buy the game itself. The standalone multiplayer mode will be released as a free download on the PSN.
This mode will be launching on Tuesday and the only negative is that players can play for free up until a certain unreleased level cap. If a player hits that level cap and still wants to level up further they can pay $14.99 to unlock the full multiplayer experience. However it is worth noting that you can still continue to play for free, though you won’t be able to level beyond that cap without paying extra.
Asobi ni Iku yo! originally aired in Japan back in 2010 and FUNimation is preparing to release their newly named, Cat Planet Cuties, English Dub on May 15th on Blu-ray Disc and DVD. Today they revealed the English voice cast in a bit of fancy fashion by providing the below video which features all of the named characters’ voice actors revealed while also providing a brief peak at their character.
For those who don’t know, Cat Planet Cuties follows an ordinary high school boy with less than ordinary neighbors living in Okinawa and the alien catgirl who appears before him and in an attempt to open relations between her race and Earth. The full list of English voice actors can be seen below.
A new champion is approaching, and word of her arrival is quickly spreading. Fiora, the Grand Duelist, is shown in the comic reel below wielding a single blade against a large opponent in the streets of Demacia. Unlike other customs of Demacia, duels are a time honored occurrence and can be seen quite regularly. Yet anyone that walks into Fiora’s path rarely comes out alive.
Adding Fiora to League of Legends will help bolster the ranks of female melee champions. Perhaps Riot Games is making a statement that female characters can be as tough as any other champions in the league which is undeniably true. Summoners have known this ever since Katarina walked on the Fields of Justice. As every new female champion is released, we also know one more piece of information – they are very appealing.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have announced that a new update for the Batman: Arkham City Lockdown App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is available now. The update includes a brand new level featuring Harley Quinn, a Bruce Wayne skin and achievements, all for free. In addition, the Batman, Inc. skin is now available for purchase.
The new level expands the world of Gotham City as Batman must track down the infamous Harley Quinn. Players must fight their way through Harley’s henchmen and can enjoy all new gameplay elements, using Batman’s Batarangs in a timed showdown.
Here we are again, MasterAbbott is back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed out on last week’s suggestions, click on the links below and check what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS along with the introduction and disclaimer on how my suggestions work, as I’m not going through the same old intro every week. (suggestions 1 has the disclaimer)
What I’ve also introduced is video game play footage (if it’s possible) on some of the iOS games I’ve suggested, you can check this out at the bottom of the article. Currently video game play footage for this week’s suggestions is IronWorm, check back in a few days there will be some more added. For now, if you jump into previous suggestions there are a few videos to check out.
Once again it’s been a great week on iTunes, so many amazing games were released, this week I’ve suggested well over my normal amount with a total of 13 great quality titles. As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should also take a look at to spend your hard earned iTunes cash / time on.
This week I’ve focused an both the FREE and 99c titles there were some awesome and unique games released. These titles are all well worth taking a look at. Now lets get down to business shall we.
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
Cheezia: Gears Of Fur – Price : FREE – Publisher – Nordic Solutions Systems Oy. (Cheezia: Gears of Fur is a traditional platformer in spirit of Marios and Sonics where you help Manu the Mouse to save the secret cheese recipes from the hands of Evil Kiwinel the evil kiwi bird. Jump, dash and climb walls while you plunge through many levels of dangers and enemies. By collecting bonus items you can activate super powers like invulnerability or super speed!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Drop Candy – Price : FREE – Publisher – Adik Pintar Enterprise. (Do you have what it takes to be the Candy Drop Master! Navigate and shoot your delicious candy ball to collect the amazing shining stars and finish it all off by bouncing the candy into the 5x hole to get the best possible score. Fun, and very addictive, and most of all IT’S FREE!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
GoldRunner HD – Price : FREE – Publisher –YOMEN Inc. (Fans of Lode Runner will enjoy this one, there are 20 levels in the game which progressively challenge players’ problem-solving abilities or reaction times. Levels feature a multi-floor, brick platform, with ladders and suspended hand-to-hand bars that offer multiple ways to travel throughout.) runs on iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Sky Settlers – Price : FREE – Publisher – NOBSTUDIO. (Greetings, settlers! Welcome to Sky Land, an island floating above the clouds! Can you develop Sky Land into a big city and manage the settlers? Create your own island with cool buildings, watch settlers as they work! Once in a while, Batterycruiser lands in Sky Land’s airport! Send settlers to work in Batterycruiser and earn batteries! Order new types of building and homes for settlers to work in! Guide visitors and they will reward you with coins or batteries, plus much more.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
AR Spaceship – Price : FREE – Publisher – Visionaries 777. (AR Spaceship is an Augmented Reality Game using your camera and an AR Card that you can print at home. Simply by moving from left to right or by tilting the device you control the spaceship. Fly through as many gates as possible by shooting lasers and avoiding red mines. What’s gonna be you high-score!? .) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
MASTERABBOTT’s 99c Game Pick Of The Week
Midway Arcade – Price : $0.99 *limited time only * – Publisher – Warner Bros Entertainment. (Includes 10 games!!! Spy Hunter, Rampage, Joust, Root Beer Tapper, Defender, and Arch Rivals. Plus 4 Arcade favorites: Air Hockey, Arcade Basketball, Pool, and Roll Ball. All your favorite arcade hits in the palm of your hand! Lose yourself in this virtual arcade experience featuring 12 popular arcade games from Midway presented in their original cabinet. There’s even a jukebox that lets users play music from their iTunes library and a virtual prize redemption center! ) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Tango Moon – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Game & Buzz Factory. (Once upon a time, a cat with one goal in mind… to touch the moon! Play and help Tango Moon to fulfill his dream. Help Tango, the cat jump from building to building, roll into a ball to cross various tunnels, jump to catch the boxes of catnip… Help Tango brave all the dangers of the dark night to allow him to finally achieve his goal!!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Movie Biz Tycoon – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Super Jumbo Media. (Do you have what it takes to compete with other big name movie studios and to bring a ruined movie studio back to its glory? Movie Biz Tycoon is the most fun and creative simulation game that gives you the opportunity to build your own movie empire. Whether it is horror or romance, you have the complete control of creating your scripts, choosing the actors, sets and filming technology!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Air Baby – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Creative Drops Studios. (The premise is simple. Baby Ethan has lost his pacifier. The pacifier is attached to a balloon that has flown through the air. Ethan has decided to make the trip and fly up in the sky to get it back. Join him in his battle against the wild birds and the green skull balloons. During the adventure, you must power up with energy as this will be your only chance to succeed.!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Mighty Mouse My Hero – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – CBS Mobile. (Mighty Mouse, the beloved cartoon superstar of yesteryear, flies into the 21st Century on your iPhone and iPod touch! Play as Mighty Mouse through more than sixty levels of non-stop action, as he punches out a host of villains in an exciting fight to save Pearl Pureheart, his true love. Nothing makes a mouse happier than good cheese – collect it as rewards for accomplishments or purchase a wedge to gain power-ups and new costumes!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
IronWorm – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – 10tons Ltd. (Ironworm is an action packed platformer that uses an interesting worm physics concept developed at 10tons Ltd. The goal of the game is to fight through vast numbers of enemies towards a final showdown. In the final showdown the player meets the villainous Boss Bug who is the evil primus motor behind the everlasting war between bugs and worms!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MASTERABBOTT’S Over 99c PICK OF THE WEEK
WWE Wrestlefest – Price : $2.99 iPad version also available for $4.49 (Publisher – THQ Inc (The WWE arcade game fans have cherished for decades is back and better than ever! WWE WrestleFest delivers classic WWE action in 2-D. The faithfully recreated experience is complete with current day WWE Superstars like John Cena and Randy Orton, as well as iconic WWE Legends like Jake “The Snake” Roberts and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, all poised to compete in a variety of popular match types within several well-known arenas. In WWE WrestleFest, players may also challenge themselves to win a series of championships on the Road to WrestleMania and engage in multiplayer action.) – runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Anka HD – Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Big Fish Games. ( Anka lives a peaceful life with his parents but one day his mother doesn’t come back from town after running some errands. Soon afterwards his father disappears too. Bravely, the resourceful Anka sets off to find them by himself. Unveil a charming point and click Adventure game as you tackle perplexing puzzles and challenges ranging from logic brainteasers to games of skill. Help young Anka find his family!) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
There you have it folks, these games should keep you busy for quite some time. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if anyone would also like to suggest their own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below, or join the discussion in the forums. Check out the link below :
A new three part video series for Ubisoft’s latest instalment of the long running Ghost Recon series Ghost Recon: Future Soldier has been released. Former Navy SEAL Sniper/Scout Richard “Mack” Machowicz leads the new ‘Believe in Ghosts’ Video Series, telling you why you should start believing in ghosts.
Introducing real life military operations and how they inspired the development of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. The first video in the series focuses on the Special Forces rescue of an American hostage Richard Phillips, from Somali Pirates in 2009.
Along with this, new gameplay features are showcased in the video. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is set to be released on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on May 24.
Beyond Home Entertainment has announced that they are planning to release Voltron Force trilogy on DVD on 2 May 2012, and will be titled as The New Defenders Trilogy.
The story will take place several years after the battle between Voltron Force and Prince Lotor, a new adversary has emerged which now calls for a new team of recruits who have to earn their place in Voltron Force.
Apart from the anime, a new mobile game based on Voltron Force is set to be released on 12 December 2012. Plenty of new apparel and merchandise will also be released and in Australia, the series will broadcast on the ABC Network. More recently, there was a Voltron game released as a digital download on XBLA/PSN.
The Darkness II Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Digital Extremes Platforms: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), Playstation 3, PC Release Date: February 10, 2012 Price: $59.13 – Available Here
Overview 2007 saw the release of The Darkness, a shooter with a unique twist of demonic powers. But what set The Darkness apart from other shooters was its focus on narrative. Five years later, a long awaited sequel has finally emerged. Developed by Digital Extremes, there is much to enjoy in this very dark, gory and fun sequel.
Story Set two years after the events of the first game, Jackie Estacado is forced to conjure up the ancient demonic force known as The Darkness after a hit on his life takes place. With The Darkness out of him, he must once again face his own demons along with a new foe: The Brotherhood. A secret society bent on controlling and using The Darkness for their own purposes – *hint hint* world domination. Meanwhile while all this is happening, Jackie is still guilt struck over the loss of his girlfriend Jenny. And with The Darkness out again for the second time, there may be another chance to find her once again.
The Darkness II’s story is the main draw card for anyone that played the first game, but this isn’t the dark and gritty revenge story of the first game. The Darkness II’s story explores far more into the game’s comic books roots expanding the mythology behind The Darkness, something that was questionably lacking from the first game.
While the developers have done a great job in the way narrative is told, overall the game’s story feels rather flat in comparison to the first game. The main campaign isn’t lengthy as well, clocking in at around 5-6 hours only. There is however a very good co-op multiplayer that extends The Darkness II’s longevity, and fills in some of the gaps of the main campaign.
The four player co-op multiplayer Vendetta campaign tells a parallel side story to Jackie’s. While the paper thin Vendetta story is more of a premise rather than an actual in-depth story, it’s a good enough reason for teaming up for some four player co-op action. There is some cross over between the two campaigns, but for the most part the campaigns remain in their self- contained scenarios.
Gameplay Another major drawcard for The Darkness II is its gameplay, inventing and boasting the catchphrase “Quad-wielding” in all its trailers. Whilst some may brush this off as a shameless gimmick, this is certainly not the case – Quad-wielding works and defines gameplay in The Darkness II. Players are given four weapons to use at all times, two standard weapons and two demon arms, hence the name ‘Quad-wield’. This new gameplay mechanic allows for fast and far more fluid combat, as you aren’t swapping through Darkness powers like in the first game. The right demon arm is used for throwing and picking up objects, while the left is used for slashing.
The game constantly rewards the player for gruesome kills, in the form of Darkness Essence which is used as the game’s currency to level up Jackie’s Darkness powers. A lot of depth has been put into the levelling system. It’s up to the players to decide where to spend their Darkness Essences, whether to level up Jackie’s weapon skills or invest in new Darkness Powers – Gun Channeling and Swarm, to name a few. The game also introduces player choice in certain sections of the game, whereby players are forced to decide an outcome. These light RPG elements are a welcome addition to the game and certainly did throw me off guard (in a good way) while playing the game.
Gameplay is overall very fun and very fast, however in the heat of battle (especially in hard sections of the game towards the end) quad-wielding can become all too hectic, with too many commands and prompts on the screen at the one time. The frustrating example of this is that the X button is used for consuming hearts (to regain health) and to pick up other weapons/ammo. You will accidentally be picking up weapons when you meant to consume a vital heart, and all too often this means dying and restarting from the section from the checkpoint.
And also as gruesome and horrifying as the executions are the first time around, after the 50th time you’ve ripped a goon’s head off or split him apart the character animations just get repetitive and slow down the fast paced gameplay. And it is very noticeable in the Vendettas campaign as you will be smashing hearts and executions enemies a lot as the game rewards the most Darkness Essences this way.
Where the single player campaign ends, multiplayer comes in to pick up the slack. The co-op multiplayer component of The Darkness II is no shoehorned experience. It is a fully fleshed out part of the game, with four very interesting and quirky characters to choose from, and who all have their own unique Darkness infused weaponry and powers. The same levelling up system from the single player have been taken and adapted in the multiplayer. Like in the single player, you will be earning and spending Darkness Essence to level up your character.
Audio & Visual The most notable and striking thing about The Darkness II is its visual look. There is no denying that the game looks gorgeous, sporting a comic book look and feel thanks to its cel-shaded graphics. Everything in this game looks like it has been taken straight out of the comics themselves, and translated into the video game. Character models look fantastic with close facial details, expect for in Jackie Estacado’s loading screen monologues where he looks oddly flat in comparison with some of the other characters.
Audio is similarly top notch as well. Voice acting is also absolutely spot on, and so it should be as the majority of the story is told from the characters. Mike Patton of Faith No More fame returns as the familiar creepy, haunting, mocking voice of The Darkness. Music is also used in an interested way with particular flashback moments with Jenny. The music here really adds to the emotion of the scene, which is off-beat in itself for a dark natured game. Yet these scenes feel all so right, and not out place at all.
Overall The Darkness II is a deserving follow up to 2007’s The Darkness, introducing new gameplay features and RPG elements that ultimately enhance the overall experience without losing sight of what made the first game so great – its narrative.
It’s just a shame that the main campaign ends quite abruptly with the main credits rolling just when you thought you were in the thick of it. It great while it lasts and most certainly leaves us wanting for more, which can be picked up in the game’s excellent co-op multiplayer. There are no gimmicks here, The Darkness II is a game that delivers.
