Rockstar Games has officially launched the Max Payne 3 website. Featured on the website, is a new interactive feature focusing on the weapons of Max Payne 3. New screenshots, 360-degree renders and detailed breakdown of weapons will be featured on the site. First up in the series is the ‘608 Bull revolver’ which can be viewed in all its glory on the website.
As well as this, keen eyed players can read up on the villains of Max Payne 3 with a in depth look at Comando Sombra gang and their ruthless leader Serrano currently up on the site today.
More information on the game will be released closer to Max Payne 3’s release in May for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. Go check out the website now over at Rockstar
Capcom rarely hold events in Australia, it is a fact. So, when they announced the Ultimate Capcom Showcase, there was some surprise within the team. For fellow editor Matthew Vella and myself, we had the opportunity to sample the games that Capcom has to offer for 2012 (bar Resident Evil 6, of course). The venue: the Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney. The games: Asura’s Wrath, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Street Fighter X Tekken and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, which is coming out for the Playstation Vita. On this night, we got to beat up gods, shoot zombies and fight our way through Ryu and Kazuya, all in one night.
A small presentation was conducted with the men representing three of the games greeting the fans and having a bit of fun. Seth Killian, who represented Street Fighter X Tekken, decided to make a joke. He pointed out that Street Fighter X Tekken had promotional posters, Asura’s Wrath had artwork but Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City had nothing to show for it (except, of course, the game), so Mike Jones was the loser for the night. However, Mike was not going down without a fight. He showed his wit with the following response, “That’s not true, come talk to me and I’ll buy you a beer.” He further added that the beer in Australia was great, hence why he offered. Everyone had a laugh and it was all in good fun. During the presentation, Kazuhiro Tsuchiya (producer) and Marco Bombasi (head of English localisation), who represented Asura’s Wrath, gave out artwork of the game in a raffle.
There was also a Street Fighter X Tekken tournament, which was no surprise. What was a good sight was to see how energetic and enthusiastic the crowd was during the tournament. It felt like a match at the FIFA World Cup. There was passion from the spectators that trickled through the competitors. They followed every high and every low the players experienced. All in all, everyone had fun, especially the winner. Speaking of fighting games, there was old school Capcom arcade games available for everyone. These ranged from Street Fighter to Marvel vs Capcom. The problem is that playing these classics were going to be hard. However, this event was all about the new.
You could not have a gaming event without the gaming public enacting in some cosplay. As this was a Capcom event, it was inevitable. There were some good costumes around. We saw a group which included three guys as Dante, Ryu and Ken. Most, however, turned up as themselves, which was a little disappointing, actually. I would not mind seeing more cosplay in Australia. Maybe this was the wrong event. Speaking of the public, the Arts Factory was packed. There was some murmurs that people were even rejected as they had forgotten to RSVP (this was an invite only event). A shame, to be honest, but you can not have a heavily crowded event.
Overall, the event was a good experience. Not only did we see an awesome fighting tournament, quite a few Capcom arcade classics and some great looking Capcom cosplay, we got to try out four games that will be released in the near future. All of these games impressed us and we look forward to release. Asura’s Wrath was my pick of the night (although it was a close call) and Matt’s would have to be Street Fighter X Tekken. Of course, we wrote up our impressions of the games that were available. You can check them out below:
We also caught up with Seth Killian and discussed the upcoming Street Fighter X Tekken. I suggest watching that interview if you have the slightest interest in the game. You can find it here.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Elite’s Content Season is set to kick off on February 28 for Playstation 3 via Playstation Network. While Xbox 360 gamers may already be in the think of Modern Warfare 3 DLC goodness, Playstation 3 gamers will have to wait until the end of the month to get their hands on the new content.
The first Call of Duty Elite DLC pack includes two new maps: Liberation and Piazza. Plenty more DLC is set to be released over a nine month schedule. Players can expect to receive a range of content from new multiplayer maps, Special Ops missions to new game modes if they choose to purchase the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Content Season.
Alongside a selection of Capcom games that will see release in 2012, Asura’s Wrath was available to try out at the Ultimate Capcom Showcase in Sydney on Wednesday night. Accompanying the game were two important men, Kazuhiro Tsuchiya, producer of the game, and Marco Bombasi, head of the localisation phase. For those who enjoy beating supernatural enemies and storylines full of gods, then this is the game for you. My time with the game involved a fleet of ships, gigantic monsters and catching missiles.
Asura is a demi-god and one of the most respected generals for the gods before being forced to be a patsy as he is blamed for the assassination of the Emperor. Escaping the imperial forces, he returns home only to find his wife dead and his daughter kidnapped. In his pursuit, he finds out that Deus, the head of the Gods, murdered the Emperor. After a defeat, Asura is dropped to Earth. 12,000 years later, Asura awakens from hibernation. He re-ignites his revenge quest and rescue. This is where the player enters the game.
The game will be set out in episodes, similar to an anime or TV series. On the day, episodes seven to twelve were available for playthrough. The episode I got to try with was episode nine. In this episode, Asura launches himself into the air and is greeted with a fleet of airships. During this sequence of gameplay, Asura must shoot projectiles in order to bring them down. There are two ways to take them down: rapid fire projectiles and lock-on projectiles which cause greater damage. In fact, the lock-on projectiles covered the ship, taking it down in a barrage of blows. After passing through that, Asura crashes through one of these ships. The fleet is manned by one of these gods, known as the tactician of the group.
During some of these cutscenes, including Asura’s launch, involved what was described by head of localisation as player driven events, or PDE for short. Unlike quick time events, the game’s player driven events do not need to be repeated if failed. In fact, player driven events will determine the outcome of the scene to an extent. It may also determine how many arms our hero has as well as the player’s score and ranking at the end of the episode. However, they do strike a similarity to quick time events. The player presses the button to perform the action, usually the face button or the analogue sticks. What I found interesting is that the button presses mimic the action within the scene, unlike the quick time events. I enjoyed how the various inputs determined the action on-screen.
The close combat gameplay replicates the classic hack-and-slash method, except with multiple arms. He has both a light attack and heavy attack. However, his heavy attack has a cool down timer to avoid players spamming away. Holding down the attack buttons will execute a charging attack, like an uppercut, allowing more combos to be executed. Players will encounter various supernatural enemies inspired by Asian mythology. Asura will also have access to Unlimited Mode, a powered up mode where Asura will have pack in more damage with its punches as well as invincibility. However, this is for a limited time.
Unfortunately, my time with the game did not end the way it should have been, but, as the producer was there, it was a good thing that he did spot it. But, with the time I did have, as well as watching others play the game, my first impression is nothing less than extremely positive. It was extremely fun to play and the story seems to be intriguing and interesting. The graphics of the game look impressive. All in all, this is a game worth checking out.
In addition to the game, I had a small chat with both Kazuhiro and Marco. Kazuhiro found development challenging yet exciting. He also divulged how player driven events will affect certain points in the scene or how many arms Asura might have. However, don’t expect any multiple endings, so the story will be quite linear. A good choice as it will bring the story into focus. Both the producer and head of localisation were fun to chat with.
Asura’s Wrath will be available on February 23 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
If you have always wanted to take a game like Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 on the go, then I am happy to report that the Vita version is worth your trouble. The game will emulate the Playstation 3 version of the game, but will include the DLC mode of Heroes and Heralds from day one. In terms of gameplay, expect the same as the PS3. However, for those who are not great with fighting games, then the touch screen may be your port of call. There will be a separate mode where the touch screen will be available to use. Lucky for you, I was able to try out both single and touch modes of gameplay at the Ultimate Capcom Showcase in Sydney on Wednesday night.
In single mode, you choose a team of three characters as your team and you will face teams of three in a series of fights. Essentially this is the arcade mode of the game. If you are familiar with the Marvel vs Capcom games, then this is right in your backyard. As this was the Ultimate version, I had to see how Phoenix Wright played. I have to say that he is quite unique. In order to use his special attack, he has to find evidence littered across the stage. He also acquires his famed “Objection” catch phrase as an attack; the speech bubble causing damage. With such uniqueness, it’s hard to see Phoenix Wright to be nothing less than a popular choice. Amaterasu and Dante were also some of my favourites.
The second arcade mode brings in the touch screen. Moving the player is as simple as swiping the screen. Attacking is just tapping the opponent and bringing your partners in the fight is just tapping the portrait around the health bar. Special attacks are done by tapping the bar at the bottom of the screen. If you think that it is all about the touch screen, then think again. The physical controls are active during Touch arcade mode, so you can combine both types of control for a completely new experience. This is great for those not sold on touch controls but find it hard to execute some of the special attacks.
My time was short with the game but I am impressed with what Capcom have to offer. In addition to the two arcade modes, there will be missions and a training mode for the single player. For those big on multiplayer, there will be online multiplayer as well as ad-hoc mode. As I mentioned, Heroes and Heralds will be available off the game card from day one. A replay mode will also be available, exclusive to the Playstation Vita. Save that awesome fight you just had and watch and edit it to your delight. You can also share it with the world. With smooth graphics, a great selection of characters, awesome gameplay and Vita specific features, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 on the Playstation Vita is worth a look at. It will be one of the strongest launch titles for the Vita when it is released on the 23rd of February 2012.
Earlier this week, Namco released the latest game to the SoulCalibur franchise, SoulCalibur V. Here at Capsule Computers, our efficient editor, Benjamin “LinkageAX” Webb unboxes the collectors edition of the game for your viewing pleasure.
So come along and take a look at the ever-full collectors edition of the game, which includes many great extras, such as DVDs, soundtracks and some other cool stuff, and see what it is that you can get if you’re fortunate enough to pick up this amazing package. Be warned though, this video is very serious in nature and laughter is not recommended for anybody. Leave your sense of humour at the door. Please.
The full introduction video of the upcoming fighting game based on the Persona universe has been released by Atlus. Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena is a fighting game being developed by BlazBlue and Guilty Gear developer, Arc System Works. It will be a 2D fighting game in much similar vein to other titles of Arc System Works.
The introduction shown here is for the arcade version of the game, has a bit of animation and shows off all the playable characters. The arcade version is due for an early 2012 release. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version is due for a late 2012 release in Japan.
Independent publisher GameMill announced today that they are planning on bringing a video game based GoGo’s Crazy Girls line of toys to the Nintendo DS in March 2012. The game is targeted towards younger gamers.
The game will feature over 30 unique GoGo toys digitally recreated for the game, and will require players to solve over 70 puzzles. Each GoGo comes with their own unique ability and you unlock them as you progress through the many levels. Game types include Knock Out, Battle and Basket Attacks. The game will offer plenty of things to collect and unlock.
As all of you 3DS owners know, it’s time for another eShop update. This week the pickings are slim, but one title in particular has had quite a bit of buzz and is sure to impress anyone looking for a modern hack and slash experience on their 3D handheld. Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword puts players in the role of a young boy who must save the legendary Princess Cherry Blossom. This romp also features a colorful cast of other characters as well as a unique battle system, priced at a cool $6.99.
Also available is the DSiWare/eShop release of GO Series: Undead Storm. In a way, this title seems to be a lot like other zombie twin-sticks, but with a bit more story. You can download Undead Storm for $1.99, so even the curious should definitely give it a try.
Finally, UVPHACTORY’s new animation “Drown in the Now” by Crystal Method has arrived on Nintendo Video, which displays a colorful and dark New York neighborhood that has been infested by small robots.
As far as WiiWare goes…well, there is a new Carmen Sandiego math title available, but other than that, the service as a whole is still rather quiet.
As always, leave a comment below and let us know which one of these downloads you plan on picking up.
Funimation Entertainment have announced that they have acquired the license for magical girl series Pretear. The 13 episode series was previously dubbed and released throughout North America by the now defunct ADV Films. It was recently released in Australia by Madman Entertainment, which Capsule Computers’ Benjamin Webb recently reviewed.
Funimation confirmed that the extent of their license includes the rights to digitally and physically release the series, broadcast the series and produce merchandise based upon Pretear. No official dates for any releases have been confirmed or revealed however.
What do you think of Funimation licensing Pretear? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.
The full introduction video of the upcoming fighting game based on the Persona universe has been released by Atlus. Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena is a fighting game being developed by BlazBlue and Guilty Gear developer, Arc System Works. It will be a 2D fighting game in much similar vein to other titles of Arc System Works.
