With the demos for two hotly anticipated role-playing games, Mass Effect 3 and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, on the way later this month, EA Games is putting into motion a franchise crossover the likes of which will make gamers everywhere squee in excitement.
Those who play the Kingdoms of Amalur demo, being released on January 17, will unlock a special set of armour and weapon for the release of Mass Effect 3. Both of these bonuses were designed by Todd MacFarlane, creator of Spawn and Art Director for Amalur.
Reckoner Knight Armor: This armor will maximize damage done in close-quarters combat while a beefed–up power cell feeds energy into weapon systems to increase projectile velocity.
Chakram Launcher: This weapon uses a fabricator to manufacture lightweight, explosive ammunition discs. This weapon is earned after completing the Reckoning demo and watching the trailer at the end.
Gamers who play through the Mass Effect 3 demo, whose release is scheduled for the end of the month, will in turn unlock some bonuses for their Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning character for the game’s release.
N7 Armour: Players can unlock special armour inspired by Commander Shepard’s iconic N7 battle armour including Helm, Cuirass, Gauntlets, Chausses and Greaves.
Omniblade Daggers: A holographic blade stemming from Commander Shepard’s Omni-Tool, the Omni-blade allows players to stab enemies in close combat. Once players install and play the Mass Effect 3 demo, they will unlock the daggers.
The Kingdoms of Amalur demo will have players go through the Tutorial Mode of the game and a portion of its open-world where they will begin the main quest of the full-title, and though no further details have been released about the Mass Effect 3 demo, it has been confirmed that both singleplayer and multiplayer portions will feature.
Mega Man X Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform: iPhone (reviewed)/iPod Touch/iPad Release: 21/12/11 Price: $5.49 – Available Here
Overview
Mega Man X is the first in the X series of Capcom’s Mega Man franchise. Not to be confused with Mega Man 10, X was released on the 16-bit console, the Super Nintendo. The game was an expansion of the traditional run-and-shoot mechanics famous in the original Mega Man series, featuring a few upgrades. This time, Mega Man X has gone through an upgrade itself, moving from the console to the hands of iOS gamers with Capcom’s re-release of Mega Man X for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Story
One of the best things about Mega Man X is the amazingly simplistic means of story telling. The story begins with a single text based screen outlining the basic plot. It’s the year 20XX and self-aware robots called Reploids have been created. Man and robots now peacefully co-exist. However, there soon became a rise in crime involving Reploids – these criminals are called Mavericks. Special organisations were formed to combat these Mavericks – they became known as Maverick Hunters. Their commander, Sigma, became corrupt and turned Maverick himself. Enter the Maverick Hunter know as X. This single screen, and the final scrolling text which gives closure to the story, are essentially the only means of narrative. Once you pass this, it’s all up to the gameplay to push this brief, yet engaging narrative forward and keep you playing.
Gameplay
Being a remake, I am sure many of you are already familiar with the gameplay of Mega Man X, or at least Mega Man as a general franchise. The essence of any Mega Man game is simple – jump and shoot. But how does this seemingly simple mode of control transfer from a multi-buttoned control, to the tactile-less touch screen of the iPhone? Not remarkably well I am afraid. The directional pad can become a little unresponsive, especially when performing wall kicks – not to mention the on screen controls can become slightly obstructive. Eventually, it’s easy to get the hang of – especially if you’re a frequent player of arcade/retro games turned iOS. The problem is that Mega Man X is a game that screams to be button controlled. Thankfully, there is the option to configure the on screen controls to whatever you like – making the transition from button to, well, no-button, a little easier.
There are two gameplay modes within the game – Story Mode and Ranking, both 12 levels to navigate though and gain power-ups like extra armor or even the famous Street Fighter move the Hadouken, as well as heart increases and subtanks to replenish life and weapon fuel. Weapon upgrades are much easier to find, as they come with defeating a Maverick at the end of any level – ranging from flamethrowers to homing missiles – each of which can prove to be super effective against the right enemy. The mechanics are amazingly simple to pick up, with an introduction level allowing for a steady learning curve. Varying difficulties for both game modes makes it an easy game for anyone to pick up and start blasting away. Keep in mind, once you start, you will easily spend hours replaying levels. You’ve been warned.
Visuals
Mega Man X first appeared as a 16-bit character, jumping and shooting across our television screens so many years ago. For many, this pixelated little character is the Mega Man they know and love. However, if you purchase Mega Man X for the iPhone, this is not the Mega Man you will get. Capcom have graphically revamped the game – creating a visually stunning game optimised for the screen of the latest iPhones. As updated visually as Mega Man X for iPhone is, Capcom have still retained the original feel of the game, a bonus for those who enjoy ‘retro’ gaming on their iOS device. The characters are all still the same, retaining all of their charm, and the backgrounds are as detailed as they can possibility be while remaining true to the original game. The only problematic thing would be the segmenting of levels across multiple ‘screens’. The original title was a fluid side-scrolling game – yet the iPhone version has the levels broken into smaller side-scrolling levels with small loading between sections. The difference is negligible and may only bother those who remain 100% loyal to the original title.
Audio
Megaman X for the iPhone has, without a doubt, flawless audio. The soundtrack is the perfect mix of adrenaline pumping music with that nostalgic tweak that only comes from a sound chip(well, not in this case, but it’s damn close!). The sound effects are kept to a minimal – with each level having it’s own unique soundtrack. The level’s music is not determined by the theme, or the type of the boss, but rather just different variations between similar scores. Regardless, this is definitely an iOS game you will play with the sound on.
Overall
Despite the segmenting of levels, and the often slightly awkward controls, Mega Man X is a highly addictive iOS game. The arcade style run-and-shoot mechanics, with dual buttons for tapping lend themselves well to the iPhone. While the original Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo was slightly better mechanically, the iPhone version has it beat in terms of graphics and audio. Overall, the title is almost, if not on par with the original title, and it’s fantastic. It seems that Capcom has transferred the game over for old fans and a new generation of fans-to-be. We can only hope we see more titles like this ported over.
Demiurge Studios have been busy at work on their upcoming PSN/XBLA release, Shoot Many Robots. While the name is awesome on it’s own, this side-scrolling shooter looks to have some frantic and fast paced gameplay that is sure please any fan of Metal Slug or Contra, who have been needing some bolt bashing greatness in their lives.
At first glance, the first stand-out feature of Shoot Many Robots is the beautiful presentation value that was applied to each and every environment. The team at Demiurge recently released a new behind-the-scenes video that details the work that went into making these vivid worlds, and what’s told is actually quite interesting. For instance, in order to render an environment, specific colors were used to capture the main protagonists movement. When this nearly colorless mode was tested (as seen in the clip) with our orange hero, the final result resembles that of Limbo. There are plenty of other lighting examples shown off as well, so while you await the debut of So Many Robots, check out artwork in action down below.
Once we receive word on an official date, we will be sure to bring out an update.
All of you deal hunters can now rejoice. One of the best downloadable titles of 2011 is on sale for a limited time, with that game being Dungeon Defenders. This tower defense title is part of the themed “Deal of the Week” for just 800 points, making it 33% off of the usual 1200 point price-tag.
We gave this looting masterpiece a perfect 10, and to find out why you can check out our very own Joshua Morris’ review here. Honestly though, what are you waiting for? Get to the Xbox Live Marketplace and snag up Dungeon Defenders while the price is on the cheap, as this sale ends on January 17th.
If you are getting excited for South Park: the Game, then I have a wonderful treat. There are some new screenshots available. Some a character portraits, like the foul-mouthed, Jew hating Eric Cartman, who will take the role of the wizard, judging by his clothing. Portraits of Stan, Kyle and Butters are also available. There are also what seems to be battle scenes, which gives an insight on what enemies the familiar cast will engage with.
South Park: The Game is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, who were behind Knights of the Old Republic II and Fallout: New Vegas, for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The game will see a release in the second half of 2012. Hopefully, the game does justice by the show and its creators, although I would be sure that this game would have not gone into production without the blessing and Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
There is a good chance you haven’t heard the name Erica Pierce before, but if your a Zumba fan, you soon will be seeing her on your television screen. Why, you may ask? Well, Erica won a contest to be in Zumba Fitnesss Rush, the upcoming Xbox 360 Kinect follow-up to the hit title, Zumba Fitness.
Majesco recently released a video showing Erica’s journey, as she gets motion tracked and her model scanned to become an instructor in Zumba Fitness Rush. It’s a rather interesting clip to see for fans of the extreme fitness titles, or really anyone who want to see just what it takes to bring Zumba into the video game universe. Check out the video below, and prepare yourselves for a sweat as Zumba Fitness Rush hits shelves on February 29th.
JB Hi-Fi, Australia’s largest electronics retailer, has cancelled all pre-orders of the 3G model of the Playstation Vita. The reason for this is because JB Hi-Fi has a contract with Telstra, arguably the largest telecommunications provider of Australia. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has decided to go ahead with UK provider Vodafone, who has also set up agreements with Australia. Since the two telecommunication providers are in fact in competition with each other, JB Hi-Fi had no choice but to cancel all pre-orders of the 3G model.
An email to all customers was sent with minimal complaint (which does say a lot about how sales could potentially end up with the 3G model). This is what it said:
Unfortunately, we have now been forced to cancel this item from your order, or cancel the order if it was a single item order (this may take up to 24 hours to update in your order history). However, you can still order the Wifi Version.
A rep on the fact that there was minimal fanfare on the decision:
[This is] the first call we’ve had about the decision, so we don’t think it’ll make too much of an impact.
It seems that there was no discussion on the matter, since it was forced upon them. This is quite a big blow for consumers as JB Hi-Fi usually has a cheaper price when it comes for gaming. The only reason that this could be a questionable decision is because the European/PAL model is not locked to a network. Sony Australia could have made a deal with the top three telecommunications providers of Australia (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone) and allow the 3G model to be sold at a wider audience. Then again, the deal was made in Europe after all.
Last week it was revealed that 7sixty would be bringing Phantom Breaker, 5pb’s very Japanese themed fighting game, to North America. Currently there has been no cemented release date besides early 2012. However a new batch of screenshots has been released earlier today by 7sixty which can be seen below.
As some of you who have been following the title so far, you may have noticed that Phantom Breaker contains mostly female fighters, but these new images show a fight between a male fighter named Ren who is apparently a gauntlet user and one of the female fighters named Itsuki who wears a maid uniform and battles with a large hammer.
Metal Dead Publisher: Desura, Indievania Developer: Walk Thru Walls Platform: PC Release Date: December 19, 2011 Price: $4.99 (available here and here)
Overview:
The first in a planned trilogy, Metal Dead boasts what must be one of the ultimate genre mash ups – a zombie apocalypse survival horror metal comedy adventure game . Whew. It’s the work of independent game studio Walk Thru Walls, a developer with the ever commendable aim of making fun and funny games from their studio in Brisbane Australia.
Obviously made with a lot of affection for the adventure games of Lucas Arts and Sierra, Metal Dead manages to tick most of the boxes on it’s very busy list, and with a few tweaks could promise one very entertaining trilogy for the point and clicker’s out there.
Story:
The main plot of Metal Dead adds another load to the zombie bandwagon, with an undead apocalypse sweeping across a city and converging on the building of a slightly suspicious medical research company. The less than fresh plotline is helped along by some barmy characters and bizarre set ups, and the point and click genre removes much of the staleness that now goes hand in hand with yet another zombie game syndrome. Two characters will get the lion’s share of attention – metalheads by the name of Ronnie and Malcolm.
After crashing their car outside said medical facility, Malcolm finds himself surrounded by zombies with one dead friend on his hands. What happens next is a great indicator to the tone of the rest of the game, as Malcolm finds himself aiding a mad professor to decapitate Ronnie and turn his head into a portable zombified hint machine. It’s an ingenious way to keep the two together whilst having only one playable character, and the dialogue that pops up between the two friends (largely stemming from the fact that Malcolm keeps Ronnie in his pants) throughout the game ensures a constant supply of comedy. There’s not much that’s off limits for Metal Dead – see the screenshot below for evidence!
Malcolm must solve puzzles and collect elevator clearance cards to work his way ever closer to the top of the building, where a helicopter awaits him and the other survivors. On the way Malcolm runs into an over zealous police officer, some bored stoners, a doctor trapped in a closet by a giant mutant cannabis plant – you get the idea. Metal Dead nails it when it comes to tone, the script carries off the ‘alternative’ humor very well and it isn’t afraid to poke fun at itself. There are pop culture references thrown in there too, and adventure gamers in particular will spot quite a few.
The ending provoked one of the purest WTF moments of recent memory, and despite that has a bizarre hook to it that somehow makes me want more. Metal Dead is a bizarre beast for sure, and in this genre that’s nothing but a good thing.
Gameplay:
This is a traditional point and click adventure, with the right mouse button scrolling through actions carried out by the left. Mal can talk, investigate, interact and walk, coming complete with plenty of humorous responses to less than appropriate moves. One downside is that you can’t just click on a door to walk over to it and go through it, but it’s a minor irritation at best. Solving puzzles and completing tasks for other survivors earns Malcolm new security cards and access to new levels, and despite a bit of backtracking there’s a good variety to the puzzles, which are solved through the usual means of combining and using various objects collected throughout the game.
Adventure game puzzles can often remove all sense of logic in the name of keeping up the comedy quotient, but Metal Dead manages to keep the solutions to its puzzles on the level. Whilst the situation and what you’re doing may be somewhat insane, it all makes sense in its own unique zombie apocalypse kind of way. It is perhaps too easy on the old think tank, but at least there are no completely baffling object combinations or actions. Ronnie is always on hand to provide some hints if you do get stuck, so make sure and consult your severed zombie head in times of crisis!
Audio & Visual:
Ok, so the art style of Metal Dead isn’t going to blow you away. It’s very simple, albeit packed with bright colors, and it has the distinct air of Microsoft Paint about it. But it fits the theme and feel of the game perfectly – metal heads battling zombies in a point and click adventure game couldn’t really look any other way! The cartoon style allows for plenty of gore and various other excretions, and also let the game flit past Australia’s infamous ratings board with an MA15+.
Character models have lots of detail and the animations manage to pull off plenty of personality despite the lack of voice acting. The larger than normal sprite size and cartoon style allow for a visual that is clearer if less stylish than genre counterparts like Gemini Rue (both were built using the same engine).
The audio does let Metal Dead down somewhat. Whilst the background tracks are fine within themselves they do become repetitive rather quickly, and for a game where one of the inspirations is metal, there isn’t a whole lot of it around at any decent volume. The theme is nicely woven into the plot – zombies don’t like complicated loud noises – but the ‘metal’ here is more to do with how the main characters react and speak than the music. It does crop up on occasion, but Metal Dead could benefit by cranking up the volume.
The MIDI soundtrack doesn’t help matters, and it does add to the creeping feeling that you could find something much like this for free on the Internet. Metal Dead is lucky that the writing and solid gameplay hold up a presentation package that from an audio point of view isn’t comparable with the best indie titles out there.
Overall:
Metal Dead will win you over – no questions asked. It’s funny and bizarre in a way seemingly unique to adventure games, and has plenty of personality in its main characters to keep the trilogy running. It is a bit on the short side clocking in at 3-4 hours rather than the advertised 5-7. And as far as replayability goes – there is none. What it does have is humor and spark, the key components of any good point and click, and with a few tweaks here and there and a bit more ‘metal’, Walk Thru Walls could have something great on their hands.
Wanting to get even more out of Call of Duty Elite? Now you can! Activision have just launched a new app for all iOS devices that lets users of the service take their ranks, stats, and bragging rights with them on the go. Players can track their career, view recent bouts, track their challenge, and organize their custom classes on the go.
Check out the new screenshots for yourself of the application in action:
You can grab the Elite App as of today, but be aware that internet service or Wi-Fi is required. Not a bad deal at all though and hopefully, more companies will follow suit in delivering these useful bits of software in the future.
