Dr. Pepper fans can rejoice! Their favorite mutli-flavored soda pop of choice can now earn them free content for Battlefield 3. Announced earlier today Dr Pepper and EA have teamed up to provide a Battlefield 3 promotion that allow drinkers of Dr Pepper to enter in a code at the Dr Pepper website and redeem themselves some free multiplayer content.
The content available for Battlefield 3 is a multiplayer skin as well as a PS Home Avatar, but the true highlights are the dog tags that you can obtain. The dog tags seen above, as compiled by Shack News, are able to be redeemed one at a time through each code you find. Internet goers may notice that a number of these tags feature various internet memes. Can you guess which ones? Unfortunately for international viewers, the promotion only runs for United States residents.
With such a massive undertaking that was the creation of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it only comes to reason that the developers would want to give us a little bit of a peak at what they had to do to create the title. Of course those who purchase the Collector’s Edition of Skyrim will be able to see the full documentary which is named ‘Behind the Wall: The Making of Skyrim’
Until the title comes out in ten days however, Bethesda has released a few minutes of the documentary in the below trailer. In it we see interviews with a number of the Bethesda Game Studios team as well as plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and gameplay. Perhaps now is the time to run out to your video game retailer of choice and drop some money on a pre-order because November 11th is coming fast.
A little while ago, Sony revealed that they would be releasing a brand new revamped version of PlayStation Home for everyone to enjoy. Today they have released a little introduction video to welcome everyone into the new PlayStation Home as well as introduce a number of new features that have been added in.
You can check out the full video below. Now the current PlayStation Home has not been updated as of yet, so if you were to sign on at the moment none of these new neat features would be available on there, though if you are a regular of the service then you probably couldn’t care less. Still, it is nice to see what fans can expect when it does become available sometime in the future.
Yesterday it was revealed that Konami is planning on releasing a limited edition version of tri-Ace’s upcoming 3DS dungeon RPG Beyond the Labyrinth. Part of the limited edition included a soundtrack from the relatively famous composer Motoi Sakuraba. Today Konami’s Japanese website for the title placed a few sample songs on the site for potential buyers to listen to.
You can find the songshere. The site is in full Japanese though the songs should be easy to find. Ten were made available at the moment, though those who purchase the limited edition in Japan will receive the full disc. With Konami’s release of Otomedius Excellent this week, including a limited edition package, it provides some hope that Beyond the Labyrinth will not only be localized, but even the limited edition may be released in the West as well.
It has been a little bit since XSEED Games revealed that they would be localizing a unique title for the PlayStation Portable. That unique title was Corpse Party, a horror game that uses 2D sprites for visuals and looked like it would be an actual terrifying experience. Well yesterday for Halloween XSEED decided that they should take advantage of the holiday and release a new trailer for Corpse Party which you can see below.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this game will scare the hell out of most people. The story of Corpse Party follows a group of Kisaragi Academy High School students who are trapped in an elementary school full of the tortured souls of children who have died in the past. Some so recently that they may only have been dead for a couple of days… Corpse Party is aiming to be released on the PlayStation Store in November.
Those expecting to pick up Gears of War 3’s first piece of legitimate DLC will be disappointed to find out that the Horde Command Pack has suffered a temporary delay. Epic Games announced the issue to its fans on their forums saying that it was due to a “technical issue” that the package was postponed till a later date.
The statement read “We have folks working around the clock to resolve this issue ASAP so you can all play and enjoy the Command Pack. The Epic Games Community team will stick around and keep you posted with any further information.” Let’s hope that the delay does not last too long, y’know how fans (MasterAbbott) get when they need to wait for Gears of War content.
After recently visiting the Armageddon Expo in Melbourne, I was amazed in looking in the commitment that cosplayer showed when the put on their costumes. Those convention hall are very sweaty, sticky and crowded, so wearing a floor length leather coat with a keyblade would be exceptionally uncomfortable. Yet they look so good!
Well all costume obsessed individuals can see people with some massive sewing and designing skills at this years Madman National Cosplay Championship on 5th Novemeber in Brisbane. Seven finalists from all over Australia competiting in events in 2011 at Supanova in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth as well as AVCON in Adelaide. These finalists will compete for the title of Australias Best Cosplayer and win the coverted first prize – a trip to Tokyo, Japan. The home of Cosplay!
For the first time, the championship will form the centre piece of a full scale Supanova Expo Event. The grand final will kick off at 1:30pm at the RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane and will be broadcast live from 1:45pm QST (2:45pm ESDT, 11:45am WST) online exclusively at www.madman.com.au/cosplay .
It should be lots of fun and we should take the time to show our support for the participants who put so much time and effort into the cosplay outfits.
ICO and Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection Developer: Japan Studio & Bluepoint Games (port) Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform: Playstation 3 Release: Out Now Price: AU$59.95/US$39.99 (Available Here)
Overview
The Playstation 2 was the console of the sixth generation, no matter how hard one argues for the other three consoles. With that claim, there would be a barrage of stellar titles to back it up. With the Playstation 2, there were those classics and ICO and Shadow of the Colossus fall into that category. Both games were developed by Sony Japan Studio (or more commonly known as Team ICO). Although they are not directly linked in story, their themes are somewhat linked, with Shadow of the Colossus referred as the ‘spiritual successor’ to Ico. Now these two Playstation 2 classics have been re-released for the Playstation 3 with updated graphics and support for 3D and Trophies. Only minor changes have been made to Ico, but both games are still the classics they were when they were first release. The gameplay deserves its acclaim, being top notch, the visual are absolutely spectacular, the stories of both games are memorable and enthralling and the music resonates throughout the player’s space with beauty and elegance.
Stories
The story of Ico follows a young boy by the name of Ico. What makes him different to every one else is the fact that he has horns growing out of his skull. To his village, that is considered as a bad omen. In order to protect the village from this bad sign, he is taken to a crypt. There he is buried alive in a sarcophagus, where he is to be his final resting place. However, a tremor occurs, freeing Ico from his confinement. He explores this crypt in search of any means of escape when he finds Yorda, a girl in white, imprisoned in a cage. He frees the girl and she joins him on his journey to escape. However, someone in the backgrounds wants to hinder their goal and sends shadow creatures to track them down. This is a story worth investing the time. Instead of using multiple action scenes to divulge into the deeper narrative, it uses the interactions of the main characters to develop some form of trust and compassion.
The characters are worth investing in as they are well-designed and developed. The main strength lies within the chemistry between Ico and Yorda. They are literally the only two characters that are prominent in this game. The gameplay system also plays into the chemistry, of course, as the progress of the game is reliant of the co-operation of the Ico and Yorda. Throughout the game, the player will also learn the culture of Ico’s world. This is prominent at the beginning of the game. It is done effectively through actions rather than dialogue spelling it out for the player, allowing them to form their own meaning behind the cultural definitions of young boys with horns out of their heads. This would be another point in the continuing argument for games as art. Without a doubt, this is a point I am willing to defend. The shadow creatures also connect with the cultural aspects of the narrative. It is revealed that the Queen of the castle is responsible for setting them upon the two.
The story of Shadow Of The Colossus is also one of the best that have graced the Playstation family. It follows a man by the name of Wander. He arrives in a temple clutching a female body. He wants to revive a this female, but he must travel the world beyond this temple alone with his horse. His is sent to do a task: defeat sixteen grand monsters, know as the Colossi and his desire to have this female revived will be granted. Throughout the story, Wander changes after defeating the Colossi in appearance, even growing horns. What makes this story memorable is how Wander is depicted. He is a warrior on a mission to save his maiden and would do anything necessary, even risking his own life. The player feels that when they take control of Wander and traverses throughout the land.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Ico surrounds the use of the environment. It contains elements of both platforming, as Ico must jump across gaps within the prison and puzzle, which effectively uses the environments to solve them. The objective of Ico and Yorda is to escape the crypt with their lives in tact. Of course, there will be obstacles along the way, with most of them based on the environmental puzzles as well as some evil creatures.
The main mechanics of the game intertwined well with each other. Ico will climb, jump and defend with his trusty stick (a sword will become available later in the game). The puzzles really make the player think about what to do, depicting a somewhat realistic scenario. They are challenging and require a good deal of puzzling skill, but not too challenging to leave the player dumbfounded. Some puzzles require the services of Yorda. At times, Ico must help her progress throughout the castle by helping her up or providing a pathway. The controls of the game are easy to pick up yet smooth and very responsive. Since this is a third dimensional platformer, this particular area is crucial to the playability of the game. They are basic, where X is to jump and the left analogue stick is to move Ico around. At first, Ico is alone; however, after the introduction of Yorda, Ico can hold her hand, allowing fast paced gameplay. The camera is also postion perfectly almost all the time, with the very rare instance of the camera not focusing on the appropriate area. This is not a game breaking inconvenience, however.
What does make Ico interesting is the lack of a health bar, usually traditional in these type of games. Instead, there are two ways that the game can end against the player. The first is from dropping from a great height, whether it is a failure of a jump or an accidental slip. The second is tied within the objective. Chasing Ico and Yorda are shadow creatures, manifestations of pure darkness summoned by the Queen to hinder our hero’s escape. Ico can not be harmed by any of these shadow creatues, but Yorda can be grabbed by them. If they are able to drag her into a vortex created by them, then she is gone forever and the game is over. This puts further emphasis of Ico’s role as protector. It is his job to protect the young girl from the impeding evil.
God of War Collection Volume II/God of War: Origins Collection Developer: Ready At Dawn Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform Playstation 3 Release: Out Now Price: AU$59.95/US$31.50 (Available Here) Overview
The God of War series have been one of the most successful and prominent series of games for the Playstation family. Spanning three consoles, the games have received critical acclaim among fans and gaming media alike. Due to their popularity, the Playstation 2 and Playstation Portable games have been remastered for the Playstation 3. Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta, the PSP entries of the series, follows God of War I and II in being remastered. So, how do they fare as remastered games?
Stories
Chain of Olympus focuses on the events of Kratos, the hero of the series, before the first game. As a warrior of Sparta, he is sent to the Greek city of Attica to defend the city from an advancing Persian army. Trudging along through the city, Kratos encounters the Persian King. A fight ensures with Kratos emerging victorious. He is also forced to fight a giant basilisk in the city. After successfully defending the city, he leaves, only to see the light of the Sun come crashing down in Marathon. It turns out that Helios, god of the sun, has been abducted. It is up to Kratos to find and rescue him.
Ghost of Sparta focuses on the origins of Krakos and confronting demons of his mortal past. In this game, Kratos is the God of War, which would place it in between God of War II and God of War III. There was an oracle that foretold the demise of Olympus. However, it would not be the Titans that would exact this revenge but a warrior marked by the gods. Zeus and Ares (the God of War at the time) suspect that the oracles talk about Deimos, who is Kratos’ brother. Deimos is kidnapped and tortured in Death’s Domain. Kratos (adult) decides to find his mother in the temple of Poseidon in Atlantis (against Athena’s wishes) and, after finding her, discovers that Deimos is still alive. He decides to embark on a journey to find him.
Both stories are told with the same pacing that the God of War series is known for: very quickly. One problem with the stories is that they seemed quite short. I felt that, due to the small time period, they had a lack of substance and used cliches without having a real twist or new meaning to them. For characters, Kratos is Kratos, a violent, enraged man that only longs for blood of his enemies. I like the consistency with the character. I also like the fact that there is a softer side hiding behind that tough exterior. If the stories were a little longer, more could have been explored in both stories.
Gameplay
Both Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta pretty much feature the same gameplay that the console brethren feature. The game is hack and slash, but with a lot of blood and gore. Players will use both the square and triangle buttons to dish out light and heavy attacks respecively. Of course, mashing the two together can lead to combo attacks. Special attacks, like a whirlwind attack for the Blades of Athena, are also present, adding variety in your arsenal of attacks. Of course, there are minor changes in gameplay, as Chains of Olympus emulates the PS2 games and Ghost of Sparta emulates the PS3 game. For example, both games feature wall climbing, but Ghost of Sparta only features a quick slide down mechanic. Box-based puzzles also make an appearance, as well as weapons and abilities not seen in the console series.
Quick time events are prominent in both games, or should I say in the whole series. Usually these are done during the boss battles. In these events, the player will have to press a certain button or perform a certain action in order to continue towards the end of the boss fight. Both Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta also differ on this front. In Chains of Olympus, the buttons are displayed in the middle of the screen and rarely, if at all, use the analogue stick. Ghost of Sparta, on the other hand, puts the prompts on the side and more often uses the analogue stick in certain situations.
Each of the games also features a challenge mode for players to complete after they have finished the game. In these challenge modes, it is survival of the fittest as the player will be challenged to the limits. They will often involve hoards of enemies attacking Kratos at the same time, providing a challenge for the player to overcome. Rewards for completing such challenges often involve extra character skins or videos looking at the making of the game.
Overall, the gameplay will quench the thirst for God of War fans. The same hack and slash style of gameplay is prominent, with the weak and heavy attacks in tact as well as some special abilities and magic powers. Box- based puzzles make a return as well as the quick time events. The addition of the challenge mode adds replay value to both titles and rewards the player for the progress they make. Trophies, not originally in the PSP versions, also make an appearance, adding another reason to play some more.
Visuals
The visuals of Chains of Olympus could have been done a little better when compared to its later portable title. The game looks like a updated Playstation 2 game. The character models look quite choppy and outdated. In fact, they also look a tad bit too colourful at times. This is quite odd for a God of War game to feature those sort of colourful sections. The beginning of the game, being in Attica, is one such example. Ok, it is in the middle of the day, bit I thought I was looking at a portable game (I know what Chains of Olympus was originally).
In comparison, Ghost of Sparta is the star of the collection when it comes to the graphical capabilities. The best way to describe it would be saying this is equal to the graphics of God of War III. They are very well done. The character models are well detailed. The environments are also well detailed and designed beautifully, especially with the buildings. The temple of Poseidon is one such great feat of graphical capabilities. Truly stunning quality.
Audio
The audio of Chains of Olympus is pretty good. The soundtrack is your average God of War fare, epic music coupled with a choir shouting lyrics in an ancient language (most likely Latin). Since Greek mythology is quite epic, this is not a surprise. I do like the soundtrack, in fact. The tracks composed fit very well with the game and its main character, fighting for his life and embarking on an epic journey. One can expect the same with Ghost of Sparta. Voice acting is also not so different. Kratos shouts his lines with that incredibly deep voice of his. I mean, he sounds angry all the time, even when he wants to show compassion. Other characters have good voice acting as well.
Overall
So, is it worth the pick up? Of course it is. It has great gameplay, the visuals are well done to an extent, the stories, despite a lack of time and substance, are still worth playing through and the audio makes the games feel more epic. Whether it is the first time or a return to Kratos, this is one all Playstation 3 owners should not miss out.
Since Dante’s new look was first shown a good while ago for the upcoming DmC, fans everywhere have been begging Capcom to change their beloved hero’s look back to his classic look. New details have emerged about this title, and in a recent story in Dengeki PlayStation, Ninja Theory have now came out and said that this Dante and re-imagining as a whole will take place in a parallel world.
Yes, you heard that right. Dante in DmC is not Dante from Devil May Cry and it seems everyone either jumped to conclusions too soon, or Ninja Theory are brilliant at damage control. All will be known of course when DmC launches in 2012, but for now this should finally quiet down the riots for Dante to be Dante again for the time being…or so we hope.
