Any urban planners out there best dust off their mega metropolis blueprints – there’s a new city builder on the way. Cities XL 2012 will be the second in the Cities XL series, boasting a huge amount of content and ‘close to photo-realistic quality’ visuals.
Cities XL 2012’s claim to the city building crown is ‘more variety than any other city building game’, and will try to fulfill that promise by allowing players to mod their own content. Despite the fact that the community has been crying out for these modding tools there has been no information on what they actually are – will players be able to design buildings from scratch? Meshes? Skins? It’s an unusual move given that this is the main feature that differentiates 2012 from it’s predecessor, but it looks like fans of the series will have to wait until release day to find out.
Newcomers to the series will find over 1000 structures on offer with 60 maps to arrange them on in anyway they please. Series fans will be familiar with most of the content however, as only 300 of these buildings and 15 of the maps are new to the game. 1000 structures is still one heck of a selection, so here’s hoping the interface is up to it!
Would be emperors will be able to take out a bit of their megalomania by linking together their creations to share resources and establish business links, and can even tinker with versions of cities like New York, Rio de Janeiro and Paris (complete with monuments) to shape some of the biggest cities in the world to their own ideas. The usual resource management and citizen pandering will feature too, and pesky residents will have different profiles depending on their education, expectations and activities.
There’s no denying that the eye candy factor is there, but given that only a fraction of the content on offer is new to the series Cities XL 2012 has a lot to prove. It’s predecessor has a reputation for being a bit on the buggy side, and fans will no doubt need some extensive modding tools to convince them to invest in a sequel that at a glance seems very similar to the original.
The game still has it’s own fanbase though, and since it’s previous release the franchise has changed development hands – this time being dealt with by Game of Thrones Genesis publishers Focus Home Interactive. You can see the CC review for that RTS title here, and Cities Xl 2012 will hit both retail and digital stores on October 20. Fingers Crossed!
Name: Dragon Age 2 DLC: Mark of the Assassin
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA
Genre: RPG
Platform: Xbox (reviewed), PS3, PC
Release: October 11, 2011
Price: $9.99 or 800 Bioware/Microsoft Points – BUY HERE
Overview
Just when I started itching for a Dragon Age 2 replay, Bioware decided to throw me a bone and make me feel like I wasn’t wasting my time by releasing the Mark of The Assassin DLC. Like returning to any good game, Dragon Age 2 makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, like being bundled up inside while it’s raining outside. So does Mark of the Assassin measure up to the rest of my adored game? Let’s see.
Gameplay
The DLC kicks in pretty early on in the game, once Hawke and Hawke’s family get settled in Kirkwall. You can activate the quest in your safe house through a giant lion statue that looks quite out of place in your uncle’s hovel. Although I’d recommend perhaps cooling your heels a bit and waiting until your party has a little more XP under their belt before you go charging off into the DLC. Not too long, cos then it’ll just be a walk in the park, but at least enough time to get some decent gear and abilities going.
The main feature of Mark of the Assassin is the new character in the form of Tallis voiced by Felicia Day, actor, writer, and overall geek. This was the main selling point for the DLC, and probably what had most people more excited than usual. While she may not be the best known celebrity, in the crowd that plays Dragon Age there are sure to be more than a few fans. I have to say, the hype was worth it. I absolutely loved Tallis as a character, and her introduction into the game is one of the most kickass cut scenes, definitely don’t skip that one.
I’m not going to talk a whole lot about the plot, but it basically has Tallis ask you to help her steal a jewel from an Orlesian Duke. (Note: Don’t put Aveline in your party, she hates the whole stealing business and will spend the whole time bitching. This was an oversight on my part and I subbed her out a minute into her complaining. That minute was enough.)
The DLC is set in Orlais, so prepare yourself for some heavy French accents, racist comments, and super elitism. This game is so full of little nudges that sometimes it’s practically screaming ‘heh, see what I did there? Aren’t I funny?’
There is a lot more humour than in the main part of the game. Usually the game does subtle humour with sidelong glances and little details, but it was like someone told the writers they could be more obvious with their humour and every single thing was packed with it. I don’t know if this is right, but I’m gonna say it was the inclusion of Felicia Day. They obviously wanted to show off the fact that they’d snagged a comedy actor, and the entire game has a completely different feel. Even the animated exposition scene was funnier in tone and pacing than usual. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t dislike it at all, I think it’s pretty awesome actually. Instead of just shoving Felicia Day at fanboys and girls they’ve done her some justice and let her do her thing.
Tallis is well scripted, she doesn’t feel like some random character they’ve thrown in for the hell of it. She has some back story, and it’s actually a real pleasure to talk to her. And speaking of back story, Leliana from the first Dragon Age appears again! Which made me probably a lot happier than I should have been.
As well as introducing a new character, you get to kill some new creatures in the form of Wyverns (a more kickass looking dragon) and Ghasts. And for those of you who like your codexes, there are plenty of new ones you pick up.
At one point you get the choice of stealthing your way through the chateau or fighting. I chose stealth because Tallis had just had a cry about killing people, and was surprised to see that they actually installed a rudimentary stealth system in. The guards have a flashing red radar in which they can see you, so the point is to stick to shadows, distract them and knock them out from behind when you can. However, if you get spotted you simply go back to where Tallis is waiting behind you and get another crack at it. It’s like stealth for dummies, which was good because I absolutely abhor stealth. The biggest annoying thing about this is that you have to wait for distract and knock out to recharge, at one point I was chilling out directly behind a guard, hoping he wouldn’t turn around, waiting for it to recharge.
The only real downside of Mark of the Assassin is the fact that Tallis doesn’t stay with you. Instead, she runs off once the DLC is finished, probably to go do some kickass assassin thing while making smartass comments. Although, it’s possible that the DLC will be so popular that they simply have to bring her back. They do leave it open, hinting at the fact that she may return, so here’s hoping.
Visual/Audio
Not much has changed in terms of the graphics or soundtrack. You get the occasional graphics bug where character’s faces just don’t look good in the cut scenes. Tallis is animated through motion-capture and facial-scanning of Felicia Day, and as a result she has a bit of a different feel to her animation. The voice acting on Day’s part is good, considering the leap that has to be made to believe that she is a dangerous assassin.
Conclusion
Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin has a different feel to the rest of the game, it’s lighter and heaps of fun. There’s an awesome story line that holds up on its own and really gets you into it. It is definitely worth a play through.
Turtle Beach has long been known in the gaming industry as a brand for reliable and quality gaming headsets. This year at EB EXPO, when we saw Turtle Beach had a stand, we couldn’t wait to get over there and speak to the team and see the latest products slated for release.
The absolute highlight of the Turtlebeach stand was the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 gaming headsets. These headsets are designed for closed-ear gaming for hours and hours on end without your ears getting hot or uncomfortable.
With the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 coming up in November, it’s no wonder that gamers will want to prepare themselves for a long haul of gaming (no sleep and no social life, anyone?). Chris Eade said the headsets were made with these COD gamers in mind, and there are different options to suit the needs of individual. The headsets were officially released to the public at EB EXPO.
It’s safe to say that when many people saw the schedule for EB EXPO 2011, one of the events that immediately leaped out from the page was the EA Special Presentation with Chief Operating Officer, Peter Moore, and Lars Gustavsson and Daniel Matros from DICE. The team from EA didn’t disappoint, with a spectacular show that covered EA’s upcoming titles, the direction of the company, and an extensive segment on Battlefield 3.
Peter Moore took the stage first, and talked about EA’s incorporation of the gaming community’s opinions and feedback into their future titles. He showed comparisons of current games and games from the ‘90s and noughties, and outlined how franchises like Need for Speed, FIFA and Battlefield have developed and improved over time. Moore said for EA, the titles are always being made with the gamer in mind, and because of that EA has constantly improved and transformed their franchises to rise to prominence within their respected genres.
Following Moore, the team from DICE took the stage and spoke about Battlefield 3. They looked at the new Frostbite engine and the title’s improvements over its predecessor (including the multiplayer experience).
We did get to chat to Lars Gustavsson later on during the event to hear about Battlefield 3, which releases on October 27. Check out the video down below.
Ten thousand square feet. Thousands and thousands of fans. Developers and publishers showcasing the latest and upcoming titles.
Welcome to EB EXPO, 2011: Australia’s biggest video game exhibition, which kicked off on October 15. Hosted in the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in sunny Queensland (yes, there was sun despite the terrible weather reports), EB EXPO is an Australian first and gives gamers a local opportunity to view all the big titles slated for release later on this year.
With playable demos for games such as Batman: Arkham City, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, EB EXPO’s stalls place gaming for the rest of this year (and some of next year) on a silver platter for the public.
The first day kicked off with BMX riders, sparklers, and a look at the past, present, and future of video game history. The arena filled out with gamers, cosplayers, and members of the games industry. Queues formed for The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and Halo: Combat Evolved, and the atmosphere was absolutely contagious.
The exhibitors who had stalls included Activision Blizzard, Warner Bros., Ubisoft, Bluemouth, EA, Namco Bandai, Xbxo 360 Kinect, Razer, Bethesda, Konami, THQ, Sega, Turtlebeach, Nintendo, and the Parrot AR Drone. The stalls were definitely crowded for the duration of each session (although what do you expect?), and there was plenty of positive feedback for the titles and products gamers got a chance to try their hands at.
EB EXPO also had live presentations for gamers to hear – from the developer and publisher’s mouths – what was planned for these upcoming games, consoles, and accessories. The EB Live sessions consisted of an introduction of the PS Vita from Sony, presentations from the big game releases (including an Australian first of Saints Row: The Third. The first day also saw a keynote from Peter Moore, EA’s Chief Operating Officer, and the DICE team, and the final of the World Cyber Games Australia (the winner gets to go to Korea for the world finals!). Day two was the Just ‘Cos Cosplay Competition, where an insane amount of people showed off their costumes and rocked their characters with flair.
We got to chat to some guys at the Bluemouth, Turtlebeach, Nintendo, and EA booths, and they gave us a fantastic rundown on the products we can be expecting to see on shelves later this year. Some highlights include the Turtlebeach Modern Warfare 3 headsets, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and Bluemouth’s Batman controllers to celebrate the upcoming release of Arkham City.
Sometimes, it’s hard for us sites to remember the Australian public doesn’t get to see these upcoming playable titles at events like E3 and Tokyo Games Show. The EB EXPO 2011 was a wonderful opportunity for the gaming community to try their hand at what will be gracing their consoles in late 2011/early 2012.
Of course, a picture says a thousand words, so here’s a look at the photos from the weekend. Yes, there are a ton of booth babes – but come on, who doesn’t love ‘em? My favourite person at the expo still has to be Commander Shephard from the Mass Effect franchise, though.
Great job, EB Games. Australia’s largest video game exhibition certainly began and ended with a bang, and it can only get better and better from here.
There are a certain group of gamers who love to see whenever a game’s achievements end up being revealed, especially this early. Assassin’s Creed Revelations achievements have been revealed on Xbox360Achievements and you can see them here. Of course looking at these achievements can always result in spoiling something so read them at your own risk.
Also if you take a look at them, you will notice that there are a few multiplayer achievements to go along with the title, as well as story specific ones and collectibles which Assassin’s Creed has been known for. Plus it appears a few achievements have been recycled from Brotherhood, such as raising a trainee up to a master assassin. What do you think of these achievements?
Althi Inc, the creators of critically acclaimed iOS title Little Dreamer, have announced plans to release a new game for the iOS next month. The new title will be called Zombie Swing and is set to swing to iOS decvices on the 4th of November, 2011.
Althi will be taking on the Zombie genre with their unique Althi Inc. style that they have become known for. The game challenges players to swing a zombie around, in what Althi have called “stress release” gaming.
You can check out the official facebook page for Zombie Swing here and like them. What do you think of Zombie Swing? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.
Last time I played golf, the only obstacles I encountered were trees, a persistent torrential downpour and my own lack of co-ordination.
The new gameplay trailer for Worms: Crazy Golf shows off the kind of obstacles you might expect from playing golf as a worm across a pirate-themed course – namely, cannons, bats, treasure chests, and explosive barrels.
It also demonstrates the functions of some of the mechanics we’ve been told about in our interviews with Team 17 design staff. Players can call upon anti-gravity powers to bounce their ball across wider gaps, hit switches to toggle troublesome magnets on or off, and collect coins. Oh yeah, and try to get the ball into the hole.
You know what? Just watch the video. Worms: Crazy Golf is due out this Wednesday, October 19.
Ready for some shocking, jaw-dropping news? Well, you won’t find any here. As expected, EA will be sticking their lovely online pass into new copies of Battlefield 3. This of course means that if you buy the game pre-owned to save a few bucks, you will then have to dish out extra funds for the online pass seperately.
DICE’s Alan Kertz confirmed this with this statement:
“You can also purchase an online pass for a used copy.”, which was quickly followed up with “Because servers cost money, and used games don’t make developers any money” to give a bit of reasoning to the decision.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Battlefield: Bad Company 2 did quite well for EA, and Battlefield 3 will no doubt benefit from those huge numbers if we judge by the high number of pre-orders the game has already taken. If you were to factor in all of the gamers that bought the game at a discounted price with pre-owned sales, you would think that those users will end up buying Battlefield 3 new anyway. I know nearly everyone is adding online passes these days, but you would think that some developers would eventually understand that a high number of used sales can equal a high number of pre-orders for your next follow-up.
Maybe I am just blabbering on about the unchangeable and I am still in “the entire experience should be on the disc” mindset, but if more companies would reward gamers for purchasing new with extra content rather than taking away half the experience in this punishing process, their future sales for sequels would be even greater.
Well looks like a couple of video game retailers in Australia have broken the street date for the highly anticipated Batman: Arkham City. October 19th was the official Australian release date for the game, but now it seems that this is no longer the case. EB Games announced that they were selling the game earlier via their twitter and facebook page, with other video game retailers following suit.
The retailers in question are JB Hi-FI,EB Games and GAME are all now selling the game two days earlier than planned. So I guess if you’re lucky enough to be in Australia and can’t wait a few days to play Batman: Arkham City you can now go ahead and buy it right now for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.
