Eager to see how Prototype 2’s new hero is going to kick some butt in Prototype 2? Well Activision has released a new theatrical trailer for the title this weekend and in it we see him doing just that. While we may not actually be seeing any gameplay, we are introduced to the Red Zone of New York.
You can catch the video below and check out some of the new creatures and see just how determined our new main character is in his hunt for Alex Mercer. Radical Entertainment’s title is released next year in April across both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.
Developer: Sports Interactive Publisher: SEGA Platform: PC, Mac (both must be accessed via Steam) Release Date: 21st October 2011
There’s a reason why previous versions of Football Manager have been so successful. After having had my life taken over by FIFA 12 the last few weeks, I came into Football Manager 12 thinking there was no way it could pull me away for long enough; why would I want to just manage and watch simulations when I could be playing the actual matches? I wish I knew the answer to that, it would really help explain why I’ve become addicted to this game.
Display wise, the new “adaptive layout” is very useful if you have a big screen, expanding the number of panels you can see at one time. If you’re new to Football Manager, the interface may be a bit confusing at first, but there are plenty of tips and help available in the game to show you around. At times it still feels a bit messy but after a while you get used to it easily enough. The only real change that has been made in regards to the setup is the ability to add/detract leagues which definitely comes in handy, (meaning you can actually control more than one team in different leagues in one save file) there are however countless additions scattered throughout the game, each improving the experience to different extents.
Where Football Manager 12 really earns its points is the sheer level of detail and complexity included in the game. The series has been renowned for its use in real life by some clubs such as Everton as a player database, and it’s not really difficult to see why. From scouting reports to player attitudes, you really get swept up in trying to build and sustain a formidable team. There is very little to find fault about in the off-the-pitch parts of the game, the amount of control and and options you have in all aspects of managing is really amazing.
It’s the little additions such as loyalty bonuses, youth contracts, and player talks which boost the off-field activities and make them more engaging and much more controlled. Contract negotiations now have even more detail which you can integrate in order to get your players, allowing you to set a maximum wage offer to the agent at which you can adjust other areas of the contract such as bonuses to make it more appealing for the player. I felt that pricing for players seems a bit off, with young stars such as Mario Götze available at a more than reasonable cost, not to mention Dortmund giving him up a bit too easily.
Scouting has also been improved quite a lot, in terms of both player scouting and team reports before a match. You can get reports on almost everything about a team bar what they ate for dinner last night. Average ages, heights, wages and caps can be viewed and squad comparisons between your team and an opposition can be done assessing players in each position and giving you a rundown of which areas you have the advantage or lack thereof one in.
Where I think Football Manager falls down a bit is the actual matches themselves. One addition I do quite like is the ability to choose the tone of the team/individual player talks. Certain tones seem to have more effect then others, although unless you consistently are yelling at your team it doesn’t seem to do too much to their morale.
The 3D graphics for matches, although slightly improved mainly thanks to the director’s cut view, are still average at best and not particularly enjoyable to watch. I prefer the 2D view, although very simplistic it still makes watching them a bit more bearable. I think it comes down to personal preference really, but I just don’t find it fun to watch poorly controlled AI players. This year SEGA boasted improved AI for goalkeepers, and whilst they have improved a bit the overall AI is still pretty frustrating. Sure you can add tactics and change your players around in an attempt to change the outcome of the match but it’s just not particularly enjoyable to watch.
In terms of sound, well, there really isn’t much to say. As with last year there is very limited sound, so you’ll basically be sitting in silence or listening to the radio/iTunes in the background. Whilst the lack of a soundtrack doesn’t bother me too much, some match commentary would be great. I’m sure it would get very repetitive very quickly but it would still be a really nice addition and make the simulated matches much more enjoyable.
Finally just a small note to add about the increased effort to utilise social media has the potential to make FM12 become a much more competitive community game. Facebook and YouTube tools have been added and improved to allow clip posting and updates to be done with much more ease and effectiveness. It’s nothing that’s going to change the gameplay really but it definitely is a nice addition to encourage a more social way of playing the game.
Conclusion:
Football Manager 12 is one of those games that you get what you give. If you have the patience to go through all the off-field managing, scouting new players and negotiating contract, not to mention sitting through the simulated matches, then you will absolutely love this game. It’s lasting appeal is limited only by the release of the next release in the series, and it’s detail and depth is second to none in the realm of football manager games. As I mentioned earlier, the main flaws I found with this game are more of a personal preference thing, but I still think there is a fair way to go for match presentation to make this game perfect.
If you’re a fan of the series, you won’t be disappointed with this game at all. If you’ve never played any previous versions but you’re a big fan of football, then it’s definitely worth giving it a go. It’s not a game that will appeal to all, but it’s a very solid, well constructed game which is very easy to get addicted to.
After recently announcing PokePark 2: Beyond the World for the Wii, Pokemon Company International have now gave us a new trailer for the unexpected sequel. If you are unaware, this follow-up will feature the same adventure style gameplay that lets players now take control of Pikachu, Oshawott, Tepig, or Snivy while playing mini-games with many Pokemon that inhabit the game’s two worlds.
This clip shows us some of the unique abilities that these mascots will possess, as well as mini-games such as a rhythm action style dance-off and several other activities that fans should enjoy. There still isn’t a date or even an official word on localization at the moment (but we know that is coming) for PokePark 2, but for now you can watch the new trailer down below.
Remember way back when Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was announced it was mentioned that the game would have some sort of Kinect functionality? Well it was detailed this weekend at New York Comic Con and 343 Industries revealed whether or not we will be able to flail around in front of our televisions in an attempt to shoot an Elite.
No need to worry about that, as the Kinect functionality was announced to be mostly voice commands. When players are in the Anniversary mode of the game, where everything is all fancy looking, they can say out loud “Analyze” and the game will then add enemies or other things to the game’s database. Also players can say certain actions and they will be performed, including throwing a grenade when the player says grenade. Sounds nice and harmless for non-Kinect users but a nice addition for those with a Kinect.
Recently, Level-5 announced during their big conference that they will be releasing a new anime titled Yokai Watch. The anime as you can imagine will be focused around yokai and a watch of some kind. Level-5 will also be releasing both a game and manga based on the series.
You can check out the spirited Yokai Watch trailer below, which features the scenes of the anime as well as a short clip of the game.
What do you think of the new Level-5 project, Yokai Watch? Will you be watching Yokai Watch? Let us know in the shoutbox or comments section.
There has been much hate for Capcom’s Marvel vs. Capcom 3 final boss Galactus but it seems that this big powerful bad guy will be available to be played somehow in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Capcom’s strategy manager Seth Killian revealed over the weekend during New York Comic Con that Galactus will be a playable character in this new skinned release.
Galactus will have his own game play mode though they were not able to go into more detail at the time. How do you think he could be added in to the game? Perhaps he could have his own little mini-game where you destroy planets, or a survival mode where you beat down all the other characters?
As the sun sets on Level-5 World, the Hiro headed developers are releasing the trailers from their press conference Level-5 Vision. In this trailer for Ni No Kuni for the Playstation 3, there is a mix of gameplay and animation. The animation is done by the legendary animation studio Studio Ghibli. The colourful designs mixed with great gameplay is sure to be a winner for Level-5.
But what about those countries on the other side of the world? Well, the West is going to receive the Playstation 3 version in 2012. The game will be published by Namco Bandai instead of Level-5 themselves, despite opening an US office earlier this year. They are still young, though, so this is understandable. Europe won’t miss out, as they will also receive the game. So… will Australia receive it? A good chance if both North America and Europe will see a release.
Viz Media has made an incredibly controversial decision to end their print run of Shonen Jump magazine in April of 2012. The magazine which is itself a U.S. version of the massively popular japanese magazine of the same title, has run in the U.S. since 2002, meaning that it will have been a 10 year run next year.
Some fans saw the writing on the walls, when Viz Media announced the magazine was going to change the magazines schedule to lessen releases a year from 12 to 10.
While some fans will be disheartened that the magazine is ending, they will be pleased to know that Viz Media is replacing it with a new version of Shonen Jump titled Shonen Jump Alpha, which will be released entirely digital and on a weekly basis featuring chapters fresh from Japan. Several manga will be featured in the weekly Shonen Jump Alpha, such as: Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Toriko, Reborn!, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan and Bakuman.
What do you think of this shocking news? Let us know in the shoutbox or comments section.
It was a busy weekend at New York Comic Con, especially for Aniplex of America. This weekend they announced when anime lovers in North America can expect to see Puella Magi Madoka Magica outside of Japan. Aniplex will be releasing the series on both DVD and Blu-ray on February 14th which means you can give the anime lover in your life an anime DVD for Valentine’s day.
The next two volumes of the series will be released on April 10th and June 12th. To make things better, Madoka will also be receiving an English dub and they have released a few big names for the dub, with Christine Marie handling Madoka’s voice and Cassandra Lee taking on the role as Kyubey. When it is released fans can expect to pay around $40 for the DVD and $50 on Blu-ray. Or if you feel a bit free with your money you can spend $95 and receive not only both the DVD and Blu-ray version, but also a soundtrack, collectible postcards, double sided poster, Kyubey sticker and a 24 page booklet. Sounds good no?
While Viz Media may have announced that they acquired the license to release Tiger & Bunny in North America sometime in the future, they did not say whether or not the series would actually be receiving an English dub to go along with it. That is until the New York’s Comic Con this weekend when Viz Media revealed that they would indeed be releasing an English dub of the series.
Viz is currently in pre-production of the dub and no voice actors have been announced. There is some more news though, as Masayuki Ozaki, the General Manager of Overseas Development at the anime studio responsible for Tiger & Bunny, Sunrise, revealed that the next bit of information for the franchise would be revealed on November 13th. Any guesses as to what this potential next step could be?
