Max Payne reminds me of Bruce Willis in all his raw, dirty, cigarette smoking glory, so it is with great anticipation that I wait, wondering what the man has been up to the last decade. We brought you the first trailer from Rockstar not long ago and now revisit it in the new Pop Up Edition which comes with new information regarding Max’s enemies and other characters such as Raul Passos and the Comando Sombra gang.
Additionally we are also given some early details regarding Max’s weapons, the style of melee and cover used within gameplay, as well as a glimpse of the physics and most importantly the magnificent and stylish bullet time that defines the Max Payne franchise in conjunction with that gritty film noir feel. These trailers brought a tear to my eye as although there will be many upgrades graphically and within the engine the game had the same feel to it as the Max Payne I fondly remember. Until the release, enjoy the trailer and keep posted to capsulecomputers fax Payne news as it comes out.
EA has released a new trailer for Battlefield 3, which is sure to excite Battlefield fans and Jay-Z fans. The latest trailer which is set to be featured in an ad campaign for the upcoming release, shows off some footage of the game whilst backed up by the famous Jay-Z track, 99 Problems. Hence why the trailer is known as Battlefield 3: 99 Problems.
You can check out the Battlefield 3: 99 Problems trailer below if you simply can not get enough Battlefield related media. The trailer is sure to excite fans anticipating release whilst reviving interest in the Jay-Z song 99 Problems. Afterall when it comes to Battlefield 3, you’ve got 99 Problems, but a bitch ain’t one.
So what do you think of the new trailer? Let us know in the comments section below or give this article a shout out in the Capsule Computers shout box!
The upcoming game from EA and developed by 38 Studios, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, has a new trailer released to showcase the title. The trailer gives us a glimpse of the world, which has apparently has a returning of magic to it, as well as what appears to be hints at the story and lots of combat gameplay.
What I particularly liked from this trailer was the designs of some of the characters, as well as the awesome effects of some of the spells used throughout the game. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning looks like it has the potential to be an incredibly fun and dynamic game.
The title is due to be released on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC around the 9/2/2012. Check out the Official Website for more information.
Good news everyone, Star Wars The Old Republic now has a release date set in stone. That date is set to be the 20th of December 2011 for the US and the 22nd of December in Europe.
Just remember that players who pre-order the game will also get early access if they’ve entered in their limited pre-order code into the pre-order website. The early access is a week before the title officially launches, but you’ll have to be quick to secure a copy as EA is releasing the game in limited amounts so as to not overpopulate the servers on launch.
In addition to the release date, The Old Republics pricing scheme has also been announced. I should point out that this game is a subscription based game and that the pricing is very similar to concurrent MMOs. The subscription prices are listed below.
Each copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic will come with 30 days of subscription time, after which you have the option to continue playing with one of the following monthly subscription fees:
1 Month Subscription: $14.99 (£8.99/€12.99)
3 Month Subscription: $13.99 per month (one-time charge of $41.97/£25.17/€35.97)
6 Month Subscription: $12.99 per month (one-time charge of $77.94/£46.14/€65.94)
There is no word on whether there will be pre-paid cards for the title on the Official Site, which you should check out for more information.
As the vote for the UFC Undisputed 3 cover star is still up in the air, THQ have released their latest fighter video featuring Jon “Bones” Jones, the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Jones will be defending his belt against Rampage Jackson today, so if you want to check him out then watch UFC135.
Some reasons you might want to vote for Jon Jones, he:
Unless you are in fact Doc Brown, you don’t own a time machine. In which case, you should probably head over to iTunes and take advantage of the current sale Telltale Games is offering on all five episodes of Back To The Future for iPad. With pricing at just a mere $2.99 per episode, which is a rather big drop in price, I intend to take advantage of Telltales kind nature and purchase, then rigorously play through all five episodes. Follow the links below for each episode beyond you’re outatime, the sale ends on September 30th.
EA have announced through a press release that they have finalised the Australian box-art’s for the upcoming warfare epic, Battlefield 3. The box-arts are not unlike what we have seen before however they have all the Australian goodness of big colour ratings and what not.
The keen eye would notice that PC and PS3 get to see the entirety of a tank in the background, however other than that there is very little difference between box-arts, which all look great might I add.
You can check out each console’s Australian version box-art below. Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you think.
Joymax have flown under the radar with their latest work, the official Digimon MMORPG titled Digimon Masters. However the relatively unknown title is now going into beta-testing. Not only that but Joymax have revealed a digi-ton load of screenshots for your viewing pleasure digi-destined!
Beta-testing for Digimon Masters begins in 2 days from now on the 27th of September. If you are interested in taking a trip to the digital world you can sign up through Joymax’s official site here and get digitized.
Various screenshots for Digimon Masters can be seen below and in my opinion they look very impressive. What do you think of the screenshots? What do you think of Digimon Masters? Let us know in the comments section below!
Radiant Silvergun Platform: Xbox Live Arcade (Reviewed) Publisher: Microsoft Studios Developer: Treasure Genre: Top Down Shooter/Bullet Hell Release Date: September 14, 2011 Price: 1200 MS Points
Overview
Radiant Silvergun was originally released in 1998 for the arcades and then ported to the Sega Saturn with additional anime cut scenes. The game introduced a unique idea of combining puzzle elements with the vertical scrolling shooter style-as if the Bullet Hell genre wasn’t chaotic enough! Radiant Silvergun has now been given the high definition treatment and has been ported over the Xbox Live Arcade, with additional modern features such as online co-op. Whilst the genre does appeal to quite a niche audience, Radiant Silvergun attempts at going beyond that to include some unique elements creating a unique shooting experience.
Story and Presentation
While a plot is present in Radiant Silvergun, it’s barely understandable and very hard to follow as it is told very poorly. Thankfully though, this isn’t a story-driven game. The anime cut scene introduction looks wonderful and vibrant in colour, making a great visual start. Unfortunately, the voice acting is only in Japanese, no English dub has been provided, the subtitles have been poorly translated and appear very small, at times painful to look at. In fact, all text is a pain to read in Radiant Silvergun, as the selected font is very small and very unappealing to look at. Radiant Silvergun runs in it’s original 4:3 ratio, with the rest of the screen filled with various wallpapers you will care little for. It seems quite unnecessary in this modern age of gaming and there isn’t an option of choosing otherwise. The sprites have been completely redrawn and presented in beautiful HD, ridding of that ugly pixelation, but for purists wanting to re-live the classic experience, the option to play with the original sprites is also available.Best of all is arguably the soundtrack, it amplifies the experience and just blows you away. A wonderful highlight.
Gameplay
At first look Radiant Silvergun may appear as a cliché addition to it’s genre, but there’s two clear innovative features that completely turns the entire gameplay upside down. The most important one is instead of the typical ‘collect power ups as you go’ routine, Radiant Silvergun gives you everything from the start, and it’s all quite easy to control. The more you use a weapon the more experience it will gain and eventually upgrade. Each of the 7 weapon is unique and useful in different situations, and the variation is actually quite good. Among them all, a noteworthy weapon is a laser-sword quite weapon, which yes-makes no complete sense, but is quite useful for eliminating surrounding enemies and bullets! The second feature thrown into the gameplay to mix things up is a colour-coded combo system, where consistently shooting enemies of the same colour gives you bonus points, giving players the option to play with a more puzzle-based strategy in mind. Unfortunately, this will be short-lived for most players as the nature of the genre is to blow up everything in sight. While the experience system works and does provide a fresh feel to the game, this sadly does not and is easily forgettable in time.
There are two main modes of play: Arcade and Story Mode. These two play exactly the same, except in Story Mode you are able to save your progress in upgrading your weapons for next time. Yeah, that’s it. It’s easily the better of the two, and therefore there isn’t any real incentive to play Arcade Mode unless you want more of challenge, which you won’t, because Radiant Silvergun is insanely hard. Even on the easiest difficulty setting! So expect to die a lot, and playing those same damn levels over and over and over again, even when you don’t want to. This leads to very repetitive gameplay as your playing the same levels all over again constantly. Sure it’ll be easier the next time after you’ve upgraded in Story Mode, but that’s hardly an incentive to keep playing, although it does mean a new experience almost each time, and does give a tiny extra layer of strategy to gameplay. This title is most fun however, during local co-op. Again, this is exactly the same but with a minor difference-a second player can play at the same time. This makes the experience a way more fun to play, and is highly recommended as it provides the most enjoyment Radiant Silvergun has to offer. There is also X-Box Live Co-Op, but this is down right terrible. It can take forever to find a match, and personally I’ve never seen a match that ran smoothly. Each time was uncomfortably slow, and no fun at all. In fact the quality is so terrible Im surprised Treasure even decided to include it in the game in the first place. A major disappointment, as if it did run as smoothly as the local co-op, this could’ve been an amazing selling point for Radiant Silvergun.
Verdict
Radiant Silvergun may of been a hit back in the days of the Sega Saturn, but it’s past it’s prime now. This isn’t to say it is a bad game, as it does have some bright moments, but I wouldn’t call it the best of it’s genre. Radiant Silvergun does however sport some interesting unique features that are worth checking out however if your a fan of the genre. While the colour-combo system is a bit hit-and-miss, the experience system and varied weapons do create a unique experience which can feel rewarding. Radiant Silvergun is at it’s best during local co-operative play, and at it’s worst whilst in co-op via X-box Live Arcade. Single Player although will keep you occupied for a few minuets but most will tire of it quickly, and Im sure many gamers will be turned off by it’s extremely hard difficulty.
PROS
Unique weapon upgrading system
Choice between new HD sprites and classic Retro Sprites
Awesome soundtrack!
Local Co-Op
Great selection of very different weapons for different situations
CONS
Screen ratio is only available as 4:3
Xbox Live Arcade Co-Op is basiclly unplayable
Colour-Combo system is kind of pointless
Almost all modes play exactly the same, little variation
The Gunstringer Developer: Twisted Pixel Publisher: Microsoft Release date: September 13, 2011 Price: $39.99 – Purchase Here!
Overview:
There is something that can be said about a video game developer that, when mentioned, can make people laugh simply due to their reputation. One such company which has reached these ranks with their games is Twisted Pixel. Nearly every title that they have produced over their relatively short developing lifespan has been quite a well-received hit and also delivered plenty of laughs.
However since Twisted Pixel’s first step in creating games in 2009, they never actually have released a game that has stepped beyond the digital storefronts of the Xbox Live Marketplace. However that has all changed as the company has finally released a full retail title for the Xbox 360, which is also their first title to make use of the Kinect motion tracking feature. How does Twisted Pixel’s style of gaming translate to a full title… especially one that is focused entirely around the Kinect?
Story:
The Gunstringer takes its storyline in a rather odd direction immediately. The whole storyline for the game takes place on a stage of a theater where the crew is holding a live puppet show for those in attendance. Your role is that of the puppeteer and must control the Gunstringer on his quest.
What quest is he on you ask? Well one for revenge of course. As you raise the Gunstringer out from the grave he immediately sets out to take revenge against his old crew that betrayed and left him sleeping in the bottom of a shallow grave. The whole experience is a rather simple revenge story and each area will have the Gunstringer seeking out a member of his old posse and eliminate them and the lord help anyone who comes in your way.
Since this is a Twisted Pixel game that may sound a bit too standard, and of course it is. Your old crew ranges from a wavy tube man to a samurai cowboy made out of jade to a man with a literal barrel for a belly. This is only the tip of the iceberg for some of the bosses you will fight against which of course means that there is plenty of humor just for these bosses alone.
Besides that there are always plenty of jokes and references to past famous Western movies that will help keep players not only laughing but also trying to remember if they have ever seen that specific Western movie. The jokes can be from roughly anywhere on the board, ranging from simple situational jokes or those about the enemy you are facing, to those relating to cross-breeding. Sure the game is rated T for Teen so none of the jokes are very raunchy in nature but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of hints at some more dirty jokes for those who are old enough to understand them.
Graphics:
The title never truly lets you forget that you are simply the puppeteer of a marionette in a stage show, as you will occasionally see the audience in the background or a realistic hand come in and affect something in the environment. Everything that is realistic looking is done with FMV or full motion video and is absolutely flawless. None of the FMV sections are too obtrusive and they blend quite well with the game, providing not only a unique atmosphere but a unique experience as well.
Outside of the FMV sections everything takes a sort of cartoonish look to itself. The visuals are very bright and contain colors from all over the spectrum. There is a certain aesthetic used here that makes everyone look like puppets in a show, which admittedly they all are. The stage and environments are well varied and have a nice look about them. There are occasionally flashback moments where you will be looking through the screen as if watching everything through a yellow filter, making it feel like an old Western when everything was shown in sepia.
Something that deserves special mention is the character design. The Gunstringer himself certainly has a distinct Western feel about him that provides a real crusty cowboy appearance and the boss characters, as I’ve said before are quite weird on their own, are extremely well done. The wavy tube man is absolutely hilarious and he is the very first boss you go after, letting you know that the experience you are in for is far from the norm.
Audio:
None of the characters in the game are given a voice and you know what? None of them need one. This is because you are given a very skilled narrator who sounds as if he was actually a person living in the West when it was young. The narrator sets the mood perfectly and his deadpan delivery of jokes is usually what makes them all the more hilarious. His tone fits the Western setting perfectly and his drawl will have players loving to hear him talk.
Though if you don’t always want to listen to the narrator, you don’t have to. One of the many bonus features, which I will go more in-depth with later, that can be purchased is commentary tracks from special guests that will are able to be bought and listened to rather than the actual story. This includes the Red vs. Blue creators Rooster Teeth, the Twisted Pixel team themselves and much more. The commentaries are absolutely hilarious and it is worth playing through a level more than once simply so you can listen to the commentary after purchasing it and hear what they say next.
Besides the commentary the sound effects sound relatively accurate, though the audience who is watching the whole thing will always let you know how you are doing. They will cheer for you when you perform a great task or boo whenever you end up getting hurt and it helps immerse the fact that you are just the puppeteer for a show. While this usually would disenchant from another experience, The Gunstringer’s strange setting is all the better for it.
Gameplay:
As a Kinect only title, The Gunstringer makes full use of the motion control peripheral and nothing is left to the controller. The player will be able to navigate the menus through the usual means of hovering their hand cursor (which delightfully looks like the Gunstringer’s glove) and select whichever option they want.
Once you enter into the game, the controls are rather simple. You must move the gunstringer around using your left hand and you do so similar to if you were controlling an actual puppet. Simple sliding left and right usually works but you need to pay attention to the strings holding him as they usually tell you how far you may need to slide your hand to move him one way or another. Jumping is simply done by lifting your left hand as if you were pulling a puppet into the air as well.
Your right hand is going to be the busy one however, as you will be using it to lock onto various targets and shoot to kill. Players can lock on up to six targets at a single time simply by passing the aiming reticle over them, then shoot by jerkign your arm back as if you were actually shooting a gun. Imagine when you were a child and made your finger into a gun shape and went “bang bang” and that is exactly the motion you will be making. Sure you don’t have to actually make your hand into that form but it is certainly a delight to stand there making pew pew sounds every once in a while.
The game is more or less a strict on rails game where you have to jump over obstacles in your path or avoid them by moving left and right. There are occasional moments where you need to hide behind cover and can shoot by pulling your left hand one way or another. There are also a few moments where the game will change dimensions and be similar to a 2D game, or when you acquire a second weapon and can let both hands do the shooting and rain lead down on your enemies, or especially when some boss battles occur usually involving interesting firefights that involve avoiding incoming attacks and then slamming your puppet into them to stun and shoot them.
The Kinect doesn’t have many issues picking up your motions, usually being quite accurate. That isn’t to say that it is perfect though. There are a number of times the game may think you are firing your gun even though you haven’t which can sometimes be a pain though not too much of a problem. This is also a problem when you must jump through certain areas which can hurt or kill you and the game fails to pick up the jump at the right time. While annoying at times, these mishaps are usually few and far between. Plus the game even has a lefty mode so you can switch the controls around if you prefer using your left hand for shooting, making things more comfortable for southpaws.
While guiding the Gunstringer past obstacles, over jumps and also shooting bad guys you will need to maintain his health, though this usually isn’t a problem. There are usually a lot of health pick-ups scattered through a level and when acquired they fill your health up completely. This makes the game pretty easy on its normal setting and only challenging at a few small parts.
This is one of the issues that can be had with The Gunstringer. The game features a relatively short, albeit funny, story which can be completed easily within a weekend though your gun arm may be a bit sore afterwards. The story doesn’t change very much but the length may lend itself to the fact that The Gunstringer was planned originally as an XBLA release.
Still, there are plenty of things that will keep a gamer coming back to play through every level at least a few times. One of these key things is the aforementioned Commentary that can be bought in the Bonus Store, which add a whole new commentary which is worth listening to. Plus there is a literal ton of stuff that can be unlocked in the Bonus store. This includes various modifiers to the game which can make it more fun or different, bonus videos, concept art, galleries and a whole bunch of unlockable stuff. These things are unlocked with money that you accrue playing through a level and given as your score for that level. Of course there is also the Hardcore mode but that is perhaps recommended for only the most diehard gamer because if you do happen to die, you die very hard all the way out of the game to the Xbox Dashboard.
Another thing that can always extend your fun is having another play join in. Nearly the entire game is fully co-op compatible, meaning you and a friend can play pretty much the whole game together. The second player only aims their gun and shoots at things on screen with no real character, meaning Player 1 still controls the character. The interesting thing about co-op is that it is completely seamless, a player can walk into the Kinect’s range, raise their hand to play, shoot a few enemies and leave and the game won’t skip a beat allowing them to enter in and then drop out as if nothing happened.
Overall:
There are many games that can be said to be an experience deserving a Kinect purchase, but most of these don’t have the content to back it up. Twisted Pixel’s The Gunstringer on the other hand has plenty. The title has a very enjoyable story and single player mode, though short, can also be joined by another friend at the drop of a hat making it a great game for friends to play or a family even.
Plus that doesn’t even cover the extra content that is bundled with The Gunstringer. First there is the Fruit Ninja game which comes free with purchase as a download code. You can find my review of Fruit Ninja here and also remember it is bundled with an already great game. Also there is an entirely FMV DLC that is completely free called The Wavy Tube Man Chronicles that only adds to the hilarity and provides a nice little bonus to a game already packed with content.
