It’s safe to say that since the release of the TV series, a Game of Thrones and the rest of the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ books have become a bit of a phenomenon. The incredibly detailed fantasy setting, packed full of warring houses and their bannermen, is perfect material for a strategy game, and developers Cyanide Studio have taken on the task of bringing the world to life for fans already spoiled by the fantastic TV adaptation.
For those not already taken in by either book or show, a Game of Thrones is the first novel of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, a series of fantasy novels by American writer George R R Martin. They chronicle the constant battle for the rule of the kingdom of Westeros, where the king sits on an Iron Throne made from the swords of his vanquished enemies. There are darker forces at work whilst the families war over the crown, and in the words of house Stark – ‘winter is coming’ and winter, in Westeros, is deadly. It’s not all swords and sorcery though – Martin’s characters are as deft at manipulation and as masterful of politics as they are at raising armies.
So the developers have a big challenge here, and a lot of fans to impress. On to the game…
Players will be able to take on the quest for the Iron Throne in a campaign beginning 1000 years before the events of the books, going from the founding of Westeros to the capture of the nation by Aegon the Conqueror and right on through to the War of the Usurper. There are armies to be raised and castles and villages to besiege and destroy in the battle for the Iron Throne, with both a single player campaign and 8 man multiplayer.
What’s great to see is that the political intrigue and manipulations of the books will not be overshadowed by combat. The game is full of opportunities for Lannister* style foul play, with opponents vulnerable to both economic and military war. The Iron Throne is, according to the developers, winnable without raising a single army.
It all speaks of a great respect for the source material, and it’s no surprise that George R R Martin has played a part in Genesis’ development- the single player campaign was written under his supervision. The screenshots too, show off a world that looks faithful to the books.
The game will be released in both digital and retail format on September 29, so if you’re a fan of the series or are just after a fresh strategy game, take a look at the new screenshots below and watch out for a review from Capsule Computers!
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Sports
Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, PS2, PSP, iOS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii,
Release Date: Out Now!
Apologies for the delay in review but here it is! I gotta be honest, I’m not the most avid NFL fan but this game has really impressed me. Sure it’s nothing groundbreaking in the context of the Madden series but it is still an improved and welcome addition. Sports games are often criticised for re-releasing the same game with a new “hat” on so to speak, and to an extent this is probably true. But given a game like Madden, there really isn’t that much room for improvement so it’s understandable that it appears similar to the previous editions. That being said, there are still quite a lot of tweaks throughout the game, yet also a few areas which seem to still be needing a little bit extra.
Gameplay:
Match physics and the player engine is awesome. I’m still not tired of the Matrix-esque frame freezes when you get a pick/interception, not to mention the precision of catching the ball right on the tip of the line for a touchdown. I’m yet to notice any considerable problems with collisions and responsiveness is as good as ever.
One key aspect of the game which Tiburon openly focused on was the AI. Like most good sport games, the Rookie (or easiest difficulty) enables to you essentially dominate your opponent whereas the All-Pro setting is ruthless and should be approached with caution. The computer controlled players are smarter than ever, not to mention players more unique and dynamic. EA has boasted much about the personality aspects of each player, and after a few matches you really do start to see it coming through. Player hot streaks and consistency ratings make it incredibly satisfying when your star is unstoppable and awfully frustrating when he’s just not bringing his A-game. One thing I have to admit annoys me is the delays between plays. Whilst I realise it can be tactical to run down the clock at certain points of the match, I find the computer takes too long between each play. Obviously EA are going for realism but to me it just slows down the game too much and gets a bit frustrating at times.
Be a Superstar mode appears to have had decent improvements however still has a fair way to go if it wants more lasting appeal. I still am quite hesitant when it comes to this game mode, maybe it’s just personal preference but in a tactic-heavy sport like NFL, controlling just one player is not as fun as it feels in a game like NBA 2k11, and there still isn’t enough clarity on what your player needs to be achieving in order to fully develop into a star. With no new game mode additions, this mode really needed to be a bit more fresh and deep. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still quite a lot of fun, but I’d like to see it get a bit more attention next time around.
The online modes have been bolstered quite nicely, with no real flaws surfacing yet. Online Franchise and “communities” are well done, with online Franchise making improvements to the nitty gritty area of contract negotiations and the draft.
Sound:
The soundtrack features many popular artists like the Foo Fighters, Tinie Tempah, and Lil Wayne, as well as some lesser known artists but still, if not even more, enjoyable. Overall it meshes well with the game and is always a useful plus for a game.
The commentary is quite good, with some nice player specific facts and descriptions. To be honest it is not much of an improvement over the last few years and gets a bit tiresome after a few matches. I’m getting technical here but some of the intonations are a bit off and make the commentary sound choppy at times. For the most part however it’s still good enough and nothing to get too tied up on. The same can be said about crowd and match noises, which although don’t seem to have had many overly noticeable enhancements, are still quite adequate.
Visuals:
In regards to match presentation, Tiburion have done a really amazing job. The team entrances, cut scenes, and player and stadium graphics are all near-perfect. The graphics have always been pretty tight in the Madden series but this edition has added that little bit extra bit of attention to detail, which although may seem petty, really helps add to the overall match experiences.
The interface and menu systems of the game are quite easy to use, although I still haven’t perfected the navigation in Franchise mode. Sure there are a lot of different choices in the menu to account for but I feel it is a bit convoluted for the more casual NFL fans.
Conclusion:
Perhaps not groundbreaking, but undeniably solid with only a few disappointments lying in the Be a Superstar mode and some finicky issues within the matches. I think there are enough improvements throughout the game for Madden 11 owners to still purchase it, and for those who don’t have last year’s version then there is even more reason. As a standalone game, it’s really impressive. Great gameplay, amazing graphics, and solid lasting appeal, all make this a better Madden game than before.
With only two days left until the real Rugby World Cup gets underway, 505 Games have released RWC 2011 onto North American shelves today. The official world cup game includes licensed teams with licensed players for many of these teams including South Africa, England, and France.
The game includes a World Cup mode in addition to online play and is a great way to recreate your favourite moments or play out possible outcomes for this year’s world cup matches before they happen.
“This is a great opportunity for 505 Games in North America and brings rugby videogames to the widest possible audience,” said Ian Howe, US President of 505 Games.
“We truly feel that the game captures the spirit and emotion of Rugby World Cup, as well as delivering fast, fluid and authentic gameplay that will keep players hooked.”
The guys over at Ubisoft have announced some new content for Driver: San Francisco. The content will be extra tracks for multiplayer and will be free. They have also introduced Driver Club, a Games-to-Web application that brings the Driver community together.
Multiplayer Content:
On September 15th, 12 new routes for all online modes will be made available for free. Then, 1 new route will be made available every week for the next 10 weeks, for a total of 22, increasing the overall number of tracks by 30% in 2 months.
Driver Club:
Starting now, Driver San Francisco proposes an exclusive Games-to-Web / Community service called Driver Club that allows players to:
– Unlock exclusive achievements
– Find your stats and check the leaderboards
– Showcase your film director clips
– See and rate your friends’ clips
– Review the Community facts
– Follow your friends’ activities using the Driver Social feed
Driver: San Francisco is now available for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. We recommend that you purchase this game, as our review suggests.
September 13 – September 19
L.A. Noire Rockstar Pass 640 (33% off)
Games On Demand – new releases
September 6
Way of Samurai 3
Sherlock Holmes
September 13
Homefront™
Bulletstorm
Games on Demand – price reductions
September 6
Shaun White Skateboarding
Sonic & SEGA All Star Racing
Aliens vs. Predator
Virtua Tennis 2009
Vanquish
R.U.S.E™
Fable III [Mexico only]
Avatar Marketplace
September 7
Crimson Alliance
September 8
Adidas Originals 2
September 14
The Gunstringer
September 15
Fast Five
Spotlight
Up for your special attention this week are Crimson Alliance and Fifa 12.
Fifa 12 needs no introduction, but Gold members can look forward to the demo, which will be available for download on September 13. It will be showcasing the new Player Impact Engine for the first time, and will also introduce EA Sports Football Club, a live online service to connect players to real world Fifa action.
It has also been announced that the full game will for the first time at launch feature the FIFA Ultimate Team feature. Players will be able to earn, buy sell and trade some of the greatest players in the world to build their ultimate dream team.
Crimson Alliance (not to be confused with iPad exclusive Crimson Steam Pirates) throws players into the World of Crimson, taking on one of three characters to battle against the Cult of the Soul Siren. The Assassin can bend time, the Wizard is master of the elements, and the Mercenary can sweep foes from their feet with whirlwind strikes.
Crimson Alliance will be available on a free trial basis from September 7, and players can purchase either one or three characters for 800 and 1200 Microsoft Points respectively.
For all those Mac gamers who are looking for something new to play, Rockstar has just released individual downloads of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy for you.
The individual downloads will see Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City being added to the Macintosh App Store. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released earlier in the past week, and is also available for purchase. The games are all priced at $14.99USD ($15.99AUD; $18.99NZD), and require Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later to run.
While GTA III and Vice City are decent-sized downloads at 705MB and 1.25GB respectively, San Andreas is a hefty 3.88GB. Comments on the Mac App Store suggest that San Andreas is also a bit laggy, so for those who want a smoother experience should opt for one of the former two.
Realistic and absorbing turn-based strategy game, Battle Academy, has made it onto the Mac after the game’s developers (Slitherine Ltd) have tweaked the specs to make it compatible across the board. The game is now seamlessly multi-platform across computers, allowing multiplayer as well as save games to be transferred between the two operating systems without issue. As Macs are quickly gaining a larger market share, this move was probably quite intelligent on the Slitherine’s part.
Battle Academy is an incredibly realistic WW2 strategy game, developed in accordance with the exact requirements of each side as provided by a military historian. With three epic campaigns and multiple units and nations the game encompasses an incredible amount of detail (which was always to be expected from a BBC game).
On top of this, a brand new add-on has been released for both PC and Mac, Battle Academy: Operation Market Garden with eight brand new single player missions, four multiplayer maps and the introduction of campaign mode. The add-on comes at the requirements and concerns of players, Slitherine listening and adapting to the needs of players, which is always nice to see.
For more information and a place to buy the game go here.
The highly successful cult-classic TV show Weeds has always been a favourite of mine. Why not? It’s a comedy about an apparent soccer mum who is actually a drug dealing, weed growing, loose morality-ed, woman stuck with a mortgage and limited options. So it’s not a huge surprise that Lionsgate (creators of the show) along with Ecko|Code wanted to capitalize on the popularity by combining it with something else hugely popular. Yes, Facebook. And then Weeds Social Club was born.
Mytopia are the developers behind this incredibly alternative social game, and all sides have a strong investment in the project. It allows club members to buy, sell and grow their product with other club members around the world. There’s a time-clock system similar to the ever-popular Farmville and the whole point of the game is to make as much dough as possible.
Though the content of the game is illegal in most countries, it steers clear of condoning usage of marijuana, pretty much just leaving it as a popular and expensive product that you are trying to move. The game is free and heavily dependent on the social aspect of Facebook, which ties in well with the drug dealing dynamic. It loosely follows the TV show with some of the lead characters making appearances or the risks and rewards faced in the episodes reflected in the game.
For more information visit the Facebook page and see if you can become Weed King of the Neighbourhood.
With the announcement of a Nintendo press conference to be held on September 13, there have been a few rumours flying around that the big announcement might be the release of a 3DS lite. Alongside this, there have been rumours of a second circle pad to be added to the 3DS. Images of this peripheral for the 3DS have emerged from Famitsu Magazine, which shows it fitting around the outside of the handheld. Right now the price and release date are listed as “TBA”. There is also speculation that the extra circle pad is for the game Monster Hunter Tri G, the 3DS Monster Hunter title. Let us know what your thoughts about this announcement and image are. Does the 3DS really need a second circle pad?
Rod Land: Fairy Tale has gone through many stages and consoles, from Arcade cabinet to the NES and finally now DotEmu has released it on iOS. For those of you who want to travel back to the 90s but not sacrifice your touch controls, Rod Land is a great reboot of a classic.
You are a small fairy whose mother has been kidnapped by a giant scary crow, and you have to fight your way through 60 old-school levels to rescue her. There are two modes, story mode where you try to get the highest score and survival where you only get 5 lives to try and make it through.
As well as being a throwback, DotEmu have included modern-day features with Facebook, OpenFeint and Game Center features for your enjoyment to unlock, share and boast.
Check out the trailer below and take the trip back to good ol’ 90’s gaming!
Rod Land is available for $1.99 from the iTunes store. So go get reminiscing!
