Indie developer Freebird Games, have released a trailer for their upcoming RPG title, To The Moon. Freebird Games have made a name out of creating compelling, inspiring and heart-felt games for the PC (all of which are available for free download). Freebird themselves state that they create games with an emphasis on story and atmosphere. They look to continue the trend with the beautiful To The Moon.
To The Moon tells the tale of two doctors trying to grant a dying man his last wish (to go to the moon), by retracing his life through his memories. The indie RPG will be available for free download this Fall. However an exact date has yet to be confirmed.
You can check out the trailer below and leave your thoughts in the comment section.
If you are one to pre-order games and have been eyeing Prototype 2, this news should catch your interest. Gamestop and Activision have announced today that anyone who pre-orders Radical Entertainment’s upcoming sequel between now and September 1st will automatically be in the running to be crafted into a character model for Prototype 2.
This “Get in the Game” promotion will also include a trip for two to Radical Entertainment in Vancouver, Canada, where the winner will then prepare for their video game debut.
Radical Entertainment had this to say about the upcoming promotion:
“Thanks to this great partnership with Activision and GameStop, we have an incredible opportunity to offer gamers something truly unique,” said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment. “In addition to just seeing themselves in the game, the winners will actually be able to locate their virtual selves and shape-shift Sgt. James Heller into their likeness. Radical wouldn’t be where it is today without our fans, and this is just another way for us to thank them for all their support.”
Nice little incentive to throw down a pre-order, if I do say so myself. Sadly, this contest of sorts is only available to those in the U.S. and Canada at the moment, with links to both entry forms found below.
Although Nintendo’s 3DS handheld may be the first and currently only handheld gaming device to sport glasses free 3D technology, the handheld has one tiny problem with its hardware. What I am talking about of course, is the battery life of the handheld. Even running idle the Nintendo 3DS can quickly run low on battery life in only a matter of hours, let alone when being used to play a game or watch a video.
This of course means that either an owner of the 3DS must keep their 3DS constantly charged in its cradle or run out and purchase some sort of peripheral that would help prolong their gaming experience. One such peripheral recently released by Hyperkin is known as the 3DS PowerPlus. The PowerPlus is a bit unique when it comes to extending 3DS battery life, in the fact that it is actually an extension to the system instead of a replacement battery for the one that comes with the 3DS. Now at a price tag of $24.99 how well does the 3DS PowerPlus perform?
Hyperkin’s 3DS PowerPlus is a slip on charger which is quite convenient as it is easy to slip on and moderately easy to take off of the 3DS. The PowerPlus itself is rather lightweight and has certain openings on the sides which allow the user to still use all the sliders that they need, though the opening for the volume slider is practically no bigger than the slider itself which makes it a bit of an annoyance.
Although it may also have a rubber-like coating which makes it easier to hold onto, there is a problem with the design of it. When you attach it to your 3DS the area where you charge the PowerPlus is placed right next to the R shoulder button and this can get in the way for those who hold their 3DS with their fingers wrapping around the sides. The charge area extends about a half an inch past the 3DS itself which also makes it a bit larger for your cases and can make use a bit uncomfortable if you have to change the standard way you hold your handheld.
Now the main feature of the 3DS PowerPlus is of course the fact that it extends the battery life on the 3DS. It does this by allowing the 3DS owner to slide it on to the back of the 3DS itself and, if their 3DS battery begins to fall into dangerous levels they can turn on the PowerPlus with a tiny switch on the charge area of the PowerPlus. This then uses the charge on the 3DS PowerPlus itself and not only powers the 3DS off of itself but charges up the battery.
Now before I go into how well the 3DS PowerPlus performed with this task, I must mention how it can be charged on its own. With the purchase of the 3DS PowerPlus, buyers will receive a USB charger that must be used either on a computer or laptop or with a converter of some sort to plug into a car or a wall charger. While this may make the charger a bit more versatile, it also presents limitations. The lack of a wall charger with purchase is a major detriment to the 3DS Powerplus and having to buy another converter simply to charge it in more than one way is an unneeded hassle.
A neat feature about this peripheral however, is the fact that it can be removed and charged entirely separately from the 3DS itself. This means you can fully charge your 3DS handheld and also fully charge the peripheral which then can be used as needed.
When it is being charged off of a desktop computer the 3DS Powerplus takes roughly four hours to reach relatively full charge. The charge of the PowerPlus is shown by four blue LED lights on the back side which are always on when you are charging the peripheral and can be shown during normal use with the touch of a button nearby the lights.
Now onto the important part, how well does this battery life extender actually extend the battery? With a completely dead 3DS system and a full charge on the peripheral, the end result was a 3/4s charged 3DS. This charge and drain rate only took an hour of use, which means that the most optimal time to activate an attached PowerPlus is either at half battery or when the red warning light turns on. The extension will provide at least another four hours, give or take depending on your handheld settings and what you are doing, to play time if you are on a long trip or are without an area to charge your 3DS console.
Now despite this fact, I must place a small warning here. When it is in use for even a short amount of time, the charger area on Hyperkin’s 3DS PowerPlus becomes quite hot to the touch, though not unbearably so. When used for an extended period of time the rubber around it was very hot and I grew uncomfortable with leaving it on my 3DS due to the heat being produced by the charger. This means that you should not leave this peripheral on if you are going to put your 3DS in a case and carry it around or even in your pocket as the cloth. Now while the heat may not actually damage anything, it is something to watch out for for potential buyers.
Now in the end, I was able to play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on my 3DS with the 3D slider on completely and sound on maximum with a full charge on both the system itself and the battery life extender and it pulled at roughly five and a half hours. This was with everything running nearly non-stop minus the occasional break for human necessities, which shows that the 3DS PowerPlus does indeed extend the lifetime of the average 3DS battery.
But with an added bulkiness to the handheld, an inconvenient charging method and a bit of a higher price tag than other 3DS battery extensions or replacements on the market, the 3DS PowerPlus does nothing too exceptional besides being extremely easy to place on and off of your 3DS without actually removing anything from the handheld itself or installation.
Over the past few years, Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise became a phenomenon all over the world for it’s easily accessible “grind and battle” gameplay which lets players tackle huge beasts while exploring a stunning setting. With all of the success across many different platforms, Capcom decided to take the series to the iPhone in a much lighter format with Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting. While this title is rather ambitious considering the platform, it still falls a bit short compared to it’s console brethren. What was included in this on-the-go entry? Here is my review for Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting for the iPhone.
Gameplay
If you have ever played any Monster Hunter game before, you should be instantly familiar with the formula used in Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting, except a few things are missing from the overall experience. Instead of exploring to find a monster, this title consists of “quests” that all present one monster to defeat at a time. I did feel a bit disappointed by the lack of exploration at first, but in just a short time the true strategy and depth that made the series famous started to show it’s head, and the game started to shine rather quickly.
The controls in Dynamic hunting are simple to use, but it requires a bit of practice to master the many techniques that are offered throughout the game. Much like Infinity Blade, this title uses the “tap to hit” mechanic, where you simply drag your thumb along the screen to move your character and tap at a target to unleash a quick hit when in range. A set number of slash attacks are also given to the player at the start of each match-up that require you to slide your finger across the target to execute a slightly more damaging hit. Applying two fingers on the screen at once throws up your guard and dragging those digits will have you executing a dodge roll. These controls work well enough for the most part, but at times I had a bit of trouble with the responsiveness of the touch-screen, resulting in a few extra swipes to properly land a slash. It can be a bit frustrating, but thankfully these problems don’t show up too often and this scheme complimented the combat style well enough to keep the battles fun and exciting.
It wouldn’t be a Monster Hunter title without the varied amount of equipment and upgrades and Dynamic Hunting is no different in this area. Once a foe is defeated, players are rewarded with a bit of currency and some new materials that can be used to create new weapons and armor. There are three different weapon types in the game (Sword, Sword and Shield, and Dual Sword), each possessing a distinct feel compared to the next and added in ailments that can play into the weaknesses of certain foes. The true strategy of the game is found in upgrading, as if a monster is too tough, the player must grind through some re-battles and collect the proper materials to enhance their arsenal. There are over 40 weapon types in all, so players should have no trouble finding their own personal weapon of choice to do battle with.
The biggest flaw in the game can be found in how long the overall experience takes to complete. Boasting only 12 monsters, it only took myself around an hour to finish all 12 quests with only two weapon upgrades. To make matters worse, a few monsters are just reused models that only differed by techniques and color, so there wasn’t a whole lot of variety within. That is the main problem with Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting though, as the short length and shortcuts made in development don’t let you fully utilize all the different strategies and upgrades found within. Now there is a harder mode to be unlocked and a bit of incentive to go back and perfect a score, but those extras just are not enough to make this title feel like a complete game overall.
Graphics/Audio
Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting doesn’t really push the bar in the form of visuals, but I can say that the designs used for the monsters certainly made the battles both exciting and memorable. Each beast looks intimidating as the models used are well detailed and feature some top-notch animation to capture their grimacing nature. Backdrops are also well crafted, as the varied settings compliment the art style used for the character models well and give a spacious feel to each stage. It is a shame you can’t actually explore these vivid environments, but they do provide a bit of eye candy to stare at while in battle.
The soundtrack for the game is a bit generic and just plays lightly into the background to give a bit of a theme to each area. While it is fitting, the music really isn’t important in this game though as the player is to focus on the monsters they are doing battle with first and foremost. Luckily, each foe was given screeching and roaring sound effects that help portray that intimidation found in their designs.
Overall
Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting utilizes a lot of the same features that made the Monster Hunter franchise a staple in gaming, but with a more dumbed-down result. The controls work well most of the time and the combat is actually enjoyable, but the lack of monsters to actually do battle with hurt the final product. The content is there, the depth is there, and the high presentation value is also included but rewashed models and lack of true exploration just make this game feel incomplete on it’s own and a tad forgettable overall. Monster Hunter fans however should have no regrets paying the $4.99 entry fee to get that combat they love on the go, but others out there are better off just picking up one of the many other formats from the series to get a more fulfilling experience.
The last Metro: Last Light video left us with a cliffhanger. The final part of the 3 part video, which was recorded at E3 while the game was being demoed, leaves us with yet another cliffhanger, but this demo trailer has gun action galore throughout nearly the entire video.
Plus… well, I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. Go ahead and give it a watch. A final, all encompassing video will be released on August 23, 2011, so make sure to visit us then to see it. What’s your take on the demo? Excited? Scared? Longing to shoot some baddies in a virtual world?
Name: Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Racing
Platform: iPhone/iPad
Release: 4 August 2011
Price: $5.49 AU – $4.99 – US
Overview
Racing games do not have the best history on iOS due to inferior graphics, controls and gameplay. Personally, I have always found the controls an effort to get a good hold of – each application tends to have its own little quirks. In this department Shift 2 Unleashed was a pleasant surprise.
Gameplay
Shift 2 Unleashed has a few different modes, quick race trial, single race, multiplayer, Origin mobile and career mode. The fact that it has a variation of modes makes the game feel complete and like the effort has really gone into making it feel like a full release as opposed to a blurb for the console games.
Career mode is made up of five classes, you start on the lowest and work your way up, upgrading your car and moving onto tougher races. AS you move up in classes you also have access to more races.
Quick race trials were basically career mode on a diet, a one-lap run through with all the tracks organised into an assortment different from career mode. It’s designed to get you familiar with the courses and perhaps if you just want to pass a quick minute or so. Personally, I didn’t see much point to this as the career mode tracks wouldn’t take much longer than a few minutes anyway, although quick race trials were sometimes a good way to earn a quick buck to buy that little extra feature to deck your car out with.
The default Shift 2 Unleashed controls are utterly minimalistic, you automatically accelerate and the only time you touch the screen is in the rare occasion that you have to brake. You steer by turning the phone, which actually works a lot better than I thought it would. It doesn’t work fantastically around the tighter corners but most of the time the tracks requires turns that are simple to make cleanly. The game is aware of its limitations and usually doesn’t push them.
The default transmission setting is automatic but after playing a few rounds and seeing my driver’s little gloved hands shift gears with no input from me I thought ‘Hey, I can drive manual in real life, I can totally do it in a tiny representation of it on my iPhone’. Famous last thoughts. I spent half the race stuck in first gear trying desperately to figure out how to shift up (which some would think would be a big part of a game called Shift 2 Unleashed) until I gave up and tried to hunt down the controls information that I was never actually given. I finally found the information hidden away in the Help menu underneath a long block of miscellaneous information and was good to go. It definitely added to the challenge of driving, especially since the accelerator and gear-changing button were on the same side and managing a good start, changing gears effectively, and steering by moving the whole phone, took a couple of tries but definitely made the game more engaging. I think that anyone who wants to actually challenge themselves and feel like they’re doing more than just driving like a kid with a drawn on paper plate should definitely turn off the auto accelerate and automatic gear changes.
Shift 2 Unleashed lays out a driving path that basically keeps the speed controls at the optimal rate, boosting you during the straights and braking around the turns. As long as you stay on the path you should be sweet to win the race. The hardest part of this is fighting to get on the path in a group race where you end up colliding into several other racers and shattering your windscreen in the process.
Audio
The soundtrack comes straight from a Guitar Hero game, which was different from what I was expecting. Usually my experience with NFS games has been made up of gangsta tunes or electro/dance music that really got me into the mood for some dangerous driving. I guess they really wanted to distinguish Shift 2 Unleashed from earlier releases and the genre of the soundtrack was an easy way to do it. Each gear change is accompanied with a piston sound that makes me wonder why my car doesn’t sound like the entire engine is being flipped by a series of pistons when I change gears. I found it slightly disappointing that no sound effect accompanied crashing into someone else or ramming them, instead the phone just vibrated alarmingly and the screen showed the damage. What does a girl have to do to get some good metal crunching sounds around here?
Video
The graphics were quite good, which I had been expecting as EA had been peddling that feature. At times they were a bit pixellated but far better than one would expect from a realistic iOS game. I really like the helmet cam point of view, it provides a stronger interactive sense to the game and I think it helps driving judgement.
Conclusion
I think that EA definitely put some effort into this game and, as iOS racing games go, it was definitely leagues ahead. However, the controls leave something to be desired, difficulty and interest should come from the game itself not the fact that the controls aren’t very user-friendly. Looks-wise its quite swish, the cars are drool worthy, and the tracks don’t feel rushed and have variation to them. Overall, it is quite a good game once you get used to the controls, if you decide to make it feel like you’re actually driving the car as opposed to just letting the game do it for you.
In four hours time, the demo for Final Fantasy Type-0 will be available to Japan. If you don’t have a Japanese PSN account, you can download the demo at the official site of the game. Make sure you have an extra 332 MB of available space and have Version 6.39 Firmware.
The demo will be an updated version of the demo that was present at a Square Enix event in Odaiba. It includes seven characters in four different scenarios. Changes from that demo will include higher difficulties and new camera code.
As a special treat, the demo also includes items of summer clothing for each of the fourteen characters hidden within the demo. These items of clothing will be transferable to the full game, which will be released on October 13th. There is no word on whether the game will leave Japan at this point in time.
If you do decide to download the demo, Andriasang has a summary of the controls.
A new patch for the free-to-play Eden Eternal has been released by Aeria Games today. To date, this is the largest update for the
growing fantasy MMORPG with the inclusion of the highly anticipated new character class. The major content update includes a level cap; the warlock character class, specialising in dark arts, and spawning parasites with the use of spells; new areas to explore including regions and dungeons; the Loyalty Shop where players will be awarded points to use for purchase of items where Aeria Points are used; and the PvP “Territory War”, a free-for-all brawl between guilds to claim or defend territories.
Here’s Eden Eternal in a nutshell:
Eden Eternal transcends the limitations of a lot of free-to-play MMORPGs in terms of class allocation. You’ll begin the game as either a Warrior or a Magician, and as you progress through the world of magic and fantasy, you’ll be able to unlock up to 15 unique classes, three of which are still to be released in the coming months. This means that you’ll be able to change your class to any other one you have already unlocked, at any given time!
Now, after slashing some foes with an axe as a Warrior or causing some magical mayhem as a Magician, you feel like jumping into the shoes of childhood hero, Robin Hood? Become a Hunter then – after unlocking it of course. Turns out the bow and arrow ain’t your forte and you’d like to try your hands on some healing and buffing magic? Become a Cleric! Still unsatisfied? Then try any of the other classes in the vibrant and colourful world of Eden Eternal until you find the right one, the one that best suits you!
These guys would have to be one of my favourite developers, even though they don’t release a plethora of titles like many others, most everything they do release is damn awesome. Portal 2 couldn’t have come at a better time in a gaming market that was getting downright monotonous, being flooded with FPS essentially representing the same game in a different location. Amongst their other titles, Left 4 Dead 2 remains as one of the most popular multiplayer and online games ever. Basically what imp getting at is when these guys do something they generally do it well.
So it should be with great excitement to many that Valve has launched the Steam Trading Beta, allowing users to trade Steam Gifts and in-game items. Although the Beta only currently applies to Team Fortress 2, Valve have confirmed via Steam that “Portal 2 should be reasonably soon, and we hope to see several third party games in the next few months”.
Users can also trade any games they have purchased within the store as well as those “extra” copies that frequently come as incentives with big titles. It should be noted that only unopened games will be eligible to be accepted into the system. Steam has also implemented a new feature that allows users to save a Gift for trading at the point of purchase.
Valve announced the news not long after Blizzard introduced an Auction house in Diablo 3 that allowed players to trade their legal and ill-gained loot for real cash.
High-Def Digest has announced that retailers have gotten arelease date for Mortal Kombat Legacy for Blu-Ray: November 8. The 9 episode web series has received over 12,000,000 on youtube so far, and now its arrival to Blu-Ray will come with a bunch of special features:
Exclusive HD Content:
Mortal Kombat Legacy: Expanding The Netherrealm
A Multi-chapter documentary that shows how director Kevin Tancharoen brought his vision of the Mortal Kombat universe to life.
Mortal Kombat: Mysticism
An look into the individual powers that define each character that makes them unique.
Mortal Kombat: Gear
A feature that looks into all the weapons used by Mortal Kombat fighters.
Supplements:
Mortal Kombat Legacy: Fights
No description was given here, but perhaps this is the rehearsal footage Tancharoen has mentioned in the past.
Mortal Kombat Legacy: Fan Made
No description was given on this either, but it could possibly be a collection of fan-made movies.
High-Def Digest also go on to give some more Blu-Ray details: that the price will be $19.98 and will run for 90 minutes.
