Executive director Suda51, creative producer Shinji Mikami (director of Resident Evil) and music composer Akira Yamaoka, have crafted the insane, ‘very unique’, psycho-punk action thriller known as Shadows of the Damned. Players can get a taste of this latest instalment from Suda51in the form of the game’s full soundtrack, available for anyone that’s pre-ordered the game at selected retailers (GAME, JB Hi Fi, EB Games and the EA STORE). Players will receive a digital download of twelve original tracks by critically acclaimed composer Akira Yamaoka (sound director of Silent Hill). The soundtrack takes inspiration (much like the game itself) from grindhouse exploitation cinema of the 1950-70’s.
The 12 hell-raising tracks include:
1. Theme of Shadows of the Damned (featuring the English gothic punk band, The Damned)
2. Shedding Stars
3. Walk if Off
4. Last Stop, Windows Up
5. This Way Comes
6. Fathomer
7. Smile for a Broken Dawn
8. Showdown at High Moon
9. Cold Turkey
10. Broken Bones, Broken Promises
11. Dropped Off Between Stops
12. Clawing at the Veil
So expect the unexpected, which one must always take when entering a Suda51 game. Shadows of the Damned will be available June 23 in Australia and June 24 in New Zealand for Xbox 360 and Playstaion 3.
More news has been recently speculated about the newest Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 game. Activision is yet to announce new details on the title however they have confirmed it is coming.
News sites have reported the proposed title for Modern Warfare 3 will be ‘Project Colossus’ following more rumours the game will feature as a prequel for Ghost.
Accompanying this breaking news is a proposed cover (below) featuring the famous and well known three green letters ‘MW3’.
Activision is yet to confirm but many people believe Soap MacTavish, Captain Price and Russian informant Nikolai will return following on from the second instalment.
Taking inspiration from EA’s Battlefield series, Modern Warfare 3 will reportedly feature destructive environments and larger maps. Also check out our previous article on MW3 here.
Sick of the no-nonsense macho attitude of CoD, Homefront, and Generic War-Themed Shooter #37? Well, the long-retired Duke of exaggerated manliness is on his way to fix that, but if you can’t wait until June for some comic relief in your gaming, here’s our list of games with a sense of humour.
No combat. A female protagonist. A bland laboratory setting. A potentially confusing core mechanic. A three or four hour completion time. Present this list of features to a publisher, and you probably won’t get far. From a marketing point of view, backing Singstar: Justin Bieber is a safer bet. And yet the entire gaming world is currently obsessed with Portal 2. It goes to show that the annual exploitation of tried and true formulas (I’m looking at you, Activision!) isn’t always the best business practice.
The idea risked attempting too much, subverting too many conventions, and collapsing in a pile of its own pretentiousness. But in Valve’s very capable hands, the original mechanics from this clever indy project were combined with an unexpected sense of humour. The end result is an undisputed classic game.
Most of the humour comes from the deadpan delivery of thinly veiled threats, from GLaDOS, the creepy AI voice guiding the player. As her disposition changes from nurturing, to slightly homicidal, to full-blown homicidal, she earns herself the title of one of gaming’s most interesting characters.
The sequel’s addition of Stephen Merchant’s voice as Wheatley, the emotional, rambling personality sphere, serves to complement GLaDOS’ deadpan hostility. I haven’t had the fortune to play Portal 2 yet, but from the unanimous feedback, and the videos I’ve seen, my expectations are high – and I’m not worried about the game not meeting them.
Grim Fandango (1998, PC)
Every game from the mind of Tim Schafer deserves a mention on this list, but Grim Fandango is the standout one for me personally. Never one for point-and-click adventure games, I’m not sure if ingenious puzzles are characteristic of the genre, or if those in Grim Fandango are particularly clever. Either way, they are the perfect balance of being challenging without being too obscure, so thinking logically about a situation usually results in success.
But of course, the setting is where the game shines. With characters and narrative elements from classic film noir, and set in the afterlife as imagined by the Aztecs, there really isn’t any other game visually comparable. Players take the role of Manny Calavera, a reaper/travel agent who picks up souls from the land of the living and tries to sell them the best travel package for their journey across the land of the dead.
Despite a rather “grim” setting (sorry, couldn’t help it) the dialogue is light and playful. The demon Glottis, Manny’s driver, is particularly entertaining. With the appearance of a large demon, but the innocence and impressionability of a child, getting Glottis away from something fun or into something scary is the basis of several puzzles in the game.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to play this game, track down a copy. It didn’t perform too well commercially, but maintains a strong cult following regardless. It doesn’t seem to be available on the usual download services like Steam or Xbox Live, but look on Amazon or eBay. It’s well worth the effort.
Destroy All Humans! (2005, Xbox, PS2)
Another fantastic example of fun gameplay made better by a great sense of humour and sharp dialogue. While the two later games declined in gameplay quality, the only element left intact was the humour and dialogue.
The first game is set during the UFO hysteria sweeping America in the 1950s, as players control Cryptosporidium 137, a Furon sent to Earth to harvest humans to replenish their degrading DNA pool. This involves using all the classic sci-fi clichés; abduction, body snatching, anal probing, brain scanning, and of course, taking off in your flying saucer and causing massive damage from above. It both parodies and pays homage to classic alien movies, and delights in breaking the fourth wall, drawing attention to and questioning video game conventions. For example, after being asked what happens to the bodies of his many, many victims, Crypto admits, “I don’t know. I thought they just disappeared when I went round the corner.”
Each game takes place in a different period of history, as the Furons slowly take over Earth. The first is set in the uptight, UFO-obsessed ’50s, the second in the swingin’ ’60s, and the last two in the ’70s. Each game sends up the cultural and political climate of each era, and although the series has been dormant for a few years now, I would love to see them take on the ’80s.
The banter and bickering between Crypto and his leader Orthopox, who advises the player from the mothership in orbit, is a rich source of cheap laughs as well. All up, if you can endure the unpolished turd that is the third game, and the buggy mess that is the fourth, I recommend a playthrough of the whole series. Or at least the first two – their awesomeness is undisputed.
The Simpsons Game (2007, Every platform known to man)
Games based on licenses are often disregarded immediately, and rolling a cynical eye at The Simpsons‘latest interactive adventure is understandable. And while the gameplay may not be more than standard third-person platformer fare, the story and dialogue more than makes up for it. But that is to be expected, with several writers from the show penning the script, and the entire cast on board.
The Simpsons Game has our favourite yellow family realising they’re in a video game, and after initially using their newfound powers for their own selfish deeds, realise only they can stop an invasion of Earth by Kang and Kodos. They venture into other Simpsons games, and attempt to speak to the “Creator” – Matt Groening, playing himself.
The game parodies many classic games, with levels such as Grand Theft Scratchy, Medal of Homer, and mini-games reminiscent of Frogger and Space Invaders, all with a familiar Simpsons-esque twist. It even sends up the games industry itself, with elements like sequelization (the characters rush to save 8-bit versions of themselves from becoming obsolete), excessive violence (Marge cleans up a GTA-style game to make it family-friendly) and portrays creators as boss fights, including Will Wright (creator of The Sims, Sim City), Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons)and finally, the characters face off in a game of Dance Dance Revolution against God himself.
Strangely, companies like Rockstar actually complained about their games being parodied. And if a company as apparently cool as Rockstar has issues with commentary on the games industry, that’s a sure sign that not enough comedy is being done in the video game world. Unfortunately, I just found out that a planned sequel was cancelled, as recently as last month. Let’s hope someone else picks up the slack and gives the industry the grilling it needs.
Just moments ago a Gears Of War 3 Cover surfaced on the interwebs, and well, we wanted to share it with you all. Now… what do you guys think ? I personally believe it’s a little on the fake side, but hey I could be wrong. If we take a look at the front of the cover the number 3 is hiding behind the words making it hard to read. I don’t think Epic Games or Microsoft would allow such a thing to go through looking like this especially if this is the final game in the series. They’d want the 3 to stand out BIG time, but hey this is my honest opinion and as I said before I could be totally wrong.
Looking on the back (left side) of the cover, the description and information is very hard to read, can’t really make out anything, the screenshots look a little on the dodgy side, the only one that kind of looks decent is the one of Dom (bottom one). Baird, Cole, Marcus and Anya just don’t feel like they belong, it looks like they’ve been throw in using photoshop.
I do have to say that Marcus on the front cover looks totally BADASS this is something I personally like. Anya’s rugged look also matches Marcus’ which is cool, but then looking at Dom, he just doesn’t fit in. Personally he should be looking at us head on as well.
So what do you guys think. This my 2cents worth of a ramble. Tell us your thoughts on this cover. The best comment will win themselves a Gear 3 Beta code on XBOX 360
The critically acclaimed Winter’s Bone hits stores on DVD and Blu-Ray as of May 20. The film has been nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), as well as collecting the Grand Jury Prize and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. Based on the country noir bestseller by Daniel Woodrell, Winter’s Bone is a story that follows a a teenage girl searching for her missing Father in Missouri’s Ozark Highlands, all whilst caught up in a blood feud. This critically acclaimed film is one not to be missed, expect a Capsule Computers review soon!
Remake of popular sci-fi dogfighting game, Star Raiders, has been released by Atari Europe today. The original game debuted in 1979! (Wow, so long ago) on the classic atari systems. The game was the first ever space combat game and paved the way for all new titles in the genre.
The new game looks to be an episodic game and will feature customisable ships, galactic maps, battle transformations, space warps and possibly more. It is a team-based multiplayer game, which means that it’s likely to be competitive so long as the community hangs around. The title is going to be released on both the Xbox 360 and Personal Computer platforms via the Xbox 360 marketplace and the STEAM gaming platform respectively. AND MY GOD DOES THIS GAME LOOK FUN!
The game was developed by Incinerator Studios who worked on the popular MX vs. ATV title for THQ.
TRIONworlds have recently debuted their latest schemes for online massively multiplayer online role playing game RIFT, and those are the 7-day trial and the Ascend-a-friend program.
The 7-day trial is exactly as it sounds, a free account that is active for 7 days which allows players to sample the game before throwing down money on an account. Though after the 7-day period, players will be required to purchase a copy of the game and additional time in order to play.
If you wish to continue your travels in Telara once the trial period has ended, you will need to purchase the game software at a retail store or digitally through www.RIFTgame.com/en/buynow and update your Account subscription information with a valid credit, debit, or official RIFT Game Time Card to pay the monthly recurring subscription fee. Entering billing information prior to the end of your trial period will terminate the trial service and you will lose the any unused trial time. Certain gameplay restrictions apply. Gameplay and offer subject to Trion Worlds’ Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and RIFT End User License Agreement. See www.RIFTgame.com/en/trial for more details.
The ascend a friend program allows players to invite their friends to join in on the game. Basically you go to the webpage (linked below) and you sign in on it; which will take you to the invite a friend dashboard. From there you are able to spam your facebook, spam your friends emails and/or spam your twitter to get people to sign up.
Ascend-a-Friend Dashboard
From here, you shall bolster the forces of the Ascended! Invite anyone you deem worthy to play the RIFT free trial, and amass wondrous rewards as you reinforce the ranks of Telara’s chosen. Below, you can keep track of all those who have heard your call and joined the fight for Telara.
You gain more rewards for the more friends you invite (upto three). These are the rewards –
· Ascend 1 Friend – It’s like getting two friends for the price of one! If just a single buddy purchases RIFT, you’ll receive Courage, a fiercely loyal and utterly adorable canine companion.
· Ascend 2 Friends – You’re immensely popular, and you know it. Demonstrate this undeniable fact by donning the glorious Trailblazer Hat, which you’ll receive after Ascending a pair of peers.
· Ascend 3 Friends – You don’t get this many friends through charm alone. By bringing three new subscribers into the game, you’ll receive the Swift Ember Steed mount, a terrifying equine wreathed in flame that is sure to turn heads in Telara.
Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury Developer: Treasure Publisher: D3 Publisher Genre: Bullet Hell, Shoot ’em Up Price: 800 MS Points Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Bangai-O started out on the Nintendo 64 in its home country of Japan, before reaching foreign shores on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 and 2001 depending on your region of choice. The game has since become somewhat of a cult classic, which isn’t a surprise based on Treasure’s other titles, and can fetch a fair price online. It was also given a sequel on the DS a few years ago titled Bangai-O Spirits, which proved just as frantic and challenging as the original. Now Treasure and D3 Publisher have brought Bangai-O to Xbox Live Arcade with a few new tricks and a new subtitle. How does it hold up compared to its previous incarnations?
Gameplay:
If you haven’t played Bangai-O, or at least seen it in action, it can be difficult to fully comprehend just how insane this game is. Imagine having the most stuff that could possibly fit on the screen at once all flying at you, and that probably wouldn’t even come close to Bangai-O. I can’t name a single game off the top of my head (Google searches included) that has more projectiles on screen than Bangai-O. Seriously, I challenge you to find one. It’s not entirely accurate to think of it as a bullet hell however because it’s not really like other games of the genre.
In Bangai-O HD you pilot a giant robot and fly through various two dimensional stages, each with its own design, enemies, and objectives. Unlike the horizontal or vertical scrolling of bullet hells like Mushihime-sama Futari or Deathsmiles, your mech flies freely through these areas and fires missiles using twin stick controls in the vein of Geometry Wars. Added to this arsenal are a few extra tricks, such as a dashing tackle, an area-of-effect freeze ability, and a screen filling counter attack. It will be learning the correct combination of these skills for each level or situation that will ultimately lead players to success.
This means that there will be a lot of trial and error in Bangai-O. A lot. You will often end up replaying stages many times before figuring out which of your abilities would work best against a group of enemies. This doesn’t only occur in later levels either. You should expect to have your shiny metal ass handed to you from level one. While the difficulty will definitely be discouraging to some, Bangai-O is the kind of game that rewards persistence as you eventually push your way through over 100 levels of maddeningly difficult action/puzzle cocktail. The game does offer a level-skip feature after failing 3 times, but really that is more of a hindrance as the next level is sure to give you just as much, if not more trouble.
Bangai-O HD doesn’t skimp on any of the challenge or fun of the other titles in the series, and players who don’t mind failing many, many times before mastering a level will find a lot to enjoy. This is complemented by a level editor feature which allows players to create or edit levels which can then be played or shared with friends. This obviously adds some replay value to a game that will already take hours upon hours to complete, but it also caters to the compulsive creative types out there. Also included is online multiplayer, which can definitely help ease a little of the difficulty in some levels, but don’t expect to find a perfect online community of players to interact with. Matchmaking is sparse at best, so be sure to bring a friend.
Graphics and Sound:
During gameplay, Bangai-O lives up to the HD addition to its title with bright, colorful sprites for enemies, missiles, and fruit. Most of the sprite are pretty small due to the fact that there are approximately a bajillion things on screen at once, but that doesn’t detract from the style of this mech inspired shooter. Some objects, like the houses that line some areas for example, look rather generic and don’t really add anything visually and background can also be a bit dull.
Backgrounds usually consist of either a blue sky or a starry space-scape, but I feel that this may have been necessary in order to increase visibility of the hundreds of enemies and projectiles you’ll be dealing with. On that note, Bangai-O HD also lives up the missile fury part of its title, with hundreds or thousands of projectiles soaring through the air without the slightest graphical slowdown. I never once experienced any drop in frame rate even during the most hectic moments.
Outside of gameplay is where the graphical department of Bangai-O HD was a little disappointing. The game’s “story” consists solely of static images of a man explaining your pilot’s objectives. One would think that with the use of only a single static image, that portrait would at least look good. What Bangai-O HD offers, however, looks like some quickly sketched concept art. All mention of the previous games’ pilots, Riki and Mami, is out the window, which is fine except for the fact that it was replaced by this one ugly drawing in between every level.
As for the sound design in Bangai-O, I really don’t have any complaints. The music is all very upbeat and matches the pace of the game, but it is more likely to be drowned out by the sounds of missiles, explosions, and most often the game over sound. Every sound in Bangai-O is reminiscent of the arcade, with the only missing sound being that of quarters jingling in your pocket. Missile detonations, melee dash attacks, and the sweet sound of collecting a dozen watermelons are all appropriate and satisfying.
Final Thoughts:
The biggest drawback of Bangai-O HD for most players is definitely going to be the difficulty. The quirky Japanese presentation, complete with mechs, fruit, and soccer balls, might turn off a few players but just as many are sure to find it charming. However, if you can stick with it and expect to die a lot (consider it a part of the process), then there is definitely a lot of fun to be had with Bangai-O. Like Demon’s Souls and other deviously challenging games, the satisfaction of completing a level is a reward in itself. That being said, some of the charm and personality seems to be missing from this version of Bangai-O, perhaps relating to its lower price tag. For the price of entry however, there is little else to match the mind-blowing action of Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury.
For fast-paced, frantic robot action that might scare away the more timid players, Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury receives:
For all of you diehard Crysis 2 freaks (me, me, me), get excited and dust off those nanosuits as EA have officially announced new DLC maps in the form of the Retaliation pack. Crysis 2 brought a new level of gaming to the table when it was released through the Cryengine 3, delivering an interactive and visually amazing single player campaign as well as a hectic and frantic online multiplayer mode. The Retaliation pack, whose motto is Adapt, Upgrade, Dominate, Be the weapon will expand the multiplayer battlefield to include 4 new maps; Park Avenue, Transit, Shipyard and Compound which will all be compatible with every game mode, giving players a wide array of new environments to hide, snipe and ambush from. Check out the included trailer and im sure you’ll agree we are in for another treat from Crytek.
Retaliation will be available from May 18th for PS3, XBox360 and PC so noone will miss out.
Given that we’ve only heard news from the Japanese side of things, it is refreshing to hear that Dragon Ball Game Project AGE 2011 is going to be made for Western audiences as well. It is even more refreshing to see that the title will end up being released in North America right alongside its Japanese counterpart. Previously announced as “Coming Soon” the latest word from Namco Bandai places the U.S. release of Dragon Ball Game Project AGE 2011 in the Fall.
Spike will be developing the game and is aiming to retain the manga like feel of the original source material which could be a very good thing as it will span the whole series all the way up until the Majin Buu saga. Lets just hope it ends there and doesn’t venture into Dragon Ball GT territory. Also released today was a whole slew of new screenshots from the Japanese version of the title which you can see below although all they show is a fight between Vegeta and Goku.
