A few years ago a game titled “Your in the Movies” made it’s debut on the Xbox 360 using the Xbox Vision camera to let players make their own debuts in films. The only problem was that the vision camera was a bit clunky on the execution which quickly led the title to the bargain bin and since the whole concept has been much of an after thought in the gaming world. That is until now.
A new game is just about ready to release though and it comes from Yoostar. If you have never heard of Yoostar, it is a title that originally launched in 2009 for the PC & Mac allowing users to throw themselves in popular movie scenes or television roles and recreate the movie magic themselves. Yoostar will now be seeing a sequel though which will launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and in my opinion this is perfect timing as the camera technology may finally be ready for what could be a great idea for every movie buff out there.
Yoostar 2 will let players either replace or act along side their favorite actors in a broad selection of movies and is going to fully utilize the Kinect and Playstation Eye for even better results. Namco has even agreed to publish the product which makes me think this title must have some potential for such a major publisher to join in on this project. In the screenshots released, you can even see that licensed movies are actually used, so that is a major plus. Here is some of the official statement from Namco on the upcoming release of Yoostar 2:
“This is the most innovative use of camera technology we’ve seen to date,” said Alberto González Lorca, VP Third Parties, NAMCO BANDAI Partners. “The moment you see yourself on screen in Yoostar2 is the moment you fall in love with it. We’re convinced this will be the next social gaming sensation and we’re delighted to have secured the rights to distribute the game throughout Europe.”
“We have no doubt that this fantastic product will capture the imaginations of everyone who sees it,” said Olivier Comte, VP Marketing, Sales & Publishing at NAMCO BANDAI Partners. “Yoostar2 is a brilliantly simple idea, but one that demanded specific advances in gaming technology. Now that technology has arrived and we can’t wait to get the game into people’s hands.”
“To say there has been considerable interest in the distribution rights to Yoostar2 would be an understatement,” added Gregory Fischbach, CEO, Yoostar Entertainment Group. “Almost every major player has been keen to sign the game, but in the end, we felt Namco Bandai’s European muscle won out, and we’re thrilled to be working with them on what will be unquestionably one of the biggest releases of the year.”
Yoostar 2 should be launching within the next couple of months everywhere and I feel this could be a great party game as the feature of following the script for actual movies (or simply ad-libbing to the scene) sounds like a blast. Whether or not this is one of the years “biggest hits” is still yet to be seen but you can bet this will be one title this year to keep an eye on. More information is to be announced on this one, and be sure to check back as when it comes forth, we will be sure to show even more of this exciting new title.
Fans of the classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms series will be glad to know that the second installment of the series has been released on the appstore for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Fans will remember that Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 was originally released for the PC and has since seen releases on plenty of different platforms including the Super Nintendo.
Players will be taking control of famous officers like Liu Bei, Sun Quan, Cao Cao and even more. There are nearly a hundred different officers which can help your mission to take over China and establish yourself as a feared power. The iPhone and iTouch version has received some upgrades to the original game which sounds like just what the game needed after the many years. Catch the list of different features below and find it on the Appstore here.
Packed with features that bring the Three Kingdoms to life!
This sequel to RTK Touch features a wealth of gameplay elements – tactics and diplomacy, military alliances and betrayals, and exciting battlefield duels have all been improved to provide an even more intense and immersive gaming experience. Over 350 officers are present – around 100 more than in RTK Touch. You must see this new RTK world to believe it!
New iPhone/iPod touch elements!
New features have been added specifically for the iPhone/iPod touch, such as auto-save, to make gaming on the move even easier, and iPod Music, to enable players to listen to music from their own playlists in-game. Presentation has also been improved and the graphics completely overhauled. Experience this all-new take on the classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms II!
A wealth of features to assist new players!
A solid tutorial allows new players to learn about the game while playing, and the RTK Glossary provides details on the world of the Three Kingdoms. The game also features smooth and intuitive touch controls. New players can begin playing with ease!
It’s about time we saw some actual gameplay rather than all the cutscenes that show off the suggestive side of Catherine. Though I’m sure that there will be plenty of adult themes in the game, Famitsu has finally received a trailer to show the gameplay, which looks to be quite the puzzler, literally. It’s been interesting so far on how to classify Catherine other than a game that pushed the boarders on that M rating, but from the gameplay we see in the video it will definitely be something of a puzzle game with plenty of horror to go along with it.
Also we see that not every sheep wants to kill Vincent in the Nightmare world. Rather if you watch closely you will see sheep that resemble his friends in the real world and these sheep may even be willing to help out Vincent. There could be plenty of different ways the game could turn out, but either way we’ll know more when the demo hits the Japanese marketplace and definitely when it releases in Japan on February 17th.
Even though fans of the Beyond Good & Evil series would rather have a different trailer being released Ubisoft has decided that it is time to show off their HD remake. Beyond Good & Evil HD will have to tide fans over for now as the update to the first game will be out some point this year on the PSN and XBLA.
I can’t speak for the rest of us but I loved the first Beyond Good & Evil and it was unfortunate that we’ve had to wait so long for even a taste of the sequel but it is nice to see the first game being redone. The trailer shows off bits of the game and Jade and her world have never looked better now with the HD touch up. Sure the graphics are still from the 2003 era but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the classics. Now if only Ubisoft would be able to show off more of Beyond Good & Evil 2….
Now the 3DS is growing relatively close to release and there should be plenty of game reveals coming as the months grow closer. We have one such reveal now from Atlus as they are bringing a new game to the 3DS. Well, new figuratively. Found in Famitsu by Andriasang the game will be called Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclock fans of the Shin Megami series better not get excited however as Devil Survivor is only a remake of their previous DS game.
It’s a little strange that Atlus would remake a DS game for the 3DS but perhaps one of the more simpler ways to release a title early on the 3DS. The 3D screen on top of the DS will be used mostly for menus it sounds like, but demons will occasionally fly out of the top screen at the player to make use of that nice 3D action. Also added to the game will be better graphics of course, full voice acting, and a new chapter to the story that they have so far called the 8th Day. No news on when we’ll be seeing this title, but one can expect a relatively close release date to the 3DS itself.
The first update of 2011! I been absent for a while but lets start the new year off right. Update hot and fresh.
PlayStation Plus
Featured Games
Lead & Gold: Gangs for the Wild West (Free for PlayStation Plus subscribers, regular price $14.99)
Spyro the Dragon (Free for PlayStation Plus subscribers, regular price $5.99)
Pipe Madness – Minis (Free and exclusive for PlayStation Plus Subscribers)
Discounted Games & DLC
MX vs. ATV Reflex PSP (50% off) (PlayStation Plus price $15.00, regular price $29.99)
Tom Clancy: H.A.W.X. 2 – All In One Pack (25% off) (PlayStation Plus price $7.49, regular price $9.99)
Featured Themes & Avatars
Underwater Disco Theme (Free for PlayStation Plus members, regular price $1.49)
Rival School Avatar Bundle (Exclusive to PlayStation Plus members for $1.99)
Updates
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Additional Character Colors #1 – Sale (PS3) (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Additional Character Colors #2 – Sale (PS3) (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Additional Character Colors #3 – Sale (PS3) (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Additional System Voice Type-C – Sale (PS3) (now $3.49, original price $5.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Additional System Voice Type-K – Sale (PS3) (now $3.49, original price $5.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Additional System Voice Type-M – Sale (PS3) (now $3.49, original price $5.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Makoto Additional Playable Character – Sale (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $7.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Unlock All Unlimited Characters – Sale (PS3) (now $3.49, original price $5.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Unlock Playable Character Mu – Sale (PS3) (now $0.99, original price $1.99)
Blazblue: Continuum Shift – Valkenhayn R Hellsing – Sale (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $7.99)
Cuboid – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Interpol – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Magic Orbz – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Magic Orbz Extreme Bundle – Sale (PS3) (now $7.79, original price $12.99)
Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Sky Fighters – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Smash Cars – Sale (PS3) (now $8.99, original price $14.99)
Wakeboarding HD Dynamic Theme Bundle – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Hamsterball – Sale (PS3) (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Super Stacker Party – Sale (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $6.99)
Topatoi – Sale (PS3) (now $3.99, original price $7.99)
Topatoi Bundle – Sale (PS3) (now $6.99)
Bionic Commando: Rearmed – Sale (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $13.99)
Uno PSP – Sale (PSP) (now $0.99, original price $7.99)
Wheel of Fortune – Permanent Price Drop (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $14.99)
101-In-1 Megamix – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix – Permanent Price Drop (PS3) (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
GTI Club Supermini Festa! – Permanent Price Drop (PSP) (now $14.99, original price $29.99)
Superstars V8 Racing – Permanent Price Drop (PS3) (now $9.99, original price $19.99)
Downloadable Games
MicroBot ($9.99)
TETRIS ($9.99)
NEOGEO Station PS3 Bundle Pack ($79.99)
Ricochet HD ($7.99) ** SPECIAL INTRODUCTARY OFFER Normally $9.99 **
Angry Birds – minis ($3.99) (also available from PSP Storefront)
PSone Classic
Reloaded ($5.99)
Arc the Lad III ($5.99)
Game Demos (free)
MicroBot Demo
Top Gun Network Demo
Alien Breed 2: Assault Demo
Ricochet HD Demo
Kung-Fu Live Demo
Add-on Game Content
John Daly’s Prostroke Golf Course Pack 01 (free)
Four new 18-hole golf courses with local play – single or multiplayer:
Cotton Farms: Long par 5’s, unforgiving fairways and challenging greens.
St Stephens: Rolling, hilly North American course with extensive water hazards.
Crawford Dunes: North American course with strategic bunkers and winding fairways.
Almeria Country Park: Crisp, dry course from Southern Europe requiring precision play.
Fist of the North Star – DLC Pack 6 ($4.99)
EyePet – Transport Pack ($2.99) Def Jam Rapstar
“Money To Blow” – Birdman ($1.99)
“Pass The Courvoisier, Part II” – Busta Rhymes ($1.99)
“Laffy Taffy” – D4L ($1.99)
“Get Your Freak On” – Missy Elliot ($1.99)
Rock Band 3
“Cry, Cry, Cry″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“Don’t Take Your Guns to Town″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“Five Feet High and Rising″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“Folsom Prison Blues″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“I Got Stripes″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“I Walk the Line″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“Tennessee Flat Top Box″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
“The Ballad of Ira Hayes″ – Johnny Cash ($1.99)
Johnny Cash Pack 01 ($13.49) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Johnny Cash Pack 01. This pack includes “Cry, Cry, Cry”, “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town”, “Five Feet High and Rising”, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “I Got Stripes”, “I Walk the Line”, “Tennessee Flat Top Box”, and “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” by Johnny Cash.
“Band on the Run” – Paul McCartney & Wings ($1.99)
“Helen Wheels” – Paul McCartney & Wings ($1.99)
“Let Me Roll It” – Paul McCartney & Wings ($1.99)
“Maybe I’m Amazed” – Paul McCartney & Wings ($1.99)
Celebrating Band on the Run Pack ($6.99) – Build your Rock Band 3 library by purchasing this song game track pack: Celebrating Band on the Run Pack. This pack includes “Maybe I’m Amazed”, “Band on the Run”, “Helen Wheels”, and “Let Me Roll It” by Paul McCartney & Wings.
Rock Band Pack 01 (free) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Rock Band Free Pack 01. This pack includes “Visions,” by Abnormality “Get Clean,” by Anarchy Club “Night Lies,” by Bang Camaro “Shoulder to the Plow,” by Breaking Wheel “Welcome to the Neighborhood,” by The Libyans “A Jagged Gorgeous Winter,” by The Main Drag “Conventional Lover,” by Speck “Supreme Girl,” by The Sterns and “Rob the Prez-O-Dent” by That Handsome Devil.
Rock Band Network
“(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar” – The Guild feat. Felicia Day ($0.99)
“Bullet With A Name” – Nonpoint ($1.99)
“Buttersnips” – Periphery ($1.99)
“Deliver Us” – Andy Timmons ($1.99)
“Obfuscation” – Between the Buried and Me ($1.99)
“Rise Above This” – Seether ($1.99)
“Second & Sebring” – Of Mice & Men ($1.99)
“The Anthem Of The Angry Brides” – Norma Jean ($1.99)
“The Waiting One” – All That Remains ($1.99)
“Wake Up” – Suicide Silence ($1.99)
Avatars
Rival Schools Avatars (x5) ($0.49)
The Fight Lights Out Avatars (x2) ($0.49)
Game Videos (free)
Dead Space 2 – Get Caught Up On Dead Space Trailer
Dead Space 2 – Chaos Hits The Sprawl Trailer
Madden NFL 11 Trailer
Mass Effect 3 – Announce Trailer
Modern Combat: Domination – Move Trailer
Thor – Spike VGA World Premiere Trailer
Yakuza 4 Story Trailer
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – HR Upgrades & Augmentations Network Trailer
Kung-Fu Live Launch Trailer
PixelJunk Shooter 2 Gameplay Trailer
Making of TV Superstars – Move
Making of TV Superstars – Fame
Making of TV Superstars – Eye
Gran Turismo 5 Features Trailer
Journey – Debut Trailer
SingStar Dance Launch Trailer
Resistance 3 Game Trailer (VGAs)
PS3 Themes
Call of Duty: Black Ops Heroes Theme ($1.99)
Tron: Evolution Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Well, Playstation 3 users seem to be getting the best of the Mass Effect Universe. Although they don’t get the first game in the series, they are getting some good add-ons for FREE!
So, you may remember having to decide what pre-order bonus items you wanted to get for Mass Effect 2. To refresh your memory, that includes the Terminus armor which increases running speed and shields and ammo capacity. Plus, you will get M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon. Tiny black holes anyone? February 23 is the date you can receive and download these free items on the PSN. Get Mass Effect 2 on PS3 on January 18.
Well, I guess better get started beating the first one then…
Alright, so I found this little gem over the weekend and it honestly has kept me entertained for hours. It’s not really a “game” per se, but more of an interactive music creation tool. So it starts out as just a grid of gray squares. Click on a square to “activate” it. An invisible, vertical line passes through the page “playing” each note (square) as it passes, creating a loop of music. The more music inclined user might want to formulate an actual loop of music with purpose, but honestly you can more or less just click random squares and it will make a nice little jingle. It’s honestly a lot of fun and a good way to pass a couple minutes. Horizontally there is no difference between notes, though the higher they are the higher pitch they will be and vice versa. Have some fun with it!
Braveheart is a unique and original action rpg that has players battling with what can seem like hundreds of enemies at a time, defeating wave after wave of foes. While this game could’ve passed off as simply an ok, repetitive level-after-level arcade styled game, Gaijin Entertainment have kept things fresh by adding a surprisingly deep upgrade system, entertaining cut scenes, engaging graphics, audio and unique controls to create an enjoyable title that stands out proudly amongst its competitors in the app store. And for only $0.99, this title is easy to recommend. And no, this game is not based on the movie Braveheart and does not star the controversial, racist, crazy, wife-abusing actor Mel Gibson, but instead stars the ranga-haired, alcoholic, crazy, blood-thirsty, woman-assulting protagonist Richard. Sure not much of an improvement, but Richard is much more loveable!
Gaijin Entertainment’s latest title isn’t exactly similar to what players will be used to, and the learning curve would be a long one if it wasn’t for it’s very clear and all-round just straight up good opening tutorial. The game at the core has Richard spinning in circles with his flail repeatedly and hoping to hit his enemies in time before they get to him, while walking around in circles. Oh yeah, and he never gets dizzy for some reason. Sounds kind of silly? At first it does, and your left wondering ‘how can one dude defeat waves of huge armies of opponents by spinning around in circles like an idiot?’. Well, that doesn’t really matter cause the game is just so damn addictive. With blood flying everywhere, and words like ‘critical hit’ flying up on the screen, gaining experience points, collecting power ups and gold makes it fun.
Players early on will get to choose which style of controls they’d prefer: ‘Stick’ or ‘Swipe’. ‘Stick’ will give players buttons on the screen to move the character, while the ‘Swipe’ style allows players to simply point and swipe where they’d like Richard to go. ‘Stick’ can occasionally feel a little forced, but ‘Swipe’ feels a little more natural making it the better of the two, however its nice to have the option of changing one’s playing style. The biggest problem of the game is one element of the controls which is that spinning the flail can often get repetitive and tiresome on your fingers. It can occasionally take away from the experience, however with most of the waves being a bit short and the ability to upgrade in-game, it often hides the game’s repetitiveness.
As well as the flail and other flail variations Richard arms himself with a crossbow as a secondary weapon. However it is sadly a low point of the game as it is seldom ever needed, difficult to control and not even that effective against opponents, making it practically useless. While players can upgrade and equip variations of the crossbow, its sad to see it wasn’t as explored as it could’ve been. Boss battles are also a let down, and while they do their job of mixing up the gameplay and putting a nice close to the end of a location, their not as epic and as memorable as they could’ve been, and in the end just serve as more of a annoyance rather than an entertaining, exciting battle.
The biggest highlight of the game however is the attention to detail and the little things to keep the game interesting. Since fending off hordes of opponents can get repetitive very quickly as well as moving your finger in a circular motion to swing the flail, Gaijin Entertainment must have done a great job of keeping such the simple, repetitive core basis of the game both entertaining and interesting. There is a surprisingly deep upgrade system for a game like this. In between battles players can visit the city and buy weapon upgrades, perks, potions and skills using gold collected in battles. Also by gaining experience points from defeating enemies and advancing levels, players can assign points to upgrade Richard’s Flail, Crossbow, Vitality, Mastery and Wisdom, with the choice to decide what goes where, this basic customisation really keeps things interesting. Also entertaining comic styled cut scenes piece together the locations and battles, with a storyline keeping things in place. Braveheart also boasts a ‘Challenge’ mode and the ability to ‘Hunt’ in between levels to gain money and experience as well as other items to level up your character before advancing, which is much needed. There’s also achievements to unlock and a leader board, and with the whole upgrade system there’s a little bit there for replay value. While all these features are standards for the rpg genre, its nice to see them in a game like this as it really does keep a simple game fresh.
Braveheart must also be commended for its graphics and soundtrack. The artwork in title screens and loading screens are epic, and really add to the already solid presentation. The in-game graphics are nicely detailed but not overdone and the blood looks beautiful. The cut scenes have a comic styled theme to them and are both entertaining and nice to look at. The only complaint however is that the title and loading screens are very serious and dark, while the cut scenes are bright and friendly, with the game itself sitting in the middle of the two. It makes one think about which audience the game is targeted at, and perhaps the developer didn’t even know. The random change in art styles don’t take away from the over all experience as they all look great, but it does raise an eyebrow. The music also gets its job done, keeping the mood of the game with great sound effects to go with it. While the music isn’t all that memorable, it certainly sets the mood for the game. However boss battles could’ve done with some more chaotic, epic tracks on the most part, but the music that’s there is still good.
In conclusion, Braveheart ticks all the boxes required to be an awesome, must-have title for the iPhone. Blood and gore? Check. Addictiveness? Check. Originality? Check. Fun? Check. The ability to upgrade and customise your character so you feel like you’ve accomplished something? Check. Able to defeat what seems like hundreds of enemies with ease so you feel like a bad ass? Hell yes! At the end of the day however, its just a few things like sore finger from constantly spinning your character in circles and great ideas left barely touched upon that stop this game from being a perfect must-have. Braveheart has alot of potential but sadly doesn’t take advantage of it all. Here’s to hoping Gaijin Entertainment works on this for a potential sequel.
Who would have thought that when Circuit City went out of business last year that they would be used as a supply depot for the North Koreans huh? In the latest developer diary for Homefront we see the developers discussing the world that you will be playing in. They have done their best to make it as real feeling as possible. When a game takes real world brands and stores and implements them for the reasons that Homefront has then there is no problem at all with in-game advertising. It makes the world more immersive.
Also discussed is the fact that your actions will have consequences. More like your violence will. Rather than being trained soldiers with an army to support you, you instead are a civilian supported by fellow civilians against a large occupying force. This definitely sounds like the developers of Homefront are trying to set themselves apart from your average FPS and we’ll see just how well they did it when the game comes out on March 11th.
