Monday 30 September 2013

NEWS: Games with Gold Mid-October 2013 - Halo 3

Microsoft has revealed Halo 3 as the next free-to-download title.


If for some crazy reason you still haven't played Halo 3, it will be joining Microsoft's Games with Gold promotion on October 16-31. Of course, the game will be completely free to download, which usually sells for around £5-15 from most retailers.

Fancy playing Halo 3 matchmaking again? Now's your chance if you've got rid of your physical copy. The game was originally released in September 2007 and served as one of the most anticipated games on the Xbox 360, taking place directly after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2.

NEWS: Beyond Two Souls - Special Edition Details

A newly released trailer reveals what goodies are to come with the special edition version of the game.


Special edition details have surfaced regarding the psychological "interactive drama" game Beyond Two Souls, exclusively for PS3.

If you plan on purchasing the special edition, you'll be given access to the following:

  • 'Advanced Experiments' - An additional playable scene
  • Premium Steelbook
  • Official Soundtrack
  • Making Of Footage
  • Dynamic Theme
  • Avatars

The 'Advanced Experiments' scenario will place Jodie and Aiden in a series of puzzles they must solve together to prove they can perform problem solving skills under a high amount of pressure.

Well known actors Ellen Page (Hard Candy, Juno) and William Dafoe (The Boondock Saints, Spider-Man 2) will play massive roles in the game - using the latest motion capture technology and voice recording, players will experience a game almost like a movie. Watch the special edition trailer below.


NEWS: Destiny - Box Art Revealed/New Gameplay Coming Soon

The box art for Bungie's highly anticipated Destiny has surfaced.


Bungie's community manager DeeJ has revealed the official box art for both the PS3 and PS4 versions of the much anticipated Destiny. It should be assumed the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions will have the same covers.

The cover features three of the game's classes - Titan, Hunter, and Warlock, which can be seen below.

The PS4 box art.
The PS3 box art.

New gameplay footage will be released tomorrow according to the same blog post over at PlayStation Europe, DeeJ said:

"Tomorrow, check back right here to watch our latest gameplay trailer, set in a destination a lot of fans have been asking to see for the first time. We'll also have some exciting announcement if you're looking to suit up and explore our new frontier. Stay tuned!"

Exciting stuff for sure, what with Destiny being the first game Bungie have created since their departure from Microsoft.

NEWS: Killzone Shadow Fall - 50GB Download


PlayStation 4 exclusive launch title Killzone Shadow Fall will be an enormous 50GB download for those who wish to purchase digitally. It's a good job the initial launch PS4 consoles will come equipped with a gigantic 500GB hard drive. 

Think of things like this; if a launch title is 50GB, then how much space will it take to download a PS4 game in 2-4 years once the technology has developed even further? Definitely worth thinking about.

I imagine Sony will release a larger hard drive down the line like they did with the PlayStation 3. Sony recently announced a special bundle containing a copy of the game.

Check out the latest Killzone Shadow Fall gameplay and leave your comments regarding whether you'll buy the physical copy or go with the digital version.

Saturday 28 September 2013

NEWS: Wii U - People Unaware It's A New Console


This issue actually started way back in May of this year, when Nintendo actually sent out messages to Wii users via the WiiConnect24 service regarding the Wii U, saying:

"It's not just an upgrade - it's an entirely new system that will change the way you and your family experience games and entertainment."

But still, Nintendo seem to still be having problems making people aware of the Wii U - UK marketing director Shelly Pearce had said:

"There was a big misconception at launch about what Wii U is. And one of the big messages is that this is a new console and a new controller. There are many people out there that don't know what this is."

Maybe Nintendo didn't market the Wii U properly, or maybe they did because personally it was pretty obvious that it was a new console and not just an upgrade, but evidence shows a lot of people still don't recognise this.

Here in the UK, Tesco are working with Nintendo with a plan to distribute 300,000 leaflets to the customers who have previously bought a Wii, in an attempt to increase recognition of the Wii U.

NEWS: Dead Island Riptide - Free on Steam Temporarily


Steam users can download and play Dead Island Riptide completely free of charge for a limited time only - this special offer will end at 9PM Sunday 29 September.

If you decide to purchase the game whilst this free window is open, you will be able to purchase the game at a massive 66% discount, knocking the original price of £34.99 to £11.89. 

PREVIEW: The Evil Within - Extended Gameplay

Blood? Check. Guts? Check. Gigantic man chasing you with a Chainsaw? Check. For the faint hearted? Definitely not.


More gameplay from Bethesda's upcoming horror The Evil Within has been released, with just under 12 minutes of footage, it's definitely worth checking out if you're planning on buying this game. I know I certainly am.

Judging from the beginning of the video, the game will be divided into different chapters, in this case the player can choose from two - Prologue or Perth House. Much of the gameplay shown has already been shown from E3 2013, so for the sake of what's new, I'll skip ahead to the extended parts of the video.

When the alarm goes off, the huge chainsaw-wielding maniac makes chase for Sebastian and eventually cuts into the flesh - I'm thinking there is an alternative way to progress through this particular part if the player doesn't set off the alarm.

With his leg in really bad shape, Sebastian still has to escape this horrific place - in true Metal Gear Solid 2 style, he hides in a locker and hopes he is not seen. This kind of thing never really works in horror movies, but it seems to in video-games.

Detective Sebastian Castellanos, lead character of The Evil Within.
The concept of escaping a murdering psychopath through the of hiding really reminds of the Clock Tower series, which I'm sure Bethesda got influence from.

Once the prologue gameplay is through, the video delves into the Perth House chapter, showing encounters with various monsters - the player burns the bodies once they have been killed, I assume if the bodies aren't burnt, they will re-animate at some point.

The monsters seen look like Zombies with a dose of Silent Hill - I know I keep mentioning other games, but many aspects so far instantly remind me of certain games.

Sebastian is bombarded with monsters as they come through the windows, so the player decides to use some Mine Traps - one of the many items available in the game, the idea being once the horde make their way into the building, the mines should take care of them. Should...

Towards the end of the video, Sebastian discovers the increasingly familiar multi-legged monster who I assume rips him apart judging from how the gameplay ends. Watch the video below and leave your comments.

NEWS: PS4 Games - Will More Than Likely Cost £55-£60

Online retailer ShopTo have given various details on the suggested pricing of first party PS4 titles, along with numerous hardware items.

The website says "It's been revealed that the suggested retail price of PlayStation published games for PS4 is £59.99 and £54.99."

With no indication of an official source regarding that information, I wouldn't say these prices are concrete just yet, but are more than likely to be very accurate.

Straight from the horse's mouth, here are the reported prices for PS4 games and hardware:


Dual Shock 4 - SRP £54.99
Camera - SRP £54.99

Knack - SRP £54.99

DriveClub - SRP £59.99
Killzone - SRP £59.99

PS4 Stand - SRP £15.99

Charging Unit - SRP £24.99

With that said, keep in mind different retailers will give different prices - that may change depending on certain deals, offers, and console bundles.

From personal experience, if you're willing to wait a while before you get your hands on a newly launched game, the price will go down after a few weeks or so.

Supermarkets such as Morrisons, Asda, Tesco, etc will often release games at a cheaper price compared to official gaming retail outlets.

Are you willing to splash out practically £60 for a game? Comment below.

Thursday 26 September 2013

NEWS: Batman Arkham Origins - Season Pass Details Surface


Details regarding the Batman Arkham Origins season pass have surfaced, and could save you a considerable amount of you cash if you're planning on playing all of the DLC content.

Warner Bros. announced that those with a season pass will have access to "an all-new story campaign", amongst other goodies. 

The season pass will be available on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC, and will retail at a one off payment of £15.99 - if the DLC packs are bought individually, it will cost you £27.99. If you're serious about getting the 5 upcoming packs, I'd go with the season pass. I'm not a sales person, I swear.

Straight from Warner Bros. themselves, the pass will grant you access to the following:

  • Arkham Origins Initiation: Play as Bruce Wayne before he became Batman, and face his final test to prove himself worthy to his greatest teacher, Kirigi.
  • An all-new story campaign
  • Gotham by Gaslight Batman Skin and Brightest Day Batman Skin
  • New Millennium Skins Pack
  • Infinite Earths Skin Pack

The game is slated for a October 25 release.

NEWS: Super Smash Bros. 4 - "Toon" Link Confirmed

Nintendo of Europe revealed that Toon Link will be a fully available character in Nintendo's upcoming Wii U and 3DS game; Super Smash Bros.

Toon Link first made his Smash Bros appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii back in 2008 - the official website shows Link waving around the Baton of Wind, possibly indicating this will be a "weapon" to utilize in the game.


Regular characters of the series include; Link, Samus, Donkey Kong, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach, whilst newcomers so far have been announced as Megaman, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, and now Toon Link. 

The game was announced for a 2014 release on both the Wii U and 3DS, with no specific date quite yet. Leave your comments below and share who you want in the next Smash game.

NEWS: PS4 Killzone Shadow Fall Bundle Coming to UK

Sony have announced that an exclusive Killzone Shadow Fall PS4 bundle will be coming to the UK ready for launch day. More bundles will be routinely revealed over the next few days or so.

This particular bundle will retail for £420, the same price as the Xbox One in European territories.

People who have already pre-ordered their PS4 will have the option to change their order if they wish to choose one of the new bundles.

In an interview with Eurogamer, PlayStation UK boss Fergal Gara said:

"Starting yesterday, our retail partners are contacting their pre-order customers in order, so starting with the first, working up to when they run out of that special bundle, saying, we now have clarity on exactly what PlayStation 4 bundles we have to offer for day one. Would you like option A, B, C, or D?"

In terms of the bundle's contents, it will include Killzone Shadow Fall, the PS4 console, all the necessary wires and/or cables, two DualShock 4 controllers, and the PlayStation Camera.

The PS4 is set to launch November 29 in Europe and November 15 in the US. Check out the Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer trailer, and decide if you'll be purchasing this UK-exclusive bundle. 

Wednesday 25 September 2013

NEWS: Exclusive PS3 Knightfall DLC for Batman Arkham Origins

The Knightfall DLC for soon to be released Batman Arkham Origins will be PS3-exclusive according to the Warner Bros. announcement today.

The "Classic TV Series" Batman Skin

WB Games Montreal Community Manager Hanny Duong revealed further details on the official US PlayStation blog, saying:

"Debuting exclusively here on PlayStation.Blog, our new trailer showcases two epic Batman skins: Knightfall Batman and Classic TV Series Batman. You'll be able to fight enemies in these all-new Batsuits as we as immerse yourself in hours of additional crime-fighting fun. 

Inspired by the events of the DC Comics Batman: Knightfall saga, the exclusive PlayStation Knightfall Pack features:

  • Knightfall Batman Skin
  • Classic TV Series Batman Skin
  • 3 Combat Maps
  • 2 Predator Maps

You'll fight as Bane, Venom users, and Blackgate prisoners in a crime-ridden Gotham City, where Bane's forces have seized control of several key locations where only Batman can stop them. Fight your way through three combat maps, stealth across two preadtor maps, and push yourself to the breaking point in a new challenge campaign."

The "Knightfall Batman" Skin

The game isn't released until 25 October and WB are already giving us details regarding DLC, not that I'm complaining - this looks fantastic. No price was announced. Watch the DLC trailer below and share your thoughts in the comments.

NEWS: Thief Reboot Pre-Order Bonus - The Bank Heist Mission


The upcoming reboot of Thief will contain an extra bonus mission, titled "The Bank Heist" for those who have placed their pre-orders.

Square Enix announced that this particular mission will pay homage to the bank mission in Thief II: The Metal Age. Watch the pre-order trailer below.


The trailer shows Garrett scouting the bank before eventually taking out any obstacles that get in his way - with taglines such as "put your skills to the test in this exclusive mission", I imagine this will put even the most skillful players to the test.

Another tagline includes "get the loot, track your time & beat your friends", indicating there will be leaderboards included, adding a competitive gameplay mechanic.

Thief will be making it's way to PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One February 28, 2014.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

NEWS: Official GTA V Soundtrack Available on iTunes


A three-disc compilation titled 'The Music of Grand Theft Auto V'has been released on iTunes by Rockstar today - every song from the game is included and can be bought for £17.99, unless users want to buy single discs, which are priced at £7.99. I say discs, but ultimately you'll be getting the digital download.

Currently, a physical copy of the compilation is not available but I'm sure Rockstar will release it in due time just like previous GTA games.

The tracklist is as follows:

Volume 1 - Original Music
  1. Oh No - Welcome To Los Santos
  2. BJ The Chicago Kid - Smokin' And Ridin' (feat. Freddie Gibbs & Problem)
  3. Twin Shadow - Old Love / New Love
  4. Neon Indian - Change Af Coast
  5. Wavves - Nine Is God
  6. Gangrene - Bassheads
  7. Flying Lotus - Stonecutters
  8. HEALTH - High Pressure Dave
  9. OFF! - What's Next?
  10. Tyler, The Creator - Garbage
  11. Nite Jewel - Nowhere To Go
  12. A$AP Rocky - R-Cali
  13. Age of Consent - Colours
  14. Marion Band$ - Hold Up (feat. Nipsey Hustle)
  15. 100s - Life Of A Mack
  16. Favored Nations - The Set Up
  17. Yeasayer - Don't Come Close
  18. The Chain Gang of 1974 - Sleepwalking


Volume 2 - The Score

By Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist & Oh No, DJ Shadow
  1. We Were Set Up
  2. A Legitimate Business Man
  3. A Haze of Patriotic Fervor
  4. Los Santos At Night
  5. North Yankton Memories
  6. The Grip
  7. Mr. Trevor Phillips
  8. A Bit Of An Awkward Situation
  9. No Happy Endings
  10. His Mentor
  11. (Sounds Kind Of) Fruity
  12. Minor Turbulence
  13. Chop The Dog
  14. A Lonely Man
  15. You Forget A Thousand Things
  16. Impotent Rage/Am I Being Clear Now?
  17. Fresh Meat
  18. Therapy And Other Hobbies
  19. Rich Man's Plaything
  20. The Agency Heist
  21. Hillbilly Crank Dealers' Blues
  22. Welcome To Los Santos (Outro)

Volume 3 - The Soundtrack
  1. Flying Lotus - The Kill (feat. Niki Randa)
  2. Lee "Scratch" Perry - I Am A Madman
  3. Jai Paul - Jasmine (Demo)
  4. George McCrae - I Get Lifted
  5. Kausion - What You Wanna Do
  6. Charlie Feathers - Can't Hardly Stand It
  7. Weirdos - Life Of Crime
  8. Mexican Institute Of Sound - Es Toy
  9. Joe Goddard - Gabriel (Soulwax Mix) [feat. Valentina]
  10. Bootsy Collins - I'd Rather Be With You
  11. Bob Seger - Hollywood Nights
  12. Dan Croll - From Nowhere (Baardsen Remix)
  13. Problem - Say That Then (feat. Glasses Malone)
  14. Waylong Jennings - I Ain't Living Long Like This
  15. Yellowman - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
  16. Simple Minds - All The Things She Said
  17. Toro y Moi - Harm In Charge
  18. Hot Snakes - This Mystic Decade
  19. Cashmere Cat - Mirror Mau

A total of 59 tracks are available.

NEWS: Flashback Remake Coming to Steam - October 1st


Remake of the 1992 "classic" Flashback will be making its way to Steam this coming October 1 - already released on the Xbox LIVE Arcade back in August.

Originally, the game was released on the Amiga and sprouted multiple ports including Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, MS-DOS, 3DO, Mega CD, and quite a few more systems.

Steam users can be pre-purchase the game at the price of £7.99 and will include the original game from 1992.

NEWS: PSN Maintenance 25th Sep - Could Impact Store Update


PlayStation EU has announced the PlayStation Network, including the store, account management, and the PS store will be completely unavailable from tomorrow starting from 3:00PM until 3:00AM the following day - a total of 12 hours. 

Online support coordinator SuperFastZombie said:

"For the duration of the maintenance you will be unable to log into the PlayStation Network, Account Management and the PS Store. PS Home will also be unavailable.

Some users may be able to sign in however, the services listed above will still be unavailable during the maintenance window.


There may be some additional downtime after the maintenance period for testing purposes.
"

Although nothing was said regarding the PlayStation Plus update coming to the store tomorrow, I'm sure the maintenance will delay that as users won't be able to access the store at all.

Sony have said the update will go live this week, but didn't say when. Initially, it was supposed to be tomorrow but that's not looking so good at the moment.

NEWS: Killzone Shadow Fall Multiplayer Trailer Released

New Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer trailer shows promising and exciting gameplay.

PlayStation 4 launch title Killzone Shadow Fall will initially offer players 10 multiplayer maps upon release, whilst further DLC maps will be released further down the line - Guerilla Games state that DLC will be completely free of charge, whilst expansion packs must be paid for unless you have a season pass.

A new multiplayer trailer was released today, showing off some of the game's maps and some pretty interesting weapons. Personally, I'm really excited for this game. Watch the trailer below and leave your thoughts in the comments.

NEWS: Games with Gold October 2013 - Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes


Released back in 2011 on consoles, Xbox LIVE's free game for the start of October will be Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes.

The game combines role-playing, real time strategy, and puzzle elements whilst maintaining themes from the Might & Magic series.

Subscribers of Xbox LIVE gold will be able to download the game free of charge from 1-15 October, it's original price is currently £9.99, so if you're a member, it's definitely worth a download.

Monday 23 September 2013

FEATURE: Tokyo Game Show 2013 Highlights - The Games


This year's Tokyo Game Show (TGS) showed some promising games, from the browser-based Kingdom Hearts game to the Metal Gear Solid V prologue; Ground Zeroes. Let's dive into what in my opinion, were the most interesting games shown.

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
  Gameplay Footage
Developer: Kojima Productions
Release Date: TBA 
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360

Possibly the biggest highlight was Ground Zeroes; the prequel to the not yet released The Phantom Pain - the game was announced around a year ago now and since it's demo at TGS, a lot of gameplay has been showing up around the web and I can safely say that this game looks incredible.

You play as Big Boss in a huge open-world environment, taking on the challenge of tactical espionage action once again. The story takes place after the events of Peace Walker

Let's get onto the gameplay itself, the video shows Big Boss infiltrating an enemy location (US Naval Prison Facility, Cuba) during the night using his surroundings to his advantage. There are various waypoints we can see, each attached to enemies - possibly a new gadget. Very Batman like.

Once inside the initial exterior of the base, the player takes out an enemy using a silenced weapon in true MGS style, but the body is soon seen by a fellow guard - it looks like Big Boss could be in trouble so the player quickly takes that enemy out too, to avoid any further detection, both bodies are then hidden out of sight. 

Being able to drive vehicles will play its part in the game I'm sure, as the demo shows - the player casually drives an enemy vehicle around the base, and whilst it doesn't seem to have any significant importance during this particular scenario, I'm sure various vehicles will play vital roles along the way.

You may notice that when the player grabs an enemy from behind, there are multiple options to choose from in terms of what to do with this enemy, I can make out three options - interrogate, make unconscious, or kill.

Whilst the spotlight in the demo seems it would be an annoying obstacle for the player, it instead turns out to be a source of finding Big Boss' objective - once the guard on the tower is taken down, the player uses the light to take a bigger look around the camp, thus finding the objective at ease. In this case, a prisoner with a bag on his head.

Once the prisoner has been taken, the player calls in a helicopter to come pick them up - to do this an area on the map must be highlighted for the pick-up point, placing it in the middle of the base wouldn't be the best option, so the mark is placed outside of the camp at a secure location. 

Now that the easy bit has been done, the player must carry this prisoner to that location without getting caught and/or killed, which proves to be very interesting from a gameplay perspective. In this case, the player encounters two guards who are quickly taken out using a silenced weapon once again.

Afterwards, Big Boss makes his way to the helicopter and as it descends from the base area, the player shoots multiple enemies, which leads on to a mini cutscene that shows off the Kojima Productions logo.

I think I had goosebumps upon watching that last part, Kojima is spoiling us with not only one but two new MGS titles - definitely looking forward to this as I'm sure most gamers are.

Kingdom Hearts X
  Trailer
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: TBA (Open-Beta since 8 July 2013 in Japan)
Platform: Browser-Based

Unfortunately, the trailer is in japanese so it's difficult to extract any real information regarding Kingdom Hearts X, I do know the game will be free to play to an extent and will be completely browser-based. 

The trailer shows a created character as the player enters the game, which indicates we will most likely be able to create our own characters instead of using pre-existing characters from the series.

From what I can gather from the battle system, it will be turn-based with the use of cards - each card will have different attributes and/or commands, and it will most likely be very similar to Chain of Memories in terms of gameplay.

We do see some very similar locations from the series, including Dwarf Woodlands, Wonderland, and Agrabah - both fans of Kingdom Hearts and Disney will instantly recognise these places. 

You'll notice there's a watermark saying "This product is aimed at the Japanese domestic market.", I hope this doesn't indicate that the rest of the world won't be able to get their hands on the game. There has been an open beta in Japan since July of this year, which you can still sign up to if you happen to have a japanese Yahoo ID and can read the language.


Soulcalibur: Lost Swords
Trailer
Developer: Project Soul
Release Date: Winter 2013
Platform: PS3

With the recent release of the free to play Tekken Revolution, Namco have decided to give the Soulcalibur series the same treatment. Kind of.

Instead of focusing on the competitive side of the series, it seems Lost Swords will primarily focus on a single player mission mode and character customization. Whilst the game will be free, that's only to an extent - players will have to buy "tokens" in order to continue their current progress. 

I imagine tokens will regenerate after so many hours, just like they did in Tekken Revolution. The lack of online verse modes is disappointing, especially to veterans of the series, so let's hope this mission mode makes up for it.

Returning characters include Mitsurugi, Nightmare, Sophitia, and other regulars of the series - Tekken fan favourite and fighter in Soulcalibur II; Heihachi will be making an appearance. 

The game is slated for a winter release, with no specific date set.

Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster
Trailer
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: Winter 2013/Early 2014
Platform: PS3/PSVita

What is left to say about the remastered versions of FFX and FFX-2, aside from the fact gamers everywhere are eagerly awaiting it's release, myself included. 

The trailer exaggerates the storyline and shows off some gameplay in beautiful HD-defined graphics, teasing the fans more and more. We just want an official release date, Enix.

In terms of differences from the original, practically every model in the game has been remastered and improved, ranging from locations to characters themselves - as well as 60 or so remastered audio tracks.

The international version of Final Fantasy X was never released in North America, so players missed out on the extra sphere grid, abilities, and bosses it had to offer - however, the remastered version will include all of those things this time around.

Japanese exclusive Final Fantasy X-2 + Last Mission will finally see the light of day outside of Japan as it will be included in the compilation.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
iOS/Android Trailer
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: Winter 2013 (Japan) / TBA
Platform: iOS/Android

Set seventeen years after the events of Final Fantasy IV, The After Years explores the life of Ceodore Harvey, son of Cecil and Rosa, and his task to be just like his father.

The After Years has been out on various platforms since 2008 including mobile (japan), WiiWare, PSP, and PSNetwork, so there's nothing actually new about the game except it is now coming to iOS and Android. 

Japan can expect a release at the end of the year, whilst the trailer shows no indication of any other release date.

Deep Down
Trailer
Developer: Capcom Online Games/SCE Japan Studio
Release Date: TBA
Platform: PS4

Capcom - it's safe to say their not known for their online role-playing games, but it seems that the company is expanding with their upcoming game; Deep Down.

After watching the trailer, I get the impression the game is set far in the future and upon touching certain artifacts, the player transports to that specific location to perform certain tasks in order to unlock the secrets of the universe.

The dungeon sequences definitely reminds me of Dark Soul's, which is definitely not a bad thing - if the game is primarily set in the future, I wonder if we will be able to travel to the future as well as the past.

Nothing was shown regarding the multiplayer aspect, but that is something I can't wait to find out more of. The game will be PS4 exclusive and unfortunately has no release date as of yet.

Deadman's Cross
iOS/Android Trailer
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: Winter 2013
Platform: iOS/Android

Set in 2030, Deadman's Cross takes place in what looks very much like a Zombie-infested New York City. players must take out as many Zombies as possible before the time runs out or you simply die.

Initially, the gameplay looks like a mediocre FPS game with an arcade-style twist, but the aspect that really interests me is the card battle system - I knew Square couldn't do a game with an RPG element in it somewhere.

It's difficult to figure out what these cards do at this point, but I'd make a guess that they help you in different ways depending on which cards you use to defeat the Zombie hordes or might even be used against you. Either way the trailer reveals the following cards:

  • Cleopatra
  • Lincoln
  • Morbid Mortician
  • Napoleon

The game will be coming to iOS/Android devices this winter in Japan and possibly other countries, not much has been shared regarding the release dates.

There you have it from me - this year's TGS has been incredible, I can't say I'm surprised with the amount of RPGs shown considering the event was held in Tokyo.

I'm not complaining one bit though, but the highlight for me personally was the gameplay demo of Ground Zeroes, it looks absolutely incredible and I'm sure it will play just as well. What were your highlights this year? Leave your comments below. Feature1

Friday 20 September 2013

NEWS: The Wind Waker HD - Launch Trailer

Nintendo has released the launch trailer for it's upcoming release of The Wind Waker HD - one of the most memorable games on the GameCube and in my opinion, the best Zelda made. Sorry, Ocarina of Time...

I say upcoming, but North America can get their hands on it right now via the Wii U eShop, but will be missing out on a physical copy, unless they decide to buy both versions of the game.

The visuals on the GameCube version were excellent, especially for the time so to see the game in 1080p quality is really stunning - Nintendo seem to have done a fantastic job converting this title to HD.



The retail version will be available 4th October in Europe and North America, whilst Japan will be getting the earlier release of 26th September.

Additions to the HD release include a new hero mode, which apparently will challenge the most experienced Zelda players. 

Are you picking this game up? Comments below.

Thursday 19 September 2013

NEWS: Capture HD Gameplay Directly From Your PS4

Head of Sony's third party relations Brad Douglas  has revealed that the PlayStation 4 will be able to capture footage directly via HDMI.

Douglas said via his Twitter account "I think we just announced that we're going to allow video capture of games over HDMI! Details will follow soon."

Initially, it was Sony's plan for it's customers to use the share button on the DualShock 4 controller in order to share captured content, but it seems more options are now available to capture footage from your PS4.

Users can still use the share function, but will be limited to 15 minutes each time.
 It seems recording directly through HDMI would be the better option.
There you have it - easy access to capture HD quality gameplay from your PS4, I know I'll be taking advantage of this, how about you? Comments below.

FEATURE: Retro Gaming Making A Comeback

Honestly, I don't think the popularity of retro games has really ever declined, what with people actively going out of their way to create emulators, modded retro consoles, and ROM files - however, as "hollywood" budgeted games are being released more frequently, sometimes it's possible to dismiss the games that started it all.

However, even with games such as Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Ghosts, there still seems to be a generally large market for retro gaming, especially when it comes to the remastering or creating a completely new game using the ideologies of retro games.

Examples of this include:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episodes 1 and 2
  • Megaman 9 and 10
  • Duck Tales: Remastered
  • Double Dragon Neon
  • Castle of Illusion - Starring Mickey Mouse HD
  • Street Fighter X Megaman
  • Sonic Generations

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I reminds me of
the old days playing MegaDrive, but with a modern twist.
I put Sonic Generations on there because whilst it still contains elements from the more recent Sonic games, it still has a lot of content that relates to the original games, which to me is something Sega should have done years and years ago before Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). I'm still waiting for Sonic Generations 2, Sega!

Games such as Duck Tales: Remastered and Castle of Illusion HD were a huge success, this is probably due to the older generation of gamers who remember playing the original versions who wanted to enjoy those games again, or it could have been that these games simply appealed to gamers in general.

With Duck Tales Remastered and Castle of Illusion HD, I'm sure Disney
will be bringing more games back to life in the future.
There are so many reasons but the success of games like these definitely reminds me that retro gaming is making a comeback and I'm sure they'll be many more remastered incarnations of our favourite childhood games, or even completely new games all together.

Let's not forget freeware gaming - Freeware Remakes specialise in creating new content that follows in the footsteps of true retro gaming.

As I see it, all of these games are completely free to download, however you can purchase the games in bundles to simply keep the website going but that's up to the consumer - my point is, people are willing to spend their own time creating retro-style games to distribute freely, which reinforces the fact that people are still heavily into the retro gaming scene, and I personally hope this will go on for a long time to come.

Above is a screenshot of 7th Swarming of the Machines, which
 can be downloaded for free at the Freeware Remakes website, this is
 just one example of what's available.
Will we see a remastered version of Super Mario Bros or Ninja Gaiden?, there are plenty of retro games I'm sure people would love to play again, whether it be if they're remastered or completely remade whilst maintaining that retro feel.

What games would you like to see again? Leave your comments below. Feature1

Wednesday 18 September 2013

NEWS: Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures - The "One Word" Trailer


Cinemassacre has uploaded a new trailer for it's upcoming game; Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures, which essentially shows what people think to it in one simple word, or two in some cases, including "amazing", "fantastic", "f--kballs", "challenging", and so fourth.

The best word to describe the game in my opinion was "fard" - meaning fun and hard at the same time, which makes me think the game will be in true AVGN style in terms of difficulty and having that retro 8-bit/16-bit feel.


The game arrives on Steam on 23rd September, with a 10% discount for those who have pre-ordered their copy.

NEWS: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - Over 200 Songs Featured

Songs from practically every Final Fantasy will feature in the sequel to 3DS' Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, including:

Final Fantasy I - XIV
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Final Fantasy Tactics
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Dissidia Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy Type-O
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Even music from the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be making an appearance, Square have certainly gone out of their way to fill this game with plenty of songs to keep gamers occupied.

A demo of the game will be available to play at the Tokyo Game Show, with mention of the following songs being available to play:

Clash on the Big Bride / Final Fantasy V
The Airship / Final Fantasy V
Edgar & Sabin's Theme / Final Fantasy VI
The Decisive Battle / Final Fantasy VI
Advent: One Winged Angel / Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Festival of the Hunt / Final Fantasy IX
Not Alone / Final Fantasy IX
Fight With Seymour / Final Fantasy X
To Zanarkand / Final Fantasy X
Crimson Blitz / Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Power Descending From Heaven / Final Fantasy XIV
We Have Arrived / Final Fantasy Type-0

The game is slated for a Spring 2014 release in Japan, and it still to be announced for North America and the UK.

NEWS: Xbox One - 2014 Launch for Japan

It's definitely not looking good for Japan in terms of next-gen consoles, what with the PlayStation 4 being pushed back and now we know the Xbox One won't see the light of day until 2014.

Popular japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reported that the Xbox One will be released in 2014, but no specific date or price ranges were stated, just that a release window has been planned.

Back in July of this year Microsoft did say that the Xbox One would be part of the tier-2 release plan in Japan, so we already knew that the console wouldn't be released at the same time as the UK or North America.

However, this still means more waiting for Japan to get it's hands on the next wave of consoles.

NEWS: Grand Theft Auto V - Biggest Launch in UK History

Just a day after its release, Grand Theft Auto V has claimed the title of biggest launch title in UK history.


Right now, I'm probably the only person in the UK who hasn't got a copy of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V (I'm getting it next week, don't worry) - it seems the launch was extremely successful worldwide and even broke records here.

Around 1.57 million copies were sold in just one day yesterday, creating a sum of approximately £65 million according to recent figures.

Previously, Black Ops II held the record for most units sold on launch day - back in November 2010, 1.41 million copies were sold, whilst bringing in £58 million.

NEWS: PlayStation 4 - Launches December Across Asia (but not Japan...)


Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia (SCEJA) revealed at the pre-TGS show that the PlayStation 4 will be released across Asia in December of this year, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea.

Nothing was said about a specific date or pricing, however SCEJA will be giving further details regarding these issues in November at their local launch event.

So, more places will be getting their hands on the PlayStation 4 before Japan - I still want to know Sony's reasoning behind this. More might be revealed at the Tokyo Game Show, which starts tomorrow.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

PREVIEW: The Evil Within - TGS 2013 Trailer


Bethesda Softworks have released a new trailer for their upcoming survival horror The Evil Within, we saw quite a lot of this game at E3, but the trailer definitely gives more in terms of the narrative and how Detective Sebastian Castellanos got inside the mental hospital in the first place. 

As Sebastian and his partner first enter the hospital, we see bloodied bodies that seem to have died from a vicious attack,  the security cameras show guards trying to shoot off the opposing forces, yet fail quite drastically as they are all slashed to death within mere seconds. 

The camera zooms in and we see a small glimpse of the killer - half of his face seems almost mangled, which is hidden in the shadows of his hood, and just like that he disappears.

This hooded killer doesn't simply walk or run away, it's as if he teleports somewhere, this suggests this particular enemy is not human and have extremely powerful abilities. 

The killer appears behind Sebastian and then the trailer cuts to footage of the gameplay itself - not much we haven't seen before. 

Maybe we'll get even more revealed at Tokyo Game Show, which starts September 19 and will finish on September 22. Trailer below.