Friday 28 February 2014

NEWS: Killzone Shadow Fall - Free Multiplayer For One Week

Players will be able to access the game's multiplayer experience for one week in celebration of its first free map release.



Bart Suichies has posted details on official Killzone website regarding a week's worth online gaming at no extra charge at all. The decision was made to coincide with the release of one of two free to download maps - Suichies said:

"On March 4th, we are making the acclaimed Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer available for free to all PlayStation 4 players for a week, starting 3rd of March 5PM PST. Best of all, you will not require PS Plus to play the Free Access client this week!"

Last month, the two free downloadable maps were revealed, but no release date was mentioned. Since it's initial release, Suichie says the multiplayer "has been going from strength to strength since its launch, with hundreds of improvements and constant balancing. There have been many new exciting developments including Clans, the First Killzone Invitational tournament, new Weekend Challenges, New Warzone options, expanded Personalisation options, and much more."

NEWS: Battlefield 4 DLC Naval Strike Release Date Announced

The next batch of DLC is set for a late march release date, whilst premium members can gain access two weeks prior.

Revealed through the official Battlefield website is a wealth of information regarding what players can expect in the latest DLC, titled 'Naval Strike' - featuring water-based combat set on four new maps taking place in the South China Sea. The blurb describes various ways of taking on opponents:

"Blow open a crashed passenger plane and capture fishing villages across the tropical Lost Islands. Drop a submarine on your foes as you infiltrate a naval base or rush between shipping docks and rocky islands on the massive Wave Breaker map. Wage war across stormy seas in the largest ocean stretch in any Battlefield map yet with Nansha Strike. Storm an abandoned cliff-side resort, or get lost in the breathtaking vistas in Operation Mortar."

Also included is "the fan-favourite, Titan Mode from Battlefield 2142" as well as new weaponry, assignments, a hovercraft vehicle, and various gadgets. It should be noted further that those who carry a premium membership are able to download the DLC two weeks prior before its public release.

Thursday 27 February 2014

NEWS: New Tony Hawk Game Will Be On Mobile Devices

Tony Hawk has revealed his next skateboarding game is to be mobile-exclusive.


During an interview with Bloomberg, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk has confirmed the next Tony Hawk game is to release on mobile devices with no intention of console versions, although its assumed the game will also be available on various tablets.

Hawk said: "We're never gone exclusively in that direction yet so I'm excited because with the amount of time people are spending on their phones and tablets playing games, we've never had our own game in that space so I'm excited to provide one finally."

Back in October 2013, Hawk expressed his interest in making a mobile game, so the decision to go exclusive should come as no surprise. Recently, he did confirm himself and Activision are working on a game together.

PREVIEW: Mario Kart 8 - Glimpse Into New Race Courses

Nintendo has revealed three completely new tracks to compete in.


Through the official Twitter of Nintendo UK, images of three new courses have emerged, showing off the vibrant and eye-candy visuals players have become accustomed to throughout the series.

Mario Circuit 

One of the smaller tracks featuring long corners and close-quarters, which should encourage hectic gameplay with the aid of the game's various power-ups and weapons. Surrounded with greenland and rugged cliffs, the most noticeable environmental enhancement would be Princess Peach's very own castle.


Sweet Sweet Canyon

Willy Wonka invades the world of Mario Kart - complete with windmills made from candy and various sugary treats surrounding the course, players shouldn't be fooled as a Pirahna Plant could interrupt that first place position at a moments notice.


Thwomp's Ruins

One of the more sinister tracks features lots of Thwomp enemies, who have a tendency of squishing any racer daring to ride under them - we also see multiple options in traversing the track, making for interesting and competitive gameplay. preview1


Mario Kart 8 is to hit shelves exclusively for Wii U on May 30 in Europe and North America, whilst Japan gains the earliest access of May 29.

NEWS: PlayStation Plus March 2014 EU - Tomb Raider and Dead Nation Apocalypse

The next batch of PlayStation Plus content has been revealed.


PS Store and Plus Content Manager Chris Howe has listed the free games available in the march update throughout Europe via the EU PlayStation blog. 

Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition will be hitting PS4 - a "top-down shoot 'em up set in an apocalyptic zombie-infested world.", whilst PS3 users are gaining access to the 2013 reboot Tomb Raider and adventure-puzzler Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

Finally, tower defence "classic" Pixeljunk Monsters Ultimate HD and Smart As! - a game that will rack your brains in "math, memory, logic and word puzzles."

PS Plus users will be able to download the games mentioned completely free of charge starting March 5, in which the following games are to be removed from circulation: Outlast, Sound Shapes, Metro: Last Night, Guacamelee!, Dynasty Warriors Next, and ModNation Racers Road Trip.

    Wednesday 26 February 2014

    NEWS: Outlast DLC Release Date Confirmed

    The game's first DLC content will be available April for both PS4 and PC.


    Developers of the game Red Barrels has posted details regarding the upcoming DLC titled 'Whistleblower', which is to give players a narrative surrounding the events leading up to Outlast.

    You'll take control of "Waylon Park, software engineer under contract with Murkoff and the man who emailed journalists around the world - including Miles - at the beginning of Outlast.", the official description goes on to say:

    "Spending a couple of weeks at Mount Massive, during which he was unable to even talk to his wife and son in Boulder thanks to strict security protocols, Waylon developed a deep-seated distrust of the profit-motivated scientists and doctors leading dangerous and irresponsible experiments on their parents. Identifying with those poor souls fueled Waylon's anger, and set the stage for his unmasking of Mount Massive's rotten core."

    The DLC's narrative will also "stretch past the events of the first game to show the final chapter in Mount Massive Asylum's story."

    Its price has not yet been announced.

    Tuesday 25 February 2014

    NEWS: Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls Pre-Order Goodies Confirmed

    Blizzard has detailed various bonuses available for those who pre-order the expansion.


    A recent blog post on the game's official website has shown off exclusive "loot" that is to only available through pre-ordering the upcoming expansion.The special content (as seen above) includes the Wings of Valor and Valla the Demon Hunter.

    Those who have already pre-ordered Reaper of Souls are to have The Wings of Valor put into their Battle.net account March 20, whilst Valla the Demon Hunter will be available when Heroes of the Storm is released.

    Blizzard goes on to warn those who placed their pre-order at a retail store, saying "be sure to redeem your Reaper of Souls game key via you Battle.net account on or before 11:59 PM PST on March 31, 2014. If you redeem your game key after that date, your pre-order loot will be consumed by the fires of the Burning Hells and lost forever."

    Reaper of Souls is to release March 25 for both PC and Mac, standing at the first expansion to the original Diablo III game.

    NEWS: Blizzard Discuss Character Boosting

    In light of the recent news regarding paying real money to boost characters, Blizzard has addressed the issue.



    Lead encounter designer for World of Warcraft Ion Hazzikostas has spoken with Eurogamer explaining Blizzard's decision to give players the option to boost their characters for a questionable price.

    The main reason seems to be Blizzard not wanting players to buy two copies of the game to boost multiple characters, saying "We realised as soon as we came out with Warlords of Draenor boost to 90, we knew that there was going to be demand for more than 1."

    Hazzikostas goes on to say "It's tremendously awkward to sell someone that you should buy two copies of the expansion just to get a second 90. That's odd. So we knew at that point we were going to have to offer it as a separate service."

    Whilst addressing paying  $60 (£35) to reach level 90, he said "If our goal here was to sell as many boosts as possible, we could halve the price or more than that  make it $10 or something. And then hardly would ever level a character again."

    Finally finishing off with more reasons behind the decision of boosting services, he said "It's just to allow people who want to purchase additional level 90s, maybe they want a second of third alt and they dont' have time to level it themselves because they have a family or etc - it's to allow them to do that."

    NEWS: South Park: The Stick of Truth Gets Censored

    European and Australian releases of the game are to have content removed due to censorship. [UPDATE: Pegi has stated they did not censor any content]



    UPDATE (05/03/14) -- Speaking with The Guardian, a pegi spokesman has said:

    "Let me emphasise that we did not censor or edit the game in any shape or form."

    ORIGINAL STORY (25/02/14)

    According to BT Entertainment, the role-playing game based on the hit animated sitcom South Park is to have specific parts of the game removed or altered in some way. This comes from information sent to BT from Ubisoft themselves, in which they said:

    "Seven scenes of about 20 seconds each are censored in the EMEA console versions of South Park: The Stick of Truth.", going to say the decision "to cut this content from the game was made by Ubisoft EMEA."

    The mentioned scenes includes two mini-games in which abortions are being performed, and a total of five scenes that show characters being 'anal probed'.

    NEWS: Price Reduced For MGS V: Ground Zeroes

    Physical releases of the game has had price drops applied ahead of its release next month.



    The physical release of the game had originally been priced up at £39.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 on both the PS4 and Xbox One, the same price as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Now, all copies will cost £29.99 / $29.99 / €29.99, whilst the digital download is still priced at £19.99 / $19.99 / €19.99.

    Ground Zeroes is the prologue The Phantom Pain, offering players an insight into the narrative between both events - in other MGS V news, Konami has revealed exclusive benefits of purchasing Ground Zeroes during its first phase of release, read more HERE.

    Ground Zeroes will release March 18, with the PS3 and PS4 versions containing an exclusive Déjà Vu mission, featuring the classic Solid Snake from the 1998 PlayStation release. Xbox 360 and Xbox One players are to have access to another exclusive mission titled Jamais Vu, this time the cyborg ninja Raiden is to be the center of attention.

    NEWS: Exclusive DLC Available For MGS V: The Phantom Pain

    Konami has detailed various advantages of purchasing Ground 
    Zeroes earlier rather than later.


    A press release from Konami has given players reasons to purchase the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes during its initial release.

    An exclusive DLC which promises "players with additional resources for a Mother Base area", meaning upon eventually starting Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, will award you extra staff to give you the upper hand when heading into The Phantom Pain.

    Those who want to take part in these specific benefits must purchase Ground Zeroes during its first batch of release and also for a "limited period of time for the digital version."

    Ground Zeroes is to hit shelves March 18 and acts as a short prequel to The Phantom Pain - both will be available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

    NEWS: Batman Arkham Origins Story DLC Trailer Released

    The game's first story-based DLC is to feature the iconic Mr. Freeze.


    The latest episode of DC All Access has revealed the trailer for the upcoming story DLC titled 'Cold, Cold Heart'. The video starts at around the 1:00 mark, showcasing Mr. Freeze reeking wreaking havoc on innocent civilians through his freeze-based abilities.

    VP of Production Ames Kirshen (as seen in the video below) says "we're super excited to give fans the origins of this great Batman character", going on to say the content has a "brand new story wrapped around Mr. Freeze."

    The DLC will be available April 22 but no pricing has yet been confirmed - it will be available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. It was recently revealed no DLC is in development for the Wii U release of the game - read more HERE.


    RETRO REVIEW: Duke Nukem 64

    Whilst Duke Nukem 64 is essentially a port of the original PC release, it does offer some interesting and entertaining changes.


    Nintendo 64

    Duke Nukem 64 is one of the most polished and well-done console ports during the 90s first-person era, and doesn't disappoint.

    Picking up directly after Duke Nukem II, Duke Nukem 3D takes a departure from the platformer genre and enters the realm of the first person shooter, giving one of the most memorable and iconic gaming experiences of all time. On a trip to Los Angeles, Duke is shot down by alien forces and quickly learns they are trying to take over the city through mutating former LAPD officers and using their own weaponry.

    With not much story to go on, its ultimately your mission to destroy any alien that gets in your way whilst protecting Duke's precious babes, and eventually saving the world from total domination. This is done through over 30 levels, including special secret levels and boss encounters, complete with an incredible arsenal of weapons.

    Its same to assume most of you have played the original Duke Nukem 3D, so lets get straight into the most important changes made to the Nintendo 64 port, the first thing you'll notice are the weapon redesigns - every weapon has been altered in some way, for example now you dual-wield SMGs instead of the chaingun cannon, and the original RPG is now a grenade launcher. There are now different types of ammo for both the pistol and shotgun - a stronger ammo type is available to blast through the pistol, whilst the shotgun welcomes explosive ammo, which can deal massive damage as well as easily committing suicide in close confined environments.

    Most of the explicits have been removed - considering this was a Nintendo release, this should come as no suprise. Whilst Duke maintains some of his one-liners, the more crude ones have been taken away, and now the babes are dressed with more clothing as opposed to the original, in which they were practically naked. A nice feature put into this version is the ability to actually save babes scattered around each level - this, along with finding all the secrets, adds a lot of replay value, especially if you're a completionist wanting to 100% every level possible.

    Unlike many console ports at the time, Duke Nukem 64 managed to play at impressive framerates, making for extremely smooth gameplay - this combined with the excellent level designs make for a fantastic experience. Although the controls take quite a while to get used to, once you get the hang of it, you should find yourself maneuvering at a comfortable pace - there are various control schemes available, and whilst neither really change that much from another, it's worth going through them all and experimenting which is best for you.

    Whilst the graphics aren't quite on par with the original release, there are some nice improvements in some areas - explosions look incredible and feature some of the best polygonal effects of the time, and even more notable is the final boss (Cycloid Emperor), who now sports a fully-rendered 3D model as opposed to the original 2D sprite. Its a mix of both good and bad graphics, the new visuals are fantastic, but overall most of the textures are very pixelated and blurry, making it sometimes difficult to navigate certain parts of levels, especially if you're new to the game.

    One of the best additions to Duke Nukem 64 are the multiplayer options, you can either rip aliens apart in co-op with a buddy or battle it out on the maps available, including Castle Dukenstein - a parody of Wolfenstein 3D. 'Duke Bots' can also be added if there aren't enough real players, making up the numbers for a healthy firefight.

    This game is a must-play, offering the same incredibly well-designed levels from the PC release, along with some of the most unique weapons at your disposal to blast away those pesky alien maggots. retroreview

    8/10

    Monday 24 February 2014

    NEWS: Sony Discuss PS2 and PS4 Sales

    Hiroshi Kawano has spoke in-depth regarding the PS4 and its ability to match PS2 sales.


    Speaking with the Japanese gaming website Inside-Games, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Asia and Japan Hiroshi Kawano explains how the PS4 will continue to sell more units and hopefully even bypass or meet the same sale numbers of the PS2.

    Dualshockers translated the interview, which shows Kawano speaking of the disappointing PS3 sales, saying "unfortunately the sales of the PS3 didn't even get near the sales of the PS2. It may be difficult for a home console now, but I think we shouldn't say it's impossible unconditionally."

    He goes on to discuss how he believes "it's possible to expand the popularity of the PS4 by providing a rich gaming experience and making use of the fusion of network service and high performance that is possible only on home consoles."

    When discussing matching sales of the PS2, Kawano said "we'll have to do our best in the future." - currently, the PS2 has sold the most units with a staggering 155 million and counting since it's initial release in 2000.

    NEWS: Xbox One Could Get More Free-To-Play Games

    More information on F2P games on Xbox One will be revealed closer to their release dates.


    When asked about adding F2P titles to the Xbox One, Microsoft's gaming executive Phil Spencer replied on Twitter, saying the team has had "good success with F2P on 360", promising to reveal more information closer to their launch dates.

    Various F2P games are available on the Xbox 360, including the more well-known Happy Wars - launching in October 2012, the game has been played by approximately 6 million players, whilst the game is free to play, users are encouraged to spend real money on items to improve their experience.

    Other titles include Warface, World of Tanks, and Ascend: Hand of Kul - also free to play with additional content becoming available through real money.

    NEWS: EU Nintendo eShop Update - February 24 2014

    Another week, another eShop update including the recently released AeternoBlade, along with classic Nintendo titles and various price drops.
    Nintendo has updated the EU eShop with another mix of games, bringing back some familiar classics such as Wario's Woods and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, but also offers some temporary offers along with permanent price drops. For a complete list of updates, see below.

    New Releases

    AeternoBlade
    3DS
    £13.50 / €14.99

    The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths
    3DS
    £13.49 / €14.99

    Senran Kagura Burst
    3DS
    £29.99 / €34.55

    Jewel Quest Mysteries 3
    3DS
    £10.79 / €11.99

    Bibi & Tina
    3DS
    N/A / €39.99

    Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
    3DS
    £4.49 / €4.99

    Evofish
    Wii U
    £3.59 / €3.99

    Wario's Woods
    Wii U
    £3.49 / €4.99

    Special Offers

    Darksiders II
    Wii U
    £31.99 / €39.99

    Knytt Underground
    Wii U
    £3.99 / €4.49

    Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
    3DS
    £19.99 / €22.49

    Permanent Price Drops

    Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist
    Wii U
    £19.99 / €29.99

    Just Dance 4
    Wii U
    £29.99 / €39.99

    REVIEW: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

    Gunslinger should remind you shooters don't have to be about war all the time, just a good old fashioned cowboy slaughterfest.

    Developer: Techland | Publisher: Ubisoft | Genre: First-Person Shooter

    PS3 | Xbox 360 | Windows PC

    Through a series of arcade-style missions and a generally unique narrative, you'll have a blast taking on various iconic outlaws.

    The game starts in a saloon in Abilene, Kansas, which that looks like its straight from A Fistful of Dollars - here, a mysterious bounty hunter known as Silas Greaves takes a seat and is quickly recognised by a group of fellow drinkers known as Steve, Jack, and the teenager Dwight, who interrogate him on his past adventures. 

    It's through these stories the adventure begins - however, Greaves is presented by a dime novel, which only semi portrays his encounters with famous outlaws, and its through both versions presented in the novel and Graves himself that the game is played. Each mission is greeted with a gorgeous cartoon look, which resembles games such as Borderlands and XIII, and its through these graphics that you get a sense of playing through a comic book - this is visually symbolic as it reminds you this game is meant to be played for fun and not to be taken too serious.

    You'll often hear Greaves' voice describing certain events, whilst Steve, Jack, and Dwight question his actions as they will compare the situation to how its described in the dime novel - this makes for alternative narratives being played out, for example you might be respectfully asked for a duel by an outlaw in the novel, but the real events according to Greaves are that you were ambushed unfairly. You are able to play out both versions, which adds a sense of gameplay that's rarely seen in other games.

    You'll gain experience by blasting enemies with typical western weaponry such as a revolver, double-barreled shotgun, a long-range rifle, and sticks of dynamite - this experience gives you the ability to improve skill trees, which are categorised accordingly to each weapon type. Different ways of disposing of enemies will alter the amount of experience gained, for example if you build up a combo, you'll get rewarded for it - types of kills include headshots, dynamite explosions, and so forth.

    If you prefer using the rifle and taking out enemies from a distance, it'd be advised to use your skill points on that specific skill tree to gain additional abilities and unlock special weapons, or you could mix up your points into all three and experiment with all the weapons. Typically, at the end of a mission, you'll be given the chance to duel with a boss - if you've ever seen a western movie, there's usually a standoff between two people and its him who is fastest to reach his gun and shoot that wins, this is exactly what you do in the game through a series of quick mini-games such as keeping your concentration of the enemy whilst you position your hand ready to grab your revolver.

    To add a little replayability, you are encouraged to seek out 'nuggets of truth', which are scattered around each mission for you to uncover, these pieces of information reveal certain narratives about some of the game's themes such as characters and famous events. You can also start a new game plus to fully max out your skill trees or go through the game again on an increased difficulty, these are nice features and should be utilized if you're the completionist type.

    Making gameplay more interesting is the use of the concentration ability, which when used puts everything in slow-motion and marks all known enemies with a vibrant red colour, allowing you to quickly pop them off one by one at a leisurely pace - well, until the concentration meter runs out. There's also the 'Sense of Death' - this will automatically activate if you're low on health and an enemy shoots at you, time will once again slow down and you'll have the opportunity to dodge an incoming bullet, deeming you fit to carry on fighting, but if the meter isn't full, you won't the chance to live, instead you'll simply die and have to restart.

    At its core, Gunslinger is your run of the mill shooter but manages to capture a sense of uniqueness through its extremely fun arcade-style gameplay and a narrative that is both hilarious and engaging. It acts as a refreshing breather compared to the more serious shooters out there, and shouldn't be ignored as it provides a ton of fun complete with some extremely well-thought out gameplay. review1

    8/10

    Friday 21 February 2014

    NEWS: Super Smash Bros. 4 - Diddy Kong Confirmed

    Donkey Kong's smaller nephew is to enter Smash universe once again.


    Producer Masahiro Sakurai has revealed Diddy Kong will join the roster in the upcoming Wii U / 3DS title - the reveal was part of a post in the Miiverse.

    We've increased Diddy Kong's flexibility this time. This picture shows how far his punches stretch during his strong side attack.

    Originally brought to the battle in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii, Diddy Kong had the ability to cling onto walls as well as being able to maneuver around the arenas through his lightweight exterior and speedy attributes. 

    However, aided with a picture (seen above) showcasing a stretch side attack, Sakurai goes on to say how his team has "increased Diddy Kong's flexibility."

    NEWS: Gigantic Ubisoft Sale on Steam

    A total of 84 games are to have discounts applied as part of an ongoing promotion.


    A new promotion lasting four days has applied considerably high discounts to a massive chunk of the Ubisoft library, including Rayman Origins, Far Cry 3, Beyond Good & Evil, Assassin's Creed III and many more.

    New games will be added daily, eventually making up for 84 titles that will have been on sale at some point during the special sale.

    February 24 will mark the last day, so its advised to browse what's on offer now in case you miss out on some potentially good deals. 

    RETRO REVIEW: WWF War Zone

    Featuring fully rendered 3D models and a new grappling system, WWF War Zone became a must-have for both gamers and wrestling fans.

    PS1 | Nintendo 64 | GameBoy Colour

    WWF War Zone is a game that shouldn't be ignored, it introduced some fantastic gameplay mechanics, which at their core, can still be seen in modern wrestling games.

    The year is 1998 and so far we've had an onslaught of wrestling-based games, most featuring digitized sprites, which is fine and most of these games were and still are fun to play, however it wasn't until WWF War Zone hit shelves on PlayStation and Nintendo 64 where the genre really started to kick off into something quite incredible.

    Set during the 'Attitude Era', you'll be given the opportunity to play as some very iconic and memorable wrestlers such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Mankind, The Undertaker, just to name a few. Each comes with a recognisable trademark move, for example Kane is able to perform the 'Chokeslam', Bret Hart can attempt to make his opponents tap out using the 'Sharpshooter', and so forth.

    There are numerous modes to choose from including tag team, cage match, or weapons match (hardcore), but its advised to just jump into the challenge mode, which features all of the mentioned besides tag team - the challenge mode option is essentially a journey to reach the top in the wrestling world, this is done by starting at the bottom brawling it out in easily won fights right up to competing for the heavyweight championship itself. 

    During a fight, each wrestler  has a stamina bar, which when fully depleted, will leave the opposing wrestler stunned for a short period of time - this is the best time to try and get the win through a good old fashioned pin count to three, however it will typically take more than a few attempts as the stamina bar will eventually fill back up. The more you fight, the colour of the stamina bar will alter to indicate how much damage has been dealt, for example if you've been constantly slamming your opponent, their stamina will turn to a red colour, which when happens, is the best time to try and win the fight. 

    Each wrestler has a set of moves - some more difficult to pull off than others, but its the grapple system that really made this game stand out all those years ago, this new gameplay mechanic allowed you to experiment with your move set, all whilst still being able to perform quick punches and kicks in between, and this actually made you analyse certain situations in order to pull off the best combos so to speak, giving the game a level of depth no wrestling game had previously.

    With that said, there are some glitches that occur once in a while such as falling through parts of the arena or the commentary being completed wrong - this happened when The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were facing off, in which the commentator  thought Shawn Michaels was Triple H. This isn't a massive deal, but is a little strange to say the least.

    Weapons matches are by far the most enjoyable, especially when someone from the crowd actually manages to throw a TV into the ring (where did they even get it from?) - whilst this is fun, you can abuse the weapons by spamming your opponent over the head with a chair or a wooden blank, which drains their stamina at a rapid pace. The cage match is also fun, instead of pinning or making your opponent tap out, you have to climb over the cage to the floor below in order to win - at times, when climbing, the opponent will shake the cage to drop you off, which can be hilarious to watch and annoying as it will deal quite a large amount of damage.

    Overall, a fantastic game complete with a large roster of old fan-favourites, which is sure to crank up the nostalgia level if you were ever intro wrestling all those years ago, and even if not there's enough here to keep you entertained for a good amount of time. retroreview

    7/10

    Thursday 20 February 2014

    NEWS: Square Enix Officially Registers Trademark of Shinra Company

    Shinra Company is now a fully registered trademark within Square Enix.


    Although Square Enix recently discussed the hardships behind a Final Fantasy VII remake, they have still decided to register the Shinra Company trademark for video-game use.

    In the game, Shinra Electronic Power Company (pictured above) plays host to some crucial plot lines as well as bringing to light some of the games most influential characters such as super-villain Sephiroth and main protagonist Cloud Strife.

    It's still unclear as to why Square Enix acquired the trademark, lets just hope they're not going to use Mako to create real life super soldiers...

    NEWS: Basement Crawl Gets Release Date

    PS4 exclusive title Basement Crawl will hit virtual shelves next week.


    A recent press release has revealed the game will be available February 25 in North America and February 26 throughout Europe. An earlier date was originally planned but due to various delays, had to be pushed further back.

    CEO of Bloober Team Piotr Babieno said "After our slight delay, we're truly excited to deliver a completed and enhanced Basement Crawl to the more than 5.3 million PlayStation 4 owners around the world."

    Basement Crawl utilizes the core gameplay mechanics of the Bomberman franchise and adds "creepy characters and blood-curdling environments.", up to four players can play locally, whilst eight are able to compete online across nine maps using four different classes.

    NEWS: New Tony Hawk Game In Development

    Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk has revealed he is working with Activision on new game.



    Whilst discussing previous Tony Hawk Pro Skater games on his 'Demolition Radio' show, he very briefly spoke of a new game in the making, saying "we're working on a game" and how it is "pretty cool." - nothing else was mentioned.

    The first Pro Skater game was released back in 1999 and gave players the opportunity to play as real pro skaters, all whilst pulling off tricks and fulfilling particular objectives. Since then, many more titles have been released, more recently Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD which combined revamped versions of classic levels from Pro Skater and Pro Skater 2.

    With practically no other information as of yet, its difficult to tell whether this new project is to back to the series' roots or attempt to utilize modern peripherals, much like Shred. More information is apparently coming soon according to Activision.

    Wednesday 19 February 2014

    NEWS: Wolfenstein: The New Order Trailer Reveals DOOM Beta

    New trailer shows off gameplay of the upcoming Wolfenstein game, but more interestingly - a DOOM beta announcement.



    Those who decide to pre-order Wolfenstein: The New Order are to gain exclusive access to the Doom beta, according to the latest trailer, which showcases various characters and glimpses into the game's narratives.

    But it's the end of the video that comes as a bit of a suprise - considering we've heard practically nothing on the next Doom title, and then we're told a beta is to take place but with no actual date confirmed as of yet.

    Apparently now known as just Doom instead of Doom 4, it's still to be confirmed whether the game will act as a sequel to Doom 3 or is a reboot of the original, which was released all the way back in 1993. [UPDATE: Bethesda has confirmed this will be the next chapter in the series]

    Evidently, multiplayer is to play an important role in the game - more information can be seen on the official Wolfenstein website, which answers questions regarding how to gain access to the beta. Check out the mentioned trailer below.

    NEWS: More Final Fantasy PC Ports Possible

    Square Enix has discussed the possibility of more Final Fantasy games being brought to PC.


    Speaking with Eurogamer, Square Enix - more specifically series producer Yoshinori Kitase, talked about the potential he sees in the PC market, and how Final Fantasy could become more available to PC gamers.

    Kitase reminds readers that the trio of Final Fantasy XIII games were originally "at the early stages of development" for PC releases, going on to give the reasons this never happened - "we looked at the market situation and we didn't think it would be a good idea, and also it would have involved lots of complex issues like security."

    However, Kitase goes on to discuss how the company now sees real potential in the PC market, saying "in terms of our hope of being able to deliver our games to every single country in the world and to as many gamers as possible, yes, we would definitely be interested in pursuing that route in the future."

    Square Enix's most recent Final Fantasy released on PC include the Steam versions of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, complete with achievements. Also available are the MMORPG's Final Fantasy XI and the more recent Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

    Tuesday 18 February 2014

    NEWS: MGS V Ground Zeroes Fox Edition PS4 Revealed

    A special edition of the PS4 has been displayed, showing off the all too familiar Fox logo.



    Spotted on the official Japanese Sony store is the 'Fox Edition' of the PS4 (see above), which is to release just next month. There are currently no confirmation of plans to release the special bundle outside of Japan.

    Seen on the PS4 is the Fox emblem, which can be seen throughout the franchise and stands as one of the most notable symbols in gaming. Costing a total of ¥46, 980 (£275 / $459), those who purchase the bundle will receive a copy of the game along with the PS4 console.

    Ground Zeroes is the prologue to The Phantom Pain, which will launch March 18 in North America and March 20 in Japan and Europe.

    NEWS: World of Warcraft Boosting Could Cost $60 (£35)

    Players could reach level 90 in a few simple button clicks, according to a screenshot taken from a test server.


    Can't be bothered to put in the hours of reaching the current max level? Soon, you'll be given the option to climb the ranks with a payment of $60 / £35.

    A screenshot posted on MMO-Champion clearly shows the option to boost characters through the online shop, this comes as no real surprise as Blizzard recently announced players would be able to utilize a boosting service, but hadn't revealed a price.

    Other micro-transitions include changing factions, switching races, and changing your name, among others. Players can also purchase various pets and mounts.

    NEWS: Naughty Dog Release The Last of Us Documentary

    Lengthy documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the work put into creating The Last of Us.


    Naughty Dog's Community Strategist Eric Monacelli has shared details regarding the film; Grounded: Making The Last of Us via the official US PlayStation blog.

    Available in North America to watch free of charge at Amazon, viewers will be treated with an in-depth insiders perspective on the development process of creating such a highly acclaimed game.

    Monacelli goes on to reassure those living outside the US - "Grounded will be coming to the PlayStation YouTube channel very soon."

    In other The Last of Us news, its first story-DLC was released last week titled Left Behind, which follows Ellie and the events taken place before meeting up with Joel in the main narrative.

    Monday 17 February 2014

    NEWS: Don't Expect A Final Fantasy VII Remake Soon

    Final Fantasy VII's director Yoshinori Kitase has discussed the much-demanded remake.
    Speaking with Eurogamer regarding the possibility of an actual remake of the 1997 cult-classic; Final Fantasy VII, Kitase said "I can honestly tell you I would love to do that", going on to say "But you must believe me when I say it would take a lot to happen."

    He goes on to say the possibility shouldn't be completely ruled out but "it would take a lot to make it happen.", eventually discussing how the original PlayStation release was and still is his life work - "I would have to be as highly motivated as that to end up with something I'm very happy with. It's a huge thing for me."

    Not the most comforting words for those who are still wanting a remake, however there is still hope but it wouldn't be advised to get excited for anything soon.

    NEWS: EU Nintendo eShop Update - February 17 2014

    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is arguably the highlight of this week's update.
    This week's update has been detailed by Nintendo themselves and it shouldn't disappoint, offering the latest Donkey Kong adventure, a blast from the past; Renegade, and many others. Also included are special offers on various 3DS titles - for a full list of new releases and offers, see below.

    New Releases

    Weapon Shop de Omasse
    3DS
    £7.19 / €7.99

    Retro City Rampage: DX
    3DS
    £7.99 / €8.99

    Kung Fu Rabbit
    3DS
    £4.49 / €4.99

    Renegade
    3DS
    £4.49 / €4.99

    Bella Sara 2: The Magic Of Drasilmare Demo
    3DS
    FREE

    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
    Wii U
    £39.99 / €49.99

    Ice Hockey
    Wii U
    £3.49 / €4.99

    Special Offers

    Professor Layton And The Miracle Mask
    3DS
    £27.99 / €29.99 (valid until 27/02/14)

    Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
    3DS
    £13.99 / €17.99 (valid until 27/02/12)