Friday, May 10, 2013

News::Watch Dogs Preview: Sweet Home Chicago | Dealspwn

Dealspwn.com previews the latest production build of Watch_Dogs. Dealspwn writes: "Watch_Dogs could well be the first truly 'next-gen' game. We're not talking about graphics here. The latest build of Ubisoft's ambitious cross-generation title looks shiny enough running on a PS4-specced PC, but we can take detailed textures and lighting for granted. Rather, Ubisoft Montreal seems to be obsessed with creating a true sandbox using dynamic systems-upon-systems that allow players to affect a simulated city, which in turn reacts to their every decision. Everything and everyone is connected, from the single mother on benefits you walk past in the street to the police car on patrol and the suspected criminal you discover while hacking a security camera. Instead of dominating players with scripted situations, Watch_Dogs plans to offer us problems and opportunities, the tools to deal with them, then challenge us to find our own solutions on the fly."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251914/watch-dogs-preview-sweet-home-chicago-dealspwn

News::ZTGD | WoW Wireless MMO Gaming Mouse (Hardware) Review

Ken McKown writes: Few peripherals I have seen over the years are as extravagant as SteelSeries Wireless World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse. Everything from the packaging down to the charging pedestal is crafted to match the motif of the game vividly. With copious amounts of flash and functionality also comes at a steep price, but those dedicated to MMO-style gaming would be wise to not dismiss this particular peripheral, as it is likely the most capable in its class.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251918/ztgd-wow-wireless-mmo-gaming-mouse-hardware-review

News::Ubisoft releases six new Watch Dogs shots

News::How Watch Dogs’ Disrupt Engine enables cross gen, cross platform play


Ubisoft is aiming to deliver the same core Watch Dogs play experience across console generations, mobile and tablets through its new game engine.


The Disrupt Engine has been built for Watch Dogs, Ubisoft’s forthcoming open world title, and allows its studios to develop the title so that delivers the “the same core game experience on each platform.” It is set for release on PS3, X360, Wii U and PC on November 21, and will be a PS4 launch title. Ubisoft has promised to bring the game to mobile and tablets, too.


“One of the core strengths of the engine is its scalability,” said senior producer Dominic Guay. “We built the technology to support our vision for Watch Dogs and make sure we delivered the same core game experience on each platform.”


“Moreover, our credo on Watch Dogs is ‘Everything is connected, connection is power’. This obviously applies to the game world and Aiden’s unique abilities, but it also applies to our technology. Indeed, Disrupt will allow us to connect players together in completely new ways that players have not experimented before. This also extends to mobile devices and tablets.”


Guay added that the new engine was designed to enable a more fluid, dynamic gameworld. “Our game direction did not allow for a static world that only played carefully pre-designed scenarios,” said Guay. “In Watch Dogs, players have the freedom to choose their own plan using a large array of approaches and the game needs to respond to them. This required us to increase the interactivity of our game engine affecting all areas: physics, graphics, animation, AI.”


“Furthermore, our desire to allow the whole Watch Dogs universe to be connected also required us to build online support in every part of the engine.”


Ubisoft also released new Watch Dogs shots today. You can see them here.


The post How Watch Dogs’ Disrupt Engine enables cross gen, cross platform play appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/news/how-watch-dogs-disrupt-engine-enables-cross-gen-cross-platform-play/

News::Observe What Borderlands 2's Next Playable Class Is Capable Of

News::Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes Beta - Preview | Saving Content

Excerpt: "After playing many hours of the beta, the improvements to the game are very noticeable. The UI has been updated and goes beyond simple reorganization. Theyve revamped the entire interface to be less cumbersome and intimidating. The tutorial is as friendly as it gets and will teach you every basic you need to get started. After that, its just learning by playing where youll gain the intricacies. The graphics engine has received an update too, looking sharper and running better. The art style is soft with heavy strokes on the edges to give everything a pronounced look."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250528/fallen-enchantress-legendary-heroes-beta-preview-saving-content

News::Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Co-Op Multiplayer Interview

GotGame: Lead Game Designer, Richard Carrilllo, fills us in on all the info for Splinter Cell Blacklists Co op mode.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250494/tom-clancys-splinter-cell-blacklist-co-op-multiplayer-interview

News::Gioteck Defiance Review

Gioteck gives it's judgement on Defiance, the third person shooter and MMO from Trionworlds. For PS3, Xbox and PC. Following a number of large patches and updates we give it our verdict.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250428/gioteck-defiance-review

News::Borderlands 2 Psycho Pack: Holy %$@# | PS Nation

From PS Nation: "We had some alone time a few weeks back with Krieg, the sixth playable character for Borderlands 2. Everything you need to know about the wildest addition to an already crazy universe is right here."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251879/borderlands-2-psycho-pack-holy-a-ps-nation

News::Strike Suit Infinity Review |CheatMasters|

avoiderdragon (CheatMasters): When Strike Suit Zero by Born Ready Games was previewed during its Kickstarter campaign, people were mesmerized by its cool and shiny looks, as well as its space combat gameplay. Soon enough, the game got some good press and the developers started pushing further with a new game called Strike Suit Infinity, which was released around four months later after the first one.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251857/strike-suit-infinity-review-cheatmasters

News::Bret Airborne Review | The Indie Mine

Machine 22's Bret Airborne is a PC/Mac puzzle RPG that features airship battles fought using match-3 gameplay.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251836/bret-airborne-review-the-indie-mine

News::37 New Neverwinter Classes That Could Be Added To The Game

There are 37 new Neverwinter classes that could be added to the game from now until it gets shut down. We have a list of all of them.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251875/37-new-neverwinter-classes-that-could-be-added-to-the-game

News::Dead Island: Riptide Review (ITF Gaming)

William Mabin from ITF Gaming writes: Deep Silver and Techlands phenomenal zombie apocalypse RPG is back and it turns out Riptide is not just an expansion pack either. Its a full blown sequel with promises of a new map to explore and new playable characters. On closer inspection, however, will Dead Island: Riptide be able to keep its head above the waves?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251852/dead-island-riptide-review-itf-gaming

News::ClayFighter N64 instruction manual going for over $1000

You know what game series no one ever talks about? ClayFighter. I remember years ago competing in a Blockbuster challenge for it (Blob for life!), and how much of a big deal the Nintendo 64 game was, but alas, it's kind of a distant memory for many.


But it seems as if the franchise is back in the headlines, as the instruction manual for ClayFighter Sculptor's Cut is going for a whopping $1023 at the time of this writing. The reason this item is so rare is because the game itself is not only a Blockbuster rental exclusive, but the inclusion of the manual was optional.


I don't know how many hundreds of pre-jewel case era games I've thrown away boxes for, and after becoming a collector, I highly regret it. If you have any original boxes, keep them!


Clay Fighter [eBay via GoNintendo]


ClayFighter N64 instruction manual going for over $1000 screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/clayfighter-n64-instruction-manual-going-for-over-1000-253482.phtml

News::Ray's the Dead - Digitally Downloaded Preview

Digitally Downloaded brings you an early preview of the deadfully charming Ray's the Dead, which is an upcoming Indie title from Ragtag Studio. Heralded as a semi-spiritual successor to the Xbox cult hit, Stubbs the Zombie, the title has recently crept its way onto Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight. If commanding a zombie army sound like fun to you, it's time to crawl out of your grave to take a look into the wacky world of Ray's the Dead.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251637/rays-the-dead-digitally-downloaded-preview

News::E254: believe the hype how Oculus Rift changes everything

On the cover is a story we first covered way back in issue 3 the rise of virtual reality. After twenty years of VR misfires, Oculus VRs creator Palmer Luckey explains why Rift changes everything and how it opens the door to a world of new design challenges.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251562/e254-believe-the-hype-how-oculus-rift-changes-everything

News::Here is Project Juggernaut. Its Dark and its Full of Zombies

PigDug Studios, a studio founded in April of this year formed of seven student programmers have taken to Kickstarter with a cool and interesting idea in Project Juggernaut. Project Juggernaut is a top down, horror shooter which uses lighting in an atmospheric way. The game is played in near darkness save for your flashlight and a few broken, flickering lights. Up to 4 players take on a horde of zombies or even fight each other this very tense, very dark survival horror.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251342/here-is-project-juggernaut-its-dark-and-its-full-of-zombies

News::Indie Daily 05.09.13

Your daily dose of indie game news.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251332/indie-daily-05-09-13

News::30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 8: Best Soundtrack

Bracken Lee-Rudolph from ITF Gaming writes: I am a firm believer in the power of sound in a video game whether it be the voices of your friends on the microphone, chatting away or offering strategic advice, to a booming soundscape, where you can hear the tiniest echo, the sound maketh the title. This article focuses on soundtracks, or scores in some titles. These collections of backtracking music accompany the most brutal battles on the grandest scale, and the most intimate moments between characters you come to know and love.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251327/30-day-video-game-challenge-day-8-best-soundtrack

News::[WKG] Preview: A Tense And Thrilling Atmosphere In Metro: Last Light

Recently Liban from We Know Gamers was able to go hands on with Deep Silvers upcoming title Metro: Last Light, the successor to the 2010 hit Metro 2033 and while the publishers may have changed, it looks like the game retains everything that made its predecessor successful while improving on mechanics to better serve the player and enable a more fluid gameplay experience.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251620/wkg-preview-a-tense-and-thrilling-atmosphere-in-metro-last-light

News::Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 3 Released

GamingShogun.com writes, "The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics have released Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 3 for Windows PC. Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 3 (FC3) is the next evolution of the Flaming Cliffs series. FC3 features the F-15C, A-10A, Su-27, Su-33, MiG-29A, MiG-29S, Su-25T, and Su-25. FC3 aircraft provide an easy learning curve for new players and focuses on a broad range of aircraft including air-to-air fighters and ground pounding attack aircraft."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251600/lock-on-flaming-cliffs-3-released

News::Preview-stream of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 05/09/2013

Gaming Nexus announces a live stream giving an in depth look at the upcoming NeocoreGames action-RPG The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251499/preview-stream-of-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing-05-09-2013

News::The Most Promising Indie Game since The Walking Dead

In the last couple of years, the indie scene has seen, an extraordinary expansion. People have come to realise that a developer doesnt necessarily need a huge amount of money to meet gamers expectations. As such, games like Minecraft, The Walking Dead, Journey, Slender, or FTL (among many others) have made a big impression among gamers, without needing thousands of dollars worth of advertisements, nor being the usual FPS featuring big explosions or jumps from one action set-piece to the next. So whats the potential next big indie hit? Ghost of a Tale might be the answer to that.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251447/the-most-promising-indie-game-since-the-walking-dead

News::Low cost consoles and games can reach the markets PlayStation and Xbox can’t, says GameStick


Sony and Microsoft’s vast console empires have made it difficult for them to innovate and capitalise on the rise in low cost indie games, says Playjam CMO Anthony Johnson.


Playjam will release GameStick this summer for $79 in the US and £79.99 in the UK, where it will retail exclusively at Game. It is targeting casual and ‘mid-core’ games players – the kind that play low-cost mobile games but aren’t likely to pay a premium for a traditional, high-end games console.


“The issue is that as we all know, elephants can’t jump,” Playjam CMO Anthony Johnson told us. “[Sony and Microsoft] have built an extraordinary successful market which they have dominated for years, but times are changing and the underlying models employed by these manufacturers will make it extremely difficult for them to innovate. A model built around huge hardware subsidies and Hollywood-type budgets for content will only ever serve a relatively niche segment of the market.”


Johnson says that GameStick was conceived as a reaction to the ‘old’ marketplace, and it reached its $100,000 Kickstarter target with ease. It currently has $647,658 in funding – a not inconsequential sum, but one that’s dwarfed by the $8.5 million raised thus far by fellow microconsole Ouya.


“Ouya got to Kickstarter first and ran a legendary campaign,” says Johnson. “We would probably see them as our closest competition today although we have chosen to go down a different route in terms of form factor that we think offers players more. I know that this sounds canned but competition is good. We are looking to define a new market and realistically this is going to take a number of players to achieve.”


Its pitch to developers is to offer an easy way of getting games onto the big screen, but with competing tech on its way, fragmentation could threaten this new marketplace. ”If new hardware manufacturers insist on throwing up barriers by asking developers to follow proprietary key mapping technologies then we will see fatigue from the developer community hit pretty quickly,” says Johnson. “GameStick has decided to employ open standards to ensure as much cross compatibility between devices and content as possible. Developers are far more likely to support platforms which require the least effort to port to.”


Johnson says that GameStick is courting indies and large publishers, and tells us that “500 developers have signed up so far.”


“If your game runs on an Android device and would make sense on TV it will work on our platform with either minimal or no tweaking,” he says.


One million units sold is the benchmark for Playjam, at which point it would consider GameStick to be a viable platform in the long term. And Johnson doesn’t believe that the arrival of PS4 will dilute demand for GameStick in any meaningful way.


“I think Sony made a couple of neat innovations around the integration of social media within the platform but these will take time for developers to integrate, whereas the games we are targeting are inherently social given that they originated on mobile platforms,” he adds. “Their underlying model has not changed. Until it does, devices such as GameStick will legitimately be able to claim to be truly disruptive to the industry as a whole.”


The post Low cost consoles and games can reach the markets PlayStation and Xbox can’t, says GameStick appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/news/low-cost-consoles-and-games-can-reach-the-markets-playstation-and-xbox-cant-says-gamestick/

News::New LoL Champion Speculation

Riot Games is hinting at the newest League of Legends champion, but there are two different points of view.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251223/new-lol-champion-speculation

News::The 39 Steps Review (Invision Game Community)

The 39 Steps is a digital novel realisation of the book of the same name by John Buchan. It is developed by The Story Mechanics and published by KISS Ltd for the PC, Mac, iPad and soon the Android.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251031/the-39-steps-review-invision-game-community

News::Roller Coaster Tycoon like sim on Kickstarter

Theme Park Studio is simulation game featuring a powerful set of tools that allow players to build amazing theme parks and rides of their own design. Players can build whatever they can imagine, and then share it online for others to come and ride their attractions. Using our rich toolset, players begin by sculpting their terrain, creating lakes, rivers, and raising knolls and mountains.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250996/roller-coaster-tycoon-like-sim-on-kickstarter

News::Dont Starve Interview with Alia McCutchen

"We had a chance to talk to Alia McCutchen from Klei Entertainment about designing Dont Starve, their soon to be taken out of beta survival game. Dont Starve has intrepid, gentleman explorer Wilson or several other playable characters surviving a harsh, unforgiving wilderness and seeking portals to escape after being thrown in by a malicious force. The first thing youll notice about Dont Starve are the Tim Burton-esque visuals and dark comedic tone that give it a different feel to other survival games on the market." - David Rhinehart of Geekenstein.com



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250987/dont-starve-interview-with-alia-mccutchen

News::Wargame: AirLand Battle Pixel Judge preview

The Cold War is the red headed stepchild of the RTS genre: of all the big conflicts, it probably has the least amount of games. Probably because Cold signifies the fact that while we were threatened by nuclear annihilation, in the end we persevered. Wargane: European Escalation was having none of this shit and presented us with a game where the forces of NATO and the Warsaw Pact clash in a series of low level (nobody was nuking anyone) conflicts in Central Europe. Wargame: AirLand Battle takes the battle to Scandinavia and brings jet planes to boot.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251728/wargame-airland-battle-pixel-judge-preview

News::Preview: Splinter Cell: Blacklists multiplayer mode revives Spies vs. Mercs - Canada.com

The team at Ubisoft, including the youngest team located in the bustling city of Toronto, took the positive feedback from Conviction and applied it to the latest title in the Sam Fisher series, Blacklist.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250900/preview-splinter-cell-blacklists-multiplayer-mode-revives-spies-vs-mercs-canada-com

News::Infinite Crisis Closed Beta Launches Today

A homicidal maniac who terrifies even Gothams worst criminals, The Joker cavorts into fights blasting opponents with explosive dolls and boxing glove-adorned RPGs. He is the master of turning innocent props into deadly weapons as he employs his contraptions to corral his opponents into a fatal trap.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250674/infinite-crisis-closed-beta-launches-today

News::Milestone announces "2012 Top Riders" DLC for MotoGP '13 - Team VVV

VVV: Milestone has revealed the first details about the inaugural DLC package for its upcoming MotoGP '13 title. The downloadable bundle consists of - as its "2012 Top Riders" name suggests - eight bikes that were ridden by some of the legendary competitors in last year's MotoGP season, including Valentino Rossi's Ducati, Casey Stoner's Honda and Jorge Lorenzo's championship-winning Yamaha.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251822/milestone-announces-2012-top-riders-dlc-for-motogp-13-team-vvv

News::The Semi-Often Greenman Gaming Spotlight 10/05

He's back, from outta space, he walked in to show some deals to put a smile on your face!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251848/the-semi-often-greenman-gaming-spotlight-10-05

News::Zack Zero Review |CheatMasters|

avoiderdragon (CheatMasters): Most of the time, when games of below average quality are reviewed, there are things found that somehow redeem the game. If they do have some notably good qualities, then its the badness that gives them character. Sometimes though, you find that one title which doesnt have much redeeming features to help the bitter pill be swallowed more easily.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251817/zack-zero-review-cheatmasters

News::Disney Infinity's Pirates of the Caribbean gets shown off


Confession time: I'm super giddy for Disney Infinity . I love the concept, and I actually want to waste money on a bunch of dumb toys.


That's of course if they bring in classic Disney stuff. I'm talking about things like Duck Tales, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troops, Gummi Bears, Talespin -- Those classics. I mean I know the big private bank from Duck Tales is in Infinity, but I want more than just buildings! A guy can dream.


Of course they're going to play things safe instead and focus on current hot properties, like Pirates of the Caribbean. Sigh.


Disney Infinity's Pirates of the Caribbean gets shown off screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/disney-infinity-s-pirates-of-the-caribbean-gets-shown-off-253478.phtml

News::PluggedIn - The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Review

PluggedIn - It really was only a matter of time before someone thought it would be a great idea to create a video game version of a movie-like doomsday designed as a prequel to the mega-popular AMC zombie show The Walking Dead. But let me just leap right at you with teeth bared and eyes glazed like a tired gamer turned undead walker and say they were wrong.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251299/pluggedin-the-walking-dead-survival-instinct-review

News::Mars: War Logs Review | GodisaGeek

GodisaGeek: "Just remember that patience, like innocence and temperance, is a virtue, and it brings its own rewards. In the end, Mars: War Logs is a game too gluttonous in its ambition when a little moderation wouldve helped. Spiders obviously put a lot of effort into crafting their western-style RPG, and they succeeded in making a likeable, but ultimately forgettable, game. Mars War Logs is completely inoffensive, but lacks enough praiseworthy qualities to garner a better score. And that particular virtue is just good, old-fashioned honesty."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251049/mars-war-logs-review-godisageek

News::Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review | post it gamer

Martin from postitgamer.com states "For those of you longing for a dose of nostalgia, Far Cry 3 is back with a revamped downloadable spinoff that takes on a more whimsical approach than the original. Blood Dragon is a stand alone title that takes the mechanics of the former and injects it with a grandiose helping of pop-culture references and cyborgs."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251411/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-review-post-it-gamer

News::The xxxHolic Live-Action Drama is Just Plain Beautiful

News::First a human meat market, now this.

News::Top 5 things CalmDownTom wants to see in Fallout 4

Here are the things that I believe should be in the Bethesda developed Fallout 4 or in an Obsidian developed sequel to New Vegas, if it is released first. This list is my personal opinion and is not using any of the speculated information for the next Fallout release and only uses prior games as referenced materials.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251807/top-5-things-calmdowntom-wants-to-see-in-fallout-4

News::HeroesGo: Closed Beta Test Concludes

ESTsoft Inc., the North American publishing and operations division of ESTsoft Corp., a global developer of online games, has today announced the conclusion of the closed beta test of their latest highly-anticipated title, HeroesGo.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1250566/heroesgo-closed-beta-test-concludes

News::Tim Schafer wants to make Psychonauts 2, Costume Quest 2, Grim Fandago reboot and more

Tim Schafer has expressed interest in wanting to make sequels, reboots or HD re-releases for some of his classic games like Psychonauts, Costume Quest, Grim Fandago, Day of the Tentacle, and Brutal Legend. However, dont expect large-scale games like the latter in the near future.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251774/tim-schafer-wants-to-make-psychonauts-2-costume-quest-2-grim-fandago-reboot-and-more

News::Sponging Down Sweaty Attractive Men (The Other Side of Fan Service)

News::Persona 4 Arena review


Delays can kill a game. Interest quickly wanes in this paciest of industries, and potential customers, resentful that caused the delay, move on to the next big thing and never look back. This European release of Persona 4 Arena, coming nine months after its US release and over a year since its debut in Japanese arcades, could have sunk without trace. Worse still, it couldn’t be imported, taking the unwanted stigma of being PS3’s first region-locked game.


Yet if anything the delay has helped: the intervening months have seen the release of Persona 4 Golden, the retooled remake of the 2009 RPG that still stands as Vita’s best game. A particularly niche entry in this most niche of genres – an anime fighter from the developer of Blazblue and Guilty Gear, spun off from a Japanese RPG – finally arrives in Europe with a significantly larger potential audience than it would have enjoyed had it launched day and date with the US release last August.


There’s certainly plenty here for those who have finished the Vita game and are keenly feeling the absence from their lives of Atlus’ witty high school drama. The story mode, which is smartly set up to let you play around with the 13-strong roster by weaving an interlocking tale that requires you to finish part of one character’s arc to unlock others, picks up three months after Persona 4 Golden’s climax. Our protagonist, whose name in Golden was chosen by players but is here called Yu Narukami, returns to sleepy rural Inaba to visit his friends during Golden Week. On his first night in town he turns on the Midnight Channel – a TV show which only appears on rainy nights and which, in Golden, alerted Yu and his investigation team to imminent murders – to find it up and running again.



And, clearly, all is not well in Inaba. Teddie, the sentient stuffed bear who served as the party’s guide in Golden’s Shadow world, appears to have gone rogue, and along with fallen pop idol Rise Nakamura is hosting a tournament in which, it seems, characters from Persona 4 (and, to fill out the roster, Personas 3 and FES) are to fight to the death. It doesn’t quite work out like that, of course, but while there’s plenty of game here – involving, apparently, Atlus’ biggest-ever dialogue job – the script lacks Golden’s wit and easy charm. There are pacing problems, too, with the ratio of exposition to action weighted too heavily in favour of the former, and while you’re required to play around with the cast, the sporadic one-round battles aren’t enough to really give you a feel for each character’s idiosyncracies.


Which is a shame, because the battle system beneath it all is a delight. While it has Arc System Works’ DNA in the same four-button ABCD control setup used in Blazblue and Guilty Gear, there are two other factors at work: the RPG source material, and Atlus’ presumed request that the game appeal not just to hardened fighting game fans, but RPG players too. This means that the A and B buttons are used for your character’s light and heavy attacks, while C and D do the same but summon your character’s Persona for harder-hitting, longer range blows. This, however, must be done with caution: if your Persona is hit four times in short order they’ll be unavailable until a meter recharges. It makes for a cautious game of probing with normal attacks, only calling on Personas in combos or when you know they’ll be safe.


There’s another nod to the source material in the super meter, named the SP gauge after the source of Persona skills in Golden. In addition to the usual super moves each character has a move which can kill instantly, like Street Fighter IV’s Ultra moves taken to ludicrous JRPG extremes. When your health is low, your SP gauge automatically extends by 50 per cent and boosts your defence.



For beginner players there’s the All Out Attack. In Golden these saw the entire party pile in on a downed foe in a cloud of fists and feet; here, you press A and B together and your character sprints towards your opponent. If it connects, furious mashing of A will dole out a flurry of blows, while finishing off with a different button will knock your foe to the other side of the screen or up in the air where the combo can continue. Every character has access to one basic, but powerful combo: as long as your SP gauge is half full, successive taps of A will perform a three-hit chain, followed by a special move, cancelled into Super. There’s an extensive tutorial, too, that’s every bit as thorough and helpful as Blazblue’s but is, oddly given the story mode’s excesses, pleasingly less text-heavy.


It’s a smart balancing act: respectful to the source material and accommodating to beginner players, while still deep enough for experienced hands. At high levels it’s quite the spectacle, with the sort of extended juggle combos that typify Arc’s games – and the studio’s signature Burst combo-breaker is here too, and sorely needed lest you lose half your life to a single air combo. Those expecting a tale on par with Atlus’ remarkable RPG may be disappointed, then, but Persona 4 Arena’s thoughtfully designed combat system has been well worth the wait.


The post Persona 4 Arena review appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/review/persona-4-arena-review/

News::Batgirl (Almost) KOs the Joker in the Newest Injustice DLC Trailer

News::The not-quite-daily Steam Spotlight 10/05

It's the weekend again and Steam can't help themselves but sell cheap games!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251808/the-not-quite-daily-steam-spotlight-10-05

News::SimCity Review | CalmDownTom

The SimCity launch was a well publicised disaster. Between server failures, missing or broken features, and general outcry from fans of the series, EA took an internet beating. But now that the dust has settled, and Maxis have released their first major patches to repair some of the damage, what are we left with?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251811/simcity-review-calmdowntom

News::Haunted Hollow review


That iOS version of XCOM may be yet to touch down, but Haunted Hollow has nonetheless crept out of Firaxis’ laboratory in the dead of night, bringing the studio’s undeniable affinity for turn-based strategising to the mobile platform.


Haunted Hollow sees two players competing to frighten the inhabitants of a town nestled between rival haunted houses. Your houses function as bases – you build rooms that spawn monsters. ‘Fighty’ monsters are designed to tackle the opposing player’s creatures, but scary monsters win you the game: you capture houses by scaring them, and holding every house ensures victory. Moving, scaring, attacking, and building more than one room per turn costs fear points – though the amount of available actions builds up as you play, meaning that turns tend to get longer and more involved as each match continues. There’s a complex set of variables involved here – matches can be won by aggressive battle tactics, relentless scaring strategies, or by efficiently building up fear points and overwhelming your opponent. The game provides its own wild card in the form of the mob – a torch-wielding pack of villagers who will indiscriminately burn both side’s houses and attack their forces.


Haunted Hollow’s charismatically ghoulish visuals can, at times, make for a cluttered board, and its decision to hide certain units and items behind micro-transactions grants those who pay more tactical breadth. Accept this last point in particular and there’s fun to be had with Haunted Hollow, but Firaxis’ creepy monsters can’t quite compete with its extra-terrestrial threats.


Haunted Hollow is free on iOS now.


The post Haunted Hollow review appeared first on Edge Online.






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News::Connection is power: Ubi Reflections talks Watch Dogs

VG247s Dave Cook speaks with Ubisoft Reflections managing director Pauline Jacquey about the studios role in this next-gen collaboration.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251023/connection-is-power-ubi-reflections-talks-watch-dogs