Sony’s Invizimals series has been through some changes since its inception on the PSP and has finally made its way to the PS3, ditching the augmented reality features to bring a traditional action platforming experience to the console.
As expected, it doesn’t threaten the genre dominance of the Ratchet & Clank games, but is worth a look for younger gamers. Parents, older siblings, or other family members of young children should take a look at this one instead of settling for the usual movie/TV licensed guff.
In Magenta Software’s game, you control Hiro, a teenage secret agent who has been sent to a distant world populated by the mystical Invizimal warriors to help them fight a robot army. It’s all very child-friendly and features enough bright colours and energetic characters to keep them entertained in short bursts. It’s is an easy game to play thanks to basic controls and a gentle difficulty curve. Some players may find it similar to the Skylanders games, but parents will be glad to hear that they won’t have to succumb to pester-power for new toys to play with in-game.
TowerFall Ascension is all about traditional local multiplayer. So much so, there’s no point even reading the rest of this review if you’re not likely to invite friends round to your house to play with you. Still here? Did I mention it would help if your friends were regular gamers with a fondness for pixelated sprite-art games that could have run on a Sega Master System without breaking a sweat? Try not to make too much noise on your way out. Ok you two, thanks for staying.
This multiplayer-focused game features screen-sized arenas to duke it out against each other in 2-4 player deathmatches / team deathmatches or you can play 1-2 player co-op against waves of monsters over multiple maps.
A recent European Parliament ruling has told Internet Service Providers that they will not be able to charge online companies that have data-intensive natures more. This has been an issue in recent years as broadband speeds have allowed for enormous amount of data to be streamed rather than downloaded.
The best example of course is Netflix, which manages to stream HD movies with download speeds as small as 5Mb. The ruling will also extend to future services on the horizon, like the much anticipated PlayStation Now service, which will stream video games from the PlayStation back catalogue. Let’s face it, streaming The Last of Us is potentially going to need more broadband oomph than an episode of Breaking Bad.
Despite critical acclaim two years ago when released on XBLA and PC, Fez has taken its time to come to the PlayStation Platforms. Rather than a discount for its tardiness, the asking price of £7.99 gets you a cross-buy copy of the game that you can download to your PS4, PS3 and PS Vita complete with cloud-based cross-save functionality.
For those of you new to the world of Fez, allow me to catch you up. This is a puzzle platformer that opts for an 8-bit retro style. What’s decidedly not retro though (unless you count Echochrome and Crush as retro) is the rotating mechanic adding depth to the 2D platforming. With a tap of a shoulder button, the whole game world rotates 90 degrees. This begins simply enough when you’re just navigating a singular structure, you could even be forgiven for thinking it’s just a gimmick as it’s essentially a traditional flat 2D stage that you push forward with these ‘rotations.’
Creative director at Ubisoft Jonathan Morin has confirmed via Twitter that Watch Dogs will not be getting a downloadable demo on any platforms. When responding to a deluge of -oddly impatient- fan questions on Twitter, he responded with the below Tweet.
@Rawfan306 Dude relax, I receive too much tweets… They are no demo planned before release. Sorry for the wait, doing my best…
While we’d love to have a demo for Watch Dogs before release, we’re not exactly surprised that Ubisoft aren’t even working on one. This is a game that has seen very few hands-on opportunities and even the upcoming PAX East Expo will only feature a hands-off demo for attendees. The lack of a playable Watch Dogs Pax demo strikes me as more strange as expo demos are easier to put together as they can run off a machine of the developers choosing, with as much game data stored on them as needed. Should we be concerned that Ubisoft won’t let anyone play their game when they were so open with the likes of Assassin’s Creed IV? Or are they trying to create an aura of mystery about the game similar to Rockstar and the GTA games?
As far as a downloadable Watch Dogs demo goes though, was that ever likely? Probably not. Do you remember ever playing a demo for any of the Assassin’s Creed games or Far Cry 3? Exactly, these games are way too big to be able to be compressed into a PSN/XBLA demo. Sure, they could give us a confined warehouse shootout, but that would be a poor representation of the intriguing open-world adventure that awaits us in Watch Dogs.
Still not sure about whether to pre-order Watch Dogs? Well, the truth of the matter is, nobody is holding a gun to your head, wait for a few reviews if you’re not sure. It’ll still be there a week after launch. Personally, I’m back on Team Excited for the game after seeing the Welcome to Chicago trailer. That and Ubisoft’s last two open world games in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Far Cry 3 have been amongst the best I’ve ever played.
Amazon has invited members of the press to a media event in New York on Wednesday and speculation suggests that the online retail sales giant is poised to announce their long-rumored console. The official line for the event is quoted as an “update for our video business.” Continue reading Amazon Console to be Announced on Wednesday?→
The first massive exclusive on the PS4 since launch day’s Killzone: Shadow Fall is finally here. The adventures of the lightning-powered Cole in the first two games were well received by PlayStation gamers, so it’s fair to say the pressure’s on for Sucker Punch’s debut PS4 game.
The story is set in a world that’s been reeling since Conduits -people with super powers – started appearing seven years earlier, causing widespread destruction and paranoia across America. Since the events of Infamous 2, Conduits have been branded Bio Terrorists and rounded up by the DUP -the Department of Unified Protection. The DUP is run by a sadistic turncoat Conduit Brooke Augustine, who has an ability to create concrete structures or painful torture spikes at will. This earned her a feared reputation amongst both Conduits and regular citizens. There are dark shades of McCarthyism and the similarities to the early X-Men movies or TV’s Heroes are plain to see.
Despite a serious lack of compatible software, Sony have managed to flog over 900,000 units of the PS4’s camera. With six million consoles sold, that means that nearly one in six PS4 owners have bought a camera. But why? Continue reading PS4 Camera Closes in on One Million Sales. But Why?→
Well, it looks like all those Paris rumours and leaks were on the money folks. Ubisoft have just officially announced Assassin’s Creed Unity for the PS4, Xbox One and PC platforms. The game will be out this year with a rough ‘Holiday 2014’ release date given. Continue reading Assassin’s Creed Unity Sneak Peek at Trailer→
Sony has finally officially unveiled their virtual reality headset, codenamed Project Morpheus. As a console gamer, I’ve been jealously stealing glances at the PC-only Oculus Rift headset that’s been edging closer to consumers over the last year and am greatly relieved I’m not going to have to invest in a high-tech PC to enjoy some VR gaming. Continue reading Project Morpheus PS4 Virtual Reality Headset Needs These Titles→
After years of lagging behind other key development territories, the UK games industry could be getting some much needed support in the form of tax breaks when the new annual budget is announced on Wednesday. Continue reading Tax Breaks for the UK Gaming Industry This Week?→
Warner Bros. Interactive have just announced a remake of the retro classic, Gauntlet. The game will be released this summer through Steam and will also be available on the range of upcoming Steam machine platforms. Development is being handled by Arrowhead Game Studios. Continue reading Gauntlet Remake Coming in Summer to PC→
Well, that’s hardly a glowing endorsement for the upcoming Wii U and 3DS exclusive Sonic Boom is it? In a recent Gamespot interview with Bob Rafei at developers Big Red Button, he talked about when the head of Team Sonic in Japan Takashi Iizuka, visited the studio to check on the team’s progress with the new Sonic Boom game.
“Early on, when we had our first review of all the crazy things we wanted to try, Iizuka-san came down to Los Angeles and looked through all the different concepts. I felt sorry for the guy because sometimes he couldn’t actually look at the screen -it was too traumatic seeing all the crazy stuff we wanted to do. Over the course of that meeting, when we were coming up with new ideas, we had a very sincere -just two adults talking- conversation about why a character should or should not wear pants, and that was a very surreal moment in my life and my career. But it helped us understand the rules of clothing in this universe. Any small adjustment went a very long way, so we had to be very careful.”
Seeing the head of Team Sonic turn his head away from the screen on your desk as you show him designs must have been pretty tough, not to mention extremely embarrassing. But it would seem that some of these unviewable designs have been ditched. Apparently early concepts saw extra detail like fur and scales added to characters. This doesn’t sound that bad to be honest, but I can see how Sega might want to keep the style for Sonic Boom colorful and cartoonish rather than imposing any sort of realism. We are talking about a speeding hedgehog after all.
Sonic Boom will release on the Wii U and 3DS later this year and there will also be a Sonic Boom TV series tie-in. Check out the trailers for both the game and the TV show below. Anyone else wish this was coming to PS4 and Xbox One too?
Has it really been thirteen years since Final Fantasy X on the PS2? The biggest name in RPGs hasn’t had a great time with the PS3, as the XIII trilogy consistently misfired and many of us are still clinging to the hope of a remake for VII. So, a HD remaster of Final Fantasy X and X-2 didn’t exactly strike me as much to celebrate, despite enjoying the first game all those years ago.
I was wrong though. Dead wrong. Final Fantasy X is arguably better than ever and an essential purchase for anyone pining for the good old days of Square Soft-developed RPGs. If Final Fantasyis to have a bright future, the developers need to look back at games like this to understand why the series went global post FFVII in the first place.
I’d like to think that we UK gamers are quite savvy when it comes to finding the best deal when buying games. And let’s face it; everything is generally cheaper online from the vast number of websites like Amazon, ShopTo, Zavvi, Game Collection and deal forums like HotUkDeals when comparing prices to high street stores like Game, HMV, Argos or the local supermarket. Continue reading High Street and Supermarkets Still Dominate Boxed Games Market→
Sucker Punch, the developers of Infamous: Second Son on the PS4 have just posted a message on their facebook page, asking gamers who have managed to get a hold of a copy of their game before the official release to stop posting video footage, citing spoilers as a key reason. With only neon and smoke powers officially confirmed for the new Infamous title, it’s no surprise to see that gamers have been eager too see what other powers Delsin can steal from his fellow conduits. Here’s what Sucker Punch had to say on the matter: Continue reading Infamous: Second Son Devs Implore Gamers to Stop Leaking Footage→
We’ve been excited to see more of the upcoming Street Fighter live action series since the Street Fighter: Legacy short from 2010. Well, Capcom have teamed up with the creators of that video and have turned it into a full series to be debuted on the Machinima site. Despite so many video game tie-ins being an uninspired mess, we’ve got some seriously high hopes for this one as the footage so far seems to be nailing the game’s tone. So, without further ado, we present the new teaser trailer for Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist.
“Los Angeles, CA, March 14, 2014 – Machinima, Assassin’s Fist Limited, and Capcom U.S.A., Inc. announce today, in partnership with Producer Jacqueline Quella, and Director Joey Ansah, that STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN’S FIST will debut in its entirety on Machinima, the number-one global video entertainment network for young males. The exact air date will be announced soon. The live-action series, which is distributed by Content Media, is the brainchild of Ansah (The Bourne Ultimatum, Snow White and the Huntsman), a member of the creative team behind the hugely successful fan film Street Fighter: Legacy—which has received almost 5,000,000 views to date. Ansah, who also stars in the series (Akuma), wrote the script with Christian Howard, who reprises his role as Ken Masters from the original fan film. The series also stars Mike Moh as Ryu, Togo Igawa (47 Ronin, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai) as Gōtetsu, Akira Koieyama as Gōken, Gaku Space as Gōki, Mark Killeen (300: Rise of an Empire, The Dark Knight Rises) as Mr. Masters, and Hal Yamanouchi as Senzo. Through the coming of age story of Ken & Ryu, we are shown the back story of some of the game’s most iconic characters, and over the course of the series we will see how the past, present, and future of all of those characters are intertwined, as the battle to become Ansatsuken Master threatens to tear apart another generation of brothers.”
And not a Van Damme or Kylie Minogue in sight! Is this the one folks? Will this end the chain of abysmal movie tie-ins like Need for Speed (trust me, don’t even bother if you love the Fast and Furious movies), the many Resident Evils or anything Uwe Boll touches?
Just in-case you’ve haven’t seen the original piece -Street Fighter: Legacy- that inspired the new series, I’ve included it below. It gets extra awesome points because Ken looks like former Juventus/ Czech Republic soccer legend, Pavel Nedved.
It’s fair to say that console gamers will have bought, or are on the verge of buying, an Xbox One especially to play Titanfall. However, according to Titanfall’s Lead Engineer Richard Baker, when development began on Respawn’s debut, an Xbox One version wasn’t even on the cards. Continue reading Titanfall Wasn’t Conceived With the Xbox One in Mind→
I recently got my eager hands on a demo of Infamous: Second Son at a retail preview event and I left with a distinct feeling that it won’t be the killer exclusive that the PS4 has been waiting for. With Titanfall due to hit rival platform Xbox One later this week, I was left wondering when the PS4 can expect to see its own exclusive that builds up a similar degree of hype and enthusiasm.
Sony’s Invizimals series has been through some changes since its inception on the PSP and has finally made its way to the PS3, ditching the augmented reality features to bring a traditional action platforming experience to the console.
The No Sleep Gamer 