Category Archives: News

No Football Manager for Next-Gen Consoles

Sports Interactive studio boss Miles Jacobson, has dashed hopes of console gamers playing Football Manager anytime soon, telling MCV [print edition], “We have no plans for next-gen at all.”

So, despite the architecture of the new machines resembling PCs more than ever, it would seem Sega and SI are yet to be convinced. Past form seems to be a key issue as Jacobson went on to say, “We didn’t have a lot of success on the 360. We did on the first version on Xbox, and we usually see ourselves going up year-on-year not falling.”

Continue reading No Football Manager for Next-Gen Consoles

Call of Duty: Ghosts Free Fall Map is a GAME Exclusive

“Look, We’re Knocking Down Skyscrapers Too!”

That’s what this trailer for the Free Fall pre-order DLC incentive seems to be shouting, as Activision try to muscle in on Battlefield 4’s key multiplayer feature, massively changing environments in multiplayer maps. To be fair, Call of Duty: Ghosts’ new map looks like a hell of a lot of fun too.

Infinity Ward’s Mark Rubin, is pretty excited about the new map: “It [the new map] introduces our new mechanic, dynamic maps – this idea of bringing that sort of cinematic single player experience to multiplayer. You’re playing in a building that is falling over and is wedged between two other buildings. The floor you’re on is actually the glass windows from the side of the building so you see this world in a very topsy-turvy sense as it’s plummeting down to the streets below.”

The pre-order map will be available from multiple outlets in the US. European console gamers face a one-store exclusive policy in each territory though, with Game being the only option for UK gamers. Tease yourself with a trailer after the break and decide if you want to put your money with the big purple one. Continue reading Call of Duty: Ghosts Free Fall Map is a GAME Exclusive

Orchid Smashes Into Killer Instinct’s Roster

The Killer Instinct reboot is the only next-gen fighter on the horizon and we’re seeing more characters being added to the free-to-play(ish) title. The latest addition is Orchid, a baton-wielding female fighter who transforms into a tiger. So yeah, she’s a bit feisty.

The new trailer shows her giving a hell of a beating to Jago and there’s a bit of tease for Spinal being the next character to be announced too. If you haven’t heard already, the game will be an exclusive free download on the Xbox One, but all the characters -except for Jago- will have to be paid for separately. It’s an interesting concept, especially as many fighter fans usually stick with a small handful of characters, so it could work. Fingers crossed that you’ll at least be able to try them out before buying though. For more details on pricing and bundles click here. Continue reading Orchid Smashes Into Killer Instinct’s Roster

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Trailer Ups the Drama

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is looking to end the Lords of Shadow saga in style early next year. Although, if you’re yet to play any of the series, I’d advise staying away from this trailer as it gives away the endings for the first game and Mirrors of Fate. Speaking of Mirrors of Fate, which was originally a 3DS game, I’ll have a review of the HD remake for you later on today. While you’re waiting, check out my recent hands-on preview of Lords of Shadow 2. Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Trailer Ups the Drama

Contrast Gameplay Trailer Moves in the Shadows

This is our first proper look at some gameplay for the upcoming platformer from Compulsion Games, Contrast. Set in 1920s Paris, with a burlesque-noir carnival style, your journey will follow the story of the little girl Didi and her imaginary acrobatic friend, Dawn.

In an interesting twist, you will be able to jump into the shadows, turning parts of the game into a 2D platformer. It looks like you will use both dimensions to solve puzzles and move around the game world. We’re getting a similar vibe to dimension-shifting games like Super Paper Mario, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams or the upcoming Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. This is a good thing.

PS4 gamers with a PS+ subscription will get the game for free at launch. Elsewhere it will be released on Xbox 360 and PC on November 15th and PS3 on November 20th. Continue reading Contrast Gameplay Trailer Moves in the Shadows

Ubisoft Release Seven Minutes of South Park Gameplay

On the one hand, we’re a bit annoyed to see South Park: The Stick of Truth delayed again. But on the other, we think the March 4th release date will give it some room to breathe. It was never going to stand a chance in the Christmas rush to be honest, even with that interesting December release date.

To keep you interested, Ubisoft have released seven minutes of gameplay showing a mix of cutscenes, turn-based combat and even a little peak at the equip screens, complete with ‘Weapon strap-ons.’ The more we see of the game, the more it looks like it might actually fulfill its potential, as it seems to be nailing the look and humour of the show. Who would have thought we’d be turning to South Park for a traditional turn-based RPG experience though? Continue reading Ubisoft Release Seven Minutes of South Park Gameplay

Heavenly Sword Gets A Movie and Trailer

Learning that Heavenly Sword was being turned into a CGI movie was a pleasant surprise, especially seeing as the original game was released way back in 2007. As any fan of the PS3 game could tell you, it’s cinematic potential is huge.

New details have been revealed recently, but they’re not exactly fan-pleasers. Andy Serkis (of The Lord of the Rings‘ Gollum fame) put in an excellent vocal and facial motion-capture performance for the game, but has been replaced by Alfred Molina. No disrespect to Molina, but this was a role Serkis owned.

As with any film based on a game, it would seem there’s been a bit of unnecessary creativity with the story, namely an introduction of a brother (played by Thomas Jane) for Nariko, which just about derails the story from the start. In the game, a prophecy foretold the birth of a boy to save the world from evil, but Nariko was born instead and largely shunned by her tribe. At least Anna Torv (Fringe) reprises the lead role as Nariko. Continue reading Heavenly Sword Gets A Movie and Trailer

Rainbow Moon Coming to the Vita December 3rd

RPG fans rejoice! The Vita is getting some much-needed love in the form of the excellent Rainbow Moon. This will be a port of last year’s PSN exclusive and will now feature cross-save support.

SideQuest Studios told the US PS Blog that the game will run at a slick 60 FPS and will include 30 new features, bug fixes and improvements. They elaborated by saying, “XP counters in the victory screen can now be skipped, items can be used directly from the quest vendor, and left-stick control has been improved, reducing the chance of walking in unintended directions while in battle mode.

As a player of the original, improved movement on the battlefield sounds like good news and will hopefully reduce the number of wasted turns. Cross-save support sounds great, especially if you never got around to finishing the original and the game should be an excellent fit for the Vita as you’ll be able to whip it out for a quick grind anywhere. SideQuest are also currently in talks with Sony to get a discount for owners of the original PSN game and cross-buy could be on the cards too. Continue reading Rainbow Moon Coming to the Vita December 3rd

Killzone: Shadow Fall Story Trailer

Killzone: Shadow Fall is looking like the must-have PS4 exclusive on launch day. This new trailer gives us more details on the plot than any of the past videos and it’s shaping up to be very interesting indeed. Series fans will notice a reference to Visari and we’re presuming it’s his daughter who is now leading the Helghast. The game is set 30 years after the original trilogy and finds both sides fighting over the same planet since the destruction of Helghan.

Killzone has never been shy of putting a large emphasis on the story and it feels like Guerrilla Games are gearing up for something epic this time. Fingers crossed Rico won’t be making a cameo though. Don’t forget to check out our multiplayer hands-on report too. Continue reading Killzone: Shadow Fall Story Trailer

Tearaway Nears Completion – Have a Trailer

Less than a month to go now before the November 22nd release date for Tearaway. The Media Molecule-developed platformer looks set to be worth the wait for the nearly-forgotten PS Vita. The new trailer shows off how the game would only ever work on the Vita thanks to the front and rear touch features, a camera and a microphone. All of these control inputs will be used to create a unique platforming adventure.

Take a look at the new trailer after the break and don’t forget to check out Jon’s Photo Diary from a recent preview build of the game. Continue reading Tearaway Nears Completion – Have a Trailer

PS4 Day One Firmware Update Adds Essential Features

Sony have announced that a firmware update will be awaiting gamers on launch day in order to add some essential features. Firmware update 1.50 will only be around 300MB, so shouldn’t take as long as the Xbox One’s day one update at least.

The update will unlock Remote Play (use the Vita instead of your TV), Second Screen (Vita/tablets/mobile function) and the video sharing and spectating features. There’s also multiple logins, the play while you download feature, voice chat, facial recognition and voice commands and a background music player. But most importantly, the update will unlock online multiplayer and DVD/Blu-ray playback functionality. Continue reading PS4 Day One Firmware Update Adds Essential Features

Golden Joystick Awards 2013 – The Winners

It’s award season folks and we have the full list of winners for the 31st Golden Joysticks awards that took place in London on Friday. It’s worth noting though that many of this year’s biggest games haven’t even been released yet. The Golden Joysticks usually feature winners of games that are nearly a year old, but there seems to be a fair share of titles from the same year as the one on the trophy for a change this year.

The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, and Payday 2 were amongst the worthy winners. But World of Tanks for Best Online Multiplayer seems like the most paid for trophy of the night. Click through to see the complete list of winners and let us know your own picks too. Continue reading Golden Joystick Awards 2013 – The Winners

NBA 2K14 Next Gen Trailer Drops Jaws

Fancy taking a peak at a graphical benchmark for next-gen sports games? Of course you do, so here’s some footage of swaggering NBA basketballers in 2K’s upcoming next-gen version of NBA 2K14. The video shows some jaw-dropping in-game graphics, with an epic Mr-T beard on the Houston Rockets’ Harden being the obvious highlight.

If genre-leading visuals are your thing, it may well be worth hanging on for the next-gen versions of the game that launch on the same days as the PS4 and Xbone. Matt reviewed the 360 version recently and gave it an 8/10, so expect big things. Continue reading NBA 2K14 Next Gen Trailer Drops Jaws

Play Assassin’s Creed IV Early on the Black Flag Tour

Fancy getting your hands on some next-gen Assassin’s Creed? Then check out the lengthy list of UK Universities Ubisoft are visiting so you can play Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on the PS4. I played the PS4 version at the Eurogamer Expo and it’s absolutely gorgeous, so get down there and have a look if you’re still on the fence about whether to buy the game on a current or next-gen console. Prizes will be available too.

The events take place at the venues and dates listed below from 10am-6pm, so chances are you won’t have to spend much time queuing. There’s no need to book a place either, just turn up! Expect the venues to be over 18s only, so ID may be required, although there’s no mention of you having to be a student at that Uni to get in. Continue reading Play Assassin’s Creed IV Early on the Black Flag Tour

Dragon’s Crown Getting Cross-Play Patch Soon

What started as bad news has now turned into good news for the mighty RPG beat ’em up, Dragon’s Crown. The game’s PR team recently reached out to let us know that there was a printing error on the back of the European/Australian boxes for the Vita version, indicating the game supported cross-play (instead of cross-save) functionality with the PS3.

Don’t feel bad for long though, as the devs have seen fit to finally start working on a patch for cross-play support so Vita and PS3 gamers can play together. Japan and America will be getting the update first as the game has been out in those territories longer than the EU, but we expect we’ll be getting it soon too. Continue reading Dragon’s Crown Getting Cross-Play Patch Soon

Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 4

Here’s my final roundup of the Developer Session videos from this year’s Eurogamer Expo. Don’t forget to check out the coverage from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 too. As I mentioned earlier, you can watch them through your PS3 or 360 on your TV by clicking the ‘Watch Later’ icon (the little clock in the lower right corner). Trust me , it’s much easier than using the terrible search option on the consoles. Here’s a list of the final sessions:

Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 3

Last week I rounded up the developer session videos from Day1 and Day 2 of the Eurogamer Expo, which hopefully gave you a nice afternoon of chilling out and catching up on the inside knowledge of the hottest upcoming games. Want to do it again? Of course you do. Why not add the videos to your ‘Watch Later’ list on YouTube, then enjoy them on your TV via the YouTube app on your PS3 or 360. Well here’s Day 3’s coverage for you:

Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 2

We’ve shown you what you missed from the Developer Sessions at this weekend’s Eurogamer Expo on Day 1 already. But if you’re eager for more inside info on the hottest upcoming games, we’ve got you covered with the action from Day 2. Here’s the list, with the embedded videos available after the break.

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule)
  • Beyond: Two Souls (David Cage from Quantic Dream)
  • Dying Light (Techland)
  • FIFA 14 Next-Gen (EA Sports)
  • Outside Xbox
  • PlayStation Indie Showcase*

*Replaced DriveClub session as the speaker was ill. Continue reading Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 2