Only a few short weeks to go now before the concluding part of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy and we’re celebrating with a video playthrough to show you the new combat system. The apparently not backwardly-named Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, has ditched the stale combat of the last two games by assigning various attacks and spells to the face buttons of your controller.
Customisation is back in style too as you can enter battle with three different Schema, each with their own set of skills to give you extra combat options. With around 70 Schema to choose from in the final game -each of them customisable too- the depth on offer is looking absolutely huge. For the most part, Lightning will be on her own, but the Schema changes give the game a quasi team-based feel and the slicker combat feels like Square Enix could be onto a winner. Plus, Lightning is easily the best member of the XIII cast. Continue reading Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | Combat Playthrough→
Chances are, you’re either a big fan of the Dark Souls series or you just can’t be doing with their brand of no-nonsense difficulty and downright unresponsive controls.
Me? I’m not a fan and haven’t been since I played the original Demon’s Souls. So why am I the one talking to you about Bloodborne, a game by the same devs and seen as a potential killer exclusive on the PS4 for fans of From Software’s series? Well, after trying out the recent Alpha, I’m thinking maybe Bloodborne will be worth a look after all and those of you that aren’t fans of the Souls games probably shouldn’t dismiss it so soon.
The PS4 offerings for PS+ have been a bit too niche for their own good in recent months, but Velocity 2X is a stone cold classic. This newly released title is available for free to anyone on Sony’s subscription service and is out now on both PS4 and Vita.
Today we have 27 minutes of gameplay footage for you, captured from the PS4 version as I play the game for the first time. Velocity 2X is a hybrid of retro shooter and 2D platformer and works best when played at full tilt. The video shows off how effortlessly the game switches between the two genres to become one of the best releases of the year so far. We’ll have a review for you soon, but for now check out what you’re missing, then go and download it. Continue reading Opening Scenes: Velocity 2X – 27 Mins of Gameplay→
The new Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition has been devouring our time lately. After getting back from my hols I’ve finally been able to finish the campaign mode which, as players of the original version will know, has meant the Adventure mode has finally unlocked.
This part of Diablo III’s end-game sees you tasked with bounties or killcount targets to bring in some seriously fat XP and gold rewards, not to mention all sorts of shiny loot. Blood Shards are rare rewards too and also a new currency that allows you to gamble for some exceptionally rare items. Continue reading Let’s Play… Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition – Adventure Mode→
It doesn’t look like that medical career is ever going to happen for me. That said, I’d like to think that I’d be able to hold medical equipment with more conviction portrayed by the downright awful controls in Surgeon Simulator on PS4, where my dainty grip would indicate I’m holding a piss-soaked towel rather than a bone cutting electrical saw.
‘But that’s part of the fun’ I hear you say. Admittedly, anyone in the room that watched my increasingly futile attempts at a heart transplant were in stitches, probably because they know how angry I was getting. When you’re trying to control the action though, the joke wears thin pretty quick, especially when one of the multiple glitches sees sheets get stuck to your fingers or your hand gets trapped in the rib cage or on a table rail.
There might be a review coming soon, but I should probably stop using Dr ‘Hi everybody!’ Nick videos for tutorials if I want to make any more progress. If that bunch of mindless plebs in Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy are supposed to be surgeons, I really should be doing better. For now I’m going back to having nightmares about having to review an Octodad/Surgeon Simulator crossover.
Well folks, the doors are closing today on yet another huge Gamescom Expo and just like you, we’re still eagerly devouring all the latest info, trailers and gameplay demos. Carl and Jon have an absolute tonne of previews and interviews to bring you in the near future, so be sure to stay tuned for those. Today is all about the videos though.
Seeing as you’ve probably already seen the videos for the hottest big-name games that you can’t wait to get your hands on (Far Cry 4 and Quantum Break look amazing, no?), we’ve been scouring the net to find those precious gems that slipped through the cracks amidst all the triple A noise. So here’s our picks of the seven best Gamescom videos you may have missed.
Abe’s Oddysee was one of our favourite 2D platformers back in the PS1’s heyday, so we’re delighted that Just Add Water has given the game a shiny HD makoever, although we’re not sold, nor see the point of, the new name – Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty. In addition to the new visuals, the separate screens that broke up a stage as you ran onto them from left to right have been replaced with one smoothly scrolling stage. Continue reading Opening Scenes | Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty – 15 Mins PS4 Gameplay→
With the Destiny Beta finishing tomorrow, we’ve been squeezing every last drop from the game. We even managed to get a few matches on the elusive Iron Banner mode and record a few tasty videos for you. This special mode only unlocks for the briefest of windows, allowing players the chance to partake in a new multiplayer mode where all the stats for weapons and armor are taken into account, meaning having earned the best gear could give you an advantage. Continue reading Destiny Beta Iron Banner Mode PS4 Gameplay→
After a successful Alpha test last month, we’ve been itching to play more Destiny and have been all over the new Beta which launched earlier this week. Our first video of the new build includes the opening cinematic and the entire first mission. Continue reading Opening Scenes | Destiny Beta Gameplay – First 15 Mins on PS4→
Despite what seems like the entire internet trying to get the Battlefield: Hardline beta at once, after multiple login attempts, I managed to snag a PS4 code. Absolute win-sauce! So, here’s our exclusive first attempt at Heist mode, on the wrong side of the law with criminals facing off against the coppers.
We’ve been having a blast all week here shootin’, stabbin’ and stranglin’ Nazis with Wolfenstein: The New Order. Did you also know that there’s a bonus stage which old school gamers will most certainly get a kick out of? I’ve captured some footage, so take a look. Feel free to let us know what you think of the game if you have it already or ask any questions. But yeah, you should buy it. Continue reading VIDEO: Wolfenstein: The New Order Retro Bonus Level→
A new trailer for Diablo III on the PS4 has just landed showing off fresh gameplay for Blizzard’s upcoming action RPG. This is one of the first looks we’ve had for a while since its epic delay. The trailer doesn’t show any multiplayer action but we know that Diablo III will support 4-player co-op both online and locally. Continue reading Diablo III PS4 Next-Gen Gameplay Trailer→
That’s right folks; the Dubstep craze has hit Middle Earth! While questing towards a lengthy Platinum Trophy in Lego The Hobbit, you can unearth one of the many Red Bricks that act as cheat mods for the game, giving you anything from stud multipliers, disguises, super slaps and many more besides. Well, activate one called Middle Earth Festival and you’ll never get bored roaming around the open world hunting down those final Mithril Bricks.
Have you ever wanted to see your favourite Lego The Hobbit characters get down to some seriously bangin’ dubstep including dialogue samples from The Hobbit and LOTR movies as Middle Earth is bathed in disco lighting? Who hasn’t! It already sounds better than watching any of the Hobbit movies again.
Take a look at this quick video I pulled from my PS4 this weekend that shows various minifig characters getting down. The video includes dancing from the likes of Bilbo, an elf, Sauron, Gandalf, a dwarf and naturally, Gollum.
Lego The Hobbit has turned out to be quite a buggy and lazy release from Traveller’s Tales, but with the promise of an easy Platinum Trophy and some fun co-op adventuring (that’s what I’m calling recruiting my girlfriend into halving the workload) I’ve managed to find an amusing way to grind through the final hours. There’s a retro 8-bit cheat mod too, but in all honesty, it’s a bit rubbish.
As amusing as it is, it won’t be enough to stop me slinging the finished game on eBay as soon as I’m done, despite the final part of the Hobbit trilogy coming later in DLC form. Frankly, I’m still a bit disappointed that Warner Bros are fleecing fans by releasing the game now instead of December as a complete edition. That said, I’d expect a complete re-release around then for the same price Lego The Hobbit is now. So maybe, it’s best to wait if you’ve not picked up the game yet.
Let us know your thoughts about Warner’s odd timing for Lego The Hobbit or if you’ve found anything amusing in the game so far too.
Not long to go now before Mario Kart 8 lands on the Wii U and today we get to see some of the new weapons in action. Mario Kart 8 has long been touted as the Wii U’s most important game, with many gamers and critics thinking that it could turn things around for the struggling Wii U.
Sales of Nintendo’s latest console have been sluggish but Mario Kart 8 could be the first genuine system seller and should see them throw some serious marketing money at it if they want to replicated the previous Wii game’s success on the Wii U. With the last game still being advertised on TV less than a year ago, the series has proved it has serious staying power and could once again become a huge hit again when Mario Kart 8 lands at the end of this month.
Edge magazine are one of the few publications to have reviewed Mario Kart 8 and have awarded it a massive 9/10. The series has had huge success with casual and hardcore gamers alike, but will the latest title be enough to convince them to buy a new console?Both crowds have moved on from the Wii, with the hardcore players probably still rubbing their wallets after splashing out on a PS4 or Xbox One and the more casual crowd enjoying the mobile/tablet gaming explosion that’s hit since the Wii’s heyday.
There’s no denying that Mario Kart 8 is looking all sorts of awesome though. These new trailers, which will be all over your TV and interrupting your YouTube playlists soon, show off some of the new weaponry in the form of a Boomerang that allows multiple hits or the Super Horn that sends out a radial blast similar to a weapon in the fairly successful Sonic Racing series that emerged during Mario Kart’s slumber. Thankfully, none of them look as cheap as Bullet Bill or that controller-crushing Blue Shell.
When looking online for headsets you’re usually flooded with options and a range of incomprehensible user reviews or samey tech descriptions lazily copied from the manufacturer’s PR sheet. Well we thought it was about time to try out a few and give you an in-depth opinion.
With the free bundled headset with the PS4 offering terrible mic quality, I looked towards some third-party manufacturers to do better. So today, I’m reviewing three different PS4 headsets from Orb Accessories including the Wired Chat, the Elite Chat and the GP3.
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→
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?
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.
Thanks to my recent acquisition of a Hauppauge capture device, I’m able to bring you an Opening Scenes video for Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD, the new HD port of the 2012 Vita game. I’ll be bringing you a review very soon, but if you’re eager to see what the opening twenty minutes hold, then marvel at my restraint as I avoid succumbing to collecting all the shiny things instead of doing actual missions.
Instead of playing an Assassin’s game like my usual obsessive-compulsive (but very stabby) magpie, this playthrough video will show you cutscenes, climbing, fighting, costume changes, mistimed jumps and some ruddy vicious looking machetes. I’ve put a few hours into the game since recording this footage and am pleased to say it’s going well so far. Aveline is a delightful character and the story is shaping up to be better than most Assassin’s games. Stay tuned for that review. Continue reading Opening Scenes | Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD – First 20 Mins→
Gaming reviews, previews and features by Brendan Griffiths
The No Sleep Gamer 