LEGO Dimensions: Doctor Doctor Doctor Who

Chris Hare
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LEGO Dimensions: Doctor Doctor Doctor Who

For the first time in any LEGO videogame, characters and vehicles from some of the biggest entertainment brands in the universe converge in LEGO Dimensions.  In a new short trailer illustrating the game’s crazy, possible mash-ups, Dr. Venkman from Ghostbusters, Doc Brown from Back to the Future, and The Doctor from the long running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, unexpectedly come together.

Fans can play through individual levels based on these popular properties in the game’s main story. Players can also explore one distinct, freeplay Adventure World for each of these entertainment properties with any LEGO Dimensions minifigure belonging to that brand.  Each Adventure World provides players access to additional gameplay content and exploration throughout some of the most iconic locations from each brand’s universe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIUkFCQ3svQ

Ghostbusters fans who want to spookify their LEGO Dimensions experience beyond the Ghostbusters level in the LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack can add the Ghostbusters Level Pack featuring “A Spook Central Adventure!” a mission-based Ghostbusters level where players must fight Gozer and save New York City.  The pack comes with a buildable Peter Venkman LEGO minifigure and Proton Pack, Ecto-1 and Ghost Trap – all playable in the game. Players can replay through the game and other levels to trap ghosts and access more collectibles in their journey to save the LEGO multiverse.

Players who want to head back to the future in an epic LEGO Dimensions adventure, can add the Back to the Future Level Pack which unlocks the exclusive “A Hill Valley Time Travel Adventure” level. The pack comes with a buildable Marty McFly LEGO minifigure, DeLorean Time Machine which can travel through time and access areas, plus a Hoverboard.  Players can also expand their LEGO Dimensions gameplay with the Back to the Future Doc Brown Fun Pack, featuring a buildable Doc Brown minifigure and rebuildable Traveling Time Train.

Fans who want more of the Whoniverse beyond the Doctor Who level in the LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack can purchase the Doctor Who Level Pack which includes “The Dalek Extermination of Earth,” an additional mission-based Doctor Who level, along with a 12th Doctor LEGO minifigure, TARDIS that can travel across time and space, and K-9 – all playable in the game. Gamers can play as any of the twelve doctors. When the 12th Doctor is defeated in the level, he returns as the 1st Doctor and then regenerates back up to the 12th Doctor again.  The interior of the TARDIS will reflect the corresponding Doctor the player embodies or can be manually selected.  There’s even a jukebox inside where players can choose among different versions of the Doctor Who theme music. Players can further upgrade their LEGO Dimensions gameplay with the Doctor Who Cyberman Fun Pack, featuring a buildable Cyberman minifigure and rebuildable Dalek.

Watch the new Call of Duty: Black Ops III “Der Eisendrache”

Chris Hare
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0
Watch the new Call of Duty: Black Ops III “Der Eisendrache”

Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s epic Zombies DLC season begins here. In “Der Eisendrache”, Origins characters Richtofen, Nikolai, Takeo and Dempsey embark on a suicide mission to an enemy research facility built upon an archaic site of unspeakable horror. Massive deposits of Element 115 have recently been discovered, delivering inspired new gameplay and — in Zombies tradition — a variety of plot twists and surprises to discover at every turn.

The Awakening DLC Pack includes four new multiplayer maps — Skyjacked, Rise, Splash and Gauntlet — and Der Eisendrache, Treyarch’s brand new Zombies adventure that picks up where The Giant left off.

Awakening is available first on PlayStation 4 on 2nd February, 2016.

Dangerous Golf announced for Xbox One

Chris Hare
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0
Dangerous Golf announced for Xbox One

Today Three Fields Entertainment has announced the company’s first game, called Dangerous Golf. Available for download on Xbox One in May 2016, Dangerous Golf is an irreverent, silly, fun approach to golf games that challenges players to break the rules and wreak havoc on more than 100 holes in four unexpected locations.

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The game is led by Criterion Games founders and creators of the Burnout franchise, Fiona Sperry and Alex Ward, the Three Fields Entertainment development team is comprised of industry veterans who are no strangers to creating blockbuster games having been at the helm of titles such as Burnout, Black and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Development team members have a combined 150 years of experience working at companies like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and Disney.

“When Fiona and I formed Three Fields Entertainment a year ago, we knew we wanted to focus on what we do best: making fast, fun and spectacular arcade style games,” said Alex Ward, Founder and Creative Director of Three Fields Entertainment. “Dangerous Golf is just that. It’s as serious a golf game as Burnout was a serious simulation to driving games. We wanted to mix the attitude of Burnout with the destruction of Black whilst setting the golf ball on fire — a nod to NBA Jam. This type of gameplay is part of our DNA, and something we think our fans will truly enjoy.”

In Dangerous Golf, players aren’t striving for Par or aiming for Birdie — they’re playing for dollar damage as their high score. As they progress throughout the game, players will not only be awarded points for trick shots and ricochet techniques, but they’ll also get rewarded for destroying stuff by turning their golf ball into a bomb and setting off their SmashBreaker. Destructive powers increases as the ball heats up, ensuring that the most elaborate shots are not only the most rewarded, but the most impressive to watch.

The action takes place in a series of elaborate indoor and outdoor locations including a hotel kitchen, a glittering palace ballroom, a rural gas station and a stately medieval castle. Featuring turn-based play in both on and offline multiplayer, Dangerous Golf awards points based on destruction, encouraging players to get creative as they wreak havoc in an effort to increase their score.

Dangerous Golf may be a fun, silly golf game, but it’s one that was created with a serious technical edge. The team worked closely with both Epic’s Unreal Engine 4 team and Nvidia to not only push the boundaries of their PhysX, Apex Destruction and Flex technologies, but also to deliver a truly physics based game experience.

As such, players will enjoy causing amazing destruction by smashing thousands of physically simulated rigid body valuables, shatter priceless heirlooms into small pieces and paint the environments with physically simulated liquids.

“By harnessing the power of world class technology provided by Epic and nVidia, Three Fields Entertainment aims to be a cutting-edge development studio that pushes the boundaries of fast action, amazing destruction and multiplayer gaming,” said Fiona Sperry, CEO at Three Fields Entertainment. “Dangerous Golf is just the beginning of a series of games that will focus on speed, danger, excitement and destruction.”

Linksys Introduces new Portfolio of MU-MIMO Home Networking Solutions

Chris Hare
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Linksys Introduces new Portfolio of MU-MIMO Home Networking Solutions

Linksys has today announced its line-up of new MAX-STREAM MU-MIMO networking solutions.  After being first to launch a fully functional MU-MIMO router in May of last year, Linksys expands its MU-MIMO portfolio to include two additional routers, a range extender and a USB adapter. The new Linksys MAX-STREAM line-up leverages the next generation of Wi-Fi – 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple Output) technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to all the devices in the home and function as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router. With MU-MIMO, the whole household can play video games; listen to music, check email, shop, stream movies, and more – all at the same time.

Linksys logo

MAX-STREAM MU-MIMO Family of New Products

According to a white paper by ABI Research The Importance Of Mu-Mimo In The Wi-Fi Ecosystem more than 84% of all wireless 5GHz chipsets will be MU-MIMO enabled by 2019. To keep up with the speeds and performance of client devices coming to market such as 4K TVs, laptops, smart phones, tablets and game consoles, consumers will want to make sure they have the latest Wi-Fi router that can support all the new devices coming into the home. Sandvine Research has reported that 70% of internet traffic in North America consists entirely of streaming video and audio content from sources like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video, iTunes, Pandora and many other sources. It was 30% five years ago.

 

“Our new line-up of Linksys MU-MIMO solutions provide the networking backbone to allow consumers to enjoy high-performance and simultaneous Wi-Fi, including speed, range, and coverage”, said Justin Doucette, director of product management, Linksys. “With the rise of 4K streaming and the growth of MU-MIMO clients, having the latest MU-MIMO technology is the best way to ensure users get the best Wi-Fi experience possible.”

Linksys MAX-STREAM AC1900 Dual-Band MU-MIMO GIGABIT ROUTER (EA7500)

The new Linksys AC1900 MU-MIMO router leverages the 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to multiple devices in the home and function as if multiple devices have their own dedicated router. With MU-MIMO, the whole household can play video games, listen to music, check email, shop, stream movies, and more – all at the same time without buffering or lag.  The EA7500 features:

  • Qualcomm IPQ 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor
  • The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 with MU-MIMO
  • Dual-band AC1900 Wireless speeds up to* 1300 Mbps 5 GHz + 600 Mbps 2.4Ghz
  • 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, 1 Gigabit WAN
  • USB 3.0, 2.0 ports
  • Smart Wi-Fi app for remote access, control and troubleshooting

MSRP £149.99

Availability planned – February 2016

Linksys MAX-STREAM AC5400 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router with MU-MIMO (EA9500)

Outfitted with Next Gen AC Wi-Fi technologies such MU-MIMO and Tri-Band  that work in concert to deliver powerful Wi-Fi at the same time and same speed to multiple connected devices including 4K TVs, gaming consoles, wireless printers, laptops and other connected devices at home or in the office at combined speeds up to 5.3 Gbps. As one of the most powerful Wi-Fi routers in the market, the Linksys Max-Stream AC5400 provides business grade functionality to get your home or small office up and running quickly along with exclusive Linksys Smart Wi-Fi software that provides added control of the EA9500 Wi-Fi Router from anywhere, at any time. EA9500 Wi-Fi Router also features a robust set of advanced offerings:

  • 1.4 GHz Dual Core Processor
  • Tri-Band Wireless AC5400  (1000 Mbps 2.4Ghz + 2166 Mbps 5Ghz + 2166 Mbps 5GHz)
  • The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 includes Mu-MIMO
  • 9 Gigabit Ethernet ports (8 LAN, 1 WAN) and USB 3.0, 2.0 ports
  • 8 external antennas for maximum coverage
  • WPA/WPA2 encryption and SPI firewall keep your network safely connected
  • Smart Wi-Fi app for remote access, control and troubleshooting

MSRP £329.99

Availability Planned – April 2016

Linksys MAX-STREAM AC1900+ MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE7000)

The First range extender with next generation AC Wave 2 technology – MU-MIMO, works with any Wi-Fi router however when paired with a MAX STREAM router it can provide even greater performance to Wi-Fi devices all around the home with seamless roaming.  The combination of a MAX STREAM router and range extender creates a single network in the home with a single network name (SSID) so users can roam throughout their home without having to manually connect to the range extender.  The Linksys MAX STREAM Range Extender also features Spot Finder Technology (Patent Pending) to show users where to place the range extender using a mobile device for optimal performance. Crossband Technology maximizes the simultaneous use of both bands, while Beamforming focuses and strengthens the Wi-Fi signal.  Additional features include:

  • Dual Band Wireless AC1900 – AC1733 + N300
  • The Latest Wi-Fi Standard – 802.11ac Wave 2 includes MU-MIMO
  • Seamless Roaming
  • Crossband Technology
  • Plug-In Form factor
  • Multi-Mode – Repeater, Access Point
  • One Gigabit Ethernet Port MSRP £129.99 The Linksys AC600 USB Adapter is the first MU-MIMO enabled adapter on the market.  It enables users to connect their laptops and computers to a wireless-AC network as well as a MU-MIMO router for optimal performance, so users can easily stream high-definition video and enjoy high-speed gaming.  Additional features include:
  • Linksys MAX-STREAM AC600 USB MU-MIMO Adapter (WUSB6100M)
  • Availability Planned – Spring 2016
  • AC Wave 2 – MU-MIMO  (AC433 + N150)
  • Beamforming
  • USB 2.0
  • Plug ‘n Play with Simple Pairing
  • Works with Any Wi-Fi Router; Optimized with MAX-STREAMMSRP: £39.99 New Linksys Smart Wi-Fi  App Enhancements
  • Availability Planned – Spring 2016

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi is a cloud-based free service that comes with Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers and the latest WRT routers.  It gives users highly secure access to their home network from a browser, smartphone or tablet. Users can instantly tap into their home network to check the connection status of their devices, give a guest access to the Internet, or block their child from accessing harmful websites.  Users can also prioritize which devices on the network get the most bandwidth to eliminate lag times and buffering.  On the upcoming Smart Wi-Fi update‡, EA9500 users can opt-in to get notifications on their router status.  It’ll tell users when the router is offline so users can easily trouble-shoot to get their router back online and running. In addition Smart Wi-Fi is getting a complete makeover.  New user interface with updated colours and user experience will make connecting and managing your home Wi-Fi easy! New improved features include providing guest access and media prioritization so the devices users want to have top priority for internet access can be done quickly on the app. New user interface will be available for all Smart Wi-Fi router users.

Planned availability – Spring 2016

TMNT Mutants in Manhattan trailer break out from it shell

Chris Hare
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0
TMNT Mutants in Manhattan trailer break out from it shell

Activision and PlatinumGames Inc. have joined forces to create Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, a third-person action game featuring New York’s crime-fighting Heroes in a Half Shell.  Players will protect The Big Apple from aliens, mutants and the Foot Clan in a single-player campaign or partner with up to three friends in four-player online co-op. But be prepared – defeating Bebop, Rocksteady, Shredder and other iconic bosses won’t be easy.

PlatinumGames’ flair for stylish visuals and fluid combat are on full display in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Fast-paced, team-based brawling will challenge gamers of all skill levels. Each Turtle has a distinctive combat play style and can be customised with a unique set of Ninjutsu moves, combat items and special bonuses.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan also features gorgeous, cel-shaded art design, with an original story from prolific author of IDW Publishing’s acclaimed ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Tom Waltz.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan is expected to arrive this summer as a retail and digital release on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows PC via Steam.

 

New details Resistance Mode for Homefront: The Revolution

Chris Hare
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0
New details Resistance Mode for Homefront: The Revolution

Deep Silver has today revealed Resistance Mode for Homefront: The Revolution with the new ‘Freedom Fighters’ gameplay trailer.

Resistance Mode is a brand new four-player co-operative online experience included in Homefront: The Revolution, and Xbox One owners can be the first to try it out when the Closed Beta runs exclusively on Xbox One between February 11th and February 14th.

Resistance Mode sees you form a Resistance Cell with your friends online, and wage guerrilla warfare against the military might of the KPA in thrilling narrative-driven Missions across occupied Philadelphia.

You’ll be able to unlock new skills, earn weapon blueprints, rare equipment and combat gear to upgrade and customise your personal roster of Freedom Fighters, as you and your teammates go from rookie civilians to battle hardened soldiers.

Players will also enjoy major free content updates as part of an extensive post-launch support program from Dambuster Studios.

“Homefront: The Revolution is this team’s most ambitious project yet” said Hasit Zala, Game Director at Dambuster Studios.

“In addition to our epic 30+ hour single-player campaign, we expect to launch Resistance Mode with twelve Missions, packed with re-playability, and hope to release another twenty Missions within the first year. And to ensure our community can always play together, all Resistance Mode Missions will be free to download.”

If you would like to sign up for the beta then the only way to gain access is through acquiring an Xbox One Beta Token. Deep Silver and Xbox will be running a number of promotions over the coming days and weeks that will offer the opportunity to claim a Token and take part.

Your best chance of getting a Beta Token and staying informed of developments is by registering on the official Homefront website at Homefront-Game.com.

Registering an account will automatically enrol you for a chance to access the Closed Beta.

In addition, registered members of the Homefront community may also be invited to participate in a sneak preview of Resistance Mode via one of the upcoming Closed Beta Stress Tests which will take place on Friday 29th January and Friday 5th February on Xbox One.

Finally, it was also announced that if you Pre-Order Homefront: The Revolution you’ll get hold of the Revolutionary Spirit pack, which includes :

– The Red Skull motorbike skin for campaign
– The Golden skin for your pistol for campaign
– Instant unlocks of the Marksman Rifle, Sniper Scope and Remote Explosives for your Resistance Mode character

Homefront: The Revolution is scheduled for release on 20th May 2016 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

LEGO Marvel Avengers smashes out this week

Chris Hare
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LEGO Marvel Avengers smashes out this week

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is out this week, featuring storylines from Marvel’s The Avengers and its sequel Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as playable content based on additional Marvel Studios movies, including Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s Iron Man 3, Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World and Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

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“LEGO Marvel’s Avengers celebrates the thrilling world of Avengers as only a LEGO game can,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “Players of all ages will be able to experience their favourite Marvel moments in a brand new way, through six different blockbuster films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also exploring an incredible amount of classic Avengers characters and content from famed Marvel Comics, all with our unique LEGO style and humour. It’s an epic combination for fans and newcomers alike.”

“Both the LEGO and Marvel brands appeal to fans of all ages through a multitude of retail, media and interactive channels,” said Peter Phillips, EVP/GM, Interactive & Digital Distribution, Marvel Entertainment. “With the incredible success of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, focusing on Marvel Cinematic Universe characters and stories in LEGO Marvel’s Avengers was a natural fit for fans and the business.”

In LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, you can play and unlock more than 200 characters, with over 100 new characters that have not appeared in a LEGO videogame before. For the first time, players can also execute Avengers Team-Up Moves resulting in impressive combos when using core Avengers, including Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man.

New Umbrella Corps Details and Release info

Chris Hare
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New Umbrella Corps Details and Release info

Capcom confirmed that Umbrella Corps will be released in May 2016 digitally for PlayStation 4 and PC. Various new game details about the third person shooter have also been revealed, providing an expanded look at the options that await trigger-happy fans.

The multiplayer shooter will support 1-6 players and, though the majority of modes will be geared towards competitive team battles, a single player mode called “The Experiment” challenges players to hone their skills as they familiarize themselves with the world of Umbrella Corps in more than 20 missions with varying objectives. This coliseum style horde like mode strips players of the zombie jammer device that provides perilous protection in multiplayer modes, putting them in a head-on confrontation with progressively harder waves of creatures, across multiple missions.

Umbrella Corps will feature adrenaline-fueled matches in familiar locales from various Resident Evil games. In addition to the previously announced Umbrella Laboratory map, players will be able to experience areas inspired by Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. The famed Village from RE4 has been retooled for heated multiplayer matches that escalate to the rooftops, while the Tricell organization from RE5 has a newly imagined HQ to explore. Players must not only face off against the rival mercenary team, but also the stage-specific threats such as the crazed Ganados (RE4) and blood-thirsty Cerberus dogs (RE5)

Review: WWE2K16 ‘Future Stars’ DLC

Sean McCarthy
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Review: WWE2K16 ‘Future Stars’ DLC

Today the newest content for WWE2K16 gets its release adding five more characters to the games already impressive roster. Let’s take a look at the ‘Future Superstars’ Pack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt0v1GxclQ8&sns=tw

This content pack adds two tag teams in Los Matadors and Blake and Murphy but for me personally the real value of this DLC pack is the addition of Samoa Joe finally to a WWE video game. Their movesets and entrances are available for use in the creation suite.

Adding two new tag teams to the roster is a nice touch, I am a big fan of the tag team division so more to use in the game is a good thing. Their tag team signature moves and finishers are faithfully recreated for the game and their player models look great. You can see teams in action below:

But the biggest name in this pack has got to be Samoa Joe himself, who only recently made his debut in the WWE joining NxT. Having been a fan of his for years on the wrestling Indy scene with time spent in Ring of Honour and the glory years of TNA, it is great not only to see him in a WWE ring in real life but to finally let his fans experience him in a WWE video game. All his iconic signature moves are included such as the Muscle Buster and his Rear Naked Choke finisher. You can see him in action below:

Overall the ‘Future Stars’ pack does not really scream out as big DLC but fans will no doubt relish the addition of Samoa Joe alone as reason to buy the pack. As part of the Season Pass it is good to add to the roster but can’t help but feel that for the standalone price of £6.39, it is simply filler content and would have preferred if the ‘Future Stars’ had included more from the Divas Revolution along with Samoa Joe.

Now fans can look forward to the big DLC coming in the form of the ‘2015 Hall of Fame Showcase’.

LycaHealth Donates £150,000 to Cambridge University

Chris Hare
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LycaHealth Donates £150,000 to Cambridge University

LycaHealth, the new healthcare brand, today presented a donation of £150,000 to Cambridge University to support Sri Lankan students and improve public health in Sri Lanka.

LycaHealth’s donation will support two different projects to be undertaken by Cambridge University as part of the Lyca Group’s mission, to bring together people from all different backgrounds and be a part of the fabric of communities in which they have a presence.

The donation will be split in two ways: £50,000 will go towards the “Sri Lankan Language Fund” enabling the University to establish a dedicated Sri Lankan language scheme for a period of five years. The donation cost will cover intensive full-time summer courses, or part-time ‘in-sessional’ programmes at the university.

A further £100,000 will be used to improve public health in Sri Lanka through a pre-pilot project, run by the university to extend the expertise of the Sri Lankan Heart Infarction and Neurological Event Study (SHINES). Building on the University’s exceptional record of public health support in Pakistan and Bangladesh the donation will cover local medical staffing costs, laboratory supplies and equipment, travel and training expenses. The seed donation will mean that within 3-5 years, SHINES will have gained a sufficient evidence base to secure long-term funding from larger medical bodies.

lycohealth

Jocelyn Wyburn, Director of the University of Cambridge Language Centre said:

“I was fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Sri Lanka on holiday last summer for the first time and loved it! I’m therefore all the more excited about this relationship with LycaHealth and to have the chance to promote Sri Lanka’s languages and an interest in the country to others.”

Prema Subaskaran, Chairperson of LycaHealth, said: “We are delighted to be making the donations to such a reputable University as Cambridge, to implement study on these worth-while causes. The investment mirrors our ethos of expanding the importance of healthcare across the globe whilst bringing together people from all types of backgrounds.”

The donation comes soon after LycaHealth’s first centre was opened in London. The centre, located in Canary Wharf was opened by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. The Canary Wharf centre is the first step in LycaHealth’s growth plans, with further centres planned to open around the UK, South Asia and eventually Africa over the next five years.

Cambridge’s current £2 billion fundraising campaign for the University and Colleges focuses on Cambridge’s impact on the world.  Cambridge will be working with philanthropists to address major global problems, as it has done throughout the course of its history. More than £590 million has already been raised, including the gift from LycaHealth, and 30,000 donors have already given to the campaign.

Review: Rebel Galaxy for Xbox One

Sean McCarthy
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0
Review: Rebel Galaxy for Xbox One

I have always been a huge fan of the Space Adventure game genre dating all the way back to my early Amiga days. It is a genre that has massively evolved over the years as both computing and game console power grew. Get the formula right and the potential for a great game experience can be huge, but get it wrong and you risk putting players off. Rebel Galaxy has just released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and aims to take the attention away from ‘Elite Dangerous’ and the ‘No Man’s Sky’ by doing something rather incredible with the genre:

Rebel Galaxy has totally taken me by surprise, and can honestly say that it completely blindsided me with little warning as to just how brilliantly it takes the genre and spins it on its head. The real power of Rebel Galaxy lies in the beauty of its simplicity and back to basics approach which focuses on the most user-friendly formula possible but keeping the depth and fundamentals of this genre. It achieves this by taking all the over complicated simulation elements that Elite Dangerous thrives and simply handles it for you. This creates a freedom to just play the game and not be bogged down with having to perform ship control checks before take off for example.

It is that sense of freedom that is at the very core of the game. By allowing players to get right into the gameplay immediately let’s you get to work right away. You start with a basic ship, weapons and defended and given a huge star system to explore but it is how you decide to earn your fortune that shows the depth of Rebel Sky. The natural goal is to earn credits to buy new ships and upgrade weapons and ship systems to help players follow the path they have chosen. Players can be bounty hunters and take contracts to take down pirates or help the system’s local militia defend merchants. You can become a trader and make a living buying and selling on the commodities market trying to buy materials at a cheap price and maximise your return by selling to outposts that give the best price. You can certainly make a good living being the good guy.

But you can also make money by not flying on the straight and narrow. You could perhaps trade in black market goods and try to avoid having your ships cargo confiscated by the authorities or take on contracts that aid the pirate factions or become a pirate and attack trade ships for their cargo. However you choose to proceed, different opportunities will become available. Stay on the side of the right and space stations run by pirates will be closed to you and pirates will attack you if you happen upon them. But go to the wrong side of the law and those space ports run by the merchant guilds may refuse to do business with you and the militia forces will focus on your activities more closely.

Rebel-Galaxy 1

However you decided to earn credits, one thing is for certain. You will at some stage have to defend your ship in combat. I really loved the space battles in Rebel Sky from simple skirmishes with pirate raids of full on multi ship battles. It very much reminded me off the Naval battle gameplay from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. Depending on your ship build, you will have broadside guns and turrets which can be controlled manually whist the other is controlled by the ships AI. The more powerful you build your ship the more damage you can inflict. Below is a video showing the third ship I purchased which I equipped with powerful mining lasers and partial lasers which as you can see are capable of inflicting great damage on small fighter ships and take on larger ships.

The space combat is made even more satisfying by quite frankly one of the best chosen game soundtracks I have enjoyed in recent years. The soundtrack adds a whole new level of brilliance to the Rebel Galaxy game experience with big power rock tracks that really elevates everything you do from the slow tracks that accompany you as you cruise to a location to when it instantly cranks up the tempo as soon as the fighting starts. The blend of music and gameplay creates a wild West kind of atmosphere that suits the game, which as a fan of Firefly and Serenity was highly appealing.

Although I am absolutely in awe of what Rebel Galaxy achieves, I do have some gripes with it. On a number of occasions some of the main story missions failed to complete despite me completing the requirements forcing me to replay that mission repeatedly until it completed. Contracts available from the message boards on space stations will have a risk level so you can judge if you ship is capable of handling it. But I found that even with a ship fully kitted out with best weapons and systems available at that point, a few of the ‘Low Risk’ missions proved to be anything but and I suffered a good few loss of ships as a result of being completely blindsided by an enemy force that obliterated my ship in seconds. Worse was the crashing of the game itself at times which despite being few and far between was very frustrating to lose progress.

Rebel Galaxy 2

At a time when the space adventure genre is enjoying a resurgence as Elite Dangerous continues to succeed and the hype for No Man’s Sky is simply palpable, Rebel Galaxy uses simplicity and a thumping soundtrack to make enough noise to grab your attention and keep hold of it with the depth and highly rewarding gameplay. This really has been an invigorating game to play which for me succeeds in making this style of game fully accessible to console Gamers but without sacrificing the elements the genre is known for. With a huge thirteen systems to explore and the freedom to play how you choose, Rebel Galaxy does more than just offer great value for money, but delivers an experience the genre needed to relevant to consoles once more.

A joy to play, exhilarating to experience, Rebel Galaxy is a game that deserves your attention and a place in your game collection.

Street Fighter V Story Details and New Post Launch Plans Revealed

Chris Hare
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0
Street Fighter V Story Details and New Post Launch Plans Revealed

Capcom has today provided new details on the story elements that will be included in Street Fighter V. When the game releases on 16th February, players will have the opportunity to play through individual character stories that provide important background information on each of the characters, their roles in the game, and their relationships with other fighters. The character stories have a recognizable throwback art style created by Bengus, a famous Japanese illustrator who has worked on a variety of past Street Fighter projects.

Street Fighter V

The character stories serve as a compelling prologue for the Street Fighter V cinematic story expansion, which will be released in June 2016 as a free update to all players. The story takes place between Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter III and bridges the events that happen in between the two stories. This is the first time in franchise history that fans will be able to play through this type of cinematic story experience in a Street Fighter game.

Upon completing the character stories and other single-player content at launch, Street Fighter V players can earn enough Fight Money to purchase a new character, and possibly more depending on skill level. Capcom is timing the release of the in-game store to coincide with the first post launch content drop in March, giving players plenty of time to accumulate Fight Money through the various single-player modes prior to the store opening. When the game first releases, there will be no downloadable content to purchase using earnable Fight Money or real currency (known as Zenny). The first post launch content for Street Fighter V will be released in March.

Additionally, Capcom confirmed today that a fourth and final Street Fighter V beta will run from 30-31st January as a bonus to all fans and supporters.

What’s out for Wii U and 3DS this week LEGO Marvel Avengers and more

Chris Hare
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0
What’s out for Wii U and 3DS this week LEGO Marvel Avengers and more

Build a fierce fighting force in a foreign world full of magic and adventure in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on Wii U Virtual Console, launching on Nintendo eShop this week. Also LEGO Marvel Avengers is out this Friday on the Wii U and the 3DS.

LEGO_Marvel_Avengers

 

Shadow Puppeteer (Snow Cannon) Wii U

(Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €14.99/ £13.49 / CHF 21.00  
Game Description: Invite a friend to explore the strange, yet beautiful world of darkness and light in Shadow Puppeteer, an award-winning, local co-op adventure. Assume the roles of a boy and his shadow, separated from one another by the evil shadow puppeteer. Work together to manipulate light, solving puzzles that bring you closer to finding this villain and freeing other shadows he has stolen.
LEGO MARVEL Avengers

(WB Games)

 Wii U

(Disc/Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 29/01/2016 €49.99 / £39.99 / CHF 60.00  
Nintendo 3DS

(Card/Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 29/01/2016 €39.99 / £29.99 / CHF 45.00
LEGO® MARVEL Avengers: Season Pass

(WB Games)

 Wii U

(Add-on content for LEGO® MARVEL Avengers)

 Nintendo eShop from 29/01/2016

 

 €9.99 / £7.99 / CHF 11.90
Game Description: Avengers Assemble! The best-selling LEGO® Marvel videogame franchise returns with a new action-packed, Super Hero adventure. Join the LEGO® Marvel’s Avengers team and experience the first console videogame featuring characters and storylines from the critically-acclaimed film Marvel’s The Avengers, the blockbuster sequel Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, and more. Play as the most powerful Super Heroes in their quest to save the world.
Sense by Play.me (d-mobilelab) Wii U

(Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 29/01/2016 Free  
SENSE is the new interactive web radio by Play.me which offers you the right music for the emotions you are living. SENSE playlists have been created to follow your mood along the different moments of the day and let you listen to the right music, always. Listen to your emotions and click on a playlist! Music streaming starts immediately with the most popular hits, the best of indie international music, the new hip hop stars, evergreen classics and classical music masterpieces too. You can always select and save your favourite tunes from the playlists and listen to them whenever you want. At the same time you can easily skip all the tunes you don’t like. SENSE, your music for your emotions. *Subscription required.     
Level 22 (Moving Player) Wii U

(Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €6.99 / £6.29 / CHF 9.80  

 
Are You Late For Work? Start Panicking! Gary is an office worker who oversleeps after a night out on the town. Here’s where it gets tricky, because this isn’t the first time Gary’s been late for work, and he could be fired if he’s spotted arriving at his desk after everyone else yet again. So he’ll have to prove he’s smart and sneaky enough to make his way up all the 22 floors between him and his office without being seen. Hide in closets, crawl through air vents, slink along the walls… nobody must spot you! From the basement to the boss’s office via the research and development labs, explore the zany little universe of LEVEL 22, Gary’s Misadventures.                            
PictoParty (Retroid Interactive) Wii U (Download) Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €7.99 / £7.00 / CHF 11.00  
Gather around for a fun evening with PictoParty! Challenge your friends or family in a game of draw and guess. Take turns and draw the words you see on the GamePad touch screen – the image is simultaneously being plotted live on the TV-screen – for everyone to guess. Choose from existing dictionaries, packed with more than 700 words, or get creative and make your own lists. The possibilities are never-ending!
Word Puzzles by POWGI

(Lightwood Games)

 Wii U

(Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €8.99/ £7.99 / CHF 11.99  
Nintendo 3DS

(Download)

 Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €8.99/ £7.99 / CHF 11.99
Enjoy more great POWGI word puzzles with this bumper collection of six new games! Solve hundreds of pencil-and-paper style puzzles using the stylus and intuitive touch-screen controls. Get extra challenges by touching any amiibo to generate special puzzles, just for you!         
Final Fantasy Tactics™ Advance (Square Enix) Wii U

(Virtual Console – Game Boy Advance)

 Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €6.99/ £6.29 / CHF 9.80  

 
Our story begins soon after a young boy named Marche moves to the country town of St. Ivalice. Marche’s family has had a difficult past, and all he can do to adjust to the new found country life is to depend on his new friends: Mewt, a quiet and timid boy who often gets picked on; and Ritz, a stellar student whose strong-willed nature has made her unpopular at school. One day, the three of them come across an ancient magical book, and St. Ivalice changes forever…
Cube Life: Island Survival – Demo

(Cypronia)

 Wii U

(Demo)

 Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 Free  
Imagine being stranded on a beautiful deserted island… All of life’s necessities: Food, water, shelter – all of your everyday needs are now gone, and it’s up to you to survive. Cannibals and wild animals will not make it any easier on you. You’ll need to explore, build, and craft to stay alive. In Creative Mode, the game will allow players to build constructions in 3D generated game worlds. There is no limit to your imagination. In Survival Mode, the player must maintain health, explore caves, gather resources, and craft tools on an unknown island. Get food, explore and build during the day. Hide, fight, and survive as night falls on the island.
Skylanders SuperChargers – Boost Kit

(Activision)

 Wii U

(Add-on Content for Skylanders SuperChargers)

 Nintendo eShop from 27/01/2016 €1.99/ £1.59 / CHF 2.00  
Skylanders SuperChargers – Super Kit

(Activision)

 Wii U

(Add-on Content for Skylanders SuperChargers)

 Nintendo eShop from 27/01/2016 €4.99/ £3.99 / CHF 5.00  

 

 
Skylanders SuperChargers – Mega Kit

(Activision)

 Wii U

(Add-on Content for Skylanders SuperChargers)

 Nintendo eShop from 27/01/2016 €9.99/ £7.99 / CHF 10.00  
Kick your adventure into overdrive! Expand your gameplay experience with over 40 Skylanders and vehicles to collect. Skylands is in peril! Kaos has unleashed his most evil weapon yet – the Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction. With all of Skylands on the verge of collapse, a special team called the SuperChargers has been assembled to pilot an unstoppable fleet of incredible vehicles. Now you and the SuperChargers must embark on epic adventures over land, under sea, and through the sky to stop Kaos and save Skylands!
FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS™

(Square Enix)

 Nintendo 3DS (Card/ Download) Nintendo eShop from 28/01/2016 €39.99 / £29.99 / CHF 51.90  
Join an elite group of heroes and set a course for the world’s greatest source of power, the Grand Crystal. Prepare to venture into exotic and unexplored regions in search of pieces of the Grand Crystal and battle against the ferocious monsters that protect them! Band together with friends and take on the realm’s mightiest monsters in FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS on Nintendo 3DS family systems. With full online and local co-operative multiplayer, work together to save the world in this massive RPG adventure.

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Coming to PS4

Chris Hare
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0
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Coming to PS4

In the world of Valkyria Chronicles, the year is 1935 E.C., and the continent of Europa has been plunged into the Second Europan War between the Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance — also known as The Empire — and the Atlantic Federation over the precious resource Ragnite. The Empire is sweeping through the continent like an unchecked wildfire and has its eyes set on the rich Ragnite deposits of the Principality of Gallia. Although peaceful Gallia remains neutral in the conflict, its citizens will need to defend home and country against the inevitable invasion. Players follow Lieutenant Welkin Gunther and the vaunted Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia as they take on the seemingly insurmountable forces of the Empire.

Valkria Chromicles Remastered PS4 screenshot 1

The award-winning original game for the PlayStation 3 is being released on the PlayStation 4 in glorious 1080p/60fps gameplay, Japanese and English audio support, includes all the original DLC, and most importantly, adds trophy support! Oh, the best part?

In honor of the Edelweiss tank prototype, pre-orders and launch copies will arrive in the metal Squad 7 Armored Case. That of course means the game will be getting a physical disc copy along with a digital release on the PlayStation Network.

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered features:

  • HD “CANVAS” Graphics Engine – The stunning, painterly graphics return, but this time in 1080p/60fps high definition quality! Battles and cutscenes are conveyed like a vibrant tapestry in motion.
  • “BLiTZ” tactical battle system – Part overhead turn-based strategy, part RPG, and part real-time 3rd person shooter, the” BLiTZ” system is an innovative mechanic that makes battles simultaneously strategic and action-packed. Players will command and control their soldiers and tanks as they take on the Empire in 30 different battlefronts.
  • Memorable storyline – Set against the backdrop of a world war, Gunther, Alicia, Largo and the rest of the fierce members of Squad 7 fight for personal reasons in the name of freedom, and the hope against all odds of liberating Gallia from Empire control, all in the face of the terrible realities of war.
  • DLC Included – Besides the core game, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered includes all previously released DLC: Hard EX Mode, Edy’s Mission, Selvaria’s Mission, and Challenge of the Edy Detachment.

Valkria Chromicles Remastered PS4

The game will release physically and digitally this spring in both the Americas and the European region, but please note the Squad 7 Armored Case is exclusive to the Americas!

The game will have both a physical and digital version, and will sell for $29.99/CA$44.99. And as a special bonus, pre-orders and a limited number of launch edition retail copies will come in the collectible Squad 7 Armored Case.

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