Vampyr, the new RPG the studio Dontnod, today released its first screenshots. Set in the London of 1918, Vampyr promises to offer a unique, deeply immersive action role-playing experience steeped in vampire mythology, with a strong narrative.
The first screenshots of the game showcase the game’s world, as the Spanish flu laid waste to London’s once bustling population.
Every character in the game has his or her own unique back-story and will affect the world. Be careful who you choose to hunt, as they will be gone forever, and their death will impact in a meaningful way the world that surrounds you. Feeding on human blood will not just keep you “alive”, it will also unlock new vampiric powers to use.
As a Doctor, and a Vampyr who used to be human, you may also choose to heal your potential prey, crafting medicines from items collected in the game world.
There will be times when exploration and seduction will only get you so far, and you’ll need to resort to engaging in Vampyr’s dynamic, melee-focused real-time combat. It blends hard-hitting melee combat with supernatural vampire powers. Find and loot materials and components from the fresh corpses of your victims or during exploration, in order to craft and improve tools, melee and ranged weapons, as well as special ammunitions and coating to exploit the weaknesses of your enemies.
As you cling to what remains of your humanity, your decisions will ultimately shape the fate of your hero while searching for answers in the coughing, foggy aftermath of the Spanish Flu.
Today Microsoft has announced that its HoloLens development kit will set those planning on buying it back $3000. The development kit begins shipping 30th March and comes with three games: Young Conker, Fragments and RoboRaid.
Young Conker is based on the original squirrel although is developed by Asobo Studios rather than Rare and it’s something Microsoft seem pretty excited about.
“It is amazing how different the play experience feels based on playing the game in your living room versus your kitchen or your bedroom,” said Microsoft’s Kudo Tsunoda, in an official blog post.
“Even starting the game from a different position in a single room creates an entirely new gameplay dynamic.”
Fragments in a crime drama which “blends the line between the digital world and the real world.” And finally there is RoboRaid, an FPS with aliens bursting through your living room walls.
The development kit comes with other apps for creating games, as well as an enhanced edition of Skype.
What’s out in the World of Nintendo this week?, with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD for the Wii U. To Advance Wars: Dual Strike and Lego Marvel Avengers: Season Pass all for the Nintendo 3DS.
Title
Platform
Available on
Price Point on Nintendo eShop
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Nintendo)
Wii U
(Disc/Download)
Nintendo eShop from 04/03/2016
€49.99 / £39.99 / CHF 64.90
Travel between the worlds of light and dark to save the land of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD for Wii U. This definitive edition of the beloved adventure game for Nintendo GameCube and Wii features revitalised visuals that will further immerse players in its stunning landscapes and epic story. You play as Link, a farm hand who is chosen by the gods to free the kingdom of Hyrule from the clutches of the King of Shadows, Zant, who has cursed the land with a perpetual twilight. To help him take on this new menace and break the curse that has transformed him into a wolf, Link will team up with the mysterious and mischievous Midna, a creature from a corrupted dimension called the Twilight Realm. Use the Wii U GamePad touch screen to equip items and view maps without pausing the game, aim your Hero’s Bow and more using intuitive motion controls, or enjoy all the action on just one screen with Off-TV Play.
Chasing Dead
(2020 Venture)
Wii U
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 03/03/2016
€29.99/ £24.99 / CHF 39.90
The game begins with a strange phenomenon in which another Earth appears in our skies. Curiosity and fear of a doppelganger planet initiates multiple missions in order to make contact with the duplicate Earth. A team of agents, astronauts, and scientists were sent 955,600 miles across space by NASA and the US Military, however all contact is lost a few hours after their arrival. You play as a marine named Jake, who is sent on a mission to retrieve any research and data left behind by the original survey team while fighting off hostile forces. As Jake, you must traverse the zombie-ridden lands of the alternate Earth as you battle endless hordes of the undead, frightening mutants and insane soldiers.
Grumpy Reaper
(EnjoyUp Games)
Wii U
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 03/03/2016
€4.99 / £4.49 / CHF 7.00
Grumpy Reaper is an arcade-style game that includes elements of skill in different playing modes. Death’s granddaughter has stolen the keys to the Underworld to unleash creatures on the world! Take on the role of Grumpy, mow the lawn and find the lost keys to help Death solve this problem through multiple time trial, nocturnal and survival levels! Death has not left you on your own! Improve your lawn mower to turn it into a lethal weapon against the monsters. Control tornadoes, turn yourself into a Zombie, wear armour to survive and restore peace… if you can…
U Host
(Bear Box Media)
Wii U
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 03/03/2016
€9.99/ £8.99 / CHF 14.00
Have you ever wanted to create your own Game Show? Well now you can! Grab up to 4 friends or teams, and throw them head first into the game show of your making! Host your own Quiz with a choice of over 1000 questions from 10 categories, or better yet, create 2 custom categories with the in-game question creator! Got an up-coming event, such as a party, baby shower, or birthday? Write some personalized questions, and add that extra touch to the event. The fun doesn’t stop at quizzes though! Play all sorts of multiplayer mini-games, and be as nice or as mean as you like. Remember, it’s your Game Show! You’re the Host!
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
(Nintendo)
Wii U (Virtual Console – Nintendo DS)
Nintendo eShop from 03/03/2016
€9.99/ £8.99 / CHF 14.00
Confront the deadly Black Hole Army’s invading forces, in tactical battles that play out across both of the DS’ screens. New Commanding Officers join familiar faces – with a total of nine new characters, now you possess even more options in battle. Taking full advantage of the DS’ capabilities, there are two kinds of battle, Normal and DS. In Normal mode the battle map appears on the touch screen while you use the top screen to keep tabs on key information about your units and your enemies! DS Battle mode lets you take a more all-encompassing view, using both screens to display the action as you and Black Hole clash in mortal combat.
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.
Musicverse: Electronic Keyboard
(Abylight)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 03/03/2016
€7.99/ £7.19 / CHF 11.20
Share your musical genius using Musicverse: Electronic Keyboard! Record the melody stuck in your
head wherever you are and show it to the world, no limits with Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter! Listen and play the creations of Miko in Japan, John in Canada and Magnus in Europe… Everyone just a note away! Both if you are an expert or playing for the first time, Musicverse guides you easily through all the possibilities just at your fingertips in your Nintendo 3DS.
Parascientific Escape Cruise in the Distant Seas(Circle Ent.)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 03/03/2016
€4.99/ £3.99 / CHF 6.00
Hitomi Akeneno is a 16 year old high school student with a little secret – she has not one, but two psychic powers! After receiving an invitation, she boards a luxury cruise ship with her friend, Chisono Shio. As soon as she enters a suite room, a loud explosion sounds…and she finds herself stuck, unable to get out. Is this an accident? Or something far more sinister…? The only way to find out is to escape with the help of her powers.
(Add-on content for Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight)
Nintendo eShop from 04/03/2016
€1.99/ £1.79 / CHF 2.80
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight: The Original Sin
(NIS America)
Nintendo 3DS
(Add-on content for Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight)
Nintendo eShop from 04/03/2016
Special introductory offer: free until 11/03/2016, 23:59 local time.
Regular price: €2.99/ £2.69 / CHF 4.20
Experience a brand new story with a fixed party, voiced dialogue, and animated cutscenes in the new and incredible world of Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight. Or, revisit the original Etrian Odyssey 2 with updated graphics and a full roster of classes. Whichever path you choose, there will be exciting dungeons and frightening enemies!
The mobile edition of Hitman GO was a complete and total success in my opinion. The challenging and creative puzzles plus absolutely ridiculous amounts of content makes for a brilliant mobile experience. But it’s not all that often that a mobile game makes the shift over to a console. What looks great on a high definition 8 inch screen doesn’t necessarily look great with the same resolution stretched across your relatively large screen of choice. There’s a few things about Hitman GO that actually make it a pretty good candidate for a non-mobile platform.
Mechanically speaking Hitman GO doesn’t rely much on a touchscreen interface. In his GO incarnation Agent 47 is restricted to moving around a fixed grid displayed on the floor. It’s using this grid that allows for the difficult puzzles although this is a turn based game and every time you take a move so do the guards. There’s no chance to stay still and wait for a guard to finish his patrol, which would really destroy 90% of the full Hitman games. If you want a guard to move or if you need to position yourself behind him you will have to move in the correct way in the correct order.
It’s a simple core mechanic to base the game on but that’s the way with all great puzzle games. With the addition of some different guard types and a few environmental objects there’s a positively chess like level of strategy that emerges in Hitman GO. There’s also a strange analogy to those sliding puzzle games that have a single tile missing. If you cross those puzzles with chess and add a shaving of Agent 47 this is exactly what it looks like. Definitely an odd combination but the end product is one of my favourite puzzle games.
Visually there is no translation issue at all. Hitman GO is made to look like a board game with models that look a bit like Subbuteo players. The environments are overly smooth and cartoonish representations of the fictional cardboard cut-out version of the game. On a mobile device Hitman GO looks stunning and it looks just as stunning on a full screen. The artistic representation moves over smoothly with no problems at all. There’s a nice variation in the environments as you work your way through the adventure and travel around the world. There are more than enough to keep things fresh and progressive through to the end of the game.
Controls are simple to use too and despite the fact the touchscreen controls were excellent the grid movement is even easier given a d-pad or keyboard. Thankfully the most challenging experience you will have when playing Hitman GO is solving the puzzles. I’d be surprised, and more than a little impressed, if you don’t get stuck for a while on more than one occasion. GO is a satisfyingly difficult game which makes success feel like a real achievement most of the time.
On the down side there can be situations where the solution is so many steps ahead that you can’t realistically figure it out and resort to some constructive trial and error. At times it can feel a little too challenging because of this and almost all of the satisfaction is gone when you didn’t actually solve the puzzle using the grey cells.
Removing the convenience of the mobile platform hasn’t hindered Hitman GO. It’s more than capable of supporting itself on a console thanks to the thoughtful and challenging puzzles. At times they can be a bit too difficult or the solutions are too long winded which leads to trial and error gameplay that doesn’t feel right. But for the most part Hitman GO is a great puzzler.
The looks also move over nicely. Hitman GO has so much style and flair that it still looks gorgeous. I absolutely love the crisp smooth designs and board game appearance. It’s beautiful looking and confident enough to show off. A great looking and mechanically sound puzzler that works just as much on a console as it does on your mobile device. GO Hitman GO.
Just every now and then a game releases that truly takes me by surprise. The survival genre has really taking off in recent months but for me, none have really grabbed my attention in quite the same way that ‘The Flame in the Flood’ has.
You first see the dog Aesop taking a back pack to the main character Scout as the game begins, thus begins a relationship between them and the player which will be shaped by as many twists and turns as the river they will travel along. Scout and Aesop will travel by raft along a river in a land obliterated by a flood. The remains of what was once a populated area, will serve as places for Scout to explore in order to find and scavenge the resources and materials in order to help keep Scout alive. For the player this task requires caring for the basic and vital needs of Scout are looked after such as thirst, hunger, warmth and fatigue.
In order to do this the player must find food, clean water and a safe place to take shelter as bad weather, natural hazards and dangerous wildlife will threaten them on their journey. To help, the game has deep crafting system which enables the player to use resources to craft tools, items, first aid and food to sustain Scout. Aesop will bark to identify materials that can be collected and used during exploration. As you find more useful materials, Scout will learn to craft more advanced tools and medicine.
The struggle to keep Scout healthy and safe is the main challenge for the player and the sense that Scout is in danger is immediate right from the very beginning of her story. In addition to her basic needs, Scout must also be protected from the harsh environment around her as you progress further down the river. Even the river is an element of danger as you battle against rapids and obstacles which if struck can damage the raft and if too badly damaged will wreck it meaning the journey ends. Docking at any one of the many locations throughout the ten regions that the river flows through, can be full of materials to use but also dangers like wildlife. Wolves, wild boars, poisonous snake and even ants, can cause injury to Scout which if left untreated can cause illness leading to Scout’s demise.
I am not usually a fan of these survival genre games as I often find the required micro management of every possible detail becomes tedious after a while. Ironically ‘The Flame in the Flood’ has one of the deepest systems of this kind I have encountered but the sheer charm of the game world and connection I felt towards Scout and Aesop meant this experience was anything but tedious and instead a real delight to play.
In learning how to play I must admit to losing or more honestly, failing Scout a few times. But the strength of the gameplay meant I understood why I had failed each time and by doing so, learned how to play better. For losing Scout to starvation I learned to manage my inventory better to always have food and water ready. By losing Scout to the bite of a snake I learned how to craft the correct cure and keep it handy for the next time. For each failure I suffered I gained a better understanding of how the game worked and more importantly, how to be better at keeping Scout safe.
When things were going smoothly I found the beauty of the visuals blended with the fantastic soundtrack created a relaxing world to be in. Sailing down the river was calming and satisfying. But I would also feel the tension if the raft was close to being destroyed or if Scout was hurt and in need of medical aid which I lacked the resources to craft leading to a frantic search of locations to scavenge in order to save her. That struggle mixed with moments of almost blissful calm gave this game experience a level I had not expected but came to appreciate every day in-game time Scout had lived through.
Simply put ‘The Flame in the Flood’ has been the best example of the survival genre I have played. All the components come together so delightfully that my experience grows every time I return to the game. By not having a hand holding nature it invites the player to start to learn things intuitively making it all the more rewarding when you succeed in keeping Scout safe and alive. It also meant every mistake and failure was all the more heart breaking at times, because when you fail it will be your fault as the player and though at times it can feel that the world is trying its hardest to stop your journey, careful planning and understanding should keep Scout safe.
Visually stunning and musically splendid, The Flame in the Flood’ makes you care for Scout and Aesop with its world and by creating such compassion for their safety and well-being drives the battle to survive all the more. With all the ebbs and flow of a river, this game offers a genuine level of challenge even for experienced players of the genre, so much so it also has a Survivalist mode that has no checkpoint restores should Scout die and it will be a permanent death losing all progress and forced to start again. I enjoyed my time so much that everyday Scout survived I gave a celebratory thumbs up to my telly, that is how immersed in the experience the game made me.
Finally available for Xbox One comes ‘Tiny Troopers Joint Ops’ which is a compilation of two free to play mobile games by developer Kukouri and published by Wired Productions. It was released last year as a crossbuy across PlayStation platforms and reminded me very much of an Amiga Classic. But how does it play on Xbox One?
Tiny Troopers Joint Ops is a twin stick shooter that is made up of different game modes. It has no real story driven campaign instead it relies on missions where the player sends out troops to take out enemy forces, earning money and experience points in order to upgrade and purchase new troops and weapons to progress further. The missions will have different objectives to complete which increase in challenge as you progress.
Playing this on Xbox One gave me a real sense of playing a traditional XBLA title. Considering that it is made up of free to play mobile games, it has to offer something special in order to justify charging to play it on a main console. I found the missions far too simple to complete to begin with, essentially navigate your troops from the mission start to the extraction zone whilst keeping your squad alive as you take out enemy troops. Using the left stick to move your troops and the right stick to aim and fire their weapons along with special weapons like rocket launchers or grenades to take out targets at range.
Special Ops offers some variation in mission objectives with escort missions, protecting an objective from waves of enemy troops and on rail vehicle combat. Missions will start out relatively easy and as you progress towards the final boss level of each stage, more enemies and targets are thrown into the mix but I never found myself out matched with the upgrades and weapons I could purchase before missions to make my squad stronger and during missions by calling in weapon drops.
Scoring is based on objectives completed during the mission, the speed at which you complete the level and the difficulty you selected it. Doing well will reward you with medals and Command Points. Mission areas can be explored to find collectibles. If you lose a trooper in action, they remain dead unless you use medals to revive them after a mission is completed or you can recruit a new trooper and begin upgrading them via more gameplay. You can get attached to your battalion if you have been using the same troopers in missions but as it’s rather simple to replace them, it never becomes a hindrance should they fall in battle as you can revive them after the mission is completed.
The mode I did enjoy most was the Zombie Mode, where you fight off ever increasing difficult waves of enemy zombies as your trooper squad gets additional members, ammo and weapon upgrades as you progress. The longer you survive and more zombies you take out the higher your score which will go on an online ranking leaderboard to compete with other players or friends.
Visually Tiny Troopers Joint Ops has an almost Team 17 look and gameplay that reminds me of the classic Amiga title ‘Cannon Fodder’ and is great as a fun distraction but only in short bursts. Tiny Troopers never escapes its origins as a free to play title and though the asking price is cheaper than other games on the store, it just feels small on a main console like the Xbox One, it just lacks the content to keep you sitting there playing for long periods.
With 58 levels to complete and plenty of customisation options, it does have some worth for the £5.49 asking price. For me, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops never breaks out from its mobile game roots for me and though it was fun, it sadly is very forgettable and rather quickly as well. There are more meaty shooters available to keep this title away from being your first choice should the need to shoot things take hold.
Pokémon has delighted millions of fans of all ages and has become one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. During today’s Pokémon Direct presentation, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company, announced Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, the newest additions to a legendary series that has sold more than 275 million video games since the debut of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in 1996 for the Game Boy system in Japan.
Developed by GAME FREAK inc., Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be launching late 2016 exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and, for the first time, will offer Traditional and Simplified Chinese as language options.
“The Pokémon core series games are the centre of the Pokémon universe and provide some of the most memorable Pokémon moments for our fans,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of Consumer Marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “I can’t wait to see what fans think of the new adventures they’ll find in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.”
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will also have Pokémon Bank functionality. This online storage application will make it possible for fans to move Pokémon wirelessly from Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow, which come to the Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS on 27th February, to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Pokémon from Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X, and Pokémon Y can also be transferred to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon through Pokémon Bank.
Wired Productions has today announced that Tiny Troopers Joint Ops, its explosive, twin-stick arcade shooter originally developed by Kukouri Mobile Entertainment, will be available for digital purchase across North America and Europe today (26th February) for Xbox One, including all-new, Xbox One exclusive content.
Developed for Xbox One by Australian-based Epiphany Games, the Xbox One version of Tiny Troopers Joint Ops includes four brand new Zombie Wave maps, a brand-new soundtrack, and an Ultra Hard Mode for those who like their shooters extra tough!
In Tiny Troopers Joint Ops, players take control of miniature marines as they battle evil foes from around the world with a multitude of weapons and specialist soldiers. Collect medals, dog tags, and intel during the course of each mission. With hours of explosive, gun-toting gameplay, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops is miniature warfare on a massive scale!
Experience the all new Zombie Wave Maps: battle the desert-dwelling dead as they descend in droves in “ Operation: Zombie Storm, ” fight back against a flock of poultry that ain’t paltry in “ZFC,” cruise and clear the airfield of cantankerous cadavers in “Zombie Patrol,” and call in help from the skies while facing endless waves of Zombies in “Z-End.” Players who think they can handle the heat should make sure to try the Ultra Hard Mode! All of the above is complemented by a cinematic soundtrack completely exclusive to Xbox One.
• Over 60 action-packed mini-maps of mayhem including Zombie Survival Mode with online leaderboards
• Recruit specialist mercenaries such as Medics, Machine Gunners and the Elite Delta Force to subdue enemy insurgents
• Twin-stick arcade control system to blast your way through waves of enemy rebels
Published by Wired Productions, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops will be available on Xbox One across Europe and North America for £7.99/$9.99/€9.99 starts today (26th February).
Blurring the lines between cautious strategy and unbridled mayhem, SUPERHOT is the stylishly time-bending FPS in which time moves only when you move, available today on PC (Win/Mac/Linux) via retailers and digital distributors.
In addition to a reality-warping main storyline, SUPERHOT features:
– Endless Mode – How long can you last against unyielding waves of enemies?
– Challenge Mode – Take on SUPERHOT with your bare hands, no restarts, timed runs, and more.
– Replay Editor – Edit and upload your best runs for all to see on Killstagram.com.
– Extras – Delve further into SUPERHOT with mini-games, ASCII art, and [redacted].
No regenerating health bars. No conveniently placed ammo drops. It’s just you, outnumbered and outgunned, grabbing the weapons of fallen enemies to shoot, slice, and manoeuvre through a hurricane of slow-motion bullets.
Available today on PC (Win/Mac/Linux), SUPERHOT will be coming to Xbox One later next month.
French indie game developer Leikir Studio announced today that Wondershot is available now for Xbox One via ID@Xbox, PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam.
Featuring intuitive controls, multiple unique modes, four different weapons and multiplayer for up to four players, Wondershot guarantees a fun time for all!
“Our aim in developing Wondershot was to create a great multiplayer game that everyone can truly enjoy and I believe we achieved that,” said Aurelien Loos, co-founder of Leikir Studio. “My best gaming memories were playing competitive video games against buddies on the couch and our hope is that we bring that type of fun experience to gamers today with Wondershot.”
Wondershot Key Features Include:
Multiplayer Fun: Whether it’s intense competitive four-player matches or cooperative play against an endless wave of baddies, Wondershot is all about multiplayer fun
Intuitive Controls: Responsive controls and play mechanics enable gamers to focus on the multiplayer mayhem
Choose Your Weapon Wisely: Players choose from four different weapons, each with their own strengths and special abilities:
o Arrow: Select from basic slow homing arrow or lightning-fast straight shot
o Boomerang: Quick-firing weapon with special “hover” ability use for strategic sneakiness
o Hammer: Powerful melee weapon with the special ability to fly through obstacles
o Slingshot: Use the wall bounce ability to shoot big, slow, small or fast bullets
Unique Maps and Obstacles: Players must deal with shifting obstacles, mud that slows down movement, quick map portals, and much more
Challenge Mode: Learn the basic, master advanced tactics, and challenge each of the 45 challenge stages to get the top ranking
Twentieth Century Fox has today announced that X-MEN: APOCALYPSE will be released in cinemas and IMAX across the UK & Ireland on 18th May, 2016. Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE.
Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign.
As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction. Directed by Bryan Singer, X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is produced by Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker and Lauren Shuler Donner.
If, like me, you can’t wait to get playing Total War or Dark Souls III a rather handy event might give you just the chance you’ve been looking for. There’s a whole bunch of other stuff to do like tournaments and workshops too. HTC are showing off their virtual reality headset the ‘HTC Vive’ which is well worth checking out for anyone interested in the developing area of VR. Plus if you have more money than me there’s the hardware zone for you to buy some new equipment or a new rig. But really what self respecting PC gamer doesn’t build their own rig?
If you want to check out everything that’s going on or book tickets head over to the website here. Or you can take a look at some extra info below from the event organizers. Full weekend passes are only £24.99 so it’s well worth a look if you have time to check it out.
Hands On Exclusives:
With the event taking place over two floors, gaming takes centre stage, and will be a chance for attendees to play games before release.
Tournament Gaming:
Every attendee who fancies their chances will get a seat in a tournament as part of their ticket price – but only the finest will survive. There will be a number of different games on offer including League of Legends, Dota 2, Rocket League and HearthStone: Heroes of Warcraft. Qualifiers will be played at the Weekender, and a live final will take place on the Tournament stage where a winner will be crowned. There will also be winner stays on Street Fighter V.
Workshops:
Brought to you by ASUS and led by hardware experts, these in-depth workshops will look at the improvements that can be made to PCs and how to do it, no matter your experience level. Workshop stations will give attendees the opportunity to build along with the experts on popular mods including swapping out hard drives, graphics cards, power supply and RAM.
Workshops will be held throughout the entire weekend, are free (with entry ticket) and work on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hardware Zone:
The Hardware Zone is a try-before-you-buy area full of the latest and most essential equipment for PC gaming. All attendees have the opportunity to use the equipment, talk with the experts and buy on site.
PC Gamer Stage:
Will feature interviews with some of the world’s most important and influential developers. Watch never before seen footage and exclusive reveals. Guest speakers include Julian Gollop, Paradox, presenting Stellaris, Firaxis presenting Xcom 2, and meet the team behind Divinity:Original Sin 2 who will be discussing how to make a CRPG in an hour.
SEGA Common Room:
The SEGA Common Room is all about the indie developer and the opportunity to play their games.
Boardgame Basement:
Esdevium Games and Quest Games will be bringing their team of expert games demonstrators to showcase brand new board games as well as some classics.
2K and Gearbox Software had today introduced Shayne and Aurox, Whiskey Foxtrot, and Kelvin, three new playable heroes for the upcoming hero-shooter Battleborn, which launches with 25 playable heroes on PS4, Xbox One and PC on 3rd May, 2016.
Shayne and Aurox
Whiskey Foxtrot
Kelvin
are the weird oddities of the Battleborn heroes, and like all Battleborn, are available to play in both competitive multiplayer matches, as well as the game’s Story Mode – which can be played single player, co-op up to 5 players, or 2-player splitscreen. First in the trenches, Whiskey Foxtrot is an offbeat and imperfect facsimile of a soldier.
Using scavenged armour and jerry-rigged weapons, everything about Whiskey Foxtrot just seems “off,” but his homemade UPR-SL3 tactical rifle, sticky bombs, and scrap canon can help turn the tide of any battle. At first glance, Kelvin appears to be a hulking ice golem, but is in fact an entire microorganism civilization that, together, form a single sentient being that smashes, chomps and freezes its enemies for the survival of the species. Another unlikely team-up, Shayne was already a bratty teenage girl at the end of the universe with nothing to lose, but her bond with the space creature known as Aurox has made her nearly unstoppable.
Joined at the hip, these symbiotic furies strive to utterly demolish their foes through a mixture of brute force and stealth.
With the upcoming launch of strategy epic Samurai Warriors 4 Empires on March 12th KOEI TECMO Europe and Team Ninja are thrilled to announce a set of exciting new additions headed to DEAD OR ALIVE 5 Last Round this March! Fan-favourite Samurai Warriors 4 character Naotora Ii joins the battle alongside the triumphant (and completely free) return of the Azuchi castle stage from DEAD OR ALIVE 3 on 17th March, and a brand new set of Samurai Warriors-inspired DLC costumes will become available for purchase on 29th March. Fans who purchased the game’s Season Pass 3 will automatically receive all of the Samurai Warriors-inspired content.
Dragged into a mysterious portal by-way-of a M.I.S.T. time-travelling experiment, the ruler of Japan’s Warring States era Ii Clan, Naotora Ii, emerges in present-day next to a competitor of the DEAD OR ALIVE fighting tournament. Given no other choice but to fight for her life, and keeping her family motto of ‘once on the battlefield, one must face the enemy head on’ in mind, a determined Naotora sets out to emerge victorious from this strange new challenge. Specialising in kick-based attacks, Naotora developed her signature ‘Ii Style Leg Strikes’ fighting style after serving under Yoshimoto Imagawa, who based his techniques on his mastery of the traditional Japanese ball game “kemari.” The quick and powerful strikes from her long legs make her a formidable rival to anyone who steps into the ring!
Naotora Ii will be available to download for €5.99. Fans can purchase her debut costume pack for €7.99, or alternatively as a bundle including new character Naotora Ii for €11.99 on 17th March for DEAD OR ALIVE 5 Last Round on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on March 29 for PC via Steam. To whet players’ appetites in the meantime, Team Ninja has shared a variety of images and screenshots of Naotora Ii in action.
March 17 will also see the release of a returning stage that players of DEAD OR ALIVE 5 Last Round can enjoy on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One free of charge. Not seen since DEAD OR ALIVE DIMENSIONS, the beautiful Azuchi stage makes its triumphant return looking better than ever! Dropping competitors into the great hall of Oda Nobunaga’s famous residence, players can break through the walls and continue brawling on its rooftops beneath a full moon. In this three-tier stage the fight can also lead to the ground, where a gorgeous cherry blossom tree overlooks the traditional building lit by torchlight.
Finally, on 29th March, Team Ninja will release a collection of outfits inspired by KOEI TECMO’s celebrated Samurai Warriors series for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
