NVIDIA launches Watch_Dogs bundle

Chris Hare
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NVIDIA launches Watch_Dogs bundle

Starting today, gamers who purchase select NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, 780 Ti, 780, 770, 760, 690, 680, 670, 660 Ti and 660 desktop GPUs can get their chance to play Watch_Dogs, the new PC game taking the world by storm and latest masterpiece from Ubisoft. The bundle is available today from leading e-tailers and system builders including: Dabs, Novatech, ebuyer.com, Overclockers, SCAN.

Described as a “polished, refined and truly next generation experience,” in Watch_Dogs you play as Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker whose criminal past led to a violent family tragedy. While seeking justice, you will monitor and hack those around you, access omnipresent security cameras, download personal information to locate a target, control traffic lights and public transportation to stop the enemy and more.

Featuring NVIDIA TXAA and HBAO+ technology for an interactive, immersive experience, it’s clear that gamers can’t wait to play Watch_Dogs, especially considering the effusive praise that the official trailer received. Launched mere weeks ago, the trailer has already been viewed more than a combined 650,000 times. For gamers, Watch_Dogs seamlessly blends a mixture of single-player and multiplayer action in a way never before seen, and Ubisoft has gone one step further in creating a unique ctOS mobile companion app for users of smartphone and tablet devices allowing for even greater access to the fun.

Exclusive WildStar interview with Stephan Frost

Andrew Edney
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Exclusive WildStar interview with Stephan Frost

WildStar week continues here on CDW, and at a recent event for the new MMO WildStar, I got to sit down with Stephan Frost to talk all things WildStar.

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WildStar is an upcoming sci-fi MMORPG with a stylized cartoon-ish look currently in development by NCSoft’s Southen California-based Carbine Studios. Play will be set on the newly discovered planet of Nexus, once home to the technologically advanced race called the Eldan. Long ago, they mysteriously vanished. Now that the planet has been rediscovered, Explorers, Soldiers, Scientists, and Settlers are coming here from across the galaxy in search of adventure, fortune, and possibly the dark secrets of the Eldan.

So over to Frost:

WildStar will be released on the PC in May, and we have some other WildStar content coming up.

You can learn more about WildStar on their website.

What do you think of WildStar? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

New posters revealed for Edge of Tomorrow

Andrew Edney
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New posters revealed for Edge of Tomorrow

Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures are pleased to make available three new posters for epic, action, adventure: EDGE OF TOMORROW, in UK cinemas and IMAX on May 30 2014.

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The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.
Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission.  Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

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But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt).  And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.
The international cast also includes Bill Paxton (“Aliens,” HBO’s “Big Love”), Brendan Gleeson (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”), Noah Taylor (“Lawless”), Kick Gurry (Australian TV’s “Tangle”), Dragomir Mrsic (“Snabba Cash II”), Charlotte Riley (“World Without End”), Jonas Armstrong (BBC TV’s “Robin Hood”), Franz Drameh (“Attack the Block”), Masayoshi Haneda (“Emperor”) and Tony Way (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”).
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Liman is directing “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.  Erwin Stoff produces, along with Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs.  The executive producers are Doug Liman, David Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers.

EDGE OF TOMORROW is released in UK cinemas and IMAX on May 30, 2014 and I cant wait to see it! What about you?

Tonino Lamborghini launches into the headphone market

Chris Hare
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1
Tonino Lamborghini launches into the headphone market

Building on the new line of smartphones called ANTARES the Italian luxury lifestyle and accessories Group Tonino Lamborghini will unveil its high quality in-ear headphones line, QUANTUM. The new series will be available in the markets of Italy, UK, USA, China, Russia, UAE, South Korea and Japan starting from 1st June, 2014.

As a stylish accessory in modern life, the Quantum earphones provide a great opportunity to join the community of the legendary Italian company Tonino Lamborghini and share its values and identity. Quantum earphones are premium quality products, which can become an accessory for everybody.

The earphones are decorated on both sides with the classic metal logo of the “Raging Bull”, which underlines the daring spirit of the brand and its uniqueness and relentless desire for perfection. During the manufacturing process the logo is coated with two layers of paint, and then polished by hand.

Quantum series is for people who appreciate both quality and design. The series includes three models that were created in order that everyone could find its favorite one.  They will be available at Selfridges and Carphone Warehouse.

Gianluca Filippi (Gianluca Filippi), CEO Tonino Lamborghini Group, says: “We are launching a series of Quantum headphones, which will be a great addition to Antares smartphone and other gadgets based on Android and iOS. Excellent sound quality and premium design are the main characteristics for the whole Quantum line. Together these qualities speak to our exclusive design heritage, one that communicates the spirit of the ‘Raging Bull’ that adorns our crest”.

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Tonino Lamborghini Quantum EL-01 – RRP £58.00

The model is equipped with 10-mm driver tuned to enhanced bass response. Thanks to the patented technology TFAT, it provides powerful sound comparable with full-size headphones. The model is equipped with one-touch remote control with microphone, compatible with Android-devices, and also with the majority of smartphones and tablets. Superior voice quality and versatility of the model make the Quantum EL-01 an ideal accessory for business people.

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Tonino Lamborghini Quantum ML-01– RRP: £82.00

This combines the exclusive design and high quality of sound, which are produced by TFAT* patented technology. This model is characterised by clean and detailed sound, tight bass and particularly expressive vocal transmission. The sound quality will be at an excellent level, regardless of what the user listens to pop, rock or classical music.

HL-01

Tonino Lamborghini Quantum HL-01 – RRP: £124.00

The most powerful model of the series, belongs to the Hi-End category. It provides unsurpassed audio quality using the original technology of Double Driver. The luxurious and modern design of the headphones will attract the attention of fashion trend lovers. Quantum HL-01 is perfect for those who love listening to music during sport due to the very comfortable and secure fit in ear and the presence on the cable of special damping elements. The Models Quantum ML- 01 and Quantum HL- 01 are equipped with a three-button remote control headset, which is designed specifically for Apple devices.

All Quantum headphones are equipped with an elegant metal clip designed to attach the cable to your clothing, as an additional element of your daily style. The kit also comes with a handy hard-shell carrying case that protects your headphones. A rich set of customization comes with the in-ear headphones, there are plenty of silicone and foam eartips of various types and forms to choose from to perfectly isolate your ears from external noise.

Following the release of Quantum headphones high-quality line, the company plans to expand the Tonino Lamborghini series with overhead models. Each model will have its own individual character, elegant design and premium quality.

The Quantum headphones represent an essential music listening companion and a great way to add more fun, style and quality to the integral part of your existence. Give yourself a quantum of style and luxury with the earphones from Tonino Lamborghini.

Fan festivals for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Announced

Chris Hare
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Fan festivals for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Announced

Square Enix Ltd., has announced that the inaugural Fan Festival for FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN. The European event will be held in London with similar festivals in Tokyo and Las Vegas. More information will be revealed later this June.

 

With over 2 million registered user accounts, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn takes place in the land of Eorzea, five years after the god-like Primal, Bahamut, awoke and ravaged the land. Players can explore the world and experience the game’s epic storyline, hone their class skills with the flexible Armoury System and participate in a variety of quests, including story quests, instanced dungeons and FATEs – unique events that allow for dynamic open world battles and adventures with other players.

 

Review: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle

Sam Thompson
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Review: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle

If you’ve never delved into the manga backgrounds of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, you’re going to have a tiny issue understanding pretty much anything that comes your way in All Star Battle. With manga still being a fairly niche market in the western hemisphere, it’s a bold move from Namco Bandai to release CyberConnect2’s fighting extravaganza over here in Europe. Can it find its calling and garner a whole new set of fans or will it forever circle the bargain bucket, attempting to deflect the puzzled mainstream comments of its genre?

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As a 2D fighting game masquerading as a 3D brawler with training wheels, All Star Battle might well feel familiar to some. It possesses the sometimes favourable light, medium and heavy attacks, a dodge feature, more specials than you can waggle a stick at, and eventually, a huge roster of unique, playable characters. All sounds great and well above board so far, yet it can actually take a while to find this basic information out.

As is the trend, it seems, in fighting games, there is no tutorial whatsoever; whilst this might please the elitists and the hardcore out there, to me, it’s a further way of alienating players and potential fans. The practice mode is sufficient enough to improve your techniques with the characters, yet the move list available for each fighter consists of around 10+ attacks, spread across several tabs; to practice each one, you must manually select it from the list each time. Despite the initial lack of available combos on offer, you’ll find it to be a surprisingly competent brawler. You can perform most of the advanced techniques available in other 2D fighters such as empowering attacks, cancels, ultimates and many others. The problem, once more, is that it doesn’t tell you.

Anyone who’s a fan of both CyberConnect2’s large health bar fights of the Naruto persuasion should find themselves welcome here; with a little more fidelity in the mechanics, it shapes up to be an interesting crossover between that and Street Fighter. Whilst it may not house the hallmarks of a competitive fighting game, the larger than usual life bars will ensure a healthy contest; battles between friends will be a screen filling explosion of Hirohiko Araki’s fantastic work.

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With the smorgasbord of characters available, there are bound to be some fighters that appeal more than others; due to the different special stands available, many perform differently. Some characters can refill their special gauge, some can summon an offensive ethereal spirit and some can even mount steeds. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without special stage related trigger attacks such as being run over by a squad of chariots or precariously teetering chandeliers falling on your head. Needless to say, this isn’t your average fighting game!

The modes available are mostly your standard affair, there’s the classic arcade mode, where the goal is usually hankering after a high score, versus and practice modes beef it up a little too along with an odd online campaign section serving to unlock goodies. Of course a story mode that looks as convoluted as it feels, mainly in part due to the story making little to no sense if you are unfamiliar with the source material is also ever present. There is also the slightly intimidating online mode should you wish to take on people that are undoubtedly better than you! Whilst the connection remained strong and matchmaking seemed to function well enough, there were already several instances of people using the ‘better’ characters. Some characters moves flow so well into another’s, that it can feel a little exasperating being hit by the same combo repeatedly, but that’s no real surprise!

Despite there being generally not a huge amount of content for the single player oriented players besides collecting the usual costumes, taunts and other little customisable tweaks, it’s these devout players that will undoubtedly get the most out of the game. As, in essence, this is a game aimed squarely at fans of the original manga. Every stance, quip and special attack are ripped with great accuracy and love from the source material, giving fans something to gush over. Fighting purists will berate it for being a little simplified and newcomers will get lost without guidance, but those lucky few in-between are in for a real treat. The menus are awash with obscure characters and quotes, the story mode, although nonsensical to some, will be a fantastic treat to the fans and the gloriously over the top special moves can’t help but bring a smile.

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Difficulty in fighting games is often a subjective matter; All Star’s is no real exception, the first few story mode battles can be swept under the rug with simple mashings of the light attack button. To clear the game and subsequently test your mettle online however, will require dextrous use of the game’s mechanics and as always, plenty of practice. Play it for an hour and you’ll nonplussed at the lack of depth, delving into the intricacies of the combat however will quickly relieve any doubts.

Despite the main menu being a little bogged down with the occasional overly long quote, All Star Battles is all about the presentation. Love them or hate them, it would be difficult to be unimpressed by the quality and scale of the effects; I don’t think I’ve ever seen my screen so inundated with colour before, making a nice change from the usual olive drab.

For fans of the series and manga in general, its presentation, over the top special moves and character mannerisms would easily grant this game a perfect score. For the rest of us however, it can be almost intentionally vague, it doesn’t explain how to physically play the game, but will instead offer helpful hints regarding what the ‘options’ screen entails. Unfortunately, traits such as this could well confuse and frustrate the casual gamer to a point where these complications over balance the great things it can offer to the right person.

Madden NFL 15 Coming 29th August

Chris Hare
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Madden NFL 15 Coming 29th August

EA has announced that Madden NFL 15 will be available on 29th August in the UK for Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The first Madden NFL : video, featuring Carolina Panthers linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly.

Madden NFL 15 delivers everything fans need to own their rivals on both sides of the field, including the most immersive defensive gameplay control in franchise history. Like the Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks, you can win championships and bask in the glory of success by building a great defense fit to challenge the best offenses in the game. Fans will also experience an entirely new broadcast presentation that delivers Madden NFL game day like never before with dramatic all-new camera angles, as well as dynamic pre-game and halftime features. It’s not just football, it’s Madden Season.

This year EA is once again collaborating with ESPN to give fans the opportunity to select which player will grace the cover of Madden NFL 15. In light of last year’s record-breaking vote, fans can look forward to a highly-competitive contest featuring some big-name matchups and intense rivalries. Fans in North America can tune in to the NFL Draft on ESPN and NFL Network on 8th May at 8pm ET for a special Cover Vote announcement.

Watch the lastest trailer from Destiny “Devils Lair”

Chris Hare
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Watch the lastest trailer from Destiny “Devils Lair”

Activision and Bungie have today released a new gameplay video today, offering fans their first action-packed look at a Strike, a cooperative mission and one of the many activities featured in Destiny. Check out the Devils’ Lair Strike trailer below.

Additionally, new details for pre-order incentives have been announced. GameStop Power Up Rewards members who pre-order Destiny at retail stores nation-wide will receive the GameStop Exclusive Upgraded Sparrow also Game in the UK will be getting the exclusive upgrade as well.

Red Sparrow Destiny

This in-game, customized, red-coloured personal-transport features an upgraded boost, faster speed, and higher durability than the standard Sparrow.

The Exclusive Upgraded Sparrow will put GameStop’s Power Up Rewards members and Game UK ahead of the game when Destiny launches on 9th September.

Players are cast as Guardians of the last city on Earth, who will traverse the ancient ruins of our solar system, from the red dunes of Mars to the lush jungles of Venus.  Able to wield incredible power, gamers must battle humanity’s enemies and reclaim all that was lost during the collapse of mankind’s Golden Age.  In a story-driven universe, Destiny‘s saga unfolds through grand tales and epic adventures by immersing players in a bold new universe filled with cooperative, competitive, public, and social activities, all seamlessly connected.

 

Review: Child of Light

phillvine
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Review: Child of Light

Child of Light is a fantasy adventure RPG that combines Limbo-style 2D platforming with a battle system not unlike the ATB system from older Final Fantasy titles. And then it’s lovingly wrapped in some amazingly gorgeous UbiArt visuals. The protagonist, Princess Aurora, is a young girl and part of a royal family who falls into a deep sleep caused by illness. She awakes in the world of Lemuria where she finds that the sun, moon and stars have been stolen by an evil queen. Aurora’s task is to find them and return light to Lemuria.

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Between battling the various enemies and bosses that litter the paths of Lemuria you will spend your time platforming. There’s not much in the way of frantic, accurate leaps and hops between moving ledges or getting shot by inexplicably fixed ‘turrets’ but rather a series of simple puzzles. You may have to move a box to reach a ledge or use your main companion, Igniculus, to unlock a door or align silhouettes of symbols in the correct order.

Igniculus is a firefly who joins you early in your adventure and will accompany you throughout your quest. Igniculus is controlled with the right thumbstick while you control Aurora with the left, it’s very similar to Puppeteer for those who’ve played it. Holding down the trigger (top-tip, click ‘R3’ to save your trigger finger) will cause Igniculus to shine brightly allowing you to either solve puzzles, open certain chests or even stun or slow enemies.

And it’s Igniculus’s ability to slow enemies that not only forms a key part of the combat but also ensures Igniculus becomes more than just a novel use of the right thumbstick. At the bottom of the screen during combat there is a time bar with each member of your team, and each enemy, represented by an icon. Once the icon reaches the first bar the game will pause and you can select an action. Then your character will act once their icon reaches the far right of the bar. Simple so far.

But, if an enemy hits you while you’re within the cast ‘buffer’ you will be interrupted and have to wait until you can perform another action. You can also do the same thing to enemies or choose to ‘defend’ which is an instant action and allows you to perform an action much sooner than if you get interrupted. Fighting early battles rarely makes much use of the time bar and interrupt systems but once you start fighting more formidable foes the battles are allowed to come alive.

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On top of paying close attention to the time bar to see which order you should attack in, or even whether to attack, Igniculus is by your side to slow your enemies. Having a certain enemy slowed can vastly alter who gets to go first which in turn can vastly alter the outcome of a battle. With the possibility to interrupt enemies the battles become intrinsically strategic. To further add to your considerations Igniculus has a ‘mana bar’ that will eventually run out if you use it for too long.

It can be refilled using ‘wishes’ found in certain plants twice per battle. For the most part that’s more than you need but during boss fights you have to consider the marathon and not the sprint. Plus Igniculus can be used to replenish relatively small amounts of health should you need it. I found he’s better used to slow enemies and save the healing for the white mage but if you’re desperate you may regret having slowed that enemy.

Every part of the battle system is well crafted and considered. The interrupt mechanic allows for turn-based levels of strategy but keeps things real-time. There isn’t a moment when you don’t think about what’s happening and what that means you need to do next. Even the standard enemies will get the better of you if you stop paying attention. It’s a level of strategy that is far too uncommon in the RPG genre today and just as it always used to it’s derived from a relatively simple, but robust mechanic that runs through the core of the game.

And what would an RPG be without upgrades? Each character has their own, unique, upgrade tree for you to complete. They also have choices you must make. You can’t just acquire all the best upgrades straight away and forget about it. There are several paths to choose from and more often than not there will be at least one upgrade you want from each, requiring you to gain many levels and keep acquiring new abilities and upgrades long into the game. On top of the ability trees you will gain increases to stats such as HP, MP, strength and defence on a per level basis.

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There is a dark-fairytale-style theme to the world of Lemuria and its inhabitants. Despite the 2D side scrolling setting the character animations are amazingly fluid and smooth. The entire world of Lemuria and everything in it is simply beautiful. Nothing is overlooked or looks out of place. Nothing is below the standards set by this supremely good looking adventure.

Ubisoft have succeeded musically too. The dark fairytale theme is enforced by a chilling piano-based soundtrack that never lets up. It doesn’t interfere or steal the spotlight it just does what a good soundtrack should, creates atmosphere. And the atmosphere that results from both the fantastic visuals and the ever-present soundtrack is perfect.

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It’s very difficult to find fault in Child of Light, but I’m going to try anyway. The only real gripes I have is the overuse of plot progression through cutscenes. And the fact that those cutscenes are the only real recorded speech in Child of Light. Admittedly speech isn’t integral to Child of Light but it would have been nice to hear a few more of the characters, especially given the great character design. The trap of only progressing the plot through ‘sit down and listen’ cutscenes is an easy one to fall into and unfortunately it occasionally dragged me out of Child of Light’s otherwise outstanding atmosphere.

But, despite this I found myself gladly taken in by the wonderful world of Lemuria and its characters’ quests. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the visuals or resist their charms. UbiArt has done it again. But refreshingly the visuals are just icing on the cake. The beating heart at the core of Child of Light is truly that of an RPG.

The ATB battle system has plenty of simple mechanics at work that ensure battles are simultaneously strategic and filled with action. I’ve never known a battle system so close to the perfect balance of ATB and turn based gameplay. Upgrades are plentiful and don’t dogmatically restrict you to simple levelling up but instead make you think as you decide what to acquire next. I can think of a few AAA’s that should pay close attention to both the battle and upgrade mechanics of Child of Light. Beautiful visuals, an enveloping atmosphere and refreshingly strategic battles ensure Child of Light is not to be taken lightly. Child of Light is simply superb.

Review: Octodad Dadliest Catch

phillvine
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Review: Octodad Dadliest Catch

Next time you think you’re having a bad day be thankful you’re not Octodad. For those who don’t know, Octodad is an Octopus who for some reason has aspirations of living a stereotypical suburban life with his ‘family’. So he wears a disguise and squashes and squeezes his tentacles to mimic human form.

The main problems Octodad faces are performing routine everyday tasks that humans find easy. You will basically spend most of your time mowing the lawn or going shopping. But it’s in the mundane that Deadliest Catch’s ludicrous concepts thrive as you futilely attempt to keep Octodad’s tentacles in check.

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The controls are simple, but as ineffective as they need to be to maintain hilarity. Holding ‘R2’ will raise the tentacle Octodad uses as his right leg and as you hold it you can move it around using the thumbsticks. Releasing the trigger will plop the tentacle down and sucker it to whatever surface it lands on. ‘L2’ does the same thing but with the tentacle used as his left leg. When you don’t hold a trigger the thumbsticks will be used to move your ‘arms’ and pressing ‘R1’ will pick something up using your suckers.

You always know what it is you need to do and what it is Octodad’s various limbs must do but getting them to do it isn’t all that easy. The controls are easy to grasp but intentionally impossible to master. Early on you will be tasked with taking a glass of milk to your daughter. Everything seems to go well but then opening the fridge to get the milk out results in catastrophe. Trays collapse and a ham slides across the floor along with the other contents of the fridge. Walking across the room doesn’t help much either with your various uncontrollable ‘limbs’ generally cause as much chaos as possible.

Fortunately there are very few ways in which you can fail. People are generally OK with you throwing yourself all over the place and leaving the place in complete disarray. There’s a bar at the bottom of the screen that acts as an octo-detection meter that will fail you if it fills. If people see you doing octopus related activities they will eventually get suspicious and see through your rather genius disguise.

People seem generally willing to look the other way. You’re bright yellow and talk only in different ‘blurb’ sounds. Everyone including your wife, kids and members of the public are willing to accept that you wear clothes and not ask any questions. Only one of your kids and a rather determined Japanese chef have their suspicions.

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Obviously with the chef being Japanese he wants to cut Octodad up, cook him and eat him. And so you have your antagonist. At the end of each level the chef will show up and try to murder you and it’s up to you to escape whilst maintaining your ridiculous second life. These chef encounters are really the only challenge there is in Deadliest Catch and even then they’re not all that challenging, and they’re a bit short. Deadliest Catch doesn’t rely on the challenge of doing things smoothly but rather relishes in the fact that you won’t.

Sadly in only a couple of hours you will have the game completed. Luckily there is enough humour to keep things funny until the end of the game. For instance, Octodad can only communicate using intonation and tone so the subtitles that appear at the top of the screen are reminiscent of the much loved Elcor from Mass Effect. The comments of people that surround him are a treat too – I particularly enjoyed the cute ‘blurb’ sound Octodad makes to say hello to passers by.

But the gameplay suffers more than the humour as far as longevity goes. Although the tasks are reasonably varied the gameplay isn’t. Once you’ve grasped the main concepts of Deadliest Catch not a lot is going to change in the 3 hour campaign. By the end I certainly felt the need for a change in gameplay. It’s good fun, and extremely funny, but Deadliest Catch just feels more like a concept than a full game.

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Dadliest Catch is incredible fun to play. It’s humorous and light hearted right to the end. Countless times I laughed to myself as I made a mistake performing a task and hurled various objects across the room. Or even just when I thought about how ridiculous the whole thing is. An Octopus walking on land, wearing a suit serves as just about the worst disguise ever in the history of time but even his wife accepts it and quizzes him on relatively trivial problems. And where did the kids come from?

Unfortunately the gameplay becomes a little boring before the end, despite the fact it only takes two or three hours to finish. A little more variation in the gameplay would’ve gone a long way rather than just relying entirely on the humour, despite how funny it is. But it is what it is; one of the funniest games I’ve ever been on. Octodad: Deadliest Catch provides a good couple of hours of fun that keep you laughing right until the end.

 

Review: Beware Planet Earth!

Sam Thompson
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Review: Beware Planet Earth!

Once upon a time, the tower defence genre was invented; it proved to be such a huge success, game developers across the world attempted to polish the winning formula to their own beliefs and expectations. One of the more unorthodox, if not still one of the best, is plants vs zombies; now to hopefully pry that thorny crown away, Namco Bandai and Lightmare Studios have unleashed the alien horde with ‘Beware Planet Earth!’

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For those who’ve never garnered their attention towards a tower defence style game, the premise is simple, yet the execution can be far from it. Usually, there’s a certain path of which the enemies must traverse; it’s up to you to stop them by placing turrets and other intrinsic defences adjacent to the path, in the vain hope that the enemy doesn’t reach their objective. Beware Planet Earth works no differently to the normal format, if you’ve played one before, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into.

With such a standardised arrangement to these games, you’d be forgiven in thinking that ideas may generally be recycled from other games. Mostly that would be the case, however certain parallels with Plants vs Zombies, do seem to discernibly crop up more than you might deem necessary. The overall visual styling of the game with its cartoony look, bubbly design and colourful overtones scream of PopCap’s classic; it doesn’t end there. Instead of Crazy Dave, you get a poor fellow who’s trapped inside an outdoor latrine, but don’t worry, he’s still a little wacky. The plant selection screen and subsequent enemy checker screen are almost identical, as are the resemblances to some of the weapons you can deploy, such as the ‘not spud mine’. Now I’m all for dotting around some sly nods to games, but there is a limit.

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Aside from the almost plagiaristic visual tones, Beware Planet Earth stands rather proudly as a game, the mechanics are solid, the weapons are varied enough and each successive map provides a unique challenge from the last. Due to most of the weapons having a rather, expectedly, meagre range, the usual challenge at the start of each map becomes the placement of your precious, yet offensively useless money/cog generators. You must quickly decide whether to build many at the start and forgo some aggressive placements in favour of selling them at a later date, or just keep a few secure and off the beaten path. Some certain enemy types will further increase the difficulty of this due to their special abilities. There’s a martian maid who doesn’t at all remind me of Consuela from Family Guy, who’ll hoover up your precious cogs should you let her. It’s not only her that makes life difficult either, due to the varied enemy types, you’ll encounter aliens that can pop shield bubbles around themselves and others that should be zapped away with the selectable ray gun as soon as possible.

The ray gun itself provides an interesting balancing act as you can do damage to enemies; even kill them outright with it, so long as you keep in mind that excessive use will make it overheat, and therefore be potentially useless when it’s actually needed. As is the case with some of the more sneaky types such as those who cannot be targeted by your defences (due to their incredulous disguise techniques) until you’ve given them a short blast with your trusty hand laser. Not only that, but you can also execute the risk/reward technique of super powering your defences, at the expense of them going offline for a while afterwards. It would be nice if there was a keyboard shortcut to the gun for use in those particularly hairy situations, but then that’s probably half the fun! Along with the generic adventure mode and all the bells and whistles it provides, there are also challenges and other things to keep you busy long after completion; even that is no joke due to the optional Veteran mode that can make the game a lot more difficult should you opt for it.

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As far as the game goes, it runs smoothly enough; will encounter no problems, even with fairly old hardware. This is a good job really as there are no visual or performance settings at all, which unfortunately raises the issue of it being, for some reason, in 4:3, with no way to change it. It simply doesn’t feel right, especially in this day and age to have the ol’ black lines down either side of the screen. The sound effects and music, whilst fairly standard for this genre, work well, but you’ll probably get a little tired of them long before the credits roll.

All in all, Beware Planet Earth is a solid entry in the tower defence genre and harbours its own little twists whilst implementing them seamlessly; if you haven’t had your fill of it by now, it’s a great place to rekindle your love for it. Being available on Steam also has its benefits too, with it, you can bag yourself some new levels, martians, exclusive valve content and a few cheeky secret achievements. Unfortunately, some issues do spoil it a little, such as its debatably unoriginal looks and presentation accompanied with its reluctance to join the 16:9 crowd.

12 Xbox Original TV shows that includes a Halo film from Ridley Scott

Chris Hare
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12 Xbox Original TV shows that includes a Halo film from Ridley Scott

Xbox: Xbox Originals starting this June with premium dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation, unscripted shows, and live events. It will be only available only on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and other Microsoft devices, every Xbox Originals show will offer interactive capabilities, as well as unique interactive features customized on a per-show basis, making it a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience you won’t find anywhere else.

Xbox Entertainment Studios has attracted alot of top Hollywood talent to develop its original programming slate, with names like Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott attached to two separate scripted projects based on the “Halo” franchise – but that’s only the beginning. Other shows in production include an unscripted series about international street soccer, an original drama about robotic servants in a dystopian world, and a documentary about the search for discarded Atari games in a desert landfill, which were unearthed over the weekend in New Mexico amongst several others.

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“We are developing premium, original content for the Xbox community which is an audience we are incredibly respectful of,” said Nancy Tellem, President of Xbox Entertainment Studios. “We believe Xbox Originals should embrace the way our fans think about traditional TV.” Tellem’s creative vision involves year-round, high-quality programs based on subjects gamers care about, with interactive features tailored to each show.

Xbox are hoping that Xbox Originals will provide incentive for fans to make the Xbox their all-in-one entertainment device. In the eyes of the Xbox Entertainment Studios team, original shows aren’t a departure, but rather an extension of what Microsoft Studios has been doing for years with first-party game development.

“Microsoft has a long and rich legacy in the content business,” said Jordan Levin, Executive Vice President of Xbox Entertainment Studios. “Games have been part of our DNA for at least the last 15 years, and creating original TV content is a logical next step in our evolution.”

According to Tellem, bringing together the most forward-thinking minds at Microsoft with the most creative minds in entertainment is how Xbox Entertainment Studios is betting on success. Gaming is the heart and soul of the Xbox platform, and the objective of Xbox Originals is to bring more value to fans, Tellem said.

“I know full well from my years spent at traditional TV networks that creating a lineup of hit shows isn’t easy. It’s the beginning of a long journey, but we’re incredibly excited to be on our way,” Tellem said.

The Xbox Originals lineup covers a wide array of subjects and formats, both scripted and unscripted. Many projects are already in production and have set release dates, while some are still in the early development stages. Here are some of the new shows you can look forward to watching on your Xbox and other favourite screens, starting this summer.

Committed Projects

“Halo” television series

The “Halo” television series is a groundbreaking original series based on the award-winning “Halo” franchise. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer Steven Spielberg will executive produce the live-action TV series, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Amblin Television.

“Every Street United”

“Every Street United” is an unscripted series of eight, thirty-minute episodes and a one-hour finale, featuring legendary soccer players Thierry Henry and Edgar Davids, focused on the global search for soccer’s most gifted and undiscovered street stars scouted across eight countries (United States, England, Argentina, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, Ghana and South Korea). The series culminates this July in a 4v4 street game finale in the shadow of the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

Each episode will feature unique and incisive narratives about the grassroots street stars and the communities that shaped them. Industry veteran and eight-time Emmy-Award winning producer, director, writer and editor Jonathan Hock (“Streetball,” “30 for 30: The Best That Never Was”) is directing the series. Emmy-Award winning producer Mike Tollin and Mandalay Sports Media are executive producing. Professional soccer luminaries, Henry and Davids, will serve as coaches for the 4v4 street game in Rio. “Every Street United” will premiere in June 2014. All episodes will be available through Xbox Video for Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows 8 (PC and Surface) and Windows Phone 8.

Bonnaroo

Xbox owners around the globe can experience the magic of the 13th annual Bonnaroo music and arts festival with a live concert destination on Xbox Live Friday 13th June through Sunday, 15th June, 2014, brought to viewers in partnership with Superfly Presents. With the Bonnaroo app, fans can enjoy live music like never before, with a virtual experience featuring the best performances, multiple stages, biggest artists and amazing SuperJams, and explore this year’s lineup to see the best of Bonnaroo’s past with exclusive performances. Fans can also join the conversation with fellow virtual-Bonnaroovians and get connected to their friends and the festival. Xbox is the exclusive broadcasting partner for Bonnaroo and the only location to get all of the interactive features.

“Signal to Noise”/“Atari: Game Over”

Xbox is creating a new six film documentary series, “Signal to Noise,” (working title) with two-time Academy Award winning producer Simon Chinn (“Searching for Sugar Man” and “Man on Wire”) and Emmy winning producer Jonathan Chinn (FX’s “30 Days” and PBS’s “American High”), through their multi-platform media company, Lightbox. The series will expose little known stories of how modern technology has radically altered the way we interact with our world.

The first installment, “Atari: Game Over” (working title), explores the fabled Atari mystery, dubbed “The Great Video Game Burial of 1983.” As the legend goes, the Atari Corporation, faced with overwhelmingly negative response to the E.T. video game, disposed of millions of unsold game cartridges by burying them in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Fuel Entertainment took an interest in the legend, and in December 2013, with help from local garbage contractor Joe Lewandowski, acquired the exclusive rights to excavate the Alamogordo landfill. Fuel Entertainment then brought the opportunity to Xbox Entertainment Studios. The team will head to the landfill in question to determine if the story is true, interviewing a cast of characters related to the game and its mystery along the way. “Atari: Game Over” is directed by writer/director Zak Penn (“X-Men 2,” “Avengers,” and “Incident at Loch Ness”). It will air exclusively on Xbox One and Xbox 360 in 2014.

“Humans”

“Humans” is a bold new drama co-produced with UK broadcaster Channel 4. Award-winning UK production company Kudos (“The Hour,” “Utopia,” “Broadchurch”) will produce the hour-long, eight-episode series, which will share a premiere broadcast window on the Xbox platform and Channel 4 in the UK in 2015.

Executive produced by Jane Featherstone (“Life on Mars,” “Broadchurch”) and Derek Wax (“The Hour,” “Sex Traffic”), and written by British writing team Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley (“Spooks,” “Spooks: The Greater Good”), “Humans” is an English-language adaptation of Sveriges Television and Matador Film’s acclaimed Swedish series, “Real Humans.” “Humans” is set in a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a ‘Synth’ – a highly-developed robotic servant eerily similar to its live counterpart. In the hope of transforming the way they live, one strained suburban family purchases a refurbished synth only to discover that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences. Casting for “Humans” will begin in May 2014, and production will commence later this summer.

“Halo” digital feature

343 Industries and Scott Free Productions are creating a “Halo” digital feature to be released later this year. The project will be executive produced by Ridley Scott and Scott Free TV President, David Zucker. Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Pillars of the Earth,” “Heroes”) will direct.

Projects in Development

“Deadlands”

Xbox Entertainment Studios has committed to a script based on the successful pen-and-paper role playing game created by Shane Lacy Hensley. “Deadlands” is a genre-bending alternative history of the Weird West, filled with undead gunfighters, card-slinging sorcerers, mad scientists, secret societies, and fearsome abominations.

“Extraordinary Believers”

Xbox Entertainment Studios is developing an innovative, hybrid stop-motion show dubbed “Extraordinary Believers” (working title) with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, creators of the Emmy-Award winning “Robot Chicken,” the longest running stop-motion show on television. The executive producers on the project are Seth Green, Matt Senreich, and creators/writers/executive producers are Eric Towner and John Harvatine IV.

“Fearless”

“Fearless,” (working title) is an unscripted series currently in pilot production starring Paul de Gelder, an Australian Navy bomb clearance diver and shark attack survivor who takes on an adrenaline-fueled quest to aid individuals who risk their lives to make the world a better place. “Fearless” will be produced by Australia’s International Emmy-Award winning production company, Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ).

“Gun Machine”

Xbox Entertainment Studios acquired the rights to “Gun Machine,” a hardboiled detective thriller based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Warren Ellis. Ellis will executive produce with Brett Conrad (“The Killing,” “Sons of Anarchy,” Netflix’s upcoming “Marco Polo”) who has signed on to write the pilot script about a detective tracking a serial killer who is tied to a mysterious collection of guns used in infamous New York murders.

Untitled JASH Comedy/Variety Half Hour

In this unique comedy format developed by Xbox Entertainment Studios with JASH (a comedy collective founded by Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, Tim and Eric and Reggie Watts), the biggest names in comedy will showcase the people that make them laugh. Each week, a different comedian will host/curate a show featuring new and unsung talent, in various video formats. Sarah Silverman will host the pilot episode and Daniel Kellison (“Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Crank Yankers”) will executive produce. The series has a pilot commitment and will begin shooting in June.

“Winterworld”

Xbox Entertainment Studios and IDW Entertainment are co-developing a limited event live-action series based on Chuck Dixon and artist Jorge Zaffino’s seminal graphic novel series “Winterworld,” in which our world has been encased in ice from pole-to-pole. The surviving humans have formed tribes that war, enslave and trade with one another in an effort to survive the infinite winter. Ted Adams and David Ozer from IDW Entertainment, and Rick Jacobs and Dave Alpert from Circle of Confusion (“Walking Dead”) will executive produce.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare Coming to PC This June

Chris Hare
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Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare Coming to PC This June

Today EA has announced Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare will be available on Origin and other retailers for PC beginning 27th June. Dubbed “a fun, refreshing family friendly take on the multiplayer shooter” from New York Daily News, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare is a best-in-class multiplayer third-person shooter, with all the fun and humour of the wildly popular Plants vs. Zombies franchise.

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Since its launch earlier this year on Xbox One and Xbox 360, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare has attracted global attention as critics and fans praised the game for being an unconventional shooter with a flawless blend of humour.

“We’ve had an amazing response from players since launching the Xbox platforms, and can’t wait for PC players to join the party this summer,” said Brian Lindley, Producer on Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare. “The PC version has all the great content that we have put out since launch like Garden Variety and Zomboss Down for players to enjoy from the start.”

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In Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare, players choose a side and square off in riotous combat against their plant or zombie opponents, utilising an arsenal of outrageous weaponry. Beloved character favourites from the franchise, including the Sunflower and Chomper, reprise their roles, and the game tops it off with a new cast of zany characters such as Ice Cactus and the Marine Biologist.

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Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare features four distinct gameplay modes including 12 vs. 12 competitive multiplayer called “Gardens & Graveyards” and “Team Vanquish,” as well as 8v8 Gnome Bomb. If you prefer co-op gameplay a four-player co-operative mode called “Garden Ops ” is available too! Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare for PC will also include all content from the Garden Variety Pack & Zomboss Down, a Wild West themed update with eight new playable characters, more than 200 wild customizations and a Cactus Canyon map.

Starting today, Players can also pre-order the Origin Digital Deluxe edition, which includes two Booster Packs, in-game coins and an exclusive character customisation pack.

Mutants: Genetic Gladiators Hits iOS, Android and Amazon

Chris Hare
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Mutants: Genetic Gladiators Hits iOS, Android and Amazon

The French developer Kobojo has launched its new hit on mobile devices iOS, Android and Amazon.

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Play geneticists apprentices to create new breeds of ultimate fighters!

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In Mutants: Genetic Gladiators players discover, grow and lead a large variety of mutants (robots, Cerberus, valkyries…). They can combine their monsters’ genes to create even more powerful hybrid fighters! These combatants have various powers and abilities depending on their combinations.

The players also compose their team and pit it in 3 versus 3 fights in futuristic arenas against players from around the world. Who will win between a zombie and a warrior, a demon and a werewolf or a dragon and an alien?

Throughout the game, there are no less than 400 specimens that players can create and collect, to build the ultimate team of fighters!

A role-playing game suitable for all mobile players

Mutants: Genetic Gladiators totally fit into Kobojo’s strategy to get involve in games with deep gameplay, targeting a mid-core population, says Mario Rizzo, CEO of Kobojo. This is our first step in the field of RPGs, which we intend to explore through our upcoming titles.

Mutants: Genetic Gladiators is a mid-core role-playing game, that is to say that players can progress according to the mode that best suits them, for example:

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• casualy and focusing on fighting Player vs. Machine.

• or on a more sustained and technical way, challenging other players around the world in “asynchronous” mode.

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