Today Square Enix has announced that THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL, a rhythm action game combining classic FINAL FANTASY music with RPG elements, will be released later this year, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.
THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL is the sequel to THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY, released back on the Nintendo 3DS in 2012, and includes three times as many songs and twice as many playable characters as its predecessor. In addition to the new features mentioned below, the sequel also boasts two new game modes: Quest Medley where you alternate playing FMS (Field Music Sequence) and BMS (Battle Music Sequence) games – and the exciting Versus BMS mode, where players can challenge and compete against friends and other players. The game also includes a number of customisation and progression elements that the FINAL FANTASY series is renowned for.
Featuring more than 200 songs and 60 playable characters from across the entire FINAL FANTASY series – including FINAL FANTASY VII: Advent Children, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS and recently released titles like LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL lets players relive their favourite moments from across the epic series, as they tap their way through key FINAL FANTASY events, environments and battle sequences.
“Music is an integral part of the FINAL FANTASY experience that serves as a complement to the gameplay,” said Ichiro Hazama, producer. “As with the previous title, we envisioned a game where the music takes centre stage and the RPG gameplay enhances that experience. Our fans are definitely in for a treat as they’ll be able to re-experience their favourite songs across the entire FINAL FANTASY catalogue.”
Key features include:
Versus Battle Mode – Players can now compete head-to-head with friends and other users
Quest Medley Mode – Songs from the vast FINAL FANTASY music catalogue are used as backgrounds to unique quests; players can choose their own routes through various short, medium and long adventures. Players can also share these quests with friends.
New Characters – The game features over 60 characters from across the series, including Barret (FINAL FANTASY VII) and Yuna (FINAL FANTASY X-2). Characters from spin-offs like Benjamin (FINAL FANTASY MYSTIC QUEST), Ramza (FINAL FANTASY TACTICS) and Zack (CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-) also make their debut in this game.
Collecta Crystarium – Clearing songs and winning battles allow players to obtain CollectaCards that boost their character stats.
I had a slightly underwhelming experience with my first foray into the new and improved Final Fantasy MMO on the PS3. The hardware could barely cope with it and even when it did everything was pretty substandard. There was an impressive world at work but I felt it was destined for ‘greater’ platforms.
Fortunately Square seem to have got a handle on the connection issues that somehow plagued both the original release of FFXIV and A Realm Reborn. I created my character, selected my class and joined a server in no time. I got one disconnect down the road during a quests but I quickly reconnected and got back into the world.
Having a quick and painless entry into Final Fantasy’s world certainly makes the experience a lot easier on the nerves. By the time I actually got to move my character and have a look around on the PS3 version I was already past breaking point. Entering the world with a fresh prospective I made my way towards the first of many, many quests.
As expected it seems every single quest involves finding an item and then delivering it to the quest giver. Even many hours in I’m still performing meaningless fetch quest after meaningless fetch quest. The game that ensure MMO’s aren’t synonymous with DHL Simulator will be a huge success, but Final Fantasy XIV isn’t that game (I’m looking at you Division). Taking on hordes of challenging enemies or giant animated trees doesn’t seem to matter much when you’re dropping off some plants for some lifeless NPC.
If we’re going to be doing fetch quests it would be nice if the NPC’s have something interesting to say. Hell it’d be nice if they had anything to say. Probably the most impressive thing in The Elder Scrolls Online was the fact that every NPC had recorded speech. Sadly Final Fantasy has got barely any speech for it’s NPCs which can at times make questing a little dry. I’m not apposed to reading but when an NPC has three pages of useless commentary before actually saying anything useful it’s easy to lose interest and glaze over.
So the main appeal has to be from co-op questing. Joining up with even a small crew of random players instantly makes FFXIV more appealing. There is an inherent appeal accomplishing feats and completing quests with friends, be they real or digital only. Even without talking there is a predictable Journey-like communication between players.
In particular during FATEs (Full Active Time Event) where for a limited time players must help each other take out multiple enemies or slay a larger foe for a tasty EXP bonus silent communication is ever-present. On one such an occasion we were tasked with taking down a rather formidable tree. Things were looking very bad. I started attacking and did minimal damage as the giant shuffled towards me. With one hit it became obvious I wouldn’t last more than a minute.
But then a mêlée warrior jumped in and we at least started to damage the monster although it was still clear the fight would end soon. But then a tiny mage scuttled towards us and healed us both like there was no tomorrow. He didn’t get bored, run off and leave us to die. He didn’t get distracted and attack. He did his task without being asked, we all lived and eventually killed our enemy to reap the rewards. It was one of those moments only possible in MMO’s. A spontaneous co-op experience among comrades fighting for a common cause.
The UIs and menus benefit greatly from the PS4’s massive increase in power over the PS3 version. Everything has an increased fidelity but it doesn’t entirely stop the menus from being clunky every now and again. The PS4’s touchpad serves as a mouse to help but it’s still easy to lose your cursor and have to stop and figure out where it is. In large holding L2 and R2 to bring up your character’s abilities is easy and the UI makes it obvious how to perform the desired move. There’s still the sense that the controls aren’t native to consoles but they get the job done.
Combat allows itself to get fairly repetitive even quite early in the game. New moves and equipment try to keep things fresh but ultimately you will engage an enemy, hold a trigger and mash a face button. There’s some strategy later on when more moves are available to you but more likely than not you will find a move that works well in most situations and stick with it. Enemy design is what we’ve come to expect from the Final Fantasy series and is just as good as any single player title, but it’s not enough to maintain your interested past the 5 hour mark.
Were visuals are concerned very little, if anything, is comparable between the PS4 and PS3 versions. Textures are now flaunting their full HD capabilities and everything just looks beautiful. There isn’t a sharp edge in sight. The impressively colourful world of Eorzea lets the PS4 version show itself off with a dazzling array of colours. I don’t think there’s a colour that exists that isn’t used. Plus everything benefits massively from a lovely smooth frame rate thanks to the PS4. If you’ve only seen Final Fantasy XIV on the PS3 you haven’t seen it at all. It’s a completely different experience between platforms and the PS4 version really is the only way to see Eorzea.
Despite all the improvements there are still a few issues that run deep through Final Fantasy XIV’s core. The quests can become boring quickly, and so too can the combat. There is a reasonably comprehensive selection of character abilities but you are reliant on levelling up a required amount to earn both stats and new moves. There’s no choice or real freedom beyond choosing a class when you create a character. And if you don’t quest with friends everything is all the more stale. So much time, sooooo many fetch quests.
But still this marks another impressive entry for Final Fantasy XIV’s tarnished history. So great are the differences between the PS4 and PS3 versions that this may as well be another re-release. I certainly consider it so. If you’ve not tried FFXIV on the PS4 you’ve still not tried the ‘proper’ version. Square even allow you to port your PS3 characters across so if you’ve got access to a PS4 I’d strongly recommend giving this version a go – regardless of how much you may have already done on the PS3.
Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released Cold, Cold Heart, the action-packed story add-on for Batman: Arkham Origins.
Set on New Year’s Eve, Cold, Cold Heart sheds light on the tragic origin story of Mr. Freeze and players will discover how he earned his place as one of Gotham City’s greatest villains. Cold, Cold Heart is available today for purchase on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Games Store and STEAM for £7.99 and also for players who have purchased the Batman: Arkham Origins Season Pass and are connected to the Internet.
The Cold, Cold Heart Story Add-On introduces new locations including Wayne Manor and GothCorp, taking players on an ice-cold journey as Victor Fries encounters Batman for the first time. Players will have access to all new gadgets including Thermocharged Batarangs and Thermal Gloves.
Batman is also equipped with his powerful Extreme Environment (XE) suit to take down Mr. Freeze and his Cryo-thugs in hours of new story content.
The Walking Dead: Season Two, Episode 1 – ‘All That Remains’ and Episode 2 – ‘A House Divided’ are now available for download for PlayStation Vita via the PlayStation Store in North America, with the Europe version coming tomorrow, 23rd April.
Each episode is just US$4.99 or equivalent individually, or players can save 20% by purchasing the Season Pass, which includes access to Episodes 1 through 5 as they become available, including the upcoming Episode 3 – ‘In Harm’s Way.’
Today Codemasters announced that the next racing game in the award-winning GRID series will be GRID Autosport, set to ship on 24th June in the USA and release on 27th June in Europe for the Xbox 360, Windows PC from Steam and for the PlayStation 3.
GRID Autosport will bring alive the experience of becoming a professional racing driver in a new world of contemporary and classic motorsport. Drawing in spirit from classic Codemasters titles such as the TOCA series, developed in conjunction with community feedback and retaining the core GRID focus of ‘being all about the race’, gamers will experience a world of breadth, of depth, of intensity and of course, of the excitement that only racing cars can deliver.
Racing alongside a teammate, players must overcome key rivals and satisfy team sponsors in ferocious races where every pass and position counts. In GRID Autosport’s huge career, gamers will specialise in their favourite racing discipline or conquer them all; players will feel the aggression of the pack in Touring Cars, manage tyre wear and race into the night in Endurance events, race Open-Wheel cars with precision, show car control in Tuner events and react on the fly in Street races.
Each unique category features series dedicated to different classes, including Touring Cars, Hypercars, Endurance GT Cars, Prototypes, Single-Seaters, Super Modified vehicles, Drift cars and many, many more. Bursting with content, GRID Autosport features over 100 routes across 22 incredible locations and the world’s most exciting contemporary and classic high-performance racing cars to collect, tune and upgrade.
GRID Autosport’s features and tone have been shaped through consultation with the GRID community, professional racing drivers and the experts from AUTOSPORT magazine. This includes the return of an in-car view and the most authentic handling in a GRID game yet. Multiplayer racing is extended by RaceNet, Codemasters’ free million member strong online community portal, which will deliver new challenges every week from launch and sees the introduction of all-new RaceNet Racing Clubs for online, clan-style team competition. Party modes, Demolition Derby and competitive split-screen modes all complement the game’s extensive career mode and expansive core online game.
GRID Autosport delivers the most amount of content in the series yet and a truly authentic motorsport feel, but does not lose sight of what makes a GRID game a GRID game – it’s all about the race.
“The design philosophy behind GRID Autosport was to create a really focussed racing game,” said James Nicholls, Chief Games Designer, GRID Autosport. “We’ve jettisoned anything that doesn’t support the on-track competition and we’ve chosen a selection of cars and tracks that will give players a range of different racing experiences. That variety is crucial. There are five very distinct ways to race – this isn’t a game where basically every race is the same and the cars and tracks change. You need to adjust your tactics and learn different techniques to succeed in each racing discipline and each car has its own character too. Our AI will act and react in different ways depending not just on how you race, but the style of racing you are competing in and that’s vital in authentically capturing the feel of say, Touring Cars compared to Open-Wheel Racing.”
GRID Autosport will also be Codemasters most scalable game yet on PC. On high-performance set ups, GRID Autosport offers 4K textures, 4K output support and delivers a 1080P, 60 frames per second racing experience. However, the game has been optimised for performance excellence on the widest range of hardware for the widest range of PC players yet. The Codemasters PC development team has also benefited from a relationship with Intel that has delivered a range of further benefits for players on Intel hardware, including for the first time, tablets.
With Game of Thrones back on our screens, how would you like to learn more about Westeros, and what better way than with a pop-up book?
Featuring stunning pop-up re-creations of several key locations from the series, including the formidable castle of Winterfell, the lavish capital city King’s Landing, and the Wall’s stark majesty, this book—designed by renowned paper engineer Matthew Reinhart—takes you into the world of the series like never before.
Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros features a total of five stunning spreads, which fold out to create a remarkable pop-up map of Westeros that is perfect for displaying. The book also contains numerous mini-pops that bring to life iconic elements of the show, such as direwolves, White Walkers, giants, and dragons. All the pops are accompanied by insightful text that relays the rich history of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond, forming a dynamic reference guide to the world of Game of Thrones. Visually spectacular and enthrallingly interactive, Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros sets a new standard for pop-up books and perfectly captures the epic scope and imagination of the series.
Here are some pictures to show you just what is included, although they really don’t do the book justice.
First off you may notice that the TP-Link 3G Mobile WiFi and 5200 mAh Power Bank (M5360) is a little different to most 3g mobile Wifi devices as it combines two of the handiest portable accessories, with a 3G wireless hotspot and a USB battery pack, into a single unit.
The TP-Link M5360 comes neatly packaged in a slide-out box. Included with the 3G Mobile WiFi are instructions, a charger, USB-to-microUSB cable and some SIM adaptors which hold the smaller SIM sizes (Micro, Nano) and the M5360 uses the Mini sim size. The 3G Mobile WiFi itself is larger than the normal size mobile hotspot but this hardly unexpected with an additional 5200 mAh battery stashed in there. Overall, it’s 44 x 29 x 100 mm and weights about 150g.
Full Specifications taken from the website
The M5360 3G Mobile WiFi is white with a clear plastic cover over the OLED screen. On the top of the device is a microUSB socket to charge up the Power Bank. With on the right side on the device, is a power button turns the unit on, off and toggles between charging only and simultaneous 3G sharing and charging. There’s a reset button if you need to use, with a covered slots for the SIM and micro SD cards.
On the bottom is USB socket that can be used for charging other devices. With only rated at 1A, so it’s more suited to charging smartphones and small media devices.
All you need to do is to slip a SIM in and power the 3G Mobile WiFi up. As the unit is not network-locked you can use whatever SIM you choose, and helpfully on the rear of the device is all the information necessary for connecting to the WiFi network, including SSID and password. The 3G Mobile WiFi generally self-configures, but if you need to change anything, you can log on to the unit via a web browser and make changes.
I used a 3 sim in the UK, that I was using for this testing the TP Link M5360, everything went very smoothly.
With the small display on the M5360, the screen gives all the usual information about the 3G Mobile WiFi side of the device, that includes the signal strength, connectivity, how many people connected to the device, battery and any SMS messages you get on the device.
It shows the download rate, as well as the upload rate and data volume are shown on it too. The unit supports the usual GSM protocols up to the HSPA+ standards. The M5360 is a little different as with most mobile WiFi devices as it does 11b/g/n and up to 10 clients can connect at one times.
The internal battery of the M5360 will run for over two (normal working days) without recharging. With TP-Link quoting about 16-17 hours under heavy use by a single person and upto 26 hours will lighter use. I’m inclined to agree with TP-Link as I was able to use the 3G Power Bank for two and a half working days of relatively light use before recharging.
In addition to powering the 3G Mobile WiFi, the battery can be used to charge another device as well. There are two options, wireless sharing and charging, and charging only; a quick double press of the power button toggles between the two modes. The 5200 mAh battery is roughly double the size of a smartphone battery, so expect to fully recharge your phone twice from the Power Bank.
The TP-Link 3G Mobile WiFi and 5200 mAh Power Bank is a useful combination of the two. The ability to run the hotspot for a full working day (and then some) with several connected clients is attractive.
Here you can change the default password and SSID for the TP-Link M5360
You can change the default device name and password by login into the TP-Link webpage for it when you are using the device.
You can’t go wrong with this device, I had no problems at all and the battery life will keep you going longer than most smartphones now days.
Microsoft recently unveiled the latest in its line of Wireless Mouse hardware, the Wireless Mouse 1850 – and here is our review.
Having undergone extensive testing to ensure optimal usability, quality and comfort, the Wireless Mouse 1850 uniquely matches function with fashion, and is available in four standout colours including Flame Red, Orchid Pink, Pantone Purple and Coal Black.
Featuring a built-in USB receiver, the Wireless Mouse 1850 uses 2.4Ghz wireless technology to deliver a reliable wireless connection with a range of up to 5 metres. With all of this weighing in at just 90 grams, the Wireless Mouse 1850 is the perfect accompaniment for a modern, mobile lifestyle.
Everything you need to get going is included in the small box – the mouse, a AA battery and the wireless dongle (which can also be stored inside the mouse).
Final Thoughts
The Mobile 1850 Mouse is quite small, meaning that it should be comfortable for most people to use. It is also very light so you can easily carry it around in a bag or even in your pocket without really noticing that it’s there.
Setting up the mouse was as simple as just plugging in the wireless dongle into my machine, flick the on/off switch on the underside of the mouse and Windows 8 did all the rest and I was up and running in under a minute.
The wireless dongle is nice and small, and can be stored inside the mouse when not in use – just make sure you don’t lose it!
Unlike some of the more expensive Microsoft mice, the 1850 just has a left button, a right button and a scroll wheel.
The 1850 is the perfect combination of size, weight, comfort and price for a mouse that you want to be portable with. You can use it wherever you like – although if you want to play games with it I would recommend looking at a different mouse as it’s not really designed for that, although it does work. Overall I found the 1850 to be very responsive and worked well on a variety of surfaces.
So if you need an inexpensive wireless mouse, look no further than the 1850!
The Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 1850 is available now for £16.99.
It’s been a long time since the 1981 release of Castle Wolfenstein, and Bethesda in conjunction with MachineGames are bringing the latest in the series, Wolfenstein: The New Order to us next month. I recently had the chance to play the first three hours of the game.
The game starts on July 16th 1946 (yes 1946), and B.J. Blazkowicz (you) is on a plane on a last ditch mission to destroy Deathshead and his army. Your plane is hit and you have to perform a small series of tasks to stop the plane from exploding, and before you know it you are sitting in a gun turret shooting futuristic looking planes out of the sky. I wont spoil the start of the game but you have to jump between two planes in the air, survive a plane crash, swim underwater, and assault a beach in a scene reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan.
You have various missions to complete, from assaulting the compound, to disabling some heavy guns, all the while being attacked from all angles by Nazi’s, dogs and even robotic machines.
It’s about an hour to an hour and a half of gameplay then before you finish the sequence in 1946, and in fact that’s when the title sequence for the game starts, so think of the whole of the 1946 game as the pre-title sequence.
Something happens to Blazkowicz during that game sequence that then has him waking up in Poland in 1960. The Nazi’s have won the war, the world is under their thumb, and it’s time for Blazkowicz to fight back. He has to escape his current situation, rescue a nurse called Anya and try to find out where the Nazi’s are holding what’s left of the resistance (something he does during a cinematic torture scene involving a chainsaw!).
Before I knew it my 3 hours were up, with Blazkowicz ending up on a train full of Nazi’s having just played a rather strange game with a rather unlikeable woman and her boy toy!
The graphics are very good, with lots of exploding body parts and showers of blood, all rendered with Software’s id Tech 5 engine. The gameplay was very smooth as well considering how many things were happening on the screen at once in terms of explosions and characters.
There is a lot of use of cover in the game, with you being able to lean around columns to see and attack your enemies, to shooting through things at floor level – it all makes for some interesting gameplay.
I have been lucky enough to play two previous builds at closed door events and the game gets better and better, and harder!
Talking of which, there are 5 difficulty levels, and good luck with the hardest one!
One thing that is brand new for this build is the new perk system. Like other games, you can earn perks to enhance your abilities. The way you earn these perks is to perform certain tasks, such as perform a silent kill on an enemy. This will then unlock a certain perk from the four perk trees – Stealth, Tactical, Assault and Demolition. You also don’t have to perform the tasks in sequence to unlock the perk which I thought was good.
There is also a map in the game, although the map is only revealed as you make your way through the levels, unless of course you happen to find a map laying around somewhere, in which case you can see more!
There are also a lot, and I mean a lot of collectables to find in the game, including codes and Nazi gold, each of which opens up background information to read. During my 3 hours I managed to find a few, and way told after I had finished that I had in fact missed several that were hidden around. And as you would expect there are also secret passages, hidden rooms, and lots of surprises.
One thing I really liked about my time with Wolfenstein: The New Order was that I could choose to play the game using stealth or I could just go full out and shoot everything that moves. There are missions where you have to get through to a certain area that can either be done using stealth, including quietly killing the enemy or even leaving them alone, or you could just go in all guns blazing, which I have to be honest is exactly what I did most times – who doesn’t want to dual wield some heavy machines guns! There are also different routes to get to your objectives – some of which are only available to you depending on certain decisions you make. For example, there is a sequence in the 1946 area where you are captured by Deathshead and you need to decide which of your two friends dies. Depending on who you choose, the story will subtly change which certain skills being taught to you by the survivor thus helping you later. I won’t spoil it but it was a nice little touch that I didn’t realise until much later in the gameplay.
I mentioned dual wielding machine guns – there are lots of different weapons in Wolfenstein: The New Order, ranging from knives, to pistols, to turret guns. Pretty much all the weapons (with the exception of the turret gun) can be dual wielded, which really unleashes hell on your enemies. Just remember though, you burn through your ammo quicker that way!
I look forward to playing more of Wolfenstein: The New Order soon.
Here is some gameplay footage to keep you going as well:
Last year I also spoke with Andreas, one of the level designers about Wolfenstein: The New Order:
Wolfenstein: The New Order will be released on May 20th for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Are you going to play it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Thief was released by Square Enix back in February and Titan Books released an amazing Art of Thief book, and we have 2 copies of the book to give away.
THE ART OF THIEF demonstrates the stunning concept and development art from this eagerly awaited game. With the game’s reimagined Victorian period setting, THE ART OF THIEF will also appeal to steampunk and fantasy fans.
— Movies Games and Tech (@moviesgamestek) April 19, 2014
Usual contest rules apply, and the winners will be selected at random. This contest is open only to those in the UK – sorry! You can enter as many times you as you like, but only one entry per day will be counted.
The contest ends Tuesday 22nd April, so good luck.
Titanfall is already shaping up to be one of the biggest games of the year, and Titan Books have released an amazing Art of Titanfall book, and we had 2 copies of the book to give away – and here are the winners.
THE ART OF TITANFALL, written by Andy McVittie, offers fans of this ground-breaking game an exclusive insight into its visual development through all stages of production… and a rare sneak–peek at what they can expect. The book also features detailed creator commentary from the entire Respawn Entertainment art team, giving readers added insight into the evolution of the game.
The Winners
Justina Howells
Emma Wolski
Well done to our two winners and thank you to Titan Books for the prizes. Another contest will be starting soon so keep an eye open for it!
One of the most difficult to read titles to grace the PS3, Short Peace is the new creation from Namco Bandai, Crispy’s Inc and Suda 51, a movie and video game crossover that spans Ranko Tsukigme’s longest day. Will this obscure Japanese title find its deserved niche, or will it sink under the tidal flood of western releases designed to appeal to the masses?
Hoping for a breath of fresh air, I dove into Short Peace with an open mind; prepared for anything, I encountered one of the most bewildering gaming experiences of my life. With the contemporary rulebook strewn out of the window, you’ll encounter all of the classic atypical Japanese stereotypes such as, ‘terraforming young girl’ and ‘rugged motorbike rider that can transform into an Ironman suit’. I’m skipping ahead however; Short Peace starts out fairly sedately before jumping into the land of the nonsensical.
You play as Ranko, an average schoolgirl during the day, who by nightfall, becomes a deadly assassin tasked with ending the life of her own father. If you’re familiar with the workings of Katsuhiro Otomo, then you’ll be pleased to know that this functions as a tie-in to his four part film compilation. Whilst the gameplay is certainly entertaining in its own right, it becomes clear early on, in part due to the cutscenes often being longer than the levels, that the main focus of this package lies sorely in its storytelling and cutscenes.
Much akin to an infinite runner style game, only with an end, Short Peace places you in a multi-tiered, 2D environment with the only goal being to evade the, often unexplained, pursuing threat. Starting out simply, the game informs you briefly on the control setup, which essentially boils down to holding a direction, jumping occasionally and mashing square whenever you see an enemy. Whilst you can’t directly fail the level by choosing from the multitude of paths on offer, some are undeniably quicker, some hold secrets and some have an increased number of enemies. If the pursuing behemoth does start catching up with you (and on later levels it most certainly will!) you have your trusty gun at your side to help. Firing at it from your trusty instrument/gun will make it back off and keep the pressure down, however using it will deplete its ammunition, which is regenerated only by vanquishing scores of enemies.
With it being such a fast paced game; most levels only taking approximately 90 seconds to complete, combat on the fly sounds potentially tricky. Fortunately, for the most part, it isn’t. It all boils down to timing and reaction speeds, most of the early enemies are stationary and provide little to no challenge, later on however, enemies will swoop, home in on you and even fire projectiles. The difficulty spikes a little after some of these enemies as you may imagine! Fortuitously, due to the chaining system, it usually ends up as more of a spectacle than a true challenge, for when you kill enemies one after another, the vivid and dramatic effects of their destruction will link and take out subsequent nearby enemies in a row. With each defeated enemy releasing a potent array of colour and shapes, when you’re on a longer ‘streak’ the screen can cross the inevitable boundry between a Jackson Pollock painting and an all-night rave.
For a game, dedicated to reaction times and quick, committed judgement calls, it’s a good job that the controls are tight, responsive and simple. In fact the only time when I came into problems was during the first boss fight where you can’t rely upon your usual momentum and instead must change direction constantly. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, yet if you jump backwards instead of first facing the correct direction, you will leap about half of the expected distance, a potential problem when you can’t clearly see your character due to the myriad of on-screen effects. All of which can be exasperated when you factor in that there are no checkpoints, but conversely, you will rarely have to replay more than a couple of minutes should you succumb to the ensuing darkness.
Helpfully breaking up the pace are the bosses, some often pose not only a different kind of threat, but also can change the game up entirely, as is the case of the second boss encounter where the largely un-adhered to rulebook, is once again ignored and the game instead takes the form of a 2D overhead shooting battle, with a dragon, that was once a little girl. Obviously.
Whilst it might not be the longest game available, you’re better off looking at Short Peace as a package. The game itself, despite how actually engaging it can be, is not the focal point, it’s the fantastic movies that enthral the most and will be the games largest draw. The artwork is sublime and the comic book stylised effects during the in-game cutscenes work well. Despite the game’s spoken language being entirely in Japanese, the subtitles aren’t too intrusive yet they can however disappear fairly quickly, especially the hints. The odd sense of humour retains its quintessentially Japanese appeal, with loading screen messages murmuring about various restraints in development and the like!
Short Peace is not without its fair share of faults however, its short length is a little problematic and not entirely excusable, even with the replay value in beating stage times and collecting secrets such as artwork and costumes. For the most part, the load times are great; if you fail a stage, the retry screen is quick and painless to appear, for some reason however, if you select the extras screen from the main menu, it can seem like an eternity before something happens. There are also some great scenes on the XMB video section when you have the disc inserted that can be potentially easy to miss if, like I did, you assumed they’d be in the game’s menus somewhere.
In truth, Short Peace is going to be a subjective matter for most. Those who’ll appreciate it will relish its accompaniment to the saga. On the other hand, those who have had no experience of the source material will not only be greatly bemused, but also presented with what could in essence, be a very highly polished mobile game, albeit with fantastic presentation, engaging cutscenes and slick, responsive controls.
With The Walking Dead: The Game premieres on PlayStation Vita next week by Telltale games.
The Walking Dead: Season Two, Episode 1 – ‘All That Remains’ and Episode 2 – ‘A House Divided’ will be available for download for PS Vita via PlayStation Store in North America on 22nd April, and in Europe on 23rd April. Each episode will be available for just US$4.99 or equivalent individually, or players can save 20% by purchasing the Season Pass, which includes access to Episodes 1 through 5 as they become available, including the upcoming Episode 3 – ‘In Harm’s Way.’
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season, which includes all 5 episodes in Season One plus the ‘400 Days’ DLC, is now available for Android-based devices via Google Play, NVIDIA Shield via TegraZone, and Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kindle HDX via Amazon. The first episode in the series, ‘A New Day’, is currently available FREE on all of these platforms.
Today Sony has announced that the next system software update for PlayStation 4’s is “coming soon,”, it will introduced a video editor app ShareFactory, USB drive saves and software pre-loading on PlayStation 4 systems like you do now on Steam.
The Update 1.70 will add the ability to pre-download pre-ordered games “up to several days prior to release.” also in the update, users who enable the auto-download feature will automatically pre-download software to their systems.
The system update will also introduce video editor app ShareFactory, featured above, offering users the tools to combine, edit and personalize captured video clips. The app features various filters, transitions, stickers, text, themes and supports video commentary with picture-in-picture using the PlayStation Camera. Users can also import audio tracks to use in videos or choose from a selection provided by Sony. Videos can be shared with friends on the PlayStation Network, downloaded to USB or posted directly to Facebook if you like to.
