World of Warplanes Celebrates First Content Update

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Wargaming has announced the release of Update 1.1 for its recently launched flight combat MMO action game, World of Warplanes. The update introduces a substantial amount of new content, including 14 aircraft, two battle arenas, and new epic and tiered achievements.

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“This update is focused on making the player experience more enjoyable by addressing a number of technical and gameplay balance issues,” said Vlad Belozerov, Director of Global Operations for World of Warplanes. “We’re also excited to give players the chance to try out a new line of German fighters.”

The German tech tree is bolstered with the second line of fighters, featuring nine Focke-Wulf warplanes, known for their overall balance, combat performance, and maneuverability. The latest update also enriches the game with five new premium aircraft, all Tier 5, including the Russian Curtiss P-40 M-105, the UK Miles M. 20, the US Grumman XF4U-1, and the German Messerschmitt Me 209V.

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Other significant additions include two new battle arenas—Adriatic and Castle, a broad list of new achievements and customization items, as well as major improvements for mouse and joystick controls, balance tweaks, and general bug fixes.

To celebrate the first content update for World of Warplanes since launch, Wargaming is awarding all players that log into the game between December 23, 2013 and January 16, 2013, with a free in-game premium plane, the Curtiss Model 68C Hawk III. This item is available exclusively to this event.

Nordic Games Brings MX vs ATV Serie is Back

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With 2014 promises to be a very happy New Year for fans of extreme racing, as Nordic Games has unveiled its plans to revive the best-selling MX vs. ATV series.

Nordic Games secured the rights to the MX vs. ATV series as part of its agreement to acquire a range of THQ’s intellectual property earlier this year. Now the firm can reveal it has assembled a team of former MX vs. ATV staff along with other, high-profile developers to properly resurrect the franchise. This dedicated team will be taking it to even greater heights while retaining the ingredients that made MX vs. ATV so successful. It’s no coincidence the team is based in Phoenix Arizona where it all began in the mid-90s. Perhaps one can be forgiven for borrowing from the well-worn cliché: the Phoenix has truly risen from the (digital) ashes.

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Led by Ken George and comprising of numerous MX vs. ATV staff along with game development veterans including Dave Dwire, Mike Mamula, Brad Bowling, Scott Hofmann, Justin Walsh, David Knudsen, and Chris Gilbert, the new team’s first title will be MX vs. ATV Supercross due for release in the first half of 2014 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac and Linux. As the title suggests, MX vs. ATV Supercross is centred around the popular Supercross sport and has the scope of a downloadable game.

The team is also maintaining the existing MX vs. ATV Alive and MX vs. ATV Reflex code and bringing back as many features as possible including multiplayer on consoles, Motoclub Depot, and more to be announced soon.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Nordic Games because they appreciate the team’s passion and dedication to bring the feel of real motocross racing to MX vs. ATV fans.  Not just the adrenaline rush, but the whole experience from top to bottom.”, says Ken George, Executive Producer of MX vs. ATV Supercross. “A lot of the original team members have been aching to continue their passion: building the most authentic off-road racing games possible. The hiatus is over, and the team is back to work on MX vs. ATV with great new things to come.”

“We’re all devoted fans of the MX vs. ATV games,” adds Reinhard Pollice, Business & Product Development Director at Nordic Games, “so being able to play a part in continuing this brilliant series is a dream come true. We’re absolutely committed to ensuring Ken and his team receive the best support and the freedom to create the games they love making – and we’re confident that the series will continue to grow from strength to strength. Supercross is just the start of our MX vs. ATV plans. 2014 and beyond will prove to be a hell of a ride.”

Activision release Call of Duty: Ghosts Season Pass Trailer

Activision have released the Official Call of Duty: Ghosts Season Pass Trailer.

With the Season Pass, players will get four downloadable content packs: ONSLAUGHT, DEVASTATION, INVASION, AND NEMESIS – each containing new multiplayer maps, bonus weapons, and a four-part episodic Extinction experience.  Upon purchasing the Season Pass, players now get instant access to the downloadable multiplayer map, FREE FALL, as well as the Team Leader Digital pack, complete with a unique MP character head, weapon camo, reticle, player patch, player card and player background.

Are you buying the season pass? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Watch the new trailer for Sniper Elite Coming Next Year

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Watch the new trailer for Sniper Elite 3: “TOBRUK” launching 2014 on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 from developer Rebellion and publisher 505 Games.

Following OSS agent and elite sniper Karl Fairburne amidst the terrifying bombardment of the ancient city of Tobruk in Libya, this new trailer introduces viewers to the unique location and next-generation technology in Sniper Elite 3.

 

What Games to Look out for on Xbox 360 and Xbox One

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A new generation of gaming is underway and it is time to look forward to all the exciting things happening on Xbox One and Xbox 360 in 2014.

The upcoming year will bring a collection of new titles and experiences including “Titanfall,” “Kinect Sports Rivals,” “Project Spark,” and “The Division,” reaffirming that Xbox continues to be the best place to play.

“D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die” (Microsoft Studios) – From the creator of “Deadly Premonition,” Hidetaka “Swery65” Suehiro along with Access Games presents “D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die,” an interactive and episodic mystery series that fully utilises Kinect with seated gameplay and voice recognition. Players assume the role of a detective with the curious ability to dive back in time as he tries to solve his wife’s murder and prevent it from occurring.

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“Tom Clancy’s The Division” (Ubisoft) – “Tom Clancy’s The Division” takes place in New York three weeks after a lethal virus, released on Black Friday, has swept through the city. One by one, basic services have failed. Society has collapsed into chaos. The President invokes Presidential Directive 51, and The Division, a top-secret unit of self-supporting tactical agents, is activated. When the lights go out, their mission begins. Discover a persistent, online, open-world New York where exploration, combat, and RPG player-progression are essential.

“Dragon Age: Inquisition” (EA) – Explore a vast, fantasy world at the brink of catastrophe in “Dragon Age: Inquisition,” a next-generation action RPG, where your choices shape and drive the experience. In this upcoming video game from BioWare, makers of “Mass Effect 3” and “Dragon Age: Origins,” you’ll make your mark in an expansive, story-driven open world filled with complex characters, challenging combat and difficult decisions. A cataclysmic event has plunged the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons now darken the sky, casting a shadow of terror over a once-peaceful kingdom. Mages have broken into an all-out war against the oppressive Templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you to restore order as you lead the Inquisition and hunt down the agents of chaos – your choices will forever change the Dragon Age.

“Dying Light” (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) – “Dying Light” is a first-person, action survival horror game set in a vast and dangerous open world. During the day, players traverse an expansive urban environment overrun by a vicious outbreak, scavenging the world for supplies and crafting weapons to defend against the growing infected population. At night, the hunter becomes the hunted, as the infected become aggressive and more dangerous. Most frightening are the predators which only appear after sundown.  Players must use everything in their power to survive until the morning’s first light.

“EA SPORTS UFC” (EA SPORTS) – With its first new major sports league partnership in over a decade, EA SPORTS presents “EA SPORTS UFC.” The next-generation of fighting has been built for the Xbox One by the team behind the critically-acclaimed “Fight Night” franchise.

Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE technology, “EA SPORTS UFC” brings the action, emotion and intensity inside the Octagon™ to life in ways that were never before possible. The next-generation of True Player Motion not only showcases the diverse, powerful and fluid of attacks of elite mixed martial artists through Precision Movement, Dynamic Striking and Strategic Submission Battles, but also brings the combatants to life with Full Body Deformation and Real-Time Exertion. The simulation of Human Intelligence takes leaps forward with the strategic and adaptive MMAi system and is expressed through the most realistic characters ever created in a sports game.

“The Elder Scrolls Online” (Bethesda) – “The Elder Scrolls Online,” the latest chapter of the award-winning franchise, will bring the legendary experience online for the first time. Whether you play with your friends or adventure alone, the game’s innovative combat system allows you to focus on action and tactics, not the UI. Use any weapon or armour at any time and customise your abilities to play the way you want as you uncover the mysteries of Tamriel and seek heroic quests on your own terms. Explore the far reaches of Skyrim, the mysterious lands of Morrowind, the sprawling metropolis of Daggerfall and beyond. The choices you make, from the alliance you join to the battles you fight, will shape your destiny and the world of Tamriel.

“Kinect Sports Rivals” (Microsoft Studios) – “Kinect Sports Rivals” is the next generation of the best-selling Kinect franchise, “Kinect Sports,” that brings your favourite sports back in re-imagined ways, and delivers new sports and events made possible only with Xbox One’s revolutionary technology. “Kinect Sports Rivals” puts you in the game like never before, tracks your movements and expressions with incredible accuracy, and offers never-ending competition with your friends and rivals. The all-new Kinect instantly scans and creates a stylised digital version of you, your Champion, then drops your virtual athlete into the ever-evolving world of “Kinect Sports Rivals.” Compete in a world full of competitors on one of three global teams, each with its own philosophy and playing style. The competition starts in spring 2014.

“Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” (Konami) – World-renowned Kojima Productions showcases the latest masterpiece in the Metal Gear Solid franchise with “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.” “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” (on sale Spring 2014) is the first segment of the “Metal Gear Solid V” Experience and prologue to the larger second segment, “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” launching thereafter.

“Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” gives fans the opportunity to get a taste of the world-class production’s unparalleled visual presentation and gameplay before the release of the main game.  It also provides an opportunity for gamers who have never played a Kojima Productions game, and veterans alike, to gain familiarity with the radical new game design and unparalleled style of presentation.

The critically acclaimed “Metal Gear Solid” franchise has entertained fans for decades and revolutionised the gaming industry.  Kojima Productions once again raises the bar with the FOX Engine offering incredible graphic fidelity and the introduction of open world game design in the “Metal Gear Solid” universe.  This is the experience that core gamers have been waiting for.

“Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” (Mojang) – “Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” will deliver the Minecraft experience to Xbox One. Building off the hugely successful “Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition,” the edition on Xbox One will give players larger maps for bigger adventures, expanded multiplayer features, and feature enhancements powered by the Xbox One platform.

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“Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare” (EA) – Prepare your peashooters! “Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare” delivers a best-in-class multiplayer shooter experience with the fresh humor of the wildly popular “Plants vs. Zombies” series. Powered by the Frostbite 3 engine, “Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare” features stunning 3D worlds, blooming with vibrant colours and unique landscapes. Players will take on the roles of plants and zombies across a mine-blowing world that is full of surprises.

“Project Spark” (Microsoft Studios) – “Project Spark” is the ultimate digital playground for creative gamers of all ages. It’s a powerful, yet simple way to build and play your own worlds, stories, and games. Share all of your creations with a dynamic community, and play what the community makes. “Project Spark” brings creation to life and presents endless opportunities for play. Delivered as a free digital download and available on Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows 8.1, “Project Spark” lets creators carry over in-game progress from one platform to another, while providing new ways to interact with Kinect and Xbox SmartGlass.

“Sunset Overdrive” (Microsoft Studios, Insomniac Games) – “Sunset Overdrive” breaks the mold of traditional shooter games by delivering an open world that can change every day, influenced and inspired by the game’s community of players. Developed exclusively for Xbox One by Insomniac Games, “Sunset Overdrive” is an always-changing, open-world shooter set in the not-so-distant future where a catastrophic event has left your city overrun by mutants. With an arsenal of kick-ass, overpowered weapons and a knack for traversing the city with hyperagility, it’s not the end of days. Your story is just beginning.

“Thief” (Square Enix) – Garrett, the Master Thief, steps out of the shadows into the City. In this treacherous place, where the Baron’s Watch spreads a rising tide of fear and oppression, his skills are the only things he can trust. Even the most cautious citizens and their best-guarded possessions are not safe from Garrett’s reach.

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“Titanfall” (EA, Respawn Entertainment) – Crafted by one of the co-creators of “Call of Duty” and other key designers behind the “Call of Duty” franchise, “Titanfall” delivers a brand-new online experience that combines fluid, fast-paced multiplayer action with heroic, set-piece moments found in traditional campaign modes. Set in the near future on a distant frontier torn apart by war, “Titanfall” drops players in the middle of a conflict between the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation and the Militia. The action is rapid and varied – featuring parkour-style wall running, massive double jumps and the ability to hijack titans. The freedom to shift back and forth between pilot and titan allows players to change tactics on the fly, attacking or escaping depending on the situation and extending the action vertically to new heights.

“Warface” (Crytek) – “Warface: Xbox 360 Edition” is a global, free-to-play, online first-person shooter for Xbox 360, created by Crytek. Powered by the CRYENGINE it offers intense online co-operative and competitive multiplayer action set in the near-future. Players engage in thrilling multiplayer battles on the frontline to solve the conflict between the elite “Warface and Blackwood forces. “Warface: Xbox 360 Edition” keeps gameplay fresh and exciting by providing new content on a regular basis, including daily co-operative campaign missions and a continual supply of new maps, weaponry, boosts and more.

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“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (CD Projekt Red) – “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” is a unique combination of non-linear storytelling and open world exploration – a fantasy RPG focused on player choice, tactical combat and an immersive environment. Spinning the tale of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter, “The Witcher 3” aims to attract gamers with a mature and compelling narrative told like no other. With over 100 hours of hand-crafted core and side quest gameplay, “The Witcher 3” redefines the genre, shaping the next generation of RPGs.

 

“World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition” (Microsoft Studios) – As the custom-built Xbox 360 version of the global online multiplayer phenomenon dedicated to tank warfare in the mid-20th century, command some of history’s most powerful tanks and experience intense combat. The excitement of battle is enhanced by working together with your tank platoon to win the fight, which puts you in the driver’s seat of some of the world’s most powerful armored vehicles. Engage in global online tank combat where team-based tactics and coordination are the keys to victory.

Cut the Rope 2 arrives today as a Exclusive on iOS

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Cut the Rope 2: Om Nom’s Unexpected Adventure arrives today as an iOS exclusive for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, delivering 120 levels of rope-cutting and candy-collecting fun. The sequel to the physics-based phenomenon takes Om Nom out of the box and into the world for the first time, introducing five new locations and characters, each with unique game mechanics that help Om Nom in his pursuit of candy. The new characters interact with Om Nom and their surroundings, creating a totally new experience for Cut the Rope, one of the most successful and beloved mobile gaming franchises.

The game features five new friends, the Nommies, who are helping Om Nom find his way home:

  • Roto carries Om Nom through the air to the best candy catching locations
  • Lick makes small bridges with his tongue to help Om Nom reach his goal
  • Blue multiplies and lifts Om Nom to new levels of candy hunting fun
  • Toss throws objects of all sizes, including candy, to help Om Nom satisfy his sweet tooth
  • Boo scares Om Nom to jump to new heights

“This is the first true sequel to Cut the Rope,” said Misha Lyalin, ZeptoLab CEO. “We’ve shaken up the formula and really wanted to push the envelope on what today’s mobile platforms can offer. The new gameplay elements, design and graphics will thrill Cut the Rope fans and attract a new generation of players.

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For the first time, players can move Om Nom around on the screen with the help of Nommies and various gameplay elements. Players can also collect items to access secret levels, use power-ups such as balloons and candy rain, and customise their game by selecting different types of candy and new accessories for Om Nom.

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In addition to the game, Om Nom and the Nommies continue their adventures in the third season of the award-winning animated shorts Om Nom Stories™, which debuts a new episode today.

 

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood Out Tomorrow (20th Dec) for Xbox One

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The developer Press Play and Microsoft Studios comes “Max: The Curse of Brotherhood” – launching tomorrow (20th December) on Xbox One.

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In this cinematic adventure filled with action-packed puzzles and creative puzzle-solving, Max must confront evil at every turn in a hostile and fantastical world to save his kid brother, Felix. Armed only with a Magic Marker, Max sets out on a perilous journey across deserts, eerie lantern-lit bogs, ancient temples and lush green forests to get his younger sibling back. Along the way, Max gains the powers to manipulate his environment and overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

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“Max: The Curse of Brotherhood” for Xbox One will be available for £11.99.

Xbox Entertainment Studios to Documentary Exclusively on Xbox in 2014

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Xbox Entertainment Studios today announced an original documentary series to debut exclusively on Xbox in 2014.  Xbox will produce the series 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 new multi-platform media company, Lightbox.

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“Our collaboration with Xbox offers an unparalleled opportunity to make a unique series of films around the extraordinary events and characters that have given rise to the digital age,” said Simon Chinn.   “Our goal is to produce a series of compelling and entertaining docs which will deploy all the narrative techniques of Simon’s and my previous work. It’s particularly exciting to  be partnering with filmmakers like Zak Penn who come to this process from other filmmaking disciplines and who will bring their own distinctive creative vision to this,” added Jonathan Chinn.

“Jonathan and Simon Chinn are the perfect team to spearhead this series for Xbox.  They are consummate story tellers and they plan to match their creative sensibility with the best talent in the industry” commented Nancy Tellem, president, Xbox Entertainment Studios. “These stories will expose how the digital revolution created a global democracy of information, entertainment and commerce, and how it impacts our lives every day.”

The first film in the groundbreaking series investigates the events surrounding the great video game burial of 1983.  The Atari Corporation, faced with overwhelmingly negative response to “ET the Video Game,” buried millions of unsold game cartridges in the middle of the night, in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Fuel Entertainment, an innovator in cross-platform content development, secured the exclusive rights to excavate the Atari landfill and approached Xbox. Lightbox will document the dig planned for early next year.

Filmmaker and avid gamer Zak Penn (X-Men 2, Avengers, Incident at Loch Ness) will direct. This episode will not only document the excavation, but place the urban legend of the burial in the context of the precipitous rise and fall of Atari itself.

“When Simon and Jonathan Chinn approached me about this story, I knew it would be something important and fascinating,” said Penn.  “I wasn’t expecting to be handed the opportunity to uncover one of the most controversial mysteries of gaming lore.”

Shooting begins in January.  The series will air exclusively on Xbox One and Xbox 360 in 2014 and will be available globally in all markets where Xbox Live is supported.

Review: Assassin’s Creed IV (PS4)

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So it’s time again to review Asassin’s Creed IV. For those interested I already reviewed it on the PS3 here. And I was quite harsh. I’ve been eagerly waiting to get on Assassin’s Creed IV in proper on the PS4 for a long time, especially since my disappointment with the PS3 version.

And I was not disappointed. Right from the word go there are clear and significant changes between versions. The initial bar fight combat tutorial is no longer a mess of frame rate issues resulting in clumsy AI. The whole thing was wonderfully smooth and the combat flowed properly in that classic Assassin’s way.

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The first time I arrived in a town on the PS3 version I remember wondering if my console would make it through the ordeal. On the PS4 I was left to enjoy and admire my surroundings all at a glorious 60 frames per second. Or somewhere close, I didn’t measure to be honest but it looks very nice indeed. Panning around new cities and towns or lush jungles is just a joy to watch.

Unfortunately even given the PS4’s undoubted good looks it’s still not enough to break the tedium of the main missions, although it does help. A vast majority of your time will be spent following someone, listening to their conversation and then promptly stabbing them with your dubiously acquired hidden blades. It would have been nice to have done something different every now and then but sadly such opportunities never occur.

But there’s a good argument that what ACIV lacks in its main story it makes up for with side missions, collectables and secrets in its vast world. For me I enjoy Assassin’s Creed for the overarching plot line and the battle between the Assassins and the Templars. But I know for most the experience comes down to what happens in the Animus rather than out of it. And in that respect the open world in ACIV is truly impressive.

And once again I took to the Jackdaw to sail the high sees and steal as much loot as possible. The ship handles in that satisfyingly heavy way very similar to AC III. The only thing that ever ruined my pirating experience on the PS3 version was, yet again, the dodgy frame rate. More often than not when I was clearing out the decks of enemy ships the pace of combat was ruined by impossible counter prompts lost somewhere in those dropped frames. On PS4 such issues are luckily a thing of the past and the combat is allowed to be its usual fluid self.

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More often than not I would make it through combat without much, if any, damage as Edward spun and flamboyantly slaughtered his foes. It makes it a little easy at times but so satisfying it doesn’t matter. I criticized the PS3 version for being a definite step down from AC III but here at home on the PS4 things seem back on track. The difference between the two is amazing.

And as you would expect the free running also benefits massively from the increased performance on PS4. There’s still the occasional repeated attempt to climb a tree you can’t, and don’t want to, climb. Sometimes you will be stuck on a wall trying to hop off until eventually you take the damage hit and jump for it. But other than that exploring your world is largely painless and slick. And when you need to explore a world as big as this being able to move around efficiently is very important. I still think I found travelling on foot easier in ACIII but that could be down to the design of the map. It’s almost impossible to have a map as big and intricate as ACIV’s and never have an awkward jump or get stuck occasionally. But still if it happens at the wrong time it’s infuriating, especially if you have to repeat a checkpoint because of it.

The scale of ACIV is still impressive even after I almost achieved 100% on the PS3 version. The amount of things to do is just ridiculous and I found myself no less inclined to do them the second time around. Apart from those damn sharks. I really hate hiding from sharks in kelp. It doesn’t work and getting surprised by a giant fish or sarcastically bumping into an eel or urchin because Edward doesn’t go where you want him to isn’t fun at all. It’s a bit of shame really because the underwater section are beautiful to look at and often have hidden depths, sometime even massive caverns occupied by smugglers. But still the areas are impressive, plentiful, and all the more beautiful on the PS4.

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I still found myself disappointed with the lack of Assassin’s Creed related narrative. ACIV still feels like a pirate game with the Assassin’s Creed banner flying in the background. The main memories are lack lustre and quite often boring. There are only so many times you can repeat the same objective and still be interested. Even given the PS4 version’s obvious improvements the core game still has those tedious eavesdrop objectives.

But as for the combat and free running the PS3 and PS4 versions are totally removed from each other. Clearing the deck of a ship is now a joyous cacophony of clashing swords and cannon fire. No longer was I let down by lost frames that saw my enemies flying from off screen to stab me in the back. Simply put this is how ACIV was meant to be played, and it’s plain to see. Environments are even better looking than before and I would always linger just a little during synchronizations to admire the view. I still think Black Flag belongs somewhere away from Assassin’s Creed but on PS4 ACIV is a much more satisfying experience. If you have the chance it’s definitely worth a go, even if you’ve played the PS3 version.

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Reviewed on PS4.

Review: MotoGP 13

 

Two wheeled racing fans rejoice as PQube and Milestone launch MotoGP 13 onto the blazing tarmac. Pure racing, a new helmet cam and both fully fledged offline and online experiences await those who live to ride, but prefer to do so in a videogame where you can’t actually scrape your elbows off.

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Featuring all the riders, teams and tracks from the 2013 MotoGP as well as both the Moto 2 and Moto 3 World Championships, there’s certainly something for the true fans to appreciate. Some of the slightly lesser known racers are featured more heavily on load screens and the like, hopefully removing the incessant need to yawningly mash the pad to play as Valentino Rossi again.

The career mode has it’s ups and downs, starting with promise, you get a few promising (in game) emails regarding your prosperity and how to take it easy etc, but that’s essentially where the charm starts and ends. After that, it’s race, read an email, look at the calendar and race. Repeat ad nauseam. Your manager will occasionally chip in with goals and side objectives to aim for, yet simply trying your best to win each race, whether you succeed or not, will often be more than enough to keep the higher ups delighted with your progress. Aside from pure racing, there’s not a huge amount of incentive to remain in the career mode, especially considering the new XP system used to unlock things, can be earned through any mode. All the joys of racing can be found in the less intrusive, other game modes.

Other than the disappointingly bland career mode, if you just, and should, fancy a Grand Prix or two, that’s also catered for. Setting up a race weekend with different variables is easy; should you wish to delve into the more serious side of things, tinkering with your bike’s setup during a practice/qualifying session, much akin to the recent F1 games, is also available. How about changing the weather conditions to a more dynamic setting, granting the possibility of rain, potentially drastically altering the race? Check. You can also modify the race lengths to your choosing, whether it be a quick five laps around your favourite track, or a brutal full racing weekend with all the trimmings round Laguna Seca.

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If you’ve never been on a motorbike racing simulator before, despite how many hundreds of hours you may have put into Gran Turismo across the years, prepare to learn it all over again. Slowly. Not only is there no real tutorial for how to navigate around those dreaded bendy corners, but there is also a handling model for the novice players, which essentially teaches you nothing; does little in the way of preparation for the inevitable jump to simulator mode. On one setting, you can thrash your bike around corners with a complete disregard to anything, including the brakes. Whilst on the other, you’ll fly off at the drop of a hat, the rear wheel will spin uncontrollably, struggling for traction all whilst you’re leaning from side to side like a 150 mph Weeble. I would have preferred it, had the game shipped with only the more serious handling settings, yet also housed a tutorial explaining how to properly control the behemoths.

Without many options for split screen play, no career jump-in this time around, it’s up to the online modes to hold your competitive interest. Like any other online game, it swings by the thread of it’s community; for the vast majority of my time online, I played against some genuinely good competition who took the racing lines, got out of each others way and responded amicably. The other side was not so pretty, people riding the wrong way around the track and consciously attempting collisions was also present. Thankfully, the lag was minimal, the framerate smooth and the ne’er-do-wells infrequent.

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Having never reached the upper echelon for graphics, expect nothing different this time around. The presentation is there, pre-race intro videos submerge you in a broadcast style similar to that of the television coverage; Gavin Emmett does a great job with the commentary.Some of the little touches are fantastic such as the persistent rubber on the track, lending itself to higher grip at points, and once the brutal higher tiered physics are enabled, you’ll need all the grip you can get. It’s a shame to say that the load times are a little on the long side, the fidelity is low and some of the lower tiered bikes expel such a monotonous drone when at top speed that it starts to grate pretty quickly.

Overall, MotoGP has seen many changes in both developers and it’s style. This time around, it seems to have settled on a user defined hybrid of either arcade or simulation. The simulation side is vastly more rewarding if you’re prepared to put the time and effort in, whereas the arcade style isn’t really arcade-y enough to entice the less hardcore crowd in. A decent tutorial, a more immersive career mode and a quick spruce up of the visuals and audio would change this game from an underlying success to one of the better racers of the genre.

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Reviewed on PS3, also available on Xbox 360, PC and PS Vita.

Fifa 14 gets updated for Xbox One

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Here is the Xbox One patch release notes for Fifa 14 by EA Sports for the console.

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FIFA 14 patch notes, 19th December

– Some stability issues when entering Online matches.

– Some cases where users with large friends lists can’t access certain Online features.

– Allows the Goalkeeper in Clubs mode to change camera angles.

– Modifications to a couple of camera angles in specific stadiums to improve playability.

– Ensures the Brazuca match ball appears properly in FUT once redeemed in the EAS FC Catalogue

. – Resolves some Online issues regarding match invites.

– Improvements to some Kinect Global Speech Commands.

– Occurrences of mismatched roster names in Seasons matches.

– Virtual Pro Ball Skills varying from match to match.

– Random list appearing instead of Friends Clubs list in Pro Clubs.

FIFA 14 server maintenance notes

– Increase to EA SPORTS Football Club Credits that are earned from playing matches in select modes from 50 FCC to 150 FCC (FIFA 14 – X360/PS3/PC/XB1/PS4).

– Presentation fixes to EAS FC Alerts (FIFA 14 – X360/PS3/PC/XB1/PS4).

– Fixes to in-game pop up messaging in FUT (FIFA 14 – X360/PS3/PC).

– Presentation fixes to Friends News, Leaderboards, and Friends List in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT Web).

– Presentation fixes to EA SPORTS Football Club Alerts in the Mobile Companion App (EAS FC Comp App) and EAS FC Widget within FIFA Ultimate Team (FIFA 14 – X360/XB1).

– Stability fixes when FUT fans are looking at an item in the Transfer Market and the item expires (FIFA 14 – X360/PS3/PC/XB1/PS4).

Xbox One Release Notes for Newest Patch for Battlefield 4

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Here is the full release notes for the Xbox One patch for Battlefield 4 from EA/Dice, the update includes fixes with the aim to increase the general stability of the game, and eliminates bugs that you may have experienced.

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Dec 19 Xbox One Game Update Notes
-Reduced the probability of the “Kill trade” issue (see below for details).
-Fixed a common crash that could occur during gameplay.
-Fixed an issue that could corrupt save files in the single player campaign.
-Fix for the game mode specific ribbons being counted twice in the multiplayer progression.
-Fix for a graphical glitch that could appear on terrain.
-Fix for the SUAV (introduced in the China Rising expansion pack) not exploding when hitting enemy soldiers. While these indeed should be deadly, they were never designed for “roadkilling” opponents.
-Fix for an issue where 4x the damage from a vehicle’s minigun would be applied to the chest when a player had the Defense specialization equipped.
-Servers that friends are playing on now have a higher priority in the server list.
-Server Browser is no longer showing empty or full servers by default.
-Balancing jet handling across all stealth and attack jet classes.
-Fixed a bug in Defuse mode where defenders could win a round by killing all the attackers without disarming the bomb. If the attackers arm the bomb, the defenders need to disarm it to win, even if they have killed all the attackers.
-Fix for a Defuse bug where none of the teams would win a round by letting the timer run out.
-Fix for players getting stuck in the revive screen.
-Fix for players getting stuck in the kill camera after being revived. Note that you might see a graphical bug on-screen after being revived when accepting a revive within 1 second. This graphical bug will be removed in the next patch.
-Fixed the instance where players suddenly would transition into Spectator Mode while playing the Defuse game mode.
-Fix for the death camera/screen being displayed too early.
-Raised the first-person camera slightly for walking in crouch to more accurately reflect the actual position of the character.
-Fixed an issue with the party chat app not working.
-Fixed an issue in the in-game Battlelog where non-ASCII characters would display incorrectly.
-Fixed an issue when maps were not loading properly while player didn’t have the game in full screen.

Kill trading issue
We’ve addressed the so-called “Kill trading”. This refers to when two players fire at each other and, seemingly, both die at the same time. The time window where a bullet could cause damage from an already dead player is now calculated as intended, decreasing the time frame when players with high latency could get a kill, even though they should be dead according to the server. This should reduce the probability of kill trading.

Republique lands on iOS

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Camouflaj announced today that the first installment in its dystopian action-adventure game République is now available on the App Store. Created by industry veterans behind such AAA games as F.E.A.R., Halo 4, and Metal Gear Solid 4, and designed specifically for iOS, République brings console-quality gameplay and graphical fidelity to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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“We’ve spent the past two years crafting stealth action that doesn’t require 17 buttons, or even a controller,” said Ryan Payton, designer at Camouflaj. “Using our smart AI and logic-based input systems, République’s ‘one touch’ input method is something we’re incredibly proud of, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”

République secured a substantial portion of its funding via crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, concluding a successful campaign in May of 2012. Kickstarter backers will receive a free season pass (£10.49 value) for all five episodes of République, with new episodes released every two to three months.

In République, players assist Hope, a desperate young woman struggling to escape from a secret, Orwellian state. Communicating using a stolen phone, Hope contacts the player and asks them to hack into the nation’s surveillance system, assume control, and guide her out of the clutches of the omnipresent Overseer.

Literary works such as 1984 and Brave New World, and current geopolitical events including global surveillance and Internet censorship serve as key sources of inspiration for both the narrative and the stealth-survival gameplay. Players expand their control over surveillance cameras and other network-enabled devices, growing into an active threat to the Overseer and his grip over his shadowy nation.

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République introduces Rena Strober as the voice of Hope, backed by an all-star voice talent team. Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard, Mass Effect series) plays Hope’s mentor, Mireille Prideaux, while David Hayter (Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid series) gives voice to Zager, revolutionary and ghost in the political machine. Also featured are veteran voice actors Matthew Mercer (Resident Evil 6), Khary Payton (Batman: Arkham Origins), and Dwight Schultz (killer7).

Developed using the Unity games development platform, République also showcases Faceware Technologies’ cutting-edge facial motion capture hardware and software used to create the believable character animations.

Available in French, German, Spanish, Russian and Brazilian Portuguese, the first episode of République is available for £2.99 exclusively on the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.AppStore.com/Republique. République is also scheduled for release on PC and Mac in 2014.

New Xbox Video app available for Windows Phone 8 Now

You can now truly take their movies and TV shows with them wherever they go. Stream from the cloud or download their favourite movie or TV episodes to their phone to watch them offline. They can rent or buy the newest hit movies or search for classics from the massive catalogue with the first video-on-demand app for Windows Phone 8. They’ll even get Rotten Tomatoes ratings and Metacritic scores right to their phone.

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Xbox Video on Windows Phone 8 also delivers countless TV shows. With a Season Pass, brand new episodes are automatically added to your collections so you don’t miss a scene from your favourite new shows. Or catch up with every episode from past seasons and relive the glory days of your favourite shows from years past.

With Xbox Video, your collection follows you from screen to screen in the cloud. For example, you can buy and start a movie or TV show from XboxVideo.com or Xbox Video on a Windows 8.1 tablet, and continue watching on your Xbox One, Xbox 360 or Windows Phone 8. And with Xbox SmartGlass, you get a richer viewing experience that isn’t found anywhere else. Xbox SmartGlass integrated with Xbox Video for Xbox One and Xbox 360 offers second-screen experiences with bonus content and exclusive extras, serves as a remote control, and gives you new ways to interact with whatever you’re watching.

Xbox Video is a free download in the Windows Phone Store now, and don’t forget to check out the new Web store at XboxVideo.com.