The Gamer of Oz

That's That for E3 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 07:59:00 +0000

E3 2013 has come and gone. I've been impressed, disappointed, surprised and feasted on visually magnificent, next-gen graphics and gameplay. At the end of it all I'm left with a shopping list that's much, much too big for my bank account. The PS4 and Xbox One were naturally big news and there are some really good-looking games coming out in the long and short term future.

The Consoles

I was expecting a tough, gritty fight between Microsoft and Sony with Nintendo just hanging out in the background. What I got was a one sided, easy, first round knock-out. As usual, the press conferences kicked things off at the start of the week and Microsoft was up first.

After their terrible Xbox One reveal I was hoping they would come out swinging with a huge focus on games, big exclusives and maybe even some positive news, for gamers, regarding DRM and "always connected". They managed two out of three, which isn't bad. As promised, there was no TV talk and Microsoft showed off lots of games with plenty of exclusive goodies for Xbox fans. There was no backtracking on the used game DRM or "always connected" though, Microsoft sticking to their guns and not backing down in the face of public pressure. In an interview with Gametrailer's Geoff Keighley, Microsoft's Don Mattrick said people with no internet should just stick to the Xbox 360. There's a good sales pitch for your new product.

Sony ended the fight at their press conference by taking everything the Xbox One had been criticised for and saying they would do the opposite with the PS4. You can share your PS4 games with anyone you want and you don't have to be connected to the internet to play a game (not counting multiplayer online obviously). In addition, the PS4 will retail at $100 less than the Xbox One in the US. I don't think I've seen and heard that much excitement at a press conference before. There were some cool Playstation exclusives, but I think that was one point where Microsoft had Sony beat. Until I can play Halo and Gears of War on my PS, I won't be satisfied.

Nintendo simply went along, minding their own business and tried to pinch the fence sitters in the Xbox One/PS4 war. Although fun and exciting, their press conference and games felt like more of the same, and just playing it safe. New Mario and Mario Kart games, a new Zelda game and new Super Smash Bros. games for the 3DS and Wii U. Super Smash Bros. will feature new characters Megaman, Villager from Animal Crossing and.....the Wii Fit trainer?! I'm still not entirely sure if that last one is just Nintendo trolling or not, but Megaman is certainly a welcome addition.

The Games

Sooooo many great games to look forward to. At the moment I'm probably most excited about Watch Dogs because it ticks all the right boxes for me. Awesome, action-packed gameplay and visually stunning graphics, there's no wonder this game took home a whole heap of awards at E3.

Square Enix ended the pain and suffering for Kingdom Hearts fans by announcing Kingdom Hearts III, the first numbered sequel in eight years. Apparently there's still a long time to wait before KH3 will hit the shelves, but it's good to know that the wheels are finally in motion. We also learned, from Square, that Final Fantasy versus XIII was not cancelled. It is indeed coming and its new name will be Final Fantasy XV.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag showed off its seamless transitions from land to naval combat before it all went horribly wrong and the live demo crashed. Hopefully this one will turn out a bit better than AC3 did.

Ready at Dawn's The Order: 1886, a PS4 exclusive, grabbed the attention of many with its "what-the-hell-is-that,-a-demon?"-hunting set in an alternate universe during the industrial revolution. It looked great and I can't wait to see more of it.

A pleasant surprise was the announcement of a Mirror's Edge game. There had been rumours and suggestions about it after an EA help page was created for the game before being quickly removed again. This second game of the series will be a prequel to the first one, presumably telling the story of how Faith became a runner. According to the trailer the game will come out "When its ready".

And it wouldn't be E3 without a few post-apocalyptic games. The Last of Us, released yesterday, is already a big winner with incredibly good reviews. Ubisoft also revealed The Division, a tactical shooter MMO set in modern day USA where players will fight to "save what remains".

All that and heaps more, (The Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain, Star Wars Battlefront, Destiny, Infamous: Second Son, DayZ standalone, Gran Turismo 6, Forza Motorsport 5, Crew, FIFA 14, Madden 25, NBA Live 14, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts.... I could go on forever) will make the coming year a really great one for gamers.

All the trailers for these games, and tonnes more from this year's E3, are available at IGN.

Watch Dogs E3 Trailer Leaked

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:11:00 +0000

The E3 trailer for Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has been leaked ahead of tomorrow's press conference. The trailer shows off absolutely stunning pre-rendered CG cinematics. When I first started watching the trailer I actually though it was live action, that's how good it is.

The trailer gives us a look at the kind of bad guys Aiden will be up against and the awesome methods he'll use to take them out. There's plenty of hacker action as well as gun fights to enjoy and it all makes the game's November release that much harder to wait for.

Related Posts:
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Ubisoft's E3 Lineup Revealed

Call of Duty Ghosts Gameplay

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:46:00 +0000

Activision's Call of Duty Ghosts presentation happened this morning with lots of next-gen gameplay action. My first impression is that, aside from improvements to the level of detail made possible with next-gen hardware, Call of Duty Ghosts feels much the same as all the other COD games. I guess that's obvious as it is a COD game, but I think I was just expecting something a bit different this time.

One big addition to the gameplay is, of course, the dog. The beautifully detailed German shepherd, named Reily, will be running along and helping you out on your missions. You control Reily using the familiar remote video used to control drones in previous CODs. The guys at Infinity Ward keep telling us that we'll care for the dog and he'll be our friend. So naturally, as I suggested at the Xbox One reveal, Reily will have to die at some point in the game. I'm just guessing, but that's the way things seem to go in storytelling these days, be it in movies or video games.

Stephen Gaghan, best known for Traffic and Syriana, is the writer for Call of Duty Ghosts. There's a big emphasis on making players care about the characters in this game, and maybe adding a Hollywood writer to the team will achieve that. I won't hold my breath, though.

Another thing I noted from the gameplay sections was the horrible voice acting. I don't know if that was just placeholder voices, but I was not particularly impressed.

See the full 28-minute presentation below.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Release Date

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 02:02:00 +0000

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the third FFXIII game, has been given a release date. It's coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 (no word on next-gen consoles) on February 11, 2014 (EU February 14, 2014).

The E3 trailer for the game has also been released, so take a look.

E3 2013 Press Conference Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 01:37:00 +0000

E3 is just around the corner and the expo is, as usual, preceded by press conferences from the major players in the game industry. All of these can be streamed live from various places on the internet, like Kotaku or IGN. Additionally, Square Enix will be streaming all three days from their booth on the show floor.

Konami kicked things off with their pre-E3 show on Thursday, local time, and here's a look at the schedule for the remaining press conferences.

Monday, June 10

Microsoft

9am-11am PST (2am-4am AEST)

Electronic Arts

1pm-2pm PST (6am-7am AEST)

Ubisoft

3pm-4pm PST (8am-9am AEST)

Sony

6pm-9pm PST (11am-2pm AEST)

Tuesday, June 11

Nintendo
7am PST (midnight AEST)

I'm most looking forward to see the PS4 console at Sony's press conference, but also Microsoft's press conference which will focus solely on games, no TV.

Kiefer Sutherland is the New Voice of Snake

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:56:00 +0000

Konami's pre-E3 show has come and gone and the biggest news is that Kiefer Sutherland will be the voice of Naked Snake, also known as Big Boss. This comes as a big surprise because all Snakes have previously been voiced by David Hayter.

Hayter is apparently not very happy with Konami and he turned to twitter to take a shot at his former employer. Then again, it's been suggested that this is all just a part of a long run of twitter trolling by Hayter and MGS creator Hideo Kojima.

Ah well,Can't fault @realkieferGreat actor, good man.The game will probably still be excellent.Like New Coke!
— David Hayter (@DavidBHayter) June 6, 2013

You might remember that New Coke was Coca-Cola's attempt at improving the beloved Coke formula. An attempt that failed miserably.

Kiefer Sutherland is best known for his role as terrorist hunter Jack Bauer on the popular TV-show 24. He'll be doing voice acting and motion capture for Naked Snake in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain.

Of course, it wasn't all MGS from Konami. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 has a new engine, improving both graphics and gameplay. There will be more realistic ball control and you'll even be able to manage the center of gravity of the player you're controlling. In addition, PES 2014 introduces impact from playing at home or away which will affect players morale and their skill level.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will pick up from where the original Lords of Shadow left off, darker and more cruel than ever. This game will be set in a modern city, but there will still be plenty of Dracula's castle for us to explore. Enemies will be tougher, using shields and improved defensive tactics to really challenge the player. Players will also be able to move freely about the world, with no loading times.

Check out the full 30-minute show below, including the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 trailer.

Related Posts:

Konami Pre-E3 Show

Konami Pre-E3 2013 Show

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:34:00 +0000

E3 is almost upon us, and Konami is ready to kick things off with their third annual Pre-E3 show. The first big press conference of this years E3 gets underway tomorrow, June 6, at 10am PST (3am AEST) and you can watch the live stream via the Konami Events website.

Konami will treat us to more details and footage from Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, the latest Pro Evolution Soccer and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which was originally announced at last years pre-E3 show.

In addition, we'll finally find out who will be voice of Big Boss in MGSV: Phantom Pain. Konami has been making us guess for the past couple of weeks and many believe David Hayter is returning to play the tough, no-nonsense protagonist.

Watch Dogs Mo-Cap Session

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:23:00 +0000

Get a look at some awesome motion capture magic, courtesy of UbiBlog. Sébastien Rouleau is the man playing Aiden Pearce, and he does so wonderfully. He has previously done motion capture for Assassin's Creed titles, Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon.

In the video we get to see him doing some very athletic running and jumping as well as some bad-ass fighting. Animation Director Colin Graham also explains how they were able to do something as simple, yet groundbreaking, as having Aiden put his hands in his pockets.

Ubisoft, A Worldwide Team

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 31 May 2013 02:55:00 +0000

More than 100 employees working in seven studios in different locations around the world, all working on Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Somehow Ubisoft makes it work.

Related Posts:

Ubisoft's E3 Lineup Revealed

Ubisoft talks AC IV: Black Flag on PS4

EA Discontinues Online Pass

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 31 May 2013 02:30:00 +0000

EA has decided to get rid of Online Pass, their tool for discouraging consumers from buying used games. Online pass was a unique code, included with new games, which players could use to access online features.
If players bought a used game, the code might have been used already, meaning they would have to purchase a separate Online Pass.

No upcoming games will have Online Pass and older games will either have the feature removed or offered for free from the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Store. This process will happen over the next several weeks, with the latest releases being altered first. EA notes that "[their] advisors will not be available to provide you with an Online Pass code before that game's pass requirements are disabled."

This decision comes as a result of EA listening to feedback from players, which we all want to see developers do more often. However it might also be a result of the Xbox One (and possibly PS4) implementing DRM on their games, effectively taking over for the Online Pass.

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Ubisoft's E3 Lineup Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Thu, 30 May 2013 03:50:00 +0000

Ubisoft has revealed most of its lineup for the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo:

"Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Rayman Legends, Watch Dogs, South Park: The Stick of Truth - and a few unannounced titles ready for you to experience."

In addition, Ubisoft will debut the Uplay Lounge near the Los Angeles Convention Center where "select Uplay members will receive hands-on time with our E3 lineup as well as face time with members of our development teams."

Things to Know About Watch Dogs

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Announced

Blizzard Delays and Resets Titan MMO

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Thu, 30 May 2013 02:41:00 +0000

Blizzard's next big MMO, codenamed Titan, has been delayed and sent back to the drawing board. 70% of the project's 100 staff were reassigned, leaving the rest of the team to start over. It's not yet known whether this next-gen MMO will target PC, console or both.

Development started in 2008 and Blizzard was originally hoping to announce the game last year. It is now looking at a 2016 release at the earliest.

A blizzard representative provided the following statement to IGN:

"We've always had a highly iterative development process, and the unannounced MMO is no exception. We've come to a point where we need to make some large design and technology changes to the game. We're using this opportunity to shift some of our resources to assist with other projects while the core team adapts our technology and tools to accommodate these new changes. Note that we haven't announced any dates for the MMO."

Social media campaign to stop DRM on PS4

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Tue, 28 May 2013 00:42:00 +0000

When rumours of DRM on PS4 games started yesterday, gamers all over the world took to social media to voice their opinions. A Twitter campaign, with the hashtag #NoPS4DRM, was created as an appeal to Sony to do the right thing by their fans.

The news of Sony's DRM intentions were first reported by GGTV's Geoff Keighley, but it was NeoGAF's Pete 'famousmortimer' Dodd who rallied the masses with his message: "Hey Sony, we want to be able to buy, sell, and borrow our used games. #NoPS4DRM".

This news follows Microsoft's decision to implement DRM on Xbox One games, a decision with huge ramifications for the used games market.

[UPDATE]:
Although there's been no official response from Sony, some employees have taken notice:

I know my colleagues might not appreciate me saying this, but I’ve rather enjoyed being Twitter bombed by passionate fans recently.
— Shahid Kamal Ahmad (@shahidkamal) May 27, 2013

Humbled by the outpouring of passionate PlayStation fans and their willingness to talk to us directly. Please know that we hear you. <3
— Nick Accordino (@Nikoro) May 27, 2013

Sony's Adam Boyes tweeted "imho [the campaign] is working quite well, much better than a few letters would. We're seeing the message loudly, and it's immediate."

Time will tell if Sony will listen to the campaign, if it's too late to make any changes, or if the pressure from game publishers is too great to go against.

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Playstation 4 Announcement

Microsoft sues owner of Xboxone.com

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Mon, 27 May 2013 00:32:00 +0000

Microsoft has filed a complaint in an attempt to gain control of the domain names Xboxone.com and Xboxone.net. The two domains are seemingly owned by the same person and although they were registered over 18 months ago they're both blank pages.

This seems like the work of a so-called 'cybersquatter', a person who registers a domain name (xboxone.com) in the hopes of selling it back to a company interested in owning it (Microsoft). Rather than give in to this type of internet blackmail, Microsoft has decided to take matters to the National Arbitration Forum in the hope of acquiring the domains.

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Meet the Xbox One controller's new buttons

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Sat, 25 May 2013 11:03:00 +0000

Microsoft has ended speculation on at least one Xbox One mystery by releasing details on the new controller buttons. The two new buttons, replacing 360's 'start' and 'back', are called 'menu' and 'view'.

"The 'menu' button (on the right) will bring up context-specific menus which game and app developers can design to enhance the user experience," Microsoft told IGN. "The 'menu' button could be used in scenarios such as bringing up in-game menus, showing video playback options, and accessing commands on the console's user interface."

The 'view' button "will change views or provide more information in games and apps. The function of the 'view' button will be driven by developers. Possible uses of the 'view' button include viewing a map during a role playing game, displaying a leaderboard in a first person shooter, and enhancing the navigation of the console's user interface."

Gametrailer's Kingdom Hearts Timeline

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Sat, 25 May 2013 09:44:00 +0000

The people at GameTrailers have done another amazing job in their Timeline series. The Kingdom Hearts Timeline, which you can see below, is almost an hour long and runs through the entire KH series, explaining plot points along the way.

Watching this does make the wait for KH3 almost unbearable, but it also makes me want to play through the whole story again. Here's hoping we'll get some great Kingdom Hearts news from Square Enix at E3.

The Legend of Zelda Timeline is worth checking out as well.

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The Law Of The Jungle - New Destiny Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:57:00 +0000

"As a Guardian of the City sets out on an epic, action-packed adventure to reclaim our Solar System, he recalls the moment when he was first taught the most important lesson of all - The Law of the Jungle."

In the latest live-action/CG trailer for Destiny we get a look at some cool space combat while learning about the Law of the Jungle. The three classes of Guardians, (Warlock, Titan and Hunter) are shown wielding their weapons of choice as they take on enemy factions The Fallen and The Cabal. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), the trailer features Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution) as the father of one of the Guardians.

The trailer also announces a worldwide gameplay reveal at Playstation's E3 press conference.

Read more about the game at www.destinythegame.com

Next Generation Xbox Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:49:00 +0000

Ever since rumours first started about the next gen Xbox console, people have been trying to guess it's name. There were countless suggestions, but the favourites were "720", "Durango", "Infinity" and "Fusion". In the end they were all wrong as Microsoft revealed Xbox One on Tuesday. If you don't care much for reading, you can check out the full video of the announcement at IGN.com.

Before I get into the details of the presentation, I just want to consider the name for a second. When I hear "Xbox One" I think of the original Xbox, just like PSone is the original Playstation. Xbox 360 is usually referred to as just "360", so what will people call Xbox One? The choice of name is certainly an interesting one.

so Xbox lost 359
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 21, 2013

But enough about the name, let's move on to more important things:

Xbox One will feature Snap Mode, a new interface that will allow users to run two apps simultaneously. You can for instance watch a movie and look up something on the internet at the same time. Everything is voice activated on Xbox One, which was demonstrated at the announcement. The Microsoft executive on stage said "Xbox on" and it recognised his voice and logged into his user profile. From there he talked the Xbox through watching TV, making a Skype call, buying movie tickets, looking up fantasy sports scores, etc. The switch between apps is instant and requires no load times.

One of the biggest questions before the reveal was not really answered; will Xbox One require a constant internet connection? Microsoft did not touch on this during the presentation and when asked about it afterwards, it seems they're either unsure themselves or they just don't want to give that away. Vice President Phil Harrison told Kotaku that Xbox One would require players to be online at least once every day. Later however, other Microsoft representatives told Polygon this was just one of many possible scenarios and they would not confirm any details on that topic yet.

Another point of confusion is with the games themselves: Will they require to be installed on the system? If so, will you need the disk to play? Another question is if you'll be able to resell your old games or if your copy is locked to your Xbox? I've heard a lot of different answers to these questions, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. One thing we do know for sure is that Xbox One is not backwards compatible, so don't throw out your old consoles if you ever want to play your Xbox and 360 games.

Xbox One console, controller and Kinect

Although most people were waiting excitedly for the game reveals and details, Microsoft focused mainly on how the Xbox will be the only entertainment device you'll need in your living room. With Xbox One you can stream live TV from a variety of channels. Finding out what's on is as simple as saying "Xbox, show the guide" and your very own Xbox TV guide pops up, letting you choose channels using voice activation and/or hand gestures.

One thing Microsoft forgot to mention was that people will need to buy a separate device in order to watch TV on the Xbox and it will only be available in the US at launch. It strikes me as strange that about 50% of a global announcement for a product focused on something that won't be available globally at the time of launch. Speaking to Kotaku, Microsoft revealed they have no fixed schedule for a Live TV roll out around the world.

After about 30 minutes EA Sports was the first developer on stage to talk about games on the Xbox One. Finally! FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA Live and UFC are all coming to the new Xbox and will use EA's new engine, Ignite. It "delivers 4x more decision-making calculations per second", which will make the AI think more like humans and act more like them as well. The games look amazing in this trailer, but we all know better than to trust pre-rendered CG cutscenes to be a true reflection of actual gameplay.

Next up was Forza Motorsport 5. Another great-looking cutscene, but what will the real gameplay look like?

Quantum Break is a new title from Remedy, the creators of Alan Wake. It will "combine immersive gaming with blockbuster television" and looks very interesting.

One of the most exciting news of the evening came when 343 Industries revealed they'll be making a Halo-inspired TV-series with Steven Spielberg. Unfortunately it was just more TV news, when everyone was wanting more games.

Microsoft Studios plans to release more than 15 exclusive games in the first year of Xbox One, eight of which are brand new franchises, but we'll have to wait until E3 and beyond to learn more about most of them.

Finally, it was left to Activision to wrap things up with a look at Call of Duty: Ghosts. I'm always careful not to get too excited about new COD games, but this looks pretty exciting. Among the new features are customising your character and also having your own dog with you on missions. I can't help but think that getting attached to a dog could only lead to it dying under tragic circumstances, but I try to stay positive. Along with the dog, Activision promised we'd feel more connected to the human characters in the game.

So what about the hardware? Xbox One will run an 8 Core CPU, it has 8 GB of Ram and a 500 GB Hard Drive. It comes with a Blu-ray Drive, wireless connectivity, HDMI In/Out and USB 3.0 ports. That all sounds like a pretty decent PC and it'll definitely get the job done.

Console specifications

Controller specifications

The new Kinect will be included and in fact, Xbox One will not function without it plugged in. This new and improved Kinect captures and displays in 1080p and can track up to six people, even in a pitch black room. This upgrade shows that Microsoft is commited to the Kinect, but only time will tell if gamers and developers will go for motion capture gaming. The new controller also looks pretty cool, especially the Impulse Triggers which add force feedback to the left and right triggers. The 'start' and 'back' buttons are gone, replaced by two new buttons possibly related to opening the menu and multitasking.

As for the release date, all we were given was a vague "around the world, later this year".

It's funny that after the PS4 announcement we were all complaining that we didn't get to see the console. In the Xbox One reveal, the console was the very first thing they showed, but the rest was a big disappointment. When the TV-part of Xbox One won't be available for the majority of the world until who-knows-when, it's hard to get excited about it. Take that out and the presentation was just five minutes of sports games and ten minutes of Call of Duty. E3 is coming up soon and Microsoft will have a chance to redeem itself, but seeing it's fiercest competitor Sony rise on the stock market during the Xbox reveal was not a good start.

New PS4 teaser

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:55:00 +0000

On the eve of Microsoft revealing their next gen Xbox, Sony has teased their own upcoming console. In this 39-second video, we see a blurry PS4 from a distance with quick flashes of close-up hardware shots (shown below).

What do all these parts do? (Source: Kotaku)

Although not giving us much, the video has assured the PS4 will still be a talking point in the coming days, not a bad effort with the Xbox reveal tomorrow. Let the Next Gen Console Wars begin!

New details about Bungie's Destiny

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:58:00 +0000

In case you missed it, Bungie revealed new details about their upcoming game, Destiny, last week. Here's the article from IGN.com giving you all the updates.

Halo creator Bungie has updated the site for its upcoming shooter, Destiny, revealing lots of new information about the game's classes and universe.

First up, the update reveals more about the Guardians that players will be able to control in the game, depending on whether you opt for a Warlock, Titan or Hunter.

The site explains, "Warlocks have long studied the Traveler, mastering some of its arcane energies. Its true purpose still remains a great mystery, but discovering truth has always driven you into the unknown. Now, our enemies are the only thing that stands between you and the lost wonders of our Golden Age."

The Titans, on the other hand, sound far more physically focused: "The first Titans built the Wall, and gave their lives to defend it. Now, you stand in the same high place, steadfast and sure, protecting all who shelter in your shadow. You hail from a long line of heroes, forged from strength and sacrifice. Our enemies may be deadly and merciless, but so are you."

Finally, Hunters sound like they're reformed rogues: "Hunters once prowled the wilderness and wastelands, taking big risks for even bigger rewards. You're no outlaw—at least, not anymore—but making your own luck has always meant bending the rules. Your unique brand of daring and ingenuity is needed now more than ever."

In terms of locations, Abandoned Earth and the Moon are both detailed, though currently blank teaser pages are also present for Mars and Venus. Two enemy factions are also covered: The Fallen and The Cabal. The Fallen are described as a galactic scourge and come in Dreg, Vandal and Captain varieties, while the Cabal are rumoured to be centred on Mars.

Destiny is currently in development for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and all signs point to the Next Xbox too. No release date has been announced, but it definitely won't be appearing this year.

New Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:17:00 +0000

Behold the Golden Age of Piracy! In this latest AC IV trailer, we learn about the history of pirates; Why they came to be and how they became the scourge of the seven seas.

It all builds to excitement surrounding AC IV, which is hitting stores at the end of November.

If the video above doesn't work, try this link.

Fake PS4 Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:56:00 +0000

Earlier today a video surface claiming to be an ad for Sony's new console, the Playstation 4. After making its rounds on the internet, and causing quite a stir, it's now clear that the video is a fake. However, that does not change the fact that it's pretty awesome.

We see people presumably reacting to watching the PS4 in action with interspersed clips from InFamous: Second Son and shots of the console itself.. The console shown is most likely one of the many fan-made versions circulating the web, but it does look quite slick.

A Sony representative confirmed to Kotaku that the video was not made by them. It looks like we still have to wait a while (at least until E3) to see more of the real PS4.

Things to Know About Watch Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:40:00 +0000

Watch_Dogs is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated games of the year, and this week we were given some new details and gameplay footage. In an interview with Playstation, Ubisoft share more about Aiden Pierce (the protagonist), Chicago (the setting), hacking, side quests and more. Check out the full interview below.

1. Aiden Pierce isn’t your typical videogame protagonist
“Aiden is a man with a dark past who has made questionable choices,” Lead Story Designer Kevin Shortt explained in our first live gameplay demo.Growing up in Chicago, Aiden used his technical prowess to infiltrate bank accounts and access surveillance systems, becoming something of a vigilante. Naturally, these pursuits earned him some powerful enemies on both sides of the law. As you play Watch_Dogs, you won’t be choosing between stark extremes on some binary morality scale, but defining where Aiden resides on much murkier spectrum of acceptability.

2. Chicago isn’t your typical videogame city
We’ve all played open-world action games where cities feel more like a collection of giant painted boxes than a living, breathing urban community. Watch_Dogs’s densely detailed Chicago feel less like a pretty façade and more like a densely populated city.Alleys are riddled with rotting cardboard boxes and detritus and parking garages are honeycombed with gloomy staircases — hack the right device and you may even find yourself peering into the living room of a Chicago citizen.

3. You can hack almost anything
Thanks to Chicago’s Central Operating System (ctOS), the city’s expansive (and invasive) technology is constantly at your fingertips. Take control of a nearby security camera to map out the positions of guards in a well-fortified area, raise a garage door or forklift to confuse and distract your would-be enemies, or — if you’re in particularly dire straits — tamper with the traffic grid and cause a multi-car pileup. These aren’t scripted scenarios, but dynamic and occasionally unpredictable events that can change the course of an escape in a nanosecond.

4. Stealth and no-holds-barred combat are viable options
Aiden is no sedentary computer geek — he’s quite capable of dispatching his enemies using lethal and nonlethal force. The stealthier player will value misdirection and surveillance, using remote cameras to tag and monitor enemy positions while skirting past trouble. Brute-force players will have a wide range of armaments to choose from, but you’ll want to keep civilian casualties in check lest your reputation suffer.

5. Multiplayer and single-player will overlap
Watch_Dogs will feature a full-blown multiplayer mode set in the mean streets of Chicago, though final details are still under lock and key. More intriguing is that multiplayer and single-player will “seamlessly” overlap, an effort by Ubisoft to demolish the wall that has divided single-player gaming and multiplayer for decades. This interconnectivity will extend to a companion experience on mobile devices, though details remain scarce.

6. Voyeurism is more fun than it sounds
Connecting to “FREE PUBLIC WI-FI” is risky business in the real world, so you can imagine what’s in store for anyone foolish enough to hop on an unsecured network in Aiden Pearce’s city. Aiden can activate Wi-Fi hotspots around the city, then hack into any device that connects to it granting him access to, among other things, a webcam on an unsuspecting citizens’ computer. This enables you to score valuable data, but also peer into the strange domestic lives of Chicago’s apartment dwellers.

7. The side quests are novel and varied
Once you hack into a district of Chicago’s ctOS, you’ll find yourself swimming in an ocean of data including the city’s crime prediction algorithms. If you want to go full-on Batman, you can use the crime prediction data to track down potential “victims” from the passers-by on the street, then intervene before their lives are cut short by a hail of bullets or a baseball bat to the head. Other side missions are less grim; one of our favorite was NVZN, an augmented-reality arcade game that tasks you with blasting marauding aliens with ray guns.

Watch_Dogs will hit stores for PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U on November 19 (EU: Nov 22, AU: Nov 21). A PS4 version is also in the works, but no word on the release date yet.

BioShock Review

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Sat, 11 May 2013 22:59:00 +0000

Imagine your plane crashes somewhere in the Atlantic ocean. As you swim through the burning wreckage, you spot a lighthouse and head towards it. Too preoccupied with getting onto dry land, you don't stop to consider the absurdity of a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean. You go inside and find that you're at the entrance to Rapture, an underwater utopia. Not only did you survive a plane crash, but you're about to be rescued. You're the luckiest guy on earth, right? Wrong! You've just walked into hell and the only way out is through the fire.

Atlas

You play as Jack, a guy who was seemingly just on the wrong plane at the wrong time. The promotional videos and propaganda tell the tale of paradise underwater, but as you start exploring Rapture you realise something has gone horribly wrong. Via a shortwave radio, a man named Atlas guides you along and teaches you how to survive in this formerly magnificent city. You don't know much about Atlas, only that he's trying to escape with his wife and child, he needs your help and he has no love for Andrew Ryan.

Andrew Ryan is a wealthy man who grew tired of the views of governments and society. Watching the world around him succumb to socialism and the people he viewed as parasites thrive, he "chose the impossible, [he] chose Rapture." Ryan decided to create a community where "the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, where the great would not be constrained by the small."

Your adventure takes you through different districts of Rapture, from beautiful man-made forests to run-down control centres. The majestic Art Deco-style buildings in the city are connected by glass tunnels and submarine-like elevators, called bathyspheres. On your way you stumble across many interesting characters, all of them driven mad by Adam, unstable cells injected into the body which give the user special powers. In their eyes, you're an outsider who crashed their party and they want you dead.

Spider Slicer

You'll mostly encounter Splicers, the crazed inhabitants of Rapture who remember nothing from their former lives. Splicers come in various forms, the scariest being Spider Splicers, who climb walls and come at you like some freaky mix between Spider-Man and that creepy girl in the Grudge.

Little Sister and Big Daddy

Then there are the Little Sisters. These little girls are not hostile, but where there's a Little Sister, a Big Daddy is not far away. Big Daddies will destroy anyone who comes too close to the Little Sisters they're protecting. But why would a sweet little girl require such protection, you ask? They're walking, talking Adam-farms, created for the purpose of growing Adam. If you feel brave enough to take on a Big Daddy, you'll have the choice of harvesting or rescuing his Little Sister after you take him down. Harvesting them yields more Adam, but your kindness will be rewarded should you choose to rescue them instead.
The Adam you receive can be spent at a Gatherer's Garden to buy new Plasmids and upgrades for the ones you have.

To survive you must use the weapons you find, like pistols, shotguns, machine guns and the trusty old wrench. All the weapons (aside from the wrench) can fire different kinds of ammunition, like anti-personnel rounds for the machine gun or electric buck for the shotgun. However, to gain an advantage on your enemies you must use Plasmids such as Electro Bolt which shoots lightning from your hands, stunning your foes. Both weapons and Plasmids can be upgraded as you venture deeper into the city and the bad guys are harder to defeat. You'll also come across a research camera which lets you take pictures of your enemies. Researching an enemy provides useful information, such as what type of ammunition they're weak against and increased damage against that type of foe.

Andrew Ryan, founder of Rapture

Using Plasmids consumes EVE, which can be restored by using EVE hypos. First-aid kits and food restores your health and if you die you'll be resurrected at the last Vita-chamber you passed. (In Ultimate Rapture Edition this feature can be turned off, making you to load a saved game when you die.) You'll also find money when looting dead bodies or searching containers. Money is used to buy ammo, first-aid kits and EVE hypos at the various vending machines of Rapture. The vending machines can be hacked by playing a Pipe Dream-like mini game. A successful hack reduces the prices and unlocks more items to be bought at that vending machine. Security cameras, turrets and safes can also be hacked. Eventually you'll start collecting spare parts which can be used at special vending machines to create new types of ammunition and Plasmids.

The Ultimate Rapture Edition adds three short missions, all with the objective of saving a Little Sister. Each mission has different rules; for instance, in one you have to defeat a Big Daddy with no weapons or damage-dealing Plasmids, a tough challenge. For me though, the best part of the DLC is the Museum of Orphaned Concepts. Here you will find concept art and models that didn't make it into the final version of the game. Along with the things to look at, players can also read about the development of the game and the ideas that lead to the finished product.

BioShock is a great game. Six years after its original release the graphics are still beautiful, there aren't any bugs to speak of and it's still one of the better shooters on the market. 2K Games created a masterpiece that successfully combined story and gameplay, a rare occurrence back then. The story, coupled with the lurking Splicers, will leave you at the edge of your seat. A must-have gaming experience.

One final note: If you do buy the Ultimate Rapture Edition, make sure you install the DLC before starting a new game. Any saves from pre-DLC will not work once the DLC is installed. Learned that the hard way.

Ubisoft talks about Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag on PS4

noreply@blogger.com (Gamer of Oz) — Fri, 10 May 2013 02:12:00 +0000

In this video, Jean Guesdon (Creative Director) and Sylvain Trottier (Associate Producer) from Ubisoft talk about developing ACIV for Playstation 4.

We see clips from the gameplay on PS4 and there's no obvious improvement to the graphics from the PS3. However, Ubisoft are clearly excited about the little graphical details they're able to put in the game thanks to the PS4's stronger CPU and GPU.

"All the little details that you cannot (...) put on the current generation of consoles, because the console is (...) running at 100% right now. So you cannot add all these little details that are gonna make the game even more beautiful, more immersive. The overall PS4 experience makes the game look so much better."

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is coming to PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U on October 29 (AU October 31, EU November 1.) The PS4 release date has not yet been announced.