Megabits of Gaming

Review: Soul Calibur V

noreply@blogger.com (Honest Dragon) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:45:41 PST

The newest Soul Calibur has been released and I have to say that it is a huge improvement over Soul Calibur IV in many ways. I've said before that I am only good with certain fighting game franchises nowadays and Soul Calibur was one listed. While I am really comfortable with the change in combat from the original Soul Blade to Soul Calibur V, I must say that this was version is pretty good.

For starters, the combat system is amazingly smooth. It wasn't as slow as Soul Calibur IV. While some veteran fighters were replaced with newer ones, their move sets can be devastating when you learn how to use them. On top of that, some of the other veterans make good comebacks, like Astaroth, Mitsurugi, and Ivy. Speaking of characters, with Ezio Auditore da Firenze in the mix, Assassin's Creed fans will love being able to go up against Nightmare with their favorite assassin. Another feature means you can literally sidestep an opponent and attack from a new angle.

A great addition to Soul Calibur V are the "Brave Edge" and "Critical Edge" moves. These moves are available to a player when they charge the super meter next to their character's name. These are way easier to execute than the "Critical Finish" in Soul Calibur IV, where you had to break your opponent's armor and then press all the face buttons at the same time. That feat was very difficult to pull off as you didn't know when precisely the armor would break and you have a small window to press the buttons. These new "Edge" moves only require a shoulder button press and face button press. I must say, they are extremely satisfying to use.

The creation system has seen a drastic change as well. While they don't give you a lot to work with early on, when you level up by winning matches either online, in the story, or against other players (or computer), you earn more customizable parts. However, the creation only really gives you so much. My friends and I made it to level forty-something and we were just unlocking skirts and pants. Sure, the armor looks nice, but I really wish there was more. The creation system in Soul Calibur IV had more to choose from and I hope that more can possibly be made available through future DLC.

The graphics are pretty nice; environments are beautiful and the characters look amazing. Sometimes during a match, I would just pause or go into training mode to look at what's going on in the background. Soul Calibur, at least to me, has a good history of lush and detailed fighting arenas. It is very impressive.

The story on the other hand is, well, unimpressive. Soul Calibur V centers on the children of Sophitia, Patroklos and Pyrrha, and their ordeal with the Soul Swords coming back. There is an ongoing plot about "malfested" who are monsters that are created from Soul Edge. Soul Calibur has returned and it would seem that Patroklos is the new keeper of the sword, like Siegfried before him. Pyrrha has been missing for awhile and thus Patrokolos is on a mission to find her and discover what connections his missing sister has to Soul Calibur and Soul Edge. The writing isn't exactly the best nor does some of the conflict make sense. Old Soul Calibur characters make brief, sometimes random, appearances and hardly play into the larger plot (outside of Nightmare and Ivy). There are even cutscenes, but they are few and far in between as the rest of the story is told through still pictures and you hear the dialogue. Again, Mortal Kombat gave fully fleshed out cutscenes and they proved they could do it here. Why not continue doing them? Near the end of the story, the final few fights seem to have a huge spike in difficulty as it took me numerous attempts to defeat the final opponents.

Arcade mode consists of six stages were you face random characters and get into a final fight with Nightmare, Pyrrha, or Patroklos. I am yet to see other final characters being fought in the sixth stage. The problem here is that there are no character endings. Yep, no character endings whatsoever. So Ezio, despite his inclusion here, doesn't get an individual ending. I don't get it. Darth Vader, Starkiller, Yoda, Link, Spawn, and Heihachi got character endings in Soul Calibur before. Why not Ezio or the other characters? At least Marvel vs Capcom 3 had endings, despite them being still picture and text endings. Soul Calibur V doesn't have any!

Overall, Soul Calibur V is average. While there were a lot of good changes to the final product, there were a lot of questionable decisions. For every good addition, there's a bad reduction. You can play online with your difficulty options and that's a major plus. Then you also have lack of character endings in Arcade mode... You get a full story, but it's lackluster. At this point in time, I'd suggest you Try It.

Megabits Of News: Weekly Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:01:37 PST

Megabits of Gaming trawls the web for the tastiest morsels of news, so you don't have to...

Vita sales to top 12m
According to our friends at Gamingbolt, analysts have told the Guardian that the new PlayStation Vita handheld should shift a mammoth 12.4m units this year.

The console market will shrink
Mobiles and portable gaming are the future, according to SEGA. The days of the humble console are numbered, reports MCV.

Borderlands 2 dated
September 18. Put that date in your diary now, or you'll miss out on all sorts of cel-shaded goodness. Borderlands 2 promises a bazillion guns, loads of characters, four-player co-op and a new campaign. Check out Den of Geek for the trailer.

Gotham City Imposters steals top spot
According to MCV, Warner Bros' new shooter has leapt to the top of the XBLA charts. Great graphics and madcap gameplay saw it beat the likes of Pinball FX2 and Warp.

Sonic set for second episode
Finally, new footage has emerged of the spikey one's next appearance in Sonic 4. Tails is there... and a water level... as are plenty of springs and some catchy tunes.

VIDEO: LEGO Video Game Montage

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:52:59 PST

You may recall that we at Megabits are particularly fond of LEGO-based homages to popular games so we were pleased to find yet another great video.

Alex Kobbs created this for the opening of the Interactive Achievement Awards and it was shown to a room full of the great and the good in the gaming industry. See how many game references you can spot - we particularly like the Uncharted 3 castle escape! Here it is in all its glory...

Megabits Of News: Weekly Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:18:06 PST

Megabits of Gaming trawls the web for the tastiest morsels of news, so you don't have to...

Far Cry 3 due in September
According to the game’s trailer, Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3 will be on our shelves on 6 September for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. The Far Cry 3 trailer informatively ends with a confirmation of its proposed release date, which is nice. Check out more from MCV after the jump.

Sony: Vita games are worth $40
Sony Worldwide Studios boss, Shuhei Yoshi said the company can justify placing a $40 price tag on PlayStation Vita games. In a world where consumers now can pay next to nothing for games on smart phones, Yoshi said gamer’s will see the value to their experience by buying the higher priced games. Hands up to everyone who spent close to that amount on a PS2 or DS game, he might have a point.

Batman and LA Noire lead BAFTA nominations
And the winner is … VG247 reports that with eight nominations each, Batman: Arkham City and LA Noire are leading the 2012 BAFTA Game Awards. Both will be going head to head for the Best Game. Can’t there be two winners?

Expansion pack for Civilization 5 in spring
If you thought Civilization 5 was not big enough, the “Gods & Kings” expansion pack will be available in late spring this year. The expansion brings with it 27 new units and 13 new buildings as well as nine new civilizations to rule, says Joystiq.

PS4 announcements unlikely in 2012
Sadly, it look likes reports on a PS4 will be few and far between in 2012, according to VG247. SCE America CEO Jack Tretton said he won’t be making any new hardware announcements this year and that the company is strongly focused on the PS3 and the Vita.

Skyrim Modding Tools A Hit With PC Owners

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:35:38 PST

A free tool that allows PC owners to create their own content for Bethesda’s awesome Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim saw a staggering 2 million mods downloaded in the three days after it launched. According to ZeniMax Media, the Creation Kit has seen gamers make over 2,500 mods via the Skryim Workshop already!

Skyrim was the unequivocal hit of 2011, winning countless awards and a legion of dedicated fans. Apparently, it was the second best selling game of 2011 revenue-wise. Within a month of the game launching last November, Bethesda said it had shipped over 10m units - equivalent to some $650m in sales.

Steam data shows that gamers are spending an average of 75 hours roaming the vast map. It's also apparently the fastest-selling title in Steam's history.

Megabits loved it too - check our Skyrim review here - and has even taken the time to offer some decent tips to make your adventures a little easier. Visit our guide after the jump.

Megabits Column: WWE '12

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:10:00 PST

Megabits of Gaming contributes a monthly column in Charged Middle East – a leading Dubai-based gadgets and games magazine that provides news, reviews and features on the latest home and consumer electronics.

Each month, Megabits takes a look at a new release in a gaming franchise and considers how its evolved over the years and what makes it great!

Here’s the latest of the articles from the February 2012 issue. For more about the magazine, check out its Facebook page after the jump.

About a decade ago I was a huge fan of the WWF – not the panda-loving association that wanted to save the planet (although I’ve nothing against them). I’m talking about the World Wrestling Federation; home to hulking muscle-bound meatheads smashing one another’s faces into turnbuckles and using ladders and desks to pummel opponents into submission. Each ridiculous bout was punctuated with equally ridiculous acting, which would make Hollywood movie moguls’ toes curl. It was a guilty pleasure. Along with many other wrestling fans, I simply refused to believe it was little more than a badly-acted soap opera; as far as I was concerned, the fighters were real, the stories were real and all those audacious moves were real.

Thankfully, video games have managed to not only capture the very essence of wrestling but the imagination of the enthusiasts too.

In the past 10 years there have been countless renditions of the sport captured on our consoles, and arguably the developers have ensured that the virtual wrestling matches are every bit as realistic as the actual TV shows. THQ’s WWE ‘12 is the latest in a long line of wrestling games that aims to transport us into the ring.

As with all modern fighting games, the presentation is superb and perfectly replicates the real thing - from the fireworks and lighting that accompanies each fighter’s entrance to the commentary, crowd chants and growls mid-fight.

Aesthetically, it all looks very authentic too. From the wrestlers themselves to the animated canvas and the rope physics that react to each strike. The game’s new Predator Technology also improves the transition between moves, making them look seamless.

New broadcast camera angles keep up with all the action, the developers having worked alongside the TV production team to include 25 new angles to capture everything.

As you’d expect, copious game modes are on offer, from the traditional one on one fights to Hell in a Cell, Inferno matches, Iron Man, Ladder and Last Man Standing to name a few. Then there’s the hefty Road to WrestleMania mode too.

A new Limb Targeting System adds a welcome element of strategy to the game, allowing you to grapple your opponent and focus attacks on their head, arms or legs – making submissions easier. The momentum of a match can change suddenly with the improved AI adding unpredictability and excitement to each fight. It’s probably as close as many of us will get to the ring without pulling on some stretchy spandex and grunting a lot.

THQ’s latest effort continues a long legacy dating back almost 30 years. Sure you didn’t have the quality graphics back then, and all those grapples, strikes and throws didn’t require a complex series of button presses like they do today but the early wrestling games still managed to capture the raucous nature of the sport.

The arcades played host to Tag Team Wrestling in 1983, which was one of the first games of its type and spawned countless imitators. Developer Technos Japan may have only included a small number of playable characters and moves but it helped lay the foundations for future titles. It was also credited for introducing the tag team mechanic in games – something which other developers have grappled with ever since.

Tag Team Match M.U.S.C.L.E (1985) and Pro Wrestling (1987) were other notable offerings on the Nintendo NES but it probably wasn’t until Rare’s WWF Wrestlemania bounded onto the system in 1988 that gamers really started to sit up and take notice. It coincided with the immense popularity of Hulk Hogan et al on the small screen and meant you could re-enact their trademark moves.

Over the years, there’s been stiff competition from other franchises such as the Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat arcade brawlers to more realistic sports sims such as UFC Undisputed, but they all owe a lot to those wrestling titles. For decades, they have captured the spectacle, the stories and rivalries. It’s exciting and over the top, with each fight every bit as ridiculous as it is entertaining.

30 Minute Playtest: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

noreply@blogger.com (Ibwib) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:02:00 PST

If you were an RPG developer, you’d be forgiven for taking some time off. The last few months have seen the RPG market take a double hit in the form of Skyrim’s accessible mix of addictive exploration and action, and Dark Souls’ rather less accessible but no less addictive mix of incredibly inventive environments and endless player death.

Between the two of them, you’d think it would be pretty much impossible to sell an RPG right now, best wait a few more months until the fuss dies down. But no, Big Huge Games and 38 Studios have decided to give us Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

To be fair, it has the sort of pedigree that would make it stand out for geeks: Executive designer Ken Rolston worked on the Elder Scrolls series, writer R A Salvatore has a swords and sorcery background writing the Forgotten Realms D&D spin off novels, and the art was provided by Todd MacFarlane, a man who made a fortune out of derivative art, poor writing and a bratty refusal to acknowledge other creators' intellectual property. Still, it’s an eyecatching team. Rather than use their skills to create something entirely original, however, they seem to have chosen to blend the best bits of the genre.

The game mixes RPG and fantasy fiction tropes in equal measure-you get a stirring score, portentous dialogue, crates that need smashing, rats that need killing, and a looming mystical threat of apocalyptic proportions. So far, so standard. Amalur saves itself, however, by merging the best bits of recent RPGs: it has the visual style and easy playing mechanics of the Fable series, but with the deeper skill trees and levelling capabilities of harder edged RPGs. In essence, it sits somewhere between the RPG-lite stylings of Fable and the character building of an Elder Scrolls game.

The third-person combat is more convincingly physical than the featherlight blade waftings of Skyrim and Oblivion, and is built around a basic block-dodge-bash mechanic using the trigger, face buttons and sticks. It’s fast and fun, and its simplicity can be built upon by learning new special moves, using the basic one-button archery, or dropping in the odd bit of overpowered, underfuelled magic: you can do serious damage with a single spell, but you can’t throw many.

Combat is a lively case of mixing up the buttons you most fancy bashing, although the boss fights do descend into fixed camera smack-em-ups that end with simple QTEs.

The ability to use magic, archery and melee combat all in a single character is nearer the generalism of Fable, but those who favour specialism will find that the levelling system, which consists of a page of general skills and three pages of multiple skill trees divided between Magic, Might and Finesse, allow for a very respectable degree of character customisation.

Any RPG fans who’ve recently chugged their way through the complex menus of Dark Souls or the unintuitive ordering of Skyrim will find the inventory management in Amalur refreshing. What might be more disappointing are the environments - a half hour playtest isn’t enough to be sure, but the early impression is one of linear paths through modestly sized and discrete play areas, rather than a complex map to decipher a’la Dark Souls, or an epic open world to explore as in Skyrim.

It’s a little unfair on Amalur that it gets compared to so many other RPGs, but to be honest, the comparisons are neither unwarranted or unfair. This is a very enjoyable game, and one that’s likely to appeal to action oriented players as much as hardcore RPG statgrinders. It definitely gets a continue from us.

JAM Live Music Arcade Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (BaseAllstar) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:52:00 PST

Musicians and wannabe DJ’s rejoice! Your prayers may just have been answered in the shape of forthcoming music creation game JAM Live Music Arcade. Coming soon to Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network, JAM puts the power at your creative fingertips as you become DJ, producer and band leader.

When playing JAM you’ll take on the roles of lead guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and synth player. The game aims to put the emphasis on creation, experimentation and exploration as opposed to high score chasing, so let those wild imaginings and unwritten songs roam free.

Chad Koehler, Vice President of Zivix LLC, the guys responsible for developing the game, said: “JAM Live Music Arcade builds upon years of our music experience and some of the successes we had with previous iterations of the JAM franchise, but takes it to an entirely new level allowing creative freedom and a closer connection to the music.”

He added: “The world loves music, and this product provides immediate accessibility in a totally new way. If you’re looking to jam out, turn the living room in to a live show and experiment with a near-infinite bank of sounds, effects and rhythms, then this is the experience for you. If you’re interested in a more traditional follow-the-leader type of play, then we’ve included the Arcade Mode just for that purpose. With the great songs and artists we have and the wide variety refreshingly creative different play modes, JAM Live Music Arcade is the breath of fresh air the music gaming genre needs.”

The game comes with 30+ licensed tracks from such notable artists as Modest Mouse and Fatboy Slim and gives you the power to jam and remix all aspects of the song to create your very own masterpiece. All this power is wielded via the compatible guitar peripherals most of us have lying around or by using the standard controller (if you haven’t got one of them lying around your probably in the wrong place).

Features include:

Control and remix all aspects of the song – it’s an entire band in your hands
Players are rewarded for their sense of timing by getting into the flow of the music and beat
Features 32 tracks
Compatible with guitar peripherals
Arcade Mode incorporates more controller actions from an up-strum to the whammy bar
Dynamic visuals respond to your every move
User created content: Create a mix, replay or challenge it in Arcade Mode

It sounds promising and speaking as a huge fan of previous music mixing titles I’m curious to see how this one pans out. Certainly remixing current tracks doesn’t sound quite as appealing as creating a tune from scratch, but it’s good to see the genre is still breathing, even if those breaths may appear a tad shallow.

More information about the game after the jump.

Review: Storm in a Teacup

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:38:10 PST

'Storm in a Teacup'? What's next? A game based around 'You reap what you sow'? Oh, they did that in 'Garden Simulator'...

Ok, well, puns aside, Storm in a Teacup is a decent, challenging, simple game which ideally suited to mobile formats, so its release on PC is something of a mystery to me.

The game's meagre plot revolves around Storm, a Cloud Strife-haired kid who loves to play with his model of himself in a teacup... and some 'evil clouds'. Somebody get this kid an Xbox.

When Storm goes to sleep his dreams come to life, and the gamer has to steer little Storm around in his magical teacup, picking up sugar lumps and keys, and avoiding the clouds, which hover malevolently around the map, up to no good.

The gameplay is simplicity itself. You move storm with the arrow keys, and tap space to jump. Tapping space repeatedly allows the spinky-haired one to hurl his magical crockery up high as he can, in order to reach the game's many hidey-holes and collect the lightning bolt symbols dotted around.

The levels start easy and get tricky pretty fast, but the quick respawning and generous checkpoints make it less of a chore.

That said, the music is very much a chore – it consists of one annoyingly cheery track played over and over until your head explodes, or you turn it off. Trust me, playing Storm in a Teacup with the Foo Fightters ripping it up in the background changes your outlook somewhat...

The graphics are solid, colourful and enjoyable to zip around, though a little more variation in level design would have been a wise investment.

*Reviewed on PC

Preview: Mass Effect 3

noreply@blogger.com (Honest Dragon) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:34:50 PST

Mass Effect 3 is probably one of the most anticipated games of 2012. The final installment of the series is getting so much attention and with good reason. With its imminent release, many fans have been looking into the great features of the new game.

Arguably the biggest addition to the series is multiplayer. According to BioWare, multiplayer will act as a cooperative effort against the Reapers. This is interesting in that the characters used in multiplayer can build up power and experience. The kicker is that they can be used further in the main single player campaign. How this is going to affect combat in the main story is still up in the air as BioWare has only released so much information...

With the different classes to choose from, gained experience that is put into the powers and skills of your character will make all the difference in how you want to be in the field. Do you like bulking up health and gunning down enemies as a soldier? Perhaps you like cutting down enemies from a distance as a biotic?

Also, you will not just be playing as humans. BioWare has confirmed six different species to the list including Humans, Turians, Asari, Salarians, Krogran, and Drell. Reportedly, each of them have their own skills and abilities that contribute to their combat style. Gameplay has the traditional idea of "accomplish this mission while dealing with waves of enemies". I've heard tellings of plenty of variety in the missions and possible mini bosses. Needless to say, multiplayer is looking pretty good.

So how about difficulty levels? There are going to be three game modes that can be set to the player's liking. One is Roleplaying, where it's the usual format the Mass Effect fans have long enjoyed complete with story choices. Second is Action, where the game focuses primarily on gameplay and gives players a set pattern of dialogue for a linear story, but you still get Paragon and Renegade opportunities. Finally, there is the Story option where combat is set to a very fast and easier playthrough, while still giving gamers heavy emphasis on the plot.

And finally, there are the preorder bonuses. Please keep in mind that the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition preorders are going fast. There is a significant difference between the Standard Edition and Collector's Edition when preordered. Standard Edition preorders will receive the N7 Valkyrie assault rifle and N7 Defender Armor. Collector's Edition preorders, meanwhile, will recieve the N7 Valkyrie assault rifle, N7 Defender Armor, a DLC called N7 Arsenal Pack with four additional weapons, a FENRIS robot dog, the Squadmate Alternate Outfit Pack, an N7 Hoodie (possibly an article of clothing), a bonus mission, a bonus character, and a hardcover case for the game.

After listing all of that, I need to catch my breath. Regardless of my imminent blackout from sheer awesomeness, Mass Effect 3 looks to be jam packed with content. If you are a Mass Effect fan, do yourself a favor and check out the game. The list of features just keeps growing. I can easily see that I'm going to be dedicating weekends and evenings to this game. I will have to apologize to my PS3 for the sudden neglect, but Mass Effect 3 is calling and I cannot wait!

Check out these videos for more info:

Top Ten Overshadowed Characters

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:18:37 PST

You know that feeling at work when you're performing really well yet one of your peers gets the promotion? Or when you're clearly the best at football but someone else gets picked ahead of you? And how many times has the star of a movie only received Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars?!?

Well, in another example of art imitating life, it's exactly the same in gaming. Here Megabits looks at the the Top Ten Nearly Men (or Women) In Gaming - those who could have been true greats but were overshadowed by others and are now merely known as sidekicks or extras.

(mild spoilers ahead)

10) Luigi
Think of a missed opportunity for a character in gaming and perhaps the green-hatted moustacioued Italian springs immediately to mind. His first appearance in 1983's Mario Bros sums up his gaming life... he was the character always controlled by player two - and he would forever remain the deuteragonist of the series. Sure he had cameos and more prominent appearances in other games but his portly brother always got most of the adoration and attention. It's-a-me...Luigi.

9) Victor Sullivan
We catch a glimpse of a younger, fitter Sully in Uncharted 3's flashback level and get the impression that he would have been worthy to star in a game! Sure, he's available as a multiplayer character but he perhaps he rues the day that Nate stepped into the limelight and stole all his glory.

8) Otacon
Hal Emmerich was a key character in the MGS series and saves Snake's skin more than once. As a hacker, he spends most of the time behind the scenes, communicating with our protagonist via the good old Codec. He had enough history and background to carry a game on his own as the lead character - but maybe it was his repeated failure with the ladies (most of whom come into contact with him die in his arms), combined with his geeky persona that was his downfall?

7) Catwoman
She's sultry, slinky and sexy but has never made it on her own. The Halle Berry movie-inspired 2004 offering was panned by critics and has become infamous more for its idle animation than the gameplay. She made a welcome appearance in the latest Rocksteady outing but, as always, had to play second fiddle to the Dark Knight himself. She could have been a great, if it weren't for Bruce!

6) Ishi Sato
Grayson Hunt steals the limelight in the sublime killfest Bulletstorm with Ishi just acting all bitter and twisted. Mind, he was critically injured during that initial attack so he has every right to be a little pissed. Oh, and he does end up as an ugly-ass cyborg with a dislike for Hunt's escapades. Another case of "what could have been", we bet Ishi wishes it was Grayson on that operating table and he'd been the one to find fame by pulling off all those cool skillshots.

5) Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde
The Pac Man ghosts are synonymous with retro gaming; they're cult figures but they never quite made the big time as they were always in the shadow of the pizza-shaped, pill-popping Pac Man. They were real characters; the menu screen even flagged up their different attributes. But all these years on, they proved they weren't individuals, just followers. They could have been greats but Pac Man ran rings around them.

4) Brucie Kibbutz
Baldie Kibbutz had three loves in his life: women, steroids and himself - perhaps that's why he never had the time to focus on becoming more of a leading man. He appeared in both GTA IV and DLC The Ballad of Gay Tony but had no more than a bit part, playing second fiddle to Niko, Roman and countless others in Liberty City. His character was surely worthy of a standalone outing?

3) Daxter
Funny but also slightly irritating, Jak's trusty sidekick in the popular series is only playable on a few occasions and definitely plays second fiddle to the guy that turned him into the otter/weasel hybrid we all know and love. He has had the occasional moment of glory - notably his self-titled PSP game - but he could have achieved so much more.

2) Alyx Vance
AKA the woman in Half Life who keeps saving Gordon Freeman's butt. She's good with computers, handy with a gun and an all-round strong female character. Much-loved but overshadowed, what about making her a playable character and giving her centre stage in Half Life 3, eh?

1) Wheatley
UK comic Stephen Merchant's Bristolian accent and humour was perfect for playing Portal 2's slightly-deranged robot Wheatley. He initially revives Chell from her slumber and encourages her to escape by completing a few simple puzzles... His well-"rounded" (see what I did there) character would be perfect for a spin off game - if he can ever find a way of getting back from space.

Preview: Ghost Recon Future Soldier

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Gordon) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:11:00 PST

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (previously known as Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 4) is published by Ubisoft. Excluding expansions, it is the fourth installment in the Ghost Recon series, and was first announced to be in development by Ubisoft in January 2009.

The story will take place in a near future in Norway, the Middle East, and Asia where Russia went into war. The Ghosts will be fighting an ultra-nationalist force that took control of Russia and are invading neighbouring countries on the deadliest missions behind enemy lines. The player will take control of a 4-man Ghost team consisting of a commando (Kozak), a sniper weapons expert (Pepper), a reconnaissance expert (30k), and an engineer (Bones).

The game is a third-person shooter for most of the time, except when aiming using sights or firing from cover at which point the game switches to a first-person camera in order to facilitate more precise aiming. A new feature in the series is the “optical camouflage”, a form of active camouflage which allows the Ghosts to become instantly invisible.

During E3 2011 Ubisoft also debuted the games weapon customiser. The system works with the Xbox Kinect and allows an unprecedented level of customisation, down to the gas management parts of every gun. While customising weapons, the player is also allowed to test their creations in a simulated environment. Voice control is also used in weapon creation, in addition to hand movements.

Using Kinect, drawing a weapon is done by reaching a hand over your back, and pulling it back down, as if grabbing a gun from your back. Shooting is accomplished by opening the hand and closing it again. This amazing level of interaction should bring a new dimension to the series.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, the military tactical shooter, was first created by Red Storm Entertainment, the game development studio founded in part by American author Tom Clancy, in 2001.

Throughout the series, players have been in charge of a fictional, newly-conceived squad of United States Army Special Forces operators from Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG ). Their role is not unlike other real world special operations forces, in that their operations are kept highly classified, which is why they are sometimes referred to as “the Ghosts”.

We donned our camouflage flacks and took to the battlefield with Thomas Leroux-Hugon, International Brand Manager, for a debrief on the Future Soldier.

Will Last Man Standing make a return?
We don’t have Last Man Standing, but we ARE bringing back the multiplayer mode Siege, which is a lot like Last Man Standing with the addition of a central objective that has to be defended. We find it focuses the match and creates a stronger sense of team play. [In case you don’t know/remember the rules of Siege, one team spawns in a central location and has to defend an objective. The attackers are deployed randomly around the outside of the map, and you have only a single life, there are no respawns!]

In co-op, will there be multiple points of insertion?
In our co-op mode the entire team spawn at the same moment and at the same place. Instead of choosing where you will spawn on the map, we like better to offer to the player the choice of “how he will engage the fight”, and how he will coordinate with his team to reach his objective efficiently.

What team play incentives have you introduced?
In addition to speeding up the objective capture rate, Confidence also affects the hacking speed for Data Hacking — so if you have a teammate nearby when you stun someone it can be a big asset [Data Hacking is the action of stealing the enemy team’s positional intel from a stunned enemy]. We have a number of other systems that encourage team play — we’ve got intel and suppression, for starters. Getting intel for your team makes it a lot easier to set up a shot, and tools like the UAV allow you to perform in a dedicated support role in this regard. Suppression allows a rifleman to keep a target pinned down, which gives his teammates time to flank the enemy. We’ve also got tools like the Coordination System which allows players to mark objectives, enemy targets, or call for support. Finally, items like ammo boxes and med kits can make a crucial difference for a well-organised team, especially in non-respawn game types.

How will the weapon progression work?
We’ve got both a rank progression system — where you can unlock equipment and weapons based on leveling up — and an “open” system, where everyone has access to everyone. You get the best of both worlds: unlocks in the Public matchmaking for those of you that like them, and access to everything in Private matches for those who don’t!

Can you play multiplayer in first person?
All guns have first person scope view for precise shooting — however, there is no dedicated first person view other than this.

Will you introduce Kill Streak rewards?
We don’t have a concept of rewards for “kill streaks” — that doesn’t really fit our Future Soldier experience. What we DO have is rewards for completing objectives — for example, if you hack into an enemy sensor network, you’ll be rewarded with positional intel on enemy forces, or if you capture enemy ammo crates, you’ll be able to resupply there. Our play tests show that the objectives really focus the game, creating intense firefights and awesome teamwork.

How much customisation is offered in multiplayer?
In terms of settings, we’ve got four game types, and 10 maps. Combine this with two factions, three roles, over 50 weapons, dozens of pieces of equipment, and a number of grenades and you’ve got a huge degree of flexibility in how you want to play the game. You’ve also got the ability to play in Public matches with the ranking system turned on, or play with all of the gear in Private or Local matches.

How many weapons are there?
You can create over 20 million entirely unique guns. We have 52 guns in GunSmith with over 49 possible attachments & modifications! For instance the ACR itself has over 1,000,000 unique variants.

How have you incorporated training?
In GRFS you indeed have to be careful as every shot you take can be lethal, but each of the gameplay mechanics are adapted to these. The cover system for example, has been designed to be very easy to handle, you can go to cover, aim, shoot, and then switch cover in a blink of an eye. And of course, in the first stages of the solo campaign the player will be partially guided with an ingame integrated tutorial, teaching him how to perform all of the moves and how to use intel.

What is the average game play time?
Depending on the level of the player, an average of 12 hours will be necessary to run through the solo campaign. Furthermore, the game time is greatly increased by the co-op mode which will allow you to play the campaign with three friends, the extremely wealthy eight player adversarial multiplayer mode, and a very ambitious new multiplayer mode that we’re going to announce soon.

What extra dimension has motion control added?
The motion controllers create an exciting challenge to the teams as they look for ways to innovate and give meaning to the player. The Kinect component of Ghost Recon is an exciting addition to the game – it enables the player to interact with the weapons as never done before, check out the options and get a hands-on feel before going into combat.

Michael Gordon is editor of Charged Middle East magazine, a leading Dubai-based gadgets and games title that provides news, reviews and features on the latest home and consumer electronics. For more about the magazine, visit its Facebook page after the jump. Check out this article and many more in the February issue.

More Of The Best GTA IV Mods

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:35:35 PST

It's staggering the amount of interest we've had since late 2010 when we published our pick of The 10 Best GTA IV Mods Ever! But it seems a lot of you out there are still keen to eek out as much enjoyment as possible from one of our favourite games of recent years - at least before the next instalment comes out.

So, in keeping with the old saying that you should give the audience what they want... we've pored over You Tube to bring you another 10 mods and tweaks that breath new life into Liberty City. Enjoy!

Enhanced graphics

Back To The Future

Heavy bus

Terminator

Merry Christmas

Zombies!

Monster truck

Nightmare mode

UFO

T-Rex chase

Megabits Of News: Weekly Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:54:02 PST

Megabits of Gaming trawls the web for the tastiest morsels of news, so you don't have to...

Asura must wait to unleash his Wrath
The release date of Capcom’s third-person action game Asura’s Wrath has been postponed until 9 March. The title, which will be released on the Xbox 360 and PS3, was previously expected to hit UK shops later this month.

Ubisoft not in the dancing mood
According to MCV, games producer Ubisoft has decided against publishing a music game based on the BBC’s successful TV show Strictly Come Dancing, which was due on UK shelves this Christmas. Ballroom fans need not worry though as the Strictly Come Dancing game will still arrive, just published by someone else not yet announced.

Skyrim patch 1.4 now on 360 - PS3 owners still waiting
Skyrim’s latest patch is now available to happy Xbox 360 owners. The 1.4 update, which has been out on the PC since last week, should be available on the PS3 soon but confirmation is still pending, says Joystiq.

Sleeping Dogs to be released in second half of 2012
Square Enix has announced that Sleeping Dogs, the new name for True Crime: Hong Kong, will be released in the second half of 2012. CVG says True Crime: Hong Kong, which was almost complete and playable, was dropped by former publisher Activision early last year.

Codemasters - March release for DiRT 3: Complete Edition
Start your engines, driving game DiRT 3: Complete Edition will be released on 9 March, Codemasters has announced. DiRT 3 will include 12 new routes across two locations, new cars and a range of liveries.

Megabits Column: Need For Speed The Run

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:33:23 PST

Megabits of Gaming contributes a monthly column in Charged Middle East – a leading Dubai-based gadgets and games magazine that provides news, reviews and features on the latest home and consumer electronics.

Each month, Megabits takes a look at a new release in a gaming franchise and considers how its evolved over the years and what makes it great!

Here’s the latest of the articles from the January 2012 issue. For more about the magazine, check out its Facebook page after the jump.

If you’re anything like me, an absolute Luddite when it comes to understanding and appreciating cars, then the trend towards realism in racing games leaves you absolutely cold. A game that claims to perfectly replicate the performance of a combustion engine or accurately render some technical wizardry beneath the bonnet certainly deserves praise and adulation. For me, however, I have no real desire to be spending more time tweaking my vehicle rather than driving it. You can keep your garages and stats screens; point me instead in the direction of that virtual road and I’ll speed off, controller gripped and eyes focused on the oncoming traffic.

For that very reason, the arrival of Need for Speed: The Run is the perfect tonic and an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Granted it’s not the longest game in the world, and sure it isn’t going to fulfil the primal desires of your average petrolhead, but for those of us who don’t know the difference between a piston and a spark plug, Electronic Arts with its 18th Need for Speed game fits the bill nicely.

It’s been quite a journey for the long-running series, with many twists and turns along the way – and plenty of innovation. According to Guinness World Records, by early 2009 the franchise had sold about 100 million copies in the 15 years since its debut.

The Run, from developer Black Box, is the first racer to be powered by DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine, allowing enhanced physics and visuals for some pretty impressive damage effects to the cars and environments.

It tells the story of Jack Rourke, a man who’s upset some dangerous people and needs to pay them a huge sum of money. Fast. Coincidentally, Jack receives a proposition to take part in a 3000-mile race across the US, from San Francisco to New York. With a cool $25m at stake, it’s a bit of a no brainer. Cue an adrenaline-fuelled dash across the continent, loads of smart looking super cars, crashes, smashes and... Quick Time Events (QTE).

The last bit isn’t really something to shout about but it does mark the series’ attempts to do something a little different with a driving game. For the first time, you’re not stuck behind the wheel for the entirety of the game; at certain moments, Jack will have to leave the confines of his car to run, jump and fight his way out of trouble thanks to your button-mashing expertise.

Thankfully, the impressive Autolog function – another EA brainchild - also makes a welcome return to The Run after its introduction in the previous title a year earlier, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010). This useful widget allows players to track their progress and compare stats with friends. It even suggests events and challenges – and lets you brag about your exploits.

Electronic Arts has never been afraid of shaking up the racing genre. With the original Need for Speed in 1994 it worked with auto publication Road & Track to ensure the vehicles sounded the part – entering the record books for being the first game to recreate the aural effects of the gear control levers.

Even years later, it was trying something new. In 2009, it took the plaudits for having the most advanced cockpit in a racing game. Developer Slightly Mad Studios had accurately modelled the interiors in Need for Speed: Shift, from the dashboard to the driver’s head that reacted to g-force.

Driving games have been loved by gamers for decades, from the glory days of Outrun and Buggy Boy to the advent of the Gran Turismo series and Forza. The wheels have come off many of the studios behind some of the greatest racing games of recent years and, as such, promising series such as Project Gotham Racing (2001-2007), Blur (2010) and Split/Second: Velocity (2010) have run out of gas. EA’s Need for Speed, however, remains firmly on track and shows no sign of slowing down.

Cannon Fodder Rebooted, Ready For Action

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:30:30 PST

War has never been so much fun... until today! News of the return of one of my favourite games during my Amiga years slipped under my radar but now the big-headed squad of soldiers make their return in Cannon Fodder 3 for the PC.

And it's available to download now.

With all the usual revamped graphics you'd expect nowadays, the new game appears to keep all the charm of the original that came from the stable of the Sensible Software team.

Fighting through wartorn battlefields across the globe - and in space (anyone remember that coverdisk years ago that saw the Cannon Fodder characters appear in a version of Sensible Soccer and kick a bomb about??!?!?), the new game will feature day and night levels, different climates and temperatures, and new technololgies and weapons!

Here are some of those new features:

8 types of controllable machinery
17 types of weaponry, including tactical nuclear strikes and carpet bombings
Destructible surroundings and water physics allowing the use of tsunami and submerge tactics
Achievement system
Battles with unique bosses
Combat progress leads to new ranks
Special-purpose bonus items
Day and night missions, weather effects
Various locations: America, Asia, Russia, lunar and orbital bases

SSX Soundtrack Unveiled

noreply@blogger.com (BaseAllstar) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:56:19 PST

The complete music track listing for the highly-anticipated return of snowboarding classic SSX was unveiled today by EA Sports. The soundtrack features 36 licensed tracks from a variety of established and upcoming artists alongside 10 completely original tracks composed specifically for the adrenaline fuelled gameplay.

As someone who believed I still had a finger on the pulse of what’s hip and could still be ‘down with the kids’, I’ve been left a little deflated at only having heard of three of the artists on offer.

Still, Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing seems happy, he said: “SSX has always been one of EA’s most music intensive, genre diverse and sonically adventurous titles.

“The songs on this new soundtrack cover ground from indie rock, dub step, hip-hop, drum + bass and beyond. As fans of the ultimate snowboarding franchise have come to expect, our artists range from top cutting-edge stars to tomorrow’s hottest underground acts. Ultimately, it’s a soundtrack full of next-level music that is totally ripe for discovery.”

The complete list of licensed tracks includes:

Artist Track

Camo & Krooked Breezeblock
Camo & Krooked Portal
Dels Capsize ft. Joe Goddard & Roots Manuva
Digitalism Blitz
DJ Shadow I Gotta Rock (Irn Mnky Swagger Mix)
Felguk ft. Example Plastic Smile
Flux Pavilion I Can't Stop
Foster the People Houdini
Handsome Furs Damage
Hyper Accelerate
J Boogie's Dubtronic Science Magik (Egyptian Lover Remix) ft. Aima the Dream, Cait La Dee & Raashan Ahmad
Kid Digital Done With That ft. Profit
Konrad Old Money Big Error
Lateef the Truthspeaker Oakland ft. Del the Funky Homosapien & The Grouch
Nero Scorpions
Noisia Could this Be
Noisia Machine Gun
Pretty Lights Hot Like Dimes
Raffertie Twitch (It Grows and Grows: SSX Version)
Run-DMC It’s Tricky (SSX Pretty Lights Remix)
Skrillex Scatta ft. Foreign Beggers & Bare Noize
Styrofoam Ones Better
The Big Pink Stay Gold
The Herbaliser What You Asked For
The Hives 1000 Answers
The Naked and Famous Young Blood
The Prototypes Your Future
The Qemists Bones ft. Kellermensch
The Qemists Stompbox
The Qemists Lifeline
Theophilus London I Stand Alone (Ocelot Mix)
TRS-80 Mirage
Turbowolf A Rose for the Crows
Two Door Cinema Club Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix)
Wretch 32 Traktor
Zion I and the Grouch Drop It on the 1

I’m delighted to report that gamers will be able to upload their own music to create custom playlists for both menu and in-game music.

The game also features a dynamic music remix tool, which basically amounts to remixing the tracks based on the in-game action and performance, not sure what this means to players like me who fully expect to be rolling down the hill gathering speed in an ever expanding snowball much akin to a Scooby-Doo cartoon, but it’ll be fun finding out.

SSX is due to hit PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 28 in North America, while us poor relations in the rest of the world will have to wait until March 2.

If it manages to live up to the hype and anticipation then that short wait could be more than worth it.

Top Ten Tips For Skyrim Success

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:04:14 PST

It’s entirely pointless trying to go into any detail with Skyrim, the game’s just too damn big! So here’s Megabits' Top Ten Tips for exploring the chilly province and getting the most out of the best RPG of 2011.

10: Don’t be afraid to run away
It’s all too easy to imagine yourself a dragon-killing, bandit-owning master of the world, but early on, don’t be surprised if a horde of hungry skeevers can leave your Dovakhin warrior in bits. So my advice to you is this - if you can’t win, run away. There’s no reason you can’t always come back later – and believe me, the last thing you want after having fought off a horde of bandits is to be taken out by one lucky blow from a warhammer, forcing you to backtrack through room after room of the deepest, darkest canyons.

9: Always take a companion
Sure, they get in the way, offer pointless comments every time you see something unusual and can’t fend off a wild wolf without being knocked down, but having a companion along for the ride makes Skyrim’s adventure all the easier. While I mainly used a stream of companions as cannon fodder/a pack horse, I often found that the larger enemies were drawn to the companion, instead of me, allowing me to drive my paired swords into its arse as it murderised them. Sure, this might be misconstrued as harsh or cold, but it saves them accidentally being beheaded by me as I’m trying to down a dragon (sorry Lydia....)

8: Choose your perks wisely
Skyrim’s perks can make a big difference to the gameplay, so when you’re granted one of the celestial kudos points, take some time and consider your playstyle – and the holes in your defences. I favoured boosting my one-handed, light armour and enchanting skills, and was pleasantly surprised to find that at higher levels, the perks got better and better. Concentrate on perks from certain trees, rather than a jack-of-all-trades approach, as this will make your experience all the more fun, as opposed to leaving you swinging in the wind when facing later missions.

7: Practice your smithing
Armour is a must in the unforgiving lands of Skyrim, so learning how to get the best out of your blacksmithing is similarly an essential skill to develop. It’s also quite easy – just buy a bunch of raw materials and craft yourself a stream of iron daggers early in the game, and watch as your skills climb higher and higher. The added bonus of having a load of daggers to sell is also a good thing. While this can feel a little like grinding at first, before long, you’ll be glad of the ability to craft suits of armour on the fly – especially when the bigger monsters stalking the land start making a beeline for your door – sometimes literally.

6: Enchant everything
Similarily to smithing, enchanting is another incredibly useful skill - and one which should be used for every bit of armour, jewellery and weaponry that the gamer possesses. Granted, you have to destroy an item to learn the enchantment that it contains, but this is a necessary when it comes to equipping you and your companion with the best loot. I’m personally a big fan of weapons which have additional attack powers, such as a bow that causes shock or ice damage, and armour which boosts attributes such as magicka, stamina and health regeneration.
Be sure to level up as much as possible and invest in a few of the smithing perks that deal with enchanting, as it will pay off later when you find some of the game’s more powerful weapons.

5: Read everything you can see
Reading is good for the soul – it’s also good for your stats! This one’s a no-brainer (or a brainer if you actually read some of the game’s history which is scattered about...) but reading makes you smarter – especially in Skyrim, where a quick flick through a book called ‘small unit tactics’ will pay off with improved knowledge of light armour, for example. Basically, if you see a book that’s not ‘waterlogged’, ‘burnt’ or ‘ruined’, open it, close it, and see if a little notification pops up to tell you that some obscure skill has been boosted – and by a fair degree as well! Not bad for looking at a single page of a novel. If only learning were really so easy!

4: Barter smarter
As with real life, shopping is a necessary evil in Skyrim - but bartering is positively essential. Money is key in getting a hold of the raw materials for smithing or enchanting, and getting the best deal for your items and goods is a quick way to get a decent gold purse on your warrior.
Find yourself a spellbook that boosts your bartering skill - or an amulet, or a ring - and watch how quickly the gold piles up, compared to going it along. Plus, shopkeepers can be enchanted if you’re subtle about it – and don’t accidentally set them on fire. Alternatively, put a pot or bucket over their head and go nuts with your robbery skills...

3: Travel light
One problem I constantly encountered while questing was simply carrying too much stuff – and there’s nothing worse than having to pick between a big pile of booty and being able to stagger to the shop to sell what you already have - even after you’ve stocked up your companion like a beast of burden. The answer is to regularly offload your kit entirely into a storage box you own and sell what you don’t need, then stock up again – but take only the essentials. Let’s face it, it won’t take you long to fill up your inventory again! One more tip – you might think that a few torchbugs or a few fish in your inventory don’t weight much, but add together the weight of the various ingredients you’ve grabbed and you’ll see how fast the weight builds! Ditch the food until you need it.

2: Stagger the main plotline
Skyrim's main plot is actually pretty decent - compared to that of Morrowind and Oblivion, anyway. In fact, its only downside is that it's too damn short! So, in order to make more of the main plot, I would 100% suggest coming back to each plot mission after a good portion of random wandering and other questlines. If you finish the main plot to early, it can kind of make the game feel a little 'empty' (ironic, considering its staggering size...). Food for thought.

1: Explore!
Skyrim, both the province and the game, is absolutely massive – and the key to discovering everything the game has to offer lies in exploration. Early on, I took great pleasure in shouldering my twin steel shortswords and going for a walk to see what I can find – and usually came across a cavern full of bandits, or spiders, or necromancers, or werewolves, or skeletons – or high-class loot. Later, when I started taking missions that required long journeys, I always avoided using a horse, fast-traveling or hitching a ride on a horse and cart, and instead walked the whole way. This is a great way to see the game as Bethesda wants you to, and gives you loads of opportunities to explore the dark corners of the province. So, in a nutshell, get out and about – and go off the beaten track – to get the best from your adventuring.

Have fun, Dovakhin!

The Return Of Mega Man! Really???

noreply@blogger.com (Honest Dragon) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:27:45 PST

Oh, dear. When I wrote about the idea of Mega Man's 25th anniversary, I had no idea what Capcom was planning. I was at least hoping that they would surprise everyone with a new Mega Man game for the summer or even holiday season. Maybe they could have Mega Man as DLC for Marvel vs Capcom 3... What with the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3, fans have been eager to find out what Capcom plans to do with one of their most popular and beloved characters.

Lo and behold that in Street X Tekken, Mega Man was announced as a playable character! Prayers have been answered! Mega Man is going to be featured in this awesome crossover fighting game. That's right! Mega Man is back! At least, that's what I thought at first. After my phone literally blew up from text messages of Mega Man's inclusion into Street Fighter X Tekken, I then saw the trailer. I just want to ask one question: is that really supposed to be Mega Man???

Seriously now. The character featured alongside Pacman is supposed to be Mega Man. Did I miss something along the lineage of Mega Man? I mean, I didn't exactly start playing Mega Man games since the first one. Rather, the first Mega Man game I grew up with was Mega Man X. I don't remember ever hearing or seeing a Mega Man art concept like the one that is going to be in Street Fighter X Tekken.

Thankfully, I was informed that this particular Mega Man is based off of Box Art Mega Man. It was supposedly a joke model. The two look relatively similar, but with a large difference and I mean LARGE difference. This Mega Man seems to be quite huskier than the original concept of Box Art Mega Man. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure how to take this. Us fans got Mega Man, but at the same time the reception hasn't been the most positive.

What kind of reception was there? Total denial that this "Mega Man" is indeed Mega Man. Fans are split on this. Some see it as humorous, while most see it as complete annihilation of a much cared about video game icon. Again, Mega Man was delivered... just not how everyone expected. Many people are livid about this. This "Mega Man" looks like Raiden from Fatal Fury who put on a Mega Man costume. I have to ask: how are Mega Man fans supposed to react? The general consensus I have seen is that fans are outraged. Some even claiming that the character model is supposed to reflect the Mega Man fanbase as middle-aged, overweight fanboys.

After doing some research, I found out that this idea was apparently given the green light by Keiji Infune (a.k.a. the Father of Mega Man). Thing is, he gave it the thumbs up while he was still working for Capcom and the idea of Street Fighter X Tekken was brought to the table. He may have agreed to put Box Art Mega Man into the game, but is the model that we have now what he originally had in mind? Frankly, I have no clue and the fans are still giving negative feedback.

I can't put heads nor tails together on whether Capcom is taking this seriously or this is the biggest case of trolling I have ever seen. Regardless, I know that this Mega Man's inclusion has changed a lot of gamers' minds on purchasing Street Fighter X Tekken. To get a better understanding of this hot topic, I will be doing another interview segment. This time, however, I'm going to get view points from gamers on this new Mega Man. Let's see what the common voice has to say... to be continued...

10 Modern Warfare 3 Survival Tips & Video

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:21:53 PST

We at Megabits of Gaming love nothing better than shooting stuff and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Survival Mode has stolen many hours of our time since launch. We've completed the campaign, conquered Special Ops and maxed all those achievements - but Survival keeps us coming back for more.

Here are our Top 10 Tips and a video that shows the best places to hold out against wave after wave of enemies.

Thanks to NeoSanchez75 in the making of this video!

Don't be afraid to camp! This is the number one tip - despite what diehard shooters always say... You need to survive as long as possible afterall... The video shows the best places for every level!
Pick up weapons and ammo - it's a quick, cheap and easy way to upgrade guns - at least until the good stuff becomes available.
Stay close to the Ammo terminal. Guns can be easily replaced and Air Support isn't that essential... however, claymores, C4 and sentry guns are must haves.
Find an area on the map with few entry points. This means you and a friend can keep yourselves covered. The enemies in Survival mode home in on you naturally so if you've found a good, secure location, then stay there - and wait for those scores to soar!
Ensure you've got shelter from above. Those helicopters will make mincemeat of you if you're exposed. Check the video below for some good spots.
Get yourself a sentry gun or two. Place them so they have a nice long line of sight - this gives them enough time to register the bad guys and send some shells in their direction. A good tip is to get a normal sentry and a grenade sentry - then one will stop the bad guys in the tracks while the other finishes them off.
Claymores are your friend. At least in the early levels before the enemies are able to counter them. Place claymores at all the entry points you can't cover yourself - it gives you a few seconds warning if you're being flanked. Also, learn where the Juggernauts lands and then set as many claymores as you can around the area. They won't last long with that tactic.
Juggernauts HATE C4! And it proves much more effective in the later waves than claymores do. Stock up and throw a few at the guy's feet, then run while detonating. BOOOOOM.
Get a light machine gun. When you've settled and have the money stacking up, make sure you go and get a light machine gun... they make light work of any bad guys and have stacks of ammo.
Riot squads are a must. Not only do they take out enemies but their shields offer great protection for you.

Happy Hunting - please leave a comment and Like the video!

Megabits Of News: Weekly Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:52:51 PST

Megabits of Gaming trawls the web for the tastiest morsels of news, so you don't have to...

The Force is still strong with this one
Since its release last December, Star Wars: The Old Republic has sold an impressive 2 million copies, the game’s producer EA has announced. The game has also attracted an encouraging 1.7m active subscribers, that’s a lot of Star Wars fans, but I guess there is a lot of galaxy to explore. Check out MCV for more details.

Soul Calibur set to test Assassin's Creed elite
Assassin's Creed hero Ezio will sharpen up his blades to make a cameo appearance as playable character in 3D fighter Soul Calibur V. Namco hopes this collaboration with Ubisoft will attract a larger fan base to its weapon battling franchise.

Waiting Payne is almost over
Those frustrated with delays stopping Max Payne 3 getting on our shelves can now have peace of mind as specific release dates have been announced. Max will be ready, angry and armed on Xbox 360 and PS3 on May 15, and on the PC on May 29.

Sony posts fall in Q3 net profit as sales tumble
Sony posted a net loss of around £1.3 billion for its third financial quarter ended 31 December 2011, compared with a profit £559 million in the same period a year ago, as sales fell 17% year on year to £15 billion. The group division which houses Sony's PlayStation reported that sales fell 24% to £8.3 billion.

Twisted Metal Europe release delayed
Bad news for Twisted Metal fans, says VG247. The game’s newest offering will be delayed into March in Europe. I have decided in the mean time to glue a leaf-blower to my car door and cause mass annoyance in the park!

Next Gen Consoles All About The Power

noreply@blogger.com (AndyB) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:43:17 PST

Power seems to be the common denominator for the next generation of consoles if all the rumours, speculation and articles of the past week are to be believed. Frankly, the prospect of uber-powerful machines capable of overshadowing the performance of the current crop of consoles is enough to get me positively salivating... and make me think that I need to get saving!

Nintendo's Wii U - apparently due to make its debut later this year - is said to be twice the power of the Xbox 360.

Not to be outdone, there are also murmurings that the next version of the Xbox - dubbed the 720 for now - will have six times the processing power of Nintendo's shiny new machine!

(Photo credit: Image by ze_bear via Flickr)

Megabits Of News: Weekly Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:45:10 PST

Megabits of Gaming trawls the web for the tastiest morsels of news, so you don't have to...

Wii U to be in our hands by Christmas 2012
The president of Nintendo has confirmed the much-awaited Wii U will be available in the second half of the year in Japan, Europe and the US. So now you can get your Christmas list in early.

Next Assassin's Creed to be biggest so far
If it’s possible to imagine, Ubisoft has said its next Assassin’s Creed title will be bigger than any of its predecessors in the series. The next instalment is expected to be released around Christmas so another one for the list I guess.

Nintendo expects to make a loss
Bad news for Nintendo. The gaming giant expects to make a loss the year ending 31 March, despite previously predicting that it would report a small profit.

No need to "Resist" further, its over
According to VG247, game developer Insomniac has said it will not be making any more titles for the Resistance franchise. The company will now focus on different projects. How will I protect the world from an alien invasion now, Resistance 3 was brilliant - I say Boooo!!

FIFA 12 takes top spot in sports game sales
“Take a bow, son.” FIFA 12 really made whipping boys out of the competition after becoming the highest grossing sports game in UK history. It has already made more cash than any other FIFA title, without breaking a sweat.

Megabits' Ten Greatest Ship Levels

noreply@blogger.com (Andy_Hemphill) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:29:34 PST

After our Top Ten Train Levels article, I figured I'd return to the gaming world to list my favourite wet and wild game levels. So, here's our Top Ten Ship Levels. For clarity's sake, I'm using 'ship' as a catch-all term for nautical vessels of any kind, be it on the sea or in space, and 'level' for games not entirely built around being on a ship. Enjoy!

AVAST YE MATEYS! Here be spoilers!

10) USS Nautilus, Crysis 2
Cruising through the waters off New York, the Nautilus makes a good impression of the might of the US armed forces - until it's sunk in the opening moments of Crysis 2, leaving the US Marine strike force trapped belowdecks, scrambling to get out before the mighty sub is left at bottom of the Hudson.

It may have only been a fleeting moment, but this opening set the tone for the rest of the game - brutal, intense, and with the odds stacked firmly against you. Plus, the fact that it looks great graphically - and the music is perfectly pitched - adds to the experience.

9) The cargo ship, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Although the plot of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was the kind of techno-drek that rattles around in Tom Clancy's mind and is occasionally vomited onto a page and turned into a best-seller , the game itself turned out to be pretty good.

About half-way through the title, agent Sam Fisher finds himself infiltrating a cargo ship filled with terrorists, in order to have a nice chat with a bad guy up on the mess deck. Starting you off on the poop deck (no jokes, please, we're British), the canny agent has to sneak his way through the superstructure of the aged lady.

Taking you through the noisy, hot engine room (which makes your thermal goggles useless) and along rainswept decks alike, sneaking around a ship at sea was never more fun - or more deadly.

8) U-4901, Medal of Honor
Although looking at it now you'd think you were fighting boxes of pixels in Nazi uniforms, at the time, Medal of Honor's 'Scuttle Das Boot U-4901' mission was a thrilling battle.

Starting with the infiltration of the mighty, oversized Nazi U-boat, the mission saw OSS agent Jimmy Patterson storming through the metal guts of the boat, killing off its crew, stealing codebooks and finally forcing the ship to the surface.

Sure, the level was linear as hell, but the close-range firefights left an impression on my 13-year-old mind, as did the angry Captain yelling "You're Jimmy Patterson!" at me. Exactly how he knew that remains a mystery... I had a hat on and everything!

7) The cargo ship, Final Fantasy 7
Another game which looks woefully awful when compared to today's graphics, FF7 is nevertheless the best RPG of all time - and it has a pretty kickass level set on a ship as well.

Having snuck onto a Shin-Ra cargo ship, spiky-haired, psychologically deranged, cross-dressing hero Cloud Strife and his band of weirdos are on their way to Costa Del Sol for a much-needed break. Donning stolen uniforms, which don't fit very well - leaving gun-armed Barret looking like a terrifying nightmare of a sailor, and talking wolf/lion/tiger Red XIII on his hind legs - with a tail sticking out - the team try to keep a low profile.

That is, until the calamity from the skies bursts in, and needs to be put back in her box in the cargo hold before she rips the ship to shreds.

Combining comedy with utter terror as Jenova makes an appearance, this ship-based level was both tricky and fun in equal measure.

6) Pirate ships, The Curse of Monkey Island
Everybody loves pirates - and Guybrush Threepwood wants to be one. A shame he can't get the hang of the insult sword-fighting...

Yes, The Curse of Monkey Island takes a break from it's nautical point-and-clickery to indulge in a little piracy two thirds through the game, as Threepwood and his crew of singing barber/sailors taking on other pirates for their booty, cannons and kudos.

Once the crew have subdued an enemy vessel (or the tourist boat that is also cruising the Caribbean – "Oooh! Pirates!"), Threepwood must board and beat the enemy captain in insult sword-fighting, which is a hell of a lot less bloody than the Master and Commander approach...

Hilarious and fun, this challenging section of a great game has stayed with me for a long time.

5) The Katariah, Skyrim
As one of the later missions in the Dark Brotherhood story arc, the mission to the Katariah sees the Dragonborn infiltrating the stately vessel, which is anchored just off the citadel of Solitude - your mission? Kill the Emperor of Tamriel.

That's no easy task...

Sneaking aboard from the lower decks, the gamer has to battle a legion of bodyguards, mages and lowly deckhands as you close on your quarry, forcing back the furious soldiers with magic and sword, while no doubt robbing every bit of shiny loot you can find (of which there is a lot...).

A while later, after breaking into the cabin occupied by the prey, the assassin comes to face-to-face with the Emperor himself - who's been waiting for you. Instead of a huge, brutal fight, you instead find yourself standing in front of an old man who's come to terms with his death and meets you as an equal, turning his back and allowing you to finish your mission.

A hell of a moment, which certainly stopped me in my tracks, even though it didn't stop me killing him and looting his corpse.

4) The Normandy, Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect was a brilliant game. It captured my attention right from the start, and I played through it ferociously, almost obsessively. Bioware did such a good job creating believable, understandable characters and a galaxy with such depth of intrigue that I just kept coming back for more, especially with my trusty starship, the Normandy.

So, for the developers to open Mass Effect 2 with the total and utter destruction of the Normandy, and the apparent death of lead character Commander Shepherd, was a massive shock to me, and a moment that seared itself on my memory.

Characters I’d come to enjoy listening to died in an instant, and the ship I’d come to think of as my own personal passport to the galaxy was gutted and left to crash.

A chilling level to play through, after all the battles the Normandy fought and survived, as well as a kick-ass opening sequence.

3) The Sulon Star, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight
Quite possibly the best Star Wars game ever made, Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight also featured one of the most atmospheric, intense levels of the 1990s.

Wannabe Jedi Kyle Katarn has tracked his foe, Imperial Inquisitor Jerec, to the Valley of the Jedi, confronting him on the refueling dock of Jerec's huge cargo ship, the Sulon Star. Pretty quickly Kyle finds himself Force-pushed on to the ship - which is hanging over a huge drop - trapped on board, and left to die as the vessel plunges towards the ground.

What follows is as crazy a level as I've every played, as the Star falls into the canyon, rolling over, turning the floor into the ceiling, seeing the artificial gravity failing - and leaving panicking Stormtroopers desperately trying to escape.

A breakneck sprint through the creaking, cracking ship follows, until Katarn manages to make it to his ship, the Mouldy Crow, and gets the hell off the Star before it's consumed in a pillar of fire. Of course, that's only the start off his problems... (incidentally, check out the live-action cutscenes - they don't make 'em like this anymore!).

2) The Long Night of Solace, Halo Reach
Something of a nod to the first Halo's 'Truth and Reconciliation ', the Halo: Reach mission involving the Covenant corvette Long Night of Solace was a bold step for the series, introducing enjoyable, colourful space combat in a pretty nippy little fighter, as well as battleships blowing the crap out of each other - and a zero-G boarding action.

Follow this with an intense, close-range firefight against a legion of pissed off Covenant creatures, a bomb strapped to a gunship and a sad (but not unexpected) sacrifice, and you've got a lengthy game level that leaves a strong impression on you. Naturally, having some friends along for the ride - from launchpad to interstellar combat to boarding action to HALO-jump escape (yes, we get the pun, Bungie) - makes it all the better.

For graphical beauty, brilliant sound effects and capturing the beauty of space warfare, this one is well worth a look. I especially enjoyed the low-gravity scrap in the corvette before Noble Five makes his arrival - the eerie lack of sound makes the battle all the more intense.

1) Discovery/Arsenal Gear, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
If, like me when I thought up the title of this quote, you immediately thought of this game being number one for levels set on ships, you'd be right - it's not just got one, but two whole suites of levels devoted to battling on the high seas.

Starting off, we have Solid Snake's infiltration of the tanker Discovery, which is slowly moving up the Hudson river with a very unusual cargo - Metal Gear Ray , a bipedal, amphibious mech with some terrifying offensive powers.

Cue the stealth action, contrasted with the tension of an invading group of Russian special forces soldiers, driving rain, helicopters strafing you, creaking metal - and cardboard boxes.

Later, the action moves to the form-fitting 'skull suit' of Raiden, a pretty boy-cum badass who finds himself trapped aboard a massive, submersible battleship called Arsenal Gear. The huge ship is full to the brim with supersoldiers, crazed artificial intelligences who keep insisting "It's all a game! Turn off your computer!" and no less than 30 mass-produced Metal Gear Rays defending it.

Add in the fact that the ship's innards have names like 'rectum' and 'ascending colon', and you get the feeling that you're into something special.

I mean, who can honestly say they spent a good 20 minutes fighting off waves of enemies with a ninja's katana... in a giant rectum.

Yep, for variety, great level design and sheer fun, MGS2's ship-based levels deserve the top spot.

As for Raiden... yeah - he got awesome.

You really don't wanna mess with him.

Preview: UFC Undisputed 3

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Gordon) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:20:20 PST

UFC Undisputed 3 is poised to take players inside the virtual Octagon with extensive focus on intense toe-to-toe combat, impressive visual presentation and significantly increased accessibility, including the introduction of PRIDE Mode, two new weight classes and an impressive playable roster of more than 150 UFC fighters.

The long-awaited addition of Featherweights and Bantamweights opens up the game’s roster of fighters by a large scale, letting you play as world class fighters like Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz for the first time in a UFC game.

“UFC Undisputed 3 is on track to deliver an incredible virtual MMA experience unlike any other,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ. “This product is intense, engaging and highly competitive while still being extremely accessible, making it a must-have for millions of UFC fans, traditional fighting game enthusiasts and more casual sports fans around the world.

UFC Undisputed 3 brings significant advancements to the franchise, including the opportunity to fight in Japan’s PRIDE tournament for the first time ever and more casual sports fans around the world.

UFC Undisputed 3 will mark the debut of PRIDE Mode, enabling players to fight for the first time in the renowned Japanese MMA organisation. The mode will include official commentators Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros, authentic environments and notorious MMA rules, including the ability to execute soccer-style kicks, head stomps and ground knees to the head. Finishing an opponent will be more important than ever through devastating new moves, responsive striking controls, refined visual presentation and the introduction of a brand new submission system. In addition, players will now enter the Octagon with a choice between traditional and simplified gameplay control options, enabling them, regardless of skill level, to experience the intensity of UFC and nuances of MMA combat while executing simple standing strikes or more complex ground and transition mechanics.

Players will also experience the excitement of a live UFC event through significant visual improvements, including the introduction of much-anticipated fighter entrances, new camera positions, improved facial animations and a gritty, high contrast appearance. They will enter into battle with an unparalleled choice of more than 150 playable UFC fighters, including talent from the newly added featherweight and bantamweight divisions.

Rounding out the virtual UFC experience with a significantly revamped online experience, as well as a variety of new and returning gameplay modes, UFC Undisputed 3 lets players have their fights – their way – to deliver the most intense, competitive and engaging experience to date for the franchise.

We took to the Octagon with the game developer, Neven Dravinski, to learn how to tackle this latest challenge in the ultimate fighting franchise.

What is the PRIDE Mode?
We are introducing PRIDE Mode to offer players even more new gameplay experiences. PRIDE is a former Japanese MMA organisation that was purchased by the UFC; in fact, several UFC stars today had some of their most iconic fights in PRIDE. PRIDE rules allow for more brutal attacks, like kicking an opponent in the head when he is on the ground with face stomps and soccer kicks. PRIDE fights occurred in a ring, opposed to an Octagon, and it really allowed us to offer a new look and new gameplay experience in UFC Undisputed 3. What’s really cool is players can take any UFC fighter and fight using PRIDE rules and vice versa. Hardcore fans are going to love our attention to detail, while those not familiar with PRIDE will get a real treat in terms of both gameplay and presentation.

How big is the roster of players - any new weight classes?
The UFC Undisputed 3 roster includes more than 150 fighters. This year, we added the former WEC weight classes of Featherweight and Bantamweight, giving players a great opportunity to see the speed and pace of these lighter weight fighters.

Have you improved upon the finishing moves?
We have been able to put a lot of new animations in the game, and once people get their hands on it, they’re going to love what they see. The biggest compliment comes from those guys who have played all the UFC Undisputed games; it’s great when they tell us how far we’ve come.

What visual improvements have been made?
We’ve worked a lot on improving and tuning our shaders for both the UFC and PRIDE modes. PRIDE offers a lot of opportunity to play with our lighting to mimic the different look of PRIDE fights. We’ve improved our dynamic lighting, our character models, and as mentioned, have added a ton of new animations to the game!

How do you ensure the player is drawn into the Octagon experience?
I think once someone plays UFC Undisputed 3, he or she will be really drawn into the experience because it’s just so real. The visual fidelity and visceral impact experienced by players is one of the hallmarks of the UFC Undisputed franchise. Combined with both pro and amateur controls for players of all types, a more fluid striking system and a graphics-based submission system, these features will all help in making this the best MMA game yet.

How did you research the PRIDE element?
We have a lot of hardcore fight fans on the team, and most of us have been watching PRIDE fights since the early days. Our development team at Yuke’s Osaka is Japanese as well, and some of those guys had the special opportunity to see PRIDE fights in Japan. I would say when one has a team as passionate about MMA as ours; the “research” for PRIDE was actually really fun to do.

How much difference is there between PRIDE and our traditional tournaments?
PRIDE tournaments were the ultimate test of skill for an MMA fighter. Fighters had to survive multiple fights in one night to survive. Imagine facing Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and after a brutal war, your reward is to face Wanderlei Silva? In UFC Undisputed 3, players will carry damage and stamina and energy loss into the next fight. It’s a tough journey – believe me.

Is there the ability to bridge the PRIDE and UFC tournaments?
At any time in UFC Undisputed 3, the player can pick between PRIDE or UFC rules in Exhibition matches. He or she will be able to compete with any UFC fighter using PRIDE rules and any historical PRIDE fighter in UFC rules. This makes for a lot of really cool fantasy matchups. Going through a career in the game will also provide opportunities to compete in one-off PRIDE fights and PRIDE Grand Prix tournaments.

Did you work with any real life fighters to increase the reality of this title?
Absolutely. We have a great relationship with the UFC and its fighters. We have brought in fighters like Frank Mir, Nate Diaz, Matt Hughes and Sean Sherk to do motion capture, and in addition, all the fighters are welcome to stop by the office any time they’re in the area, which many of them do. For the developers, that is a pretty nice perk of the job.

Has the game been endorsed by any recognised fighters?
Diego Sanchez often talks about how he uses the game as mental preparation before fights to imagine himself winning. There are many UFC fighters who play games, and it’s cool to get a chance to play with these guys and to be surprised at how good they are at UFC Undisputed.

Why did you choose to exclude motion control – is this feasible in the future?
UFC Undisputed 3 is really focused on delivering a fighting game experience running at 60 frames per second with responsive, rapid controls. While we are always looking at ways to expand our technology, motion controls didn’t make sense at this time. However, if you check out UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System, you’ll be surprised at how good a job it does at utilising the motion controls for an MMA game!

How long did the title take to develop?
UFC Undisputed 3 spent roughly 18 months in development.

What were the biggest challenges?
Our biggest challenge is always how to get everything finished. These games get bigger and bigger each year. PRIDE Mode is essentially a game within a game, including new announcers, new fighters and new animations. Add that to a new control scheme, a new submission system and two new weight classes, plus all the combat improvements, and let’s just say it was a huge undertaking.

How big was the development team, where was it based and what experiences (previous titles) were brought together?
Our team at Yuke’s Osaka averages around 60 people, depending on the point of development. On top of that, we have a team of folks at our headquarters in Agoura that focus on art, animation, design, production and more.

Was this game designed for your core fighter game fans or designed to entice newbies to the genre?
We designed UFC Undisputed 3 to be played by anyone – and in the ways they want to play. New “Amateur Controls” were specifically designed with new users in mind, but then things like our new Simulation Energy setting were designed with only the hardcore in mind.

How has the online functionality been improved?
In previous UFC titles, we used a lot of middleware; this is no longer the case with UFC Undisputed 3. This year, we also ran an Online Alpha Server test to stress test our servers before launch. From a feature perspective, we are offering a lot of content sharing this year, from highlight reels to logos to fighters, as well as the return of Fight Camps, which have been improved this year.

What can we expect from future editions?
I think the thing our team has always shown is that we are able to have a strong connection with our fans and our community. We’re just as big of MMA fans as anyone else, and I think our record has shown that every year we’re putting in features synonymous with the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts. PRIDE and former WEC weight classes are great examples. What the future holds for the UFC Undisputed franchise is really dependent on what the people want!

Michael Gordon is editor of Charged Middle East magazine, a leading Dubai-based gadgets and games title that provides news, reviews and features on the latest home and consumer electronics. For more about the magazine, visit its Facebook page after the jump. Check out this article and many more in the February issue.

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