The New Challenger

You big tease you!

2013-05-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

This just came in from IGN, and while I was excited but with low expectations, now I want it to be big. I'm actually gonna go back to that dangerous place and get my hopes up. I've been hurt before but nothing says 'it'll be worth it' like Bruce Wayne's bruised, stubbly chin. This looks awesome!

Batman: Arkham Origins Teaser Trailer

Is it that time again?

2013-05-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Oh SNAP!!

Too right buddy. Yea, get excited cause it just got real around here!

First of all, a big apology for the hideously obvious lack of upkeep regarding this blog. I've had so many things to write about but have been too busy doing things that actually pay (real life money - I know, it's hard to take in). In all honesty my Xbox gets used for nothing but LoveFilm, Netflix and Game of Thrones now - not at the same time - and the last new game I bought and played was Injustice: Gods Amoung Us literally just because it had Batman in it -save your money unless you think the idea of superheroes really needs support to stay popular. There are a lot of dashes in this paragraph ---

The reason I am excited is because of screenshots of Batman: Arkham Origins! I have been hearing about the next instalment in the series for a long time and it really didn't get me going but something about seeing these initial screenshots for the first time just got me so excited. I know that I'm probably way behind with the info on this but I don't care, I saw them today and now I'm excited, that's what's important.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting it to be an amazing game, I'll actually be surprised if it's any good at all - but the reason I still get excited goes all the way back to Arkham Asylum, arguably one of my favourite video game experiences. I enjoyed Arkham Asylum so much that the idea of another game in the same vain just brings me back to sneaking through the sewers trying to keep my footsteps quiet enough to go unnoticed by Killer Croc. I don't think Arkham Origins will be amazing because:

1. I hate origin stories that are told more than once

2. Arkham City was good but didn't leave me jumping with joy (like Asylum did) so now I feel like everything else is just an attempt at former glory.

3. No Rocksteady

4.It's clearly just an attempt to cash in on a franchise within a ridiculously over popularised franchise.

From what I can see so far, Batman: Arkham Origins will feature Black Mask and Slade (Deathstroke) as nemeses (yes that is the plural) and you play a younger Batman who isn't quite as grounded as the loveable leg-breaker we've come to know.

October 25th is the release date. I will definitely buy this just because it is a Batman game and I am obliged to at least check it out.

No this post has not been proof read.

Happy New Year!

2013-01-10T14:49:00.001-08:00

The thing I love about Far Cry 3 so far is the unscripted element that fits into the game so naturally.

The idea that while I'm stealthily sneaking around an enemy outpost preying on pirates - my potential meal ticket to new missions, cash and ammo - a tiger could at the same time be stalking me, his potential meal!

Before I got the game, author of Chaos Mushroom, Raz86 told me of the time he was attacked by a random dog as they are EVERYWHERE! He subsequently shot the dog in the face - as you would - only to turn around and be attacked by a leopard. After beating him (or her) off of his virtual arm he applied the time-honoured tactic of backing up rapidly and firing randomly ... until he fell off a cliff! Sliding down the cliffside into shark infested water I think his deep rooted phobia of sharks got the better him, and while I stopped listening at this point, I like to imagine that the story ends with him squealing and turning off the xbox (like I did when I first played Tomb Raider 2 and fell into the pit of tigers).

I have yet to do any actual story missions but I'm expecting good things, and I've got all the ammo and weapon capacity possible - as well as more money than any wallet can carry - so I think I'll be ready for them!

Another friend of mine has a Molotov cocktail permanently lodged in his arm (bizarrely), which is hilarious but can be rather distracting.

I'm looking forward to Devil May Cry (5) and Injustice: Gods Among Us, just because.

Will be playing ZombieU for the first time in February (refused to wait in line at MCMxpo). I've heard good things so I'm curious.

Stay tuned

Press Start.

Literally Almost Cried

2012-11-07T07:23:00.001-08:00

While perusing IGN.co.uk I stumbled across this.

MOUNTED DRAGONS!

That is literally a dream I once had as a wee tot, soon to be made a (virtual) reality!

During Bethesda's GameJam in 2011 a few amazing ideas were put forward by the team and made me think 'yes, I reckon that would make the game perfect!' However I never thought that any of them would ever see the light of my (massive) television. The key feature that intrigued me was dragon mounts (and the Giant Mudcrab) and I had in fact resolved that it would never happen so there was no need to be excited about it.

And then this happened.

Can't wait!

Still holding out for that Giant Mudcrab.

It's Not Just Me!!

2012-10-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

My excuse was that I was a late starter. I was embarrassed to see that my entire friends list had long since moved on to save the universe as Commander Shepard, or to massacre maniacal midgets while searching for treasure across Pandora, while I was still getting kicked out of mead halls for shouting at locals in Tamriel's northern territories nearly a year after release. Skyrim's relentless, vice-like grip on my time refused to loosen for more than a day, occasionally letting me out for some Minecraft if I had been a 'good little Dragonborn', before reeling me back in for weeks on end.

For months I thought I was alone in my struggle, and when Resident Evil 6 busted my chains and broke me out, actually allowing me to play co-op with friends and interact with other human-beings, I thought I was finally free!

Until I bumped into an old friend on the way home from an evening of light debauchery.

During a short chat he cautiously commented that he was on his way home to play Skyrim, dubious as to whether or not I knew what it was or had even heard of it as we had never known each other as gamers and operated on different consoles (so no gamertags had ever been exchanged). At that moment I realised: there were others! In an attempt to contain my joy, I casually explained that I was still doing nothing but side quests to build up my level 50 character, inadvertently incurring a simultaneous 'geek-fit'. He told me of others who had suffered the same blight yet wore it proudly as a badge of honour rather than hiding from it in disgrace and inspired me to do the same.

After a forceful strut home I decided that I had fought it for long enough and it was time to give in to my inner callings. Flinging aside RE6 I restored the fifth instalment of the Elder Scrolls series to it's rightful throne - the tray of my Xbox 360. To my delight, that old familiar ping neglected to tell me that I couldn't sign in to windows live, but instead plastered across the top of my screen 'You have 1 friend playing Skyrim'.

Regardless of whomever that random loner was, forget humanity! Faith in myself was officially restored.

Everybody loves free stuff!

2012-03-19T05:34:00.002-07:00

Be sure to connect to Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network and fire up your copy of Soul Calibur 5 on 21 March - this wednesday- for your FREE update! Then in april check out the marketplace for the new DLC costume packs on 3 and 4 of April for Xbox and PlayStation respectively and monthly thereafter.

The update will tweak the gameplay based on consumer feedback to give a more rewarding experience as well as re-balancing the characters and optimising the online ranked game search.

Eurogamer.net has all the information on the update and DLC packages as well as this video, giving you a sneak peak of what to expect come Wednesday.

Until then...
Press Start!

Patience is a Virtue ...

2012-03-07T09:06:00.001-08:00

Our friends across the pond in some place called Americaland or something are already sinking their teeth into the big juicy burger that is Street Fighter X Tekken. Those of us on the more refined side of the Atlantic Ocean are playing that old familiar waiting game until the UK launch of Capcom's offering to the franchise crossovers. Until Friday 9 March (2012) you can wet your appetite with this video from Eurogamer (if you can bare the music).

For now, Press Start!

Everyone wants the last slice of pizza

2012-03-05T16:29:00.004-08:00

This month's background/wallpaper is taken from wallpaper-street.com which features some truly awesome artwork and screenshots of games for free.

Check them out before you Press Start!

Mel Gibson ... Is that you?

2012-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some screenshots of Ubisoft's upcoming Assasson's Creed III taken from allgamesbeta.com:

It will be set in 18th century North America during the American Revolution

You will hunt for supplies adding a survival element

There has been focus to include more platforming/puzzle sections

Reminiscent of that iconic scene from The Patriot

The combat system has been improved for more fluidity and control

Prominent historical figures such as George Washington will be featured

Looks like horses finally won the rights and equality battle to be allowed in to cities

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Live by the Creed!

2012-03-05T03:52:00.002-08:00

The date has been set, the setting confirmed, now consumers play the ever familiar waiting game for Ubisoft's latest mouthwaterer: Assassins Creed 3!

Tuesday 30 October 2012 is the date that has fans of the increasingly extensive franchise wetting themselves in eager anticipation. Yves Gillemont revealed that this game has been in development for three years and that the latest installment will round off the story of running protagonist Desmond Miles. The development team aim to cincide the in-game doomsday date of 21 December 2012 with the real life date which sounds amazing though it is dubious whether or not they will be able to pull it off properly, and what are the implications for price and for players who save up to buy the game in the new year? AC3 has been confirmed for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U.

Ezio Auditore was loved by many followers of the series, his charming Italian accent, historically notable friends and companions, and his ridiculously Batman-like back story and modus operandi. After three games however he does seem to be hogging the spotlight a bit, poor Altair only got one game - he's sat in the corner waving his hands for attention while Ezio does his fancy tricks for the crowd and gets all the treats.

Eurogamer.net tells us that our new assassin is the half Mohawk half English: Connor ( with Irish name but apparently no Irish blood ... ). After being raised by Native Americans on the US Frontier, Connor's story is set to be centred around 18th century Boston and New York and to feature some rather prominent historical figures such as George Franklin and Benjamin Franklin - but would you expect any less from the name-dropping team that featured Leonardo Da Vinci as your BFF.

Screenshots to follow.

Press Start!

Grind on that!

2012-02-27T15:06:00.002-08:00

Currently playing the SSX demo on the Xbox 360 with my girlfriend who is a long-term veteran of the series. Definitely picking this one up in March!

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Well ... Didn't see that coming

2012-02-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

Following a successful launch, the PlayStation Vita has already proved a worthy adversary to it's console cousins taking first and second place in the UK top 40 games chart. Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Fifa Football soared straight to the top of the charts respectively, somewhat putting to rest doubts toward Sony's latest contribution. There are some interesting releases on the way for the Vita including ports for Blazblue and Street Fighter X Tekken (SFXT) making this a space to watch. Full story on videogamer.com.

It was at that point that Nathan realised he'd left his phone at home

Personally I would not have predicted the Vita to do as well as it has done in terms of these two games so soon at least. During this economic climate, a handheld that is more expensive than any of it's console big brothers at around £250 should not have done this well. Sony however, has defied logic and taken yet another mile forward in it's quest for world domination. As much as I would like to get my hands on and give it a go, I'd rather put that money toward March's big releases: Dragon's Dogma and SFXT!

The most powerful weapon in football today ... Jazz hands!

I'm now very curious to see how the PlayStation Vita develops in hardware and releases over the next few months. I'll be posting all updates as soon as they come in, until then ...

Press Start!

Links to : IGN.com

videogamer.com

New RE: Operation Raccoon City Trailer: Brutalities

2012-02-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

Released today. I love the Resident Evil games do it'll be interesting to see the new direction Capcom have taken this one in.

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Wiill U?

2012-02-23T08:03:00.002-08:00

Any thoughts on Nintendo's upcoming console attempt?

I know I'm a hater but I just don't like Nintendo any more. I was thoroughly disappointed by the Nintendo Wii, not so much by the actual console, but more by the games realeased for it and their lack of appeal to me. I did get excited or curious about one or two games but whenever I played them they felt more like half games or alpha releases (games in development). To be fair I didn't try many of the big title releases and that's simply because they didn't appeal to me at all. The thing that annoyed me most about the Wii was the graphics in my opinion there is no excuse, compared to the other seventh generation consoles, the Wii's graphics are terrible in my opinion.

You may think differently. If you think I'm wrong prove it!

It's almost Friday so that's something to be excited about

Everyone likes free stuff

2012-02-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

Head to your Xbox Live homepage for a free movie: Nightmare in Red White and Blue - a 'feature-length' documentary based on Joseph Maddrey's book of the same name chronicling the horror industry's growth and change through the laswt 110 years in America

I personally wouldn't have had this on me LoveFilm rental list but it's free so I'm downloading it anyway and now that I've watched the preview I'm curious enough to watch the rest of it.

So if you, like me, hate to miss out on freebies give this one a look, you might even learn something!

Press Start! (or play in this case ...)

Hmmm

2012-02-23T06:43:00.002-08:00

Great, my xbox live is updating ... again

Vita

2012-02-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today sees the launch for Sony's latest handheld contribution: PlayStation Vita.

Its 5 inch LED touch screen displays graphics that rival those of even its uncle the PlayStation 3- though obviously scale is an issue. Boasting hand-held gaming's first ever rear touch panel; dual analogue sticks; and the option of 3G, the Vita is set to give Nintendo's hand-held heavyweight 3DS a run for its money.

More features means a platform for more interactive gaming, this in turn means that the hand-held market - which is a very significant part of the market - which has been previously dominated for the most part by casual gaming, may see a progression to a more 'hardcore' demographic. This in turn could mean either alienating the casual gaming market in favour of a more hardcore and pro-gamer market, or a new platform for the ever increasing mid-casual (casual-core) epidemic that is sweeping through the gaming industry. The Vita is a big deal for the hand-held market and I agree that it is a step in the right direction for hh's.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of hand-helds for many reasons: I wouldn't use one at home because I've got my consoles; I don't want to worry about charging it before I use it and hate leaving the house for a long journey, taking a handheld, then getting on the train/*mode of transportation*, only to find that it's out of battery; I like to read a book when I'm travelling (which is the only time I would use it) because it makes me seem intelligent; and they give me headaches.

Also, imagine this on the tube?

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The Hawk Returns

2012-02-20T04:21:00.001-08:00

The Band Of The Hawk: the mercenary group known as Death On The Battlefield lead by the White Hawk Griffith whose Raiders are lead by the 100-man-slayer Gatsu, will be featured in Capcom's upcoming sandbox Dragon's Dogma.

Smack the Pinata didn't go down as well as planned

I don't know if you can tell, but I'm a huge fan of the Berserk franchise and extremely excited at the idea of being able to hack and slash through dragons and griffins while playing as my favourite sociopath: Gatsu. The ill fated allies were announced last month as news of the crossover between Capcom and Hakusensha broke, but the screen shots of the mercenaries have just come in:

I really hope that as well as the poster boys being featured, some old favourites will make appearances as well. I'll wet myself if they include the Immortal Zodd (aka Nos Feratu Zodd) somewhere in the open world

As well as featuring a demo for Resident Evil 6, there will also be a Japanese special edition that includes a statue, a bookmark, a booklet and presumably non-exclusive downloadable content. Hopefully there will also be a similar special edition in Europe, I really need a new bookmark!

Honestly can not wait!

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New Mass Effect 3 Trailer

2012-02-20T03:57:00.000-08:00

Here is the much awaited 'Take back Earth' Trailer:

Enjoy

Try not to wet yourself

Press Start!

2012-02-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

How annoyed are you by Mass Effect 3 being pushed back in to March?

A Week in Releases Friday 17 Feb

2012-02-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

It's Friday!!

Here's a list of titles released during this week in the UK and US:

Title	PC	PS3	X360	VITA	3DS	PSP	Wii
Alan Wake	ü
Blaz Blue: Continuum Shift Extend		ü	ü	ü
Crusader Kings II	ü
Grand Slam Tennis 2		ü	ü
Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeing Blossom						ü
Mario and Sonic: London 2012 Olympics					ü
Rhythm Heaven Fever							ü
Tales of the Abyss					ü
Tekken 3D: Prime Edition					ü
Twisted Metal		ü
UFC Undisputed 3		ü	ü
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3				ü
Uncharted: Golden Abyss				ü
Warp			XBLA
Worms: Ultimate Mayhem		PSN

Check out these links for a full rundown previous and upcoming releases:
Wikipedia
GameFAQs

Happy Friday! Can you guess who the mystery challenger is in the background?

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UFC Undisputed 3: First Hands

2012-02-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Truly bringing the fight experience to your living room, THQ's UFC Undisputed 3 - released Friday 17 February (tomorrow) - has continued the series' reputation of engaging gameplay combined with a sharp presentation and attention to detail.

Despite being relatively unrivalled, the exception being EA's poorly received attempt in 'MMA', Yukes' latest offering still pushed the boundaries and attempts to take the entire experience to the next level. The fighting mechanics are mostly the same as the previous games with a few additions and changes, the most notable being the new submission system that involves a cat-and-mouse type minigame.

The third instalment of the series is definitely worth a look for veterans of the previous games and also for newcomers to the franchise.

Press Start!

Yukes reminding you how scary black people can be

Mass Effect 3 Demo

2012-02-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Fans of a certain popular Bioware franchise will be excited to know that they can get their hands on a demo for the eagerly awaited finale to the 'epic' trilogy (I use that word carefully...) through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.

Tomorrow is the day! Tueasday 14 Februay sees the first hands on experience for the general public, so now you have something to do on Valentines day. You won't be lonesome, Shephard will keep you company... (I kid). If you can't wait till tomorrow for the demo check out this video from nowgamer.com.

Does Skyrim finally have a contender for the consumption of time for males in statistics and polls everywhere? Will there be nearly as many memes?

Find out 9 March

Untill then ... Press Start!

It's all fun and games until Shephard loses an eye

Thank you

2012-02-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

I'd just like to send out a quick thank you to Alex Degroot for helping me develop some images for the blog that are still being processed and to Danny Northcott for helping me gather information and content. Triumvirate Unite III

Start!

Anti-climax much?

2012-02-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

Soul Calibur 5 was released in Europe on Friday 3 February following worldwide releases through the week. Fighter fans from all over were excited to see what novel offerings would be brought to the table by a new incarnation of an old villian; a Spartan-styled warrior that happens to be the son of a well known heroine; and
an assassin born to nobility, orphaned by injustice and trained to become a deadly weapon that strikes from the shadows (Batman?) - Nightmare, Patroklos, and Ezio (pictured in cover art above).

It would seem however that gamers were not as excited as previously expected: gamebandits.com tells us that in it's first week SoulCal5 sold less than half the units of it's prequel, shifting around 35k units for the PS3 and a mere 7.7k on the X360. You'd think 360 users might be more grateful after getting Yoda as a bonus character for Namco's 2008 release ...

Visually SoulCal5 definitely satisfied the high fidelity necessities of next generation gaming with beefed up graphics that look so good it makes babies cry. The graphics are so good they dig up the remains of the PS1's Soul Blade, sew it back together again, bring it back to life, just to slice it's head off again! All the movements are smooth and the reaction time is as excellent as is expected of any good fighting game.

The roster is an odd situation. We want some fresh blood but we also want to be able to use classic characters and styles that we've spent so much time rolling out combos with. Rather than going down the Super Street Fighter 4 route of having an army of characters, SoulCal5 has brought in some new fighters to replace the old ones and then given them the exact same fighting style as the character they replaced but for a few alterations in the speed and power and minutely different signature attacks. Those who pre-ordered with GAME will have had the refreshing if not a little frustrating experience that is Dampierre. Dampierre is awesome in his ways, however, as those of us who jumped in to numerous battles with him discovered, his fighting style takes a while to master.

Then there's the Ezio situation... I'll keep it brief. Everyone was excited about Ezio Auditore as the guest character and we knew he would be good ... but the problem is he is too good and this will be exploited, that is all (Ezio/Ken?).

Create A Character mode has improved. Though you lack items at the beginning of the game, the introduction of creating your own portrait for your character adds another element of creativity to it and you are rewarded by seeing these portraits make appearances in loading screens like a hall of fame.

The Tower of Souls and Edge Master modes are gone and the story mode is not substantial enough to make up for this loss. The game loses appeal quickly with little longevity to keep you playing, and once the novelty facto wears off there is little else left.

It is a good game in itself and part of an even greater series of games but this instalment suffers from a limited roster, little appeal for a single player, and apparently lack of interest. Playing online is still as good as ever but that just doesn't seem to be sufficient to make up for what has been lost. Namco's Soul Calibur 5 delivered everything it promised ... but perhaps it didn't promise enough.

Read a full review at IGN.com

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