E3 2015: Disney Infinity 3.0 – Star Wars

For those that may not know what Disney Infinity is, it’s an action platformer game that requires separate character pieces to play the game. The game of course comes with some characters, but to play as your favorite, you’re more than likely going to need to buy them separately. You then take said character and place it on a platform and the game reads the chip inside and pops the character seamlessly into the game. Now I’m not 100% sure if you can play the old game with the newer characters or if you can play through all the different levels with any of the old. I don’t know if you’d really want to do that either, but hey… it’s your life.

With Disney Infinity 2.0 they added the Marvel characters… okay the Marvel movie characters and a few random well-known characters. With this year’s Disney Infinity 3.0 they’re adding Star Wars and the latest Pixar film Inside Out. The main addition of course being Star Wars.

With Star Wars there’s obviously a lot of characters to tackle. Like a fucking lot. So which do you do first? Well they did the ones that everyone knows or wait… no they didn’t. See the game is geared towards kids and frankly the gameplay is repetitive and basic like all good platformers. It’s something you unwind with, not hardcore game with. At any rate Disney made the character selection based on the fact that kids don’t know shit about Star Wars.

Now, here’s something I don’t find myself saying often, Disney made a wise choice and decided to get the core Star Wars characters and basically reintroduce them to a new audience. Along with this they added the Star Wars: Rebels characters that kids do know so that they can understand that they’re all connected.

The Star Wars addition is being done in two phases. The first is a set that runs you through Episodes 1-3, called Twilight of the Republic. It brings some of the only tolerable characters from those films for the gameplay. Really you’ll probably just play as Darth Maul or Yoda and wonder why they didn’t make a Padme figure… like seriously why didn’t they make a Padme figure?

The other half of the Star Wars is basically episode 4-6, called Rise Against the Empire, and here all the classics are present (see gallery). I didn’t get to play this one, but again I think it was a wise move to basically remake the movies on a smaller scale for kids that have probably never watched the movies.

I played Twilight of the Republic and it was okay. Like I said it was repetitive, but then most platformers are. It’s definitely geared towards kids because it takes a lot to die. I finally did after running through a huge chunk of the level and making no attempts to block or dodge… or find life. The battles are simple and plenty, but not so annoying that you wish they’d go away. Frankly, it would be perfect for a younger kid if you needed them distracted for like an hour because even they wouldn’t want to play much more.

There will of course be a play set for The Force Awakens and I would suspect one for every movie afterwards. Thankfully they didn’t do one for each of the existing Star Wars movies, but I’m sure the thought crossed everyone’s mind. There’s also a new playset for the Hulkbuster Iron Man armor and Avengers 2, because frankly the figures are the best part and I swear people probably just collect them rather than open them and play the game.

I didn’t get to play the toy box mode which is a shame because it’s probably the mode I would have had the most fun with. You basically make levels and mini-games, but maybe the Star Wars segment wasn’t ready to show. The game isn’t actually done yet even though it was very close, at some points I had to switch to different characters to pass a level because there wasn’t a secondary way for my character to clear it if they didn’t have the Force. The game will be out this fall, I suspect just in time for the holidays and will be on every platform, even mobile. It was fun, but I don’t know if I would buy it or play it again. Maybe when my son is older and they’re on Infinity 7.0 or something.

E3 2015: Dungeons & Dragons: Sword Coast Legends

Probably one of the best times I had at E3 was checking out Dungeons & Dragons: Sword Coast Legends. If you like D&D and like me have no one to play with because all your friends are scattered across the globe, then this is the game for you. There are a few options on how to play or what to play in this game. There’s the story mode in which you and three others can team up and go through the campaign or in Dungeon Master Mode you can go through someone else’s story.

So you already pre-ordered your copy right? Because you read “Dungeon Master Mode”

Dungeon Master Mode is no joke. After some strong arming the developers convinced me to try out the mode for the demo and I didn’t regret it. It’s probably the only thing I would do with the game because it was that fun.

You create everything in DM mode. You create the person that gives the quest, the location of the quest, the item that triggers the next part and everything in-between. You set up the rooms of the dungeon and pick the monsters and bosses; even the layout and the decor. Yes, the decor!

There’s also two ways to play this mode in which you can set it up and leave it for people to go through or you can play with the people in real-time and even take over certain characters, like bosses and such. When you play in real-time you can demote and promote NPC’s based on how the players are doing. If they’re kicking ass, you’ll be given more DM bucks (not the actual name) to spend on bigger traps and danger and drop them in to the room in real-time.

But that’s not it. You know the dialogue you read for the missions in a normal RPG? Yeah you can write that… you can even record your voice saying it… you can basically do everything that you would do for a D&D game, but then set it and leave it for others to play.

I can’t stress just how cool the DM mode was. It basically sold me on the game instantly once I heard about it, but then to actually play it and use it… loved it. Nothing like planting a dead body in a room suddenly followed by a ton of blood.

The character customization is also pretty intense. You can pick a ton of stuff from accessories to the color of every spec of clothing to the hat they’re wearing. The level of customization that this game has is tremendous.

The game is due out on PC, Mac and Linux on September 8^th, with a console release on the Xbox One and PS4 sometime fourth quarter. Usually I’m a console guy, but something tells me that I’m really going to dig this on the PC. If you like or love D&D then this is the D&D game you’ve been waiting for.

E3 2015: Sniper 3: Ghost Warrior

My personal theme for this year’s E3 was to check out sequels to games I have never played. I know that seems weird, but hey here’s a chance to check out a franchise I haven’t yet… for free… before anyone else. I mean why wouldn’t I? In almost every case I liked what I saw of the sequels I played and that includes Sniper 3: Ghost Warrior. Having never played the first two games I don’t know what the gripes were with them. I don’t know if it wasn’t real enough or had some bugs that annoyed or if they were just underappreciated games. I can say that Sniper 3 looks to be one hell of a game and what I would consider a Triple A title.

For the demo presentation we were first walked through the story and the demo that we would be playing afterwards. It was pre-alpha which you either know what that means or you don’t care. So let’s start on the story. You’re a lone solider that’s been dropped into Georgia (the country) to do a series of unsanctioned missions. Basically if you get caught the government is not going to own up to you being there or help you get back in anyway.

The story was written with the help of an ex-Military Sniper to make the missions as real as possible. The game is an open sandbox game, meaning that you can run around and just take out targets or stay focused on the story. Eventually you have to do story missions like you do in every sandbox game.

As for the gameplay there’s an intense focus on realism. Now granted if you know anything about snipers you know that they usually have a spotter, but that doesn’t really work in a video game so you’re a lone wolf. You do have a bevy of options when tackling a mission and you have to do recon on an area before you take out any targets. In the demo they only shot their rifle twice, but killed a total of four or five people. There are enemy snipers and guess what? Most of them do have spotters.

Another feature to the gameplay that I liked was the Scout Mode. This is basically a mode that uses your military training to track people or discover danger. Think of it like the Detective Mode in the Batman Arkham series, but they really gear it towards military training as much as possible. There’s still very video game elements like seeing the radius of a landmine you’re sneaking past, but then I would assume that if you know what landmine your dealing with you would actually know the radius.

The creators also wanted to give different options on how you could complete a mission and really how to do everything else. There’s a fast track system, but only because they assume you know how to navigate between areas safely at that point. You can have your personal drone auto return to you or you can fly it back yourself. It’s basically catering to two types of gamers, those that want to do everything and have it be as real as possible and those that maybe don’t have as much time to invest in a game like that. Personally I liked having both options and that they showed what both options looked like in use.

As for the game when I played it, I liked it. It was hard, harder than it appeared when watching the demo. Parts of it I breezed through remembering exactly what I saw, but other parts played out differently because of my timing and not doing everything the same way. I was spotted by helicopters, I was spotted by patrols (which is what eventually killed me), but overall it was very realistic. Maybe too much so for me personally, but I did want to play it some more if that counts for anything. I would definitely be the gamer to take advantage of the shortcuts.

The controls were nice and it felt like what you’d expect a first person video game to feel like. Unlike the Call of Duty franchise though, there was a weight to your steps so it wasn’t like you could just run to the end of the map. It’s definitely geared towards a more methodical gamer and the developers even said that you can just run and gun your way through the game which I think definitely makes it stand out from other shooters that use sniping.

The game is due out in Q2 of next year so there’s still a lot of time left in the development, but from what I saw it could be a winner. Obviously I’d need to play a full retail to really decide that, but I’m interested and that’s something I haven’t said before about the franchise.

Guncraft Coming Soon to Xbox With Exclusive New Features

Exato Game Studios and indie games partner GameMill Entertainment announced today that Guncraft: Blocked And Loaded will be available for digital download on the Xbox 360 on July 14, 2015. The digital version of the indie PC hit published by GameMill Entertainment on Xbox Live, the world’s premier gaming community from Microsoft will include a split-screen mode for intense local hot-seat multiplayer, an all-new levelling system, high-resolution models, and exclusive maps. “The response we have received for Guncraft from the PC community has been nothing short of fantastic, so we’re thrilled to reach even more players by bringing the game to the Xbox 360 platform,” said John Getty, lead developer of Guncraft and founder of Exato Game Studios. "Guncraft is the perfect blend of sandbox gameplay, crafting, and intense FPS action.”

Marrying the addictive nature of block building sandbox games with the speed and competition of modern first-person shooters, Guncraft takes voxel-based gaming to a whole new level. Play through dozens of maps, then create your own level with secret tunnels and hiding holes to find the best look out for ambushing your friends.  Players can create arenas based on anything imaginable, and once complete, utterly destroy them with bullets, bombs, grenades, tanks, helicopters and even laser swords. In the heat of battle, soldiers can create custom blockades and fortresses instantaneously.

Two-player, split-screen multiplayer among the host of new Guncraft features on Xbox 360

Guncraft: Blocked and Loaded Xbox Live Key Features:

• Exclusive Xbox Live maps
• Includes all PC add-on content, two-player split-screen local multiplayer
• Player-controlled vehicles, perks, killstreaks, class load-outs, clan system, and ranks
• Create custom levels, weapons and characters limited only by your imagination!
• Outlandish game modes for up to 16 players, including: o  Lava Survival Mode - where magma slowly rises as players build upward to avoid the instant orange death. It’s a new variation of “Last Man Standing” o  Onslaught Mode - Where four players band together to fight off endless waves of deadly robot spiders, soldiers, drones, and aircraft o  Spleef Mode - Where players drill and destroy blocks on the platform near or under their opponents in order to cause them to fall to their deaths while fervently moving to avoid suffering the same fate.
• Exclusive  levelling system where you earn new rewards with every other level, all the way up to level 550 (50 levels per ReCraft rank - one base, 10 ReCrafted ranks)
• New high-resolution models with an unlockable aesthetics system containing 300 pieces of unique gear to customize characters.  Each are individually customizable, giving gamers over 4 billion different combinations
• New tutorial system for learning the basics of Guncraft and each game mode

Guncraft players have all of the standard multiplayer shooter modes such as Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, plus tons of custom load-outs, perks, plenty of weapons, vehicles and more. Even better, the core crafting mechanics of Guncraft are available throughout every aspect of the game, enabling players to build maps, characters, and weapons on the fly and then decimate it all to take down enemies.

To learn more about Guncraft: Blocked And Loaded, please visit www.exatogames.com/Guncraft/, as well as ‘Like’ it on Facebook and follow the development @ExatoGames for all the latest developer updates and news.

X-Box One's ReCore Video Looks To Be A Very Promising Game

Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, is currently working on a project with Armature Studio's titled ReCore which will be released for X-Box One. A new video has been released where Inafune is interviewed about the game.  In the video, we are shown clips of the game and the game looks amazing.  The game does looks to be another post-apocalyptic game, however, the twist to this game is that you use different robots throughout your adventure.  Above is the video interviewing Inafune and the game director Mark Pacini.  

Horror Adventure Whispering Willows Coming to Xbox One, Wii U, iOS, and Android

Indie publisher Abstraction Games is pleased to announce its partnership with developer Night Light Interactive to bring the acclaimed indie horror/adventure title,Whispering Willows, to Xbox One and the Wii U system this summer in conjunction with Night Light’s release of the game for Android and iPhone devices. Originating as one of the best-reviewed games on the crowd-funded Ouya platform, Whispering Willows is also in development for Windows 10.

Rich with narrative and filled with gorgeous hand-painted 2D visuals, Whispering Willows is a horror themed side-scrolling adventure where players take the role of Elena, a young girl determined to solve the mystery behind her missing father. Using a unique amulet gifted from her father, Elena possesses the extraordinary ability to project her spirit outside of her body. While in this spectral form, she can interact with the benevolent spirits and wicked wraiths that used to dwell within the walls of the sinister Willows Mansion. Help Elena use her astral projection to solve puzzles, help lost spirits, and uncover the mysteries behind her missing father.

Set to a haunting soundtrack, Whispering Willows is confirmed to release this summer for Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program, the Wii U system, Google Play and the App Store. Whispering Willows is also in development for Windows 10.  For more information, head to nightlightinteractive.com, follow @NightLightGames and like it on Facebook.

E3 2015: Atlus – Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight

This was the second dungeon crawler that I checked out from Atlus, the first being Dungeon Traveler 2. Like DT2, I had never played the first Etrain Odyssey so I was lost on the stories continuation. Not that you really get to play enough of any demo to get the story. The bases of this game where similar to DT2, in which you’re playing in first person and crawling through dungeon style of levels and having RPG encounters. The difference is that at times creatures will appear on the map that you’re probably too weak to take on and so you must avoid them.

With the 3DS’ second screen you have a constant map running and you can outline the walls to help you actually see the map for the way it is. Otherwise it doesn’t just unlock the next section when you walk into it.

The 3D was okay. It was actually my first time checking out the 3DS and while I could care less about 3D, it was actually pretty impressive. I couldn’t turn it up all the way because that instantly hurt my eyes, but otherwise it was pretty damn good if that’s your thing.

The characters and story were interesting and definitely got me interested in playing more. There’s support characters that can show up and help you in a certain areas and the options of defeating enemies was varied enough to not get boring. You basically can’t just attack your way through, you need to spice it up or when you do accidently run into a bigger enemy you’ll be screwed.

The artwork was definitely impressive and frankly I’m kind of glad to see so many Japanese games that use their style of artwork making it to North America. It’s a nice change up from just being on the cover art and then looking at a 3D sprite that doesn’t come close to the 2D artwork.

The game is due out soon and if you have a 3DS I would definitely get it. Again I don’t see myself sitting down and playing it for five hours at a time, but short bursts here and there is definitely something I’d do.

OFFICIAL GAME SITE: atlus.com/eo2u

E3 2015: Atlus – Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal

This was another sequel that I had never played the original game to, but unlike things like Afro Samurai 2, Dungeon Travelers 2 seemed more inviting to new players. After all it’s a dungeon crawler and I do mean that in the strictest sense of the words. What I found interesting about it was the fact that you play in first person almost like Doom running down hallways and exploring dungeons or just maps laid out like dungeons. The combat is like a turn based RPG and that’s all pretty straight forward.

If you like anime’s or manga though you’ll dig the game because it’s basically a harem style of story. You’re the one lone male character and you’re collecting female team members (16 in total) and customizing them with five different base classes and sub-classes. The classes are where you can really tweak your characters which all come with a blank slate of sorts, and make them match your play style. Changing their classes and such will also change their look which is a big part of the game because the art is great.

The game is going to be out this summer for the PS Vita and cost $39.99. Personally I enjoyed it as it was entertaining, but a bit mindless. I wasn’t so worried about failing my task and could kind of just enjoy the battles and the characters. Since it’s on a portable, I doubt you’ll sink several hours at once on it, but if you have a few minutes to kill it would be worth it.

OFFICIAL GAME SITE: atlus.com/dungeontravelers2/

E3 2015: Atlus – Persona 4: Dancing All Night

I’ve never gotten into Persona. I’ve tried and ultimately it’s a franchise that’s fun to hear about, but not something I want to play myself. But a dancing game… well that really is for different market now isn’t it? Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a pretty basic dancing game. Apparently it’s only for the PS Vita which is strange because I played it on a PS4, I don’t know if something hasn’t been updated, but I couldn’t find anything suggesting that it was coming to the PS4. More than like that was just the PSTV compatibility though.

At any rate, it’s a decent dance game. I played on “normal” and found it to be somewhat challenging on a controller. You only use the side three buttons and often times you use them together. There was a special bonus that I was never skilled enough to use, but I got through the songs just fine. The demo I played had four songs, but the full version will have a ton of music from the franchise remixed and whatnot.

The game itself is going to have a story mode that goes across 27 stages. They really didn’t go into details on what that would entail so I can’t say what that will be like, but it’s interesting to have a dance game with a story mode.

Overall I think this is a game for two types of people: Persona fans and rhythm game fans that are happy to see a resurgence in rhythm titles. Personally I wouldn’t play it again, but considering how many people I saw play it and love it I would decide for yourself based on whether you fall into the two aforementioned categories.

OFFICIAL GAME SITE: atlus.com/p4dan

E3 2015: Atlus – The Deadly Tower of Monsters

The Deadly Tower of Monsters was probably the most North American feeling game at the Atlus booth. The rest of the games were very Japanese manga/anime inspired and then there was Deadly Tower. The game is a 3-D action adventure in which you hack and slash your way through the game and story playing as three different characters. The charm is that you’re climbing a tower and at any given point you can fall (and may need to at times) all the way back down or just a level or two. The lower levels are also visible at times which shows how connect the platforming world it.

The other bit of charm is that it’s filmed like a 1950’s sci-fi movie with bad special effects intentionally included. For instance, a giant gorilla shows up at one point and he looks normal from the front, but then there’s a cut scene and you can see the hands are just on some sticks and you can actually see human hands holding the sticks. It’s basically Plan 9 From Outer Space as a video game. And it’s pretty damn great because of it.

The humor is cheesy, but in a good way. Sure a younger audience may not get the jokes or care that the main character’s name is Dick Starspeed, but they’ll still enjoy an action adventure game that’s put together very well. But if you get the references then you’ll really, really enjoy playing through the game and fighting waxy looking dinosaurs and men in ape costumes.

The game is coming this fall and will be out on the PS4 and the PC. I don’t know if it’s going to be full retail or not as it kind of had a downloadable only vibe to it, but either way it’ll be worth checking out.

E3 2015: Atlus – Lost Dimension

Out of all the games I saw at E3 Atlus’ Lost Dimension was one of the most interesting. The premise of the game is that you and your team have been sealed in a tower by a villain named “The End”, which is a nice bit of meta. The goal is to clear each level of the tower using your team who all have special and different abilities. That’s the strategy RPG element of the game which is turn based and pretty straight forward. Use your strategy to defeat the bad guys in the room and make sure you use your turns wisely. That part looked good and seemed to handle just fine, frankly it’s not why you’re going to want to play this game it’s just the most interactive part so being polished and straight forward is a good thing. The characters though are all interesting and have their own powers that make for different game play. One character teleports, another copies other people’s skills and overall it makes the game very balanced.

The real reason you’ll want to play this game is because you’re told that there are traitors among your team.

Here’s where the fun part comes in.

Between each level you and the team vote someone off a character or rather you vote to have them eliminated. This is based on who you use in the combat area, but also the conversations you can have with the different characters between the levels. You have to watch your party and figure out their tendencies in order to figure out the traitors because you don’t want to end up with them still on your team at the very end.

Now when it comes to replay value you’re probably wondering if there is any if there’s a mystery of “who’s a traitor”, but it’s actually randomly generated each time you start a game. Which of course makes for many paths and a lot of replay value in my opinion.

The game is coming to PS3 and PS Vita frankly if they could port it to PS4 that would be great too. I’m very excited to play the full version because I really enjoyed the twist of the snakes in the grass. That and the pairing with the turn based strategy is just an interesting combination. It’s releasing this summer so look for it if this is in your wheelhouse.

OFFICIAL GAME SITE: atlus.com/lostdimension

E3 2015: Little Orbit – Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends

Kung Fu Panda is one of Dreamworks’ biggest titles and a personal favorite of mine. They’ve been increasing the franchise’s brand into the game market and the next installment is going to be Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends which is set to release around the time of the third film. This game is really easy to sum up. It’s a platform fighting game. Think Super Smash Bros., but you’re not limited to one console and there’s a theme to the characters rather than just grabbing whoever can be licensed. I forget the total number of characters, but there’s actually going to be quite a few for Legends. There’s a mixture of characters from all three movies so obviously I couldn’t see all of them due to the film not being out yet.

The voice cast lent their voices to the game to make it more authentic to the films and there’s plenty of Easter eggs from the films that play out in the form of character moves and locations.

If you like brawlers like Smash Bros, but you crave a change of scenery then this is going to be something for you. It’s very family friendly due to the franchise so if you have young kids it’s something the entire family could actually enjoy. Button mashing can win matches so it’s not like one person will dominate each match.

The game is releasing on every platform and I mean every platform with online play available on everything accept I believe the 3DS. If you’re a Kung Fu Panda fan then you’ll have some fun with it, but really if you’re a family of gamers or brawler fan, you’ll have the most fun with Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends.

E3 2015: Little Orbit – Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations

If you’re familiar with video games, then seeing the word “Investigations” at the end of the title is pretty telling of what this game is like. It’s a point and click type adventure game, but with action segments. It’s more in line with Tell Tale Games’ old style of adventure games rather than their newer stuff. It’s also geared heavily towards a younger crowd, but some older Adventure Time fans might find something to enjoy here. The basic story is that Finn and Jake are trying to solve mysteries in the Land of Ooo. To do this they’ll need to inspect crime scenes, and then make a guess at the end to solve the mystery. You’ll also pick up items and combine them together to unlock other areas or to solve sections of a mystery to proceed.

There’s also a battle system, but it’s there for fun and has no penalty for failure. You basically can die as many times as it takes for you to get past it, but it didn’t look to be that difficult as Finn and Jake can team up for power moves that unlock once the fist-bump bar fills up.

The developers have made sure to pour a lot of Easter eggs and references from the show into the game which is sure to please a lot of fans. I don’t know if every Adventure Time fan will enjoy this game as it may be too easy for some, but there is a lot of game to enjoy. If you played a previous Adventure Time point and click, then you’ll also be happy to know that the amount of dialogue from the voice actors has increased to the thousands compared to the hundreds from before.

If you’re not a fan of the series or point and click action games, then this is definitely not for you unless you’re looking to become a fan. The game is going to be out on every major system so you’ll be able to get it for anything that you currently own. The game will be out this November so look for it then.

E3 2015: Versus Evil – Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma

Alright I have something to admit… I have never played the first Afro Samurai (outside of a demo) nor have I read the manga or watched the anime. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I’ve never plopped down the money to do so. That said, I probably wasn’t the best choice to check out Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma because a lot of, well everything, had to be explained to me. If you are a fan of the series, then you’ll be pleased with to know that everyone that was involved with the first game came back to make the sequel which features an all new original story picking up for the events of the last game.

As I was told, this was a labor of love since it brought back the creator of Afro Samurai as well, meaning this wasn’t a shallow sequel or cash grab. What was also reiterated to me was the fact that the developers really listened to the fans feedback from the first game and have attempted to solve the repetitive battles by giving Kuma three different fighting styles to use throughout the game. They really soaked in the feedback and made every attempt to fix the issues people had with the first game which great since clearly a lot worked and didn’t with the first game.

The big difference from the first game to the sequel is that you play as the character Kuma which is the dude with the bear head. Being unfamiliar with the story I can’t really say I know if he’s on the side of good or evil, but he’s who you’re playing as.

The demo I played, which was on a brand new engine, was heavy on the story and being unfamiliar with the game I can’t really say if it improved or not and with it being a beta still the small glitches I encountered aren’t worth commenting on because the likely hood of them being there in the final product are pretty slim. That and every game I touched I seemed to break so it could have just been me (seriously I broke a lot of games).

Overall I think it’s a game that’s really going to please the fans of the franchise. It’s possible that it could pick up new fans since it is an action adventure game and it’s not like you really need a lot of prior knowledge to jump into the game and understand how to play it, you’ll just be a bit lost on the story. I do wish I could remember the engine it was running on since it looks wonderful and with the intentional style from the manga/anime, again making it a good looking game.

It’ll be out next year I believe and will be on all major platforms meaning X-Box One, PS3 & 4 and X-Box 360.

E3 2015: Versus Evil – Skyshine’s Bedlam

You may remember Bedlam from the trailer I posted just before this year’s E3. It had this great art style that I can only describe as 2000 AD inspired, but more in line with the 80’s than present day. The 80’s is a good place to start with Bedlam as it’s clearly a little inspired by Mad Max, which was actually the creator’s goals. To really sum it up it’s like Oregon Trail meets Mad Max. Something that really stood out to me as I played or watched several games being played is that creators really want players to play their game at length. They don’t want you to get bored and that’s something that the creators of Bedlam were very aware of. Each time you start a game a map is generated and the four different fractions that control the land are reshuffled making for a different experience each time. Your goal as the player is to travel from one end of the map to the other end in the hope of finding a haven of sorts in the post-apocalyptic world.

To do this you’ll need resources and a crew that will help you. After picking your own fraction you’ll go off in a giant bus looking thing that is actually housing a lot more than it looks. To reach different points on the map you’ll need to use resources and if you run out of rescores then you lose the game and basically die. I died. That’s the part that’s very much like Oregon Trail in which you need to make smart choices and use resources in a wise way in order to continue towards the end.

That’s all one part of it, but as I said the map is spread out with different fractions. Some will be friendly, most will be hostile and that’s when the battle system comes into play. As it was explained to me the different characters in your group are like chess pieces meaning they all have their unique movements. You then move your character to line up kill shots against whoever is attacking you. If you’re close enough, you can also melee. Since everyone is a sprite and using guns in this post-apocalyptic world there’s a lot of great sprite deaths.

Your team is made up of people with different roles; for instance, a sniper, heavy weapons and the rest of your typical video game gun classes. As they do better though you’ll level them up and pick up Elites. Elites are rarer characters and you’ll need to complete a side quest to unlock them, usually by finding an item that belongs to them. The Elites make the battles easy because they’re basically your ringer which is fun and helpful.

Overall I don’t know if I would spend a huge amount of time with the game personally because there was almost too much to do. I know that’s a weird complaint, but then it’s not really a complaint. I just don’t know if I would be able to invest the proper amount of time into the game in order to succeed with it, but if I could I would probably play the hell out of it. There’s little nuances for every type of gamer and really the fact that you can do so much should be commended for those that have the time.

I really enjoyed the art style and it hooked me on the game in a big way. I wish I could say it reminded me of this or that artist, but it really didn’t. It seemed more like a familiar well-worn style of art, but I really enjoyed it.

Bedlam is releasing soon on Steam so if you like the combination of gameplay and worlds then you should definitely check it out. Oh and don’t think that the creator’s just saw the new Mad Max film and decided to make a game, this is something they’ve wanted to make since the original films were popular which just goes to show that everything comes back around again.

Check out Bedlam on Twitter and Facebook

Ys Chronicles II Confirmed on iOS & Android

DotEmu, developer and publisher specializing in modern releases of beloved retro games, confirms that Ys Chronicles II will be available on iOS and android. Originally released for PSP in 2009, this action-RPG will debut on mobiles and tablets in a version specially adapted for touch gameplay. In Ys Chronicles II (also known as Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter), you play as the adventurous Adol Christin, who, after collecting the sacred books in Ys Chronicles I, must continue his quest to unravel the true secrets of the island of Ys. As Adol, you’ll show off your swordsmanship, discover new weapons, and for the first time use magic to free Esteria from evil in the second chapter of this renowned series.

Get ready, Ys fans – this fantastic sequel will be coming to your mobile and tablet!

Zodiac Orcanon Odyssey - Official E3 2015 Trailer

Product Description Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey is a persistent online multi-platform RPG with gorgeous hand-drawn 2D art created by an international team that includes iconic role-playing game (RPG) developers.

Zodiac’s gameplay experience is as deep and engaging as it is stylish. The multiplatform title is being created by some of the most talented minds in the industry, including Final Fantasy developers Kazushige Nojima and Hitoshi Sakimoto, creating a multiplayer game with classic elements from Japanese RPGs.

Product Summary Platform: Multi-Platform, including PlayStation Vita and iOS Game Genre: Fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Publisher/Developer: Kobojo Availability: 2015

Key Features

• Wield an Arsenal of Godlike Powers: Lead a party of characters who wield the divine powers of a pantheon of 12 gods.
• Change Your Powers and Skills on the Fly: Use the game’s flexible skill system to quickly change your characters’ skills and professions to best suit the battle at hand.
• Hand-Drawn 2D Art Style: Kobojo is known for its extraordinary hand-drawn 2D graphics, as well as for being passionate about developing high-quality multiplayer.
• Iconic Developers: The development team for Zodiac includes scenario writer Kazushige Nojima and renowned composer Hitoshi Sakimoto and his company Basiscape.

Sakimoto-san and Nojima-san have contributed to many of the most iconic RPGs of all time, including:

• Final Fantasy VII
• Final Fantasy Tactics
• Final Fantasy X
• Final Fantasy X-2
• Final Fantasy XII
• Final Fantasy XV
• Kingdom Hearts series
• Dragon’s Crown
• Muramasa: the Demon Blade
• Valkyria Chronicles

• A Truly Global Project: Zodiac marks the first time these iconic Japanese developers are working with a Western studio. The game is in development by a veteran global team stretching from France to Scotland to Tokyo.

Shenmue 3 Can Happen, But Only If You Support The Kickstarter!

Oh my fucking god this is the best news to come out of E3 thus far and it's not even really an E3 announcement when you think about it. Shenmue 3 is on Kickstarter and I couldn't be happier. Why? Because the series was supposed to be like seven games in total and ended up getting fucked when the Dreamcast and Sega died (oh Sega still makes games you say? Name one that you actually want to play? They're dead... to me at least) and while the series was able to make it to the original X-Box, it received zero support from the user base at that time because most of the user base wasn't into amazing things like Shenmue.

Kickstarter Link!

I'm going to fund the fuck out of this game. I played the first one so many times and spent days (game time) collecting bubblegum machine items and going through drawers and I don't regret any of it. I have the soundtrack to the first game and when it comes up on shuffle it's a good day. I don't even know if there is a soundtrack to the second game. Anyway, just go fund it. Give it a dollar I don't really care. You might think that the 2 million goal is crazy, but this is a Triple A title we're talking about and frankly I think it'll get there pretty damn quick since it's already hit the million mark and it wasn't even close to that when I started writing this. It's a good damn day.

E3 2015: Star Wars Battlefront... This Shit's Amazing!

If you listen to the CBMFP then you know that I don't give two fucks about Star Wars anymore. I don't care about it. I'm burnt out big time, but I will play the shit out of this game because I love Star Wars: Battlefront and this one looks to be the best in the franchise. Just watch this video... watch it twice. See you online for it!

Frontier Developments Launches Elite: Dangerous Game Preview for Xbox One

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) will today releaseElite: Dangerous for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, as the first title in the new Xbox Game Preview Program (GPP). Elite: Dangerous is the critically acclaimed, award winning third sequel to the genre-defining Elite, created in 1984 by David Braben and Ian Bell. Elite: Dangerous brings gaming’s original open world adventure into the modern generation with the entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions, an evolving player-driven narrative and fully connected multiplayer experience.

Starting with only a small starship and a few credits, players do whatever it takes to earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to survive in a futuristic cutthroat galaxy and to stand among the ranks of the iconic Elite. In an age of galactic superpowers and interstellar war, every player’s story influences the unique connected gaming experience and evolving narrative. Governments fall, battles are lost and won, and humanity’s frontier is reshaped, all by players’ actions.

Elite: Dangerous Game Preview for Xbox One is available TODAY as part of the new Xbox Game Preview Program for the special offer price of $30.99 (£24.99, €30.99) for Game Preview early adopters. The Game Preview program is a new way for Xbox fans to preview and purchase work-in-progress digital titles, participate in the development process and help developers make Xbox One games the best they can be. The Game Preview release of Elite: Dangerous for Xbox One is trailblazing “early access” content on consoles, bringing the complete Elite: Dangerous experience to Xbox One without compromise.

Elite: Dangerous Game Preview for Xbox One offers the full game at 1080p, with new controls optimized for gamepad, Achievements, and full support for Xbox One Parties and Friends Lists.

And coming in July, Game Preview players get new content first on Xbox One with Close Quarter Championships. Close Quarter Championships (CQC) is the ultimate 34th century gladiatorial contest between Elite: Dangerous pilots. CQC thrusts players into intense PVP action in custom-built arenas set within the Elite: Dangerous galaxy. Equip a unique loadout on your Sidewinder, Eagle or new Federal Fighter craft and earn XP to unlock weapons, modules and abilities.

Elite: Dangerous for Xbox One launches TODAY as part of the Xbox One Game Preview Program. For more on the Elite: Dangerous Game Preview and to see the Xbox One CQC trailer, visit EliteDangerous.com/xboxone.

Elite: Dangerous adds Close Quarter Championships in July as part of the Xbox One Game Preview Program. Play CQC first on Xbox One.