Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: A Final Fantasy rhythm game coming to 3DS

Yeah you read that right. A Final Fantasy rhythm game. But don’t worry! It actually plays like an RPG action game. It’s just all down to your rhythm skills to defeat enemies etc.

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[Review] Dungeon Siege III – PC

It’s Dungeon Siege but not as you know it

Hardcore Dungeon Siege fans who have been eagerly awaiting the next installment may feel betrayed when they get their hands on the Dungeon Siege III. Maybe it’s because Gas Powered aren’t behind developing duties (that honour goes to Obsidian ), console gaming has become more of a priorty or some other factor. But it’s quite clear that when you play Dungeon Siege III, it’s not quite what you expected.

For a start, Dungeon Siege III is more dumbed down then your usual hack ‘n slash/action-RPG game, which where never that complex or in-depth – gameplay wise – in the first place. The controls have you attack with one button while mapping three abilities to the other face buttons, which vary depending on which stance you’re in; you’re offered two offensive stances – one suitable for single foes and the other best for multiple foes – and a defensive stance which allow you to heal or bestow buffs. Now this is all fine but there is one messy issue that can make the gameplay fustrating and that is if you play with with the mouse and keyboard. This is because your fighter won’t attack in the direction he’s facing but the direction the cursor is. This can lead to hitting nothing but air for the first couple of hours until it becomes second nature and even then you’ll make mistakes in the heat of battle. So already, unless your playing via gamepad, you’re at a disadvantage. It’s at this stage you realise that Dungeon Siege III was made for console gamers in mind and PC gamers a distant second.

And if you hope that this doesn’t become the case later on in the game, then it will keep reminding you that this is an inescapable fact, such as how the only way to save the game is via checkpoints! Yes there is no quick save option so if you mess up in battle then it’s back to the last checkpoint for you. Thankfully they are numerous so you never have to re-tread much ground but it’s still a pretty archaic system.

Then there’s the way you restore health and mana. It seems that Obsidian think potions are for wusses as there is none to be carried around. Instead you must refill by collecting green and blue orbs for health and mana respectively. They are either found in barrels or by defeating enemies. It’s a system that is annoying as you can be on low health or really need to cast a buff and yet have to resort to kill off an enemy in order to survive. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if it wasn’t for how difficult the game could be, but we’ll get to that soon.

Other quirks include a very limited camera, a fussy lock-on system and gold not being auto-looted and we’re off to a very shaky start.

But the biggest issue for the game is the fact that it is pretty damn brutal. For the first hour there is nothing to suggest that there will be a sudden difficulty spike. But as soon as you meet the first boss, that’s when Dungeon Siege III decides it’s time to put you into a world of hurt. By this time you better have learned how to dodge effectively, when to attack and when to use your skills and able to juggle these responsibilities in quick succession, otherwise you’ll barely get halfway through the game, let alone near the end. It’s not so much that enemies get clever but the fact that they get stronger and you’re usually outnumbered. This means that messing up can see you lose a big chunk of health and that mid-bosses, bosses and even some normal enemies can massacre you in seconds in you make the slightest mistake.

The most likely reason that Obsidian made the Dungeon Siege III difficult is because this is quite a short game. 12-20 hours (depending on how good you are and what difficulty you selected) is all it takes to complete the game and that includes all the sidequests, which there aren’t too many off and usually are on the way to your main objective anyway.

At this point Dungeon Siege III may sound like a lost cause, but that is far from the case at it certainly a few good things going for it.

First of all the story is very well executed. It sees you taking control of one of four characters and restoring the 13th Legion back to its former glory days. Now I know many people don’t play the previous Dungeon Siege games for their story and as such weren’t clamoring for it to be at the forefront, but Obsidian nevertheless have done a good job. Most notable is the ending which shows you how your choices and actions have impacted the people and places in Dungeon Siege III. It makes you feel what you did that more important.

There’s also a positive trade-off for the dumbed down interface as it now means it’s quick to navigate through menus with the gamepad and inventory managing is a lot less of a hassle. You can even transmute the items, which is a quick way of getting gold. This prevents stopping and agonising which items to throw away and which to keep when you run out of space (which takes a while thanks to being able to carry a lot).

And sure the game may not be much of a looker (which is another piece of evidence that Dungeon Siege III was made with consoles as a priority) but it is pleasant enough and does the job. Same with the music which is no way memorable but not offensive either.

Another positive point is that the characters voices range from decent to very good, with the latter belonging to the main characters and important NPC characters. This is evident by Katrina, who’s not only hot and uses guns (always a bonus in any form of RPG’s) but has an awesome voice. It’s so cute when she speaks in a rhetorical way.

Multiplayer is where you will get the most enjoyment out of Dungeon Siege III, though it’s not without its own issues. The game is still difficult, the camera focuses on the host, so if you’ve joined, you are forced to stay close (and this also makes the battles harder). But the biggest problem is that, again unless you’re the host, you can not save your character’s levels! So this means you either have to play one big session or be content in dipping in and out helping others but not getting the pleasure of feeling rewarded. Those who will have completed the campaign mode on their own won’t feel so bad but otherwise it’s a flawed system. Sure Obsidian don’t want the same characters turning up in the story (even if two more Katrinas would make the Dungeon Siege III world a better place) but why not be able to level up each character independently; someone else using Lucas? No problem, just switch to Katrina and level up Lucas later on.

Overall though, the online campaign is a good time-waster and it’s a very good alternative if you find that solo is a bit too much to handle.

Overall
Despite dropping the ball somewhat, Obsidian have crafted a decent action-RPG that plays smoothly and a well-executed story. Sure that’s only if you can bear with the difficulty spikes, simplistic gameplay and the niggling thought that you might as well play the console versions and at the end of the day, Dungeon Siege fans will still feel that their beloved series has become a different beast and PC gamers will feel snubbed in the way it seems built for consoles. But if you give it a chance, you may find a game that is decent if you got hours to spare and nothing else to play.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations Next In Line For the Hungry Ninjas Out There!

Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations takes the Naruto Shippuden Franchise even further, as they take players through the main storyline and offer us alot more playable characters and supports!

Most characters will be revisiting the games, such as Zabuza, and then there will be the new character that have appeared in the anime, Raikage.

This game will have a nice wide variety of modes that players can play online against their friends, so be sure to watch out for this game if your a hard core fan! Even if your not, you may still get a kick out of it!

The game is due out sometime in 2012!

Street Fighter IV Volt Released for iPhone and iPod

Street Fighter IV Volt released yesterday for iPhones and iPods! If you want to get on the Street Fighter IV Volt Action then Download it here! *Current price of £1.19 $1.99 – Price is rising everyday until  it’s full retail value of £5.00 $6.99*

SFIV Volt finally introduces online fighting for Street Fighter on iOS devices.

Check back on Push-Start for the review.

Here is some new screenshot’s for your pleasure.

Tales of The Abyss gets UK release date

Fans of the ‘Tales of…’ series who happen to own a 3DS will be glad to hear that Tales of The Abyss now has a confirmed UK release date of November 10th 2011!
The game is based on the critically acclaimed PS2 title and will, of course, make use of the 3D and dual screens. Surprisingly, this is the first ‘Tales of…’ title to reach the UK on a Nintendo console since 2003 when the classic Tales of Symphonia was released for the Gamecube.

Official Box Art Revealed for Batman: Arkham City

Warner Bros. Has just officially revealed the box art for superhero epic Batman: Arkham City, the sequel to the award-winning Arkham Asylum. Here’s the official box art for PS3, 360 and PC formats:

Batman: Arkham City will be lining our retail shelves on October 21^st for all European gamers, whereas North America will get their hand on it on October 18^th, and October 19^th for Australia. The release dates mentioned is for all three formats.

Forza Motorsport 4 Limited Collector’s Edition Announced With VIP Exclusives

Forza Motorsport 4 will be driving into stores on 14 October. Turn 10 announced that, starting today, fans who purchase the Limited Collector’s Edition for £59.99 ERP (available exclusively from GAME and Gamestation) will get the ultimate day-one experience with an additional 25 cars from exclusive car packs and bonus car offers. “Forza Motorsport 4” fans will also be the first in the world to get behind the wheel of the 2012 BMW M5, which was recently unveiled in “Forza Motorsport 4” at the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race in Germany.

Press release:

Be among the first to take the newly announced 2012 BMW M5 for a test drive before the production car comes out in 2012

The meticulously designed 2012 BMW M5 is the most powerful production sedan ever created by BMW’s M division and will be featured on the cover of the “Forza Motorsport 4” Limited Collector’s Edition. The 2012 BMW M5 will be available as part of the “BMW M5 Fan Pack,” available starting at launch to all “Forza Motorsport 4” owners who download it from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. With the BMW M5, fans will be able to experience Autovista mode, where “Top Gear’s” Jeremy Clarkson takes fans on a virtual tour of the world’s most sought-after cars. In addition, the M5 will be added to fans’ garages and a BMW theme will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

“At BMW we are thrilled to offer fans the first chance, whether it’s in game or on the road, to experience the brand new BMW M5 in ‘Forza Motorsport 4,’” said Mr. Ralf Hussmann, general manager BMW Sportmarketing & Cooperation. “‘Forza Motorsport’ players are some of the most loyal and passionate automotive fans in the world, so the choice to partner with Turn 10 Studios to feature our car in the game and on the cover of the Limited Collector’s Edition was an obvious win for BMW. We invite fans everywhere to celebrate the new M5 debut in ‘Forza Motorsport 4’ on 14 October”.

Test your design skills in the brand new “Forza Motorsport 4” BMW Design Challenge

The “Forza Motorsport 4” BMW Design Challenge is inspired by the world-renowned BMW Art Car programme which began in 1975 and has featured some of the greatest artists of our time, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney and Jeff Koons. Bringing together the worlds of art and motorsports, the “Forza Motorsport 4” BMW Design Challenge invites talented artists to paint original pieces on a digital version of the 2010 BMW M6 Coupe. Turn 10 Studios and BMW will select a winning design to bring to life digitally in the game, and complement four other designed cars from the BMW M stable. The other cars will be custom designed by BMW, Turn 10 and other talented artists and will all made available in the Limited Collector’s Edition. Those cars include:

·         2008 BMW M3 E92

·         2008 BMW Z4 M Coupe

·         1981 BMW M1

·         2012 BMW M5

Those interested in entering the design challenge and more information about “Forza Motorsport 4” can find more details at http://www.ForzaMotorsport.net.

Bundled together with a polished Steelbook™ DVD Case, the Limited Collector’s Edition content includes the following:

·         The VIP Car Pack

o   2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

o   2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge

o   2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera

o   2010 Noble M600

o   2011 RUF Rt 12 R

·         The limited quantity “Launch Bonus” car pack available for fans who order early

o   1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe

o   2011 Koenigsegg Agera

o   1997 Lexus SC300

o   2011 RUF RGT-8

o   2011 Tesla Roadster Sport

·         A 10-car add-on pack of American muscle cars (also available for purchase at launch on Xbox LIVE Marketplace)

·         Custom-designed BMW cars from the “Forza Motorsport 4” BMW Design Challenge

·         VIP Membership status within the Forza community, including special recognition in new community features, leaderboards, ForzaMotorsport.net and more

·         A book titled “Cars of Forza Motorsport 4 Presented by Top Gear,” written by the “Top Gear” team, is a stunning 96-page book that describes in-game cars from the Autovista™ experience and features imagery from game and the Top Gear photo library

·         A vinyl sticker set featuring the logos of “Forza Motorsport 4,” “Top Gear” and Turn 10

Fans are encouraged to pre-order “Forza Motorsport 4” today to ensure they can get their hands on the Limited Collector’s Edition and to receive the “Launch Bonus” car pack as supplies will be limited.

The standard edition of Forza Motorsport 4 will also be available for £49.99 ERP with the following in game car packs available exclusively when pre-ordering with selected retailers:

·         Subaru Impreza WRX STI, available exclusively when pre-ordering at GAME

·         MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, available exclusively when pre-ordering at Gamestation

·         Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, available exclusively when pre-ordering at Amazon.co.uk

·         Honda CR-Z EX, available exclusively when pre-ordering at HMV

·         BMW 1 Series M Coupe, available exclusively when pre-ordering at The Hut, Zavvi.com, Shopto.net and Play.com

Sony Announce Uncharted, Resistance and Ratchet and Clank collections for Europe

Best Buy yesterday let slip about some upcoming collection’s for the PS3 system.  During Best Buy’s leaking rampage they managed to give us some interesting titles to expect in a collection bundle.  During this announcement Eurogamer managed to get all the details about each collection and their surprising content.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are paired together with a dynamic theme and avatar based on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.  Uncharted bundle will be released on 22 July.

The first two Resistance games come with the addition of Joseph Capelli’s SRPA Sentinel uniform, which can be used in Resistance 3′s multiplayer mode. Resistance bundle to be released on 22 July.

The Ratchet & Clank Collection features Tools of Destuction and A Crack in Time, bundled with four avatars and a One 4 All dynamic theme. Ratchet & Clank Collection bundle to be released on 22 July.

So if you want Dynamic themes and Avatar’s then the collections are for you.

Valve’s Team Fortress 2 Becomes Free-To-Play

Fancy getting your hands on Valve’s Team Frotress 2? Well now you can From today, Valve’s Team Fortress 2 will be using a free-to-play model.

The game was released back in 2007 as part of the Orange Box, which wasn’t to expensive anyway.  Now for those that had no moneys to purchase the addictive first person shooter, you now have no excuse.

Valve will still be able to make money as well via the pre-existing MannCo store, which sells a variety of in-game items. There will be no advertising model or premium paid model, the game will be free to everybody who plays it.

Speaking to Valve’s Robin Walker said:

“We’ve been toying with the idea of making Team Fortress free-to-play ever since the Mann-conomy update [in September 2010]…The data we got back from that update leads us to believe that TF2 would be more successful as a completely free product.”

What are you waiting for? Get some Team Fortress! NOW SOLDIER!

PSVita Won’t Be Hitting Shelves Before Xmas

CVG have revealed today that the PSVita won’t be in our Christmas stockings this year. A retail source that is very close to SCE told CVG last night that Sony is aiming for a January or February launch date for the system.
However, Sony have reported they are still hoping for the US release to go ahead of Christmas 2011.

“Sony knows it’s effectively gifting the festive handheld market to 3DS – but is still really confident of a success,” our source told us. “The overall strategy is that they want the hardcore to buy first and then spread the word. It’s a blow for us, but they think they can still do that in the UK without the Christmas sales boost.”

CVG also contacted SCE UK for comment, but the firm wouldn’t confirm or deny CVG’s report. A spokesperson said: “We haven’t announced a release date for Vita yet.”

I guess we will have to keep waiting for more European announcements. If not it looks like a profit will be made in importing this year if the US release date go’s forward.