By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 09:30 pm
LEGO Dimensions represents the latest attempt by a company to get into the increasingly crowded toys-to-life space. It features tons of popular properties, including Portal, Lord of the Rings, and Batman, and it can be expanded even further with additional toy packs. Aside from the intermingling of its many different IPs, Dimensions also distinguishes itself from the competition by having you build actual, physical LEGOs, which are then placed on a platform that brings them into the game world. It's certainly a unique approach to the genre, but how does the game itself play? We've gathered up some of the first reviews below to give you a better idea of what to expect. - Game: LEGO Dimensions
- Developer: Traveller's Tales
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U
- Release Date: September 27
- Price: $100 (Starter Pack); $15-$30 (extra packs)
GameSpot -- 8/10"In the first few hours of LEGO Dimensions play time with my six-year-old son, almost half the time was spent on playing with blocks. We built the portal together. We built the Batmobile, and then opened up a Scooby Doo pack and built the power-up Scooby Snack and Mystery Machine located within. We then hit the Wizard of Oz world, with Batman's head comically poking out the top of the Mystery Machine. In any game within the toys-to-life genre, there's sometimes an unspoken question: is this also a great toy or just a great game? In LEGO Dimensions' case, the answer is easy: it's both." - Randolph Ramsay [Full review] Game Informer -- 8.75/10"Despite the extraneous content, LEGO Dimensions is a hit. I haven't laughed this much playing a video game in a long time. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, and my wife even sat in to watch the story unfold in crazy ways. Whether you just purchase the core set or go bonkers purchasing figures, LEGO Dimensions delivers big thrills and fun playability both in the game and on your living-room floor." - Andrew Reiner [Full review] VideoGamer -- 8/10"LEGO Dimensions is the most fun I've had with a LEGO video game since the whole idea was new back on the PS2. It's full of cool new ideas and a story rammed with iconic references and witty humour--something that adults will enjoy perhaps even more than young children. The move to a toys-to-life model will be amazing for some but annoying for others. As a standalone entity the Starter Pack is at once really rather lovely and also a clear gateway drug into a very expensive world. You've been warned." - Tom Orry [Full review] GamesRadar -- 3.5/5"Overall, the starter kit is a qualified recommendation. Even as a self-contained game, it's delightfully bizarre in a way few will expect but many will appreciate, and the use of the portal is genuinely clever throughout the core gameplay. But, on the flip side, if you don't want to commit to any other purchases, know that throughout your adventure you'll suffer a disappointing pattern of spotting cool, exciting new stuff only to find that you're resolutely locked out of it... and that will grate more than the eye-watering initial price." - Ben Tyrer [Full review]
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 08:30 pm
Ubisoft is no stranger to making shooters, having produced games in the genre since the 90s. With the upcoming Rainbow Six: Siege, however, developer Ubisoft Montreal has a different take on the genre that places as more importance on teamwork and strategy than it does skill. I played an early build of the game for two hours and spoke to Rainbow Six: Siege level designer Benoit Deschamps about why the studio has developed such high hopes for the game. My introduction to Rainbow Six: Siege placed me in matches against the AI with four other teammates. While completing mission objectives in this scenario was well within our abilities, it wasn't until we were pitted against another team that I felt the game truly tested us. Rainbow Six: Siege features friendly-fire and permadeath by default, and the combination of the two made sure I was fully focused for the entirety of the playthrough. Every position I took up was crucial, and every bullet fired had to be accurate, lest I blast my teammates out of action and onto security camera duty. As we booted up the final round against our human opponents that would make or break our victory, my palms tingled--a tell-tale sign of the sweat that was beginning to prickle in my hands. It was a feeling that I had not experienced since my early competitive match-making days in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a comparison Deschamps also acknowledged. "We think we have something good that's going to appeal to Counter-Strike or other first-person shooter gamers. The level designers on the team, we're all fans of Counter-Strike, and the first time we ever played [Rainbow Six: Siege] we had just the same kind of feeling. But then we focused on making the game more unique, more appealing to the fantasy of a counter-terrorist unit," he said. Like in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's competitive mode, Siege accounts for body collision in addition to friendly-fire and permanent death. The similarities veered away from there, however. For all my experience gained from fragging in CS:GO, it quickly became apparent that skill played second fiddle to strategy and teamwork in Siege. The game makes it very clear when a teammate falls."First-person shooter skill, in this game, doesn't really matter that much," Deschamps had warned me before we started, "It's really about organisation, and teamplay. The way you have such little time at the beginning and you're like okay, what's going to be our strategy? You have someone think about it, and the other person to apply it, and you have to remember small rules, and exceptions, and little things here and there. The people who play that well, they will win. Of course, if on the other side you've got this awesome, first-person shooter pro lightning-reflex team, they've got an edge with their guns, but that's it. But if they ignore the other details of the game they will be handicapped, and I'm sure the organised team will win, even if they are not super awesome at first-person shooters." Fortunately, communication was a strong point in the team I was playing with. Most of us were familiar with each other and had little hesitations in speaking orders and providing status updates over the microphones. The constant back and forth made all the difference, as we timed simultaneous wall breaches and flanked our opponents like the well-trained counter-terrorism unit we were playing as to secure victory.  Teams cannot double up on classes, which means each group of five possesses a variety of abilities. Even for players where shooting wasn't necessarily a strong suit, there was plenty to do; from laying down barbed wire, reinforcing walls, setting up traps, to planting explosive mines, Siege's assortment of classes each come equipped with different ways to contribute to the game. Outside of using abilities, there is value in providing strategic insights to the team, too. "At E3, I saw what you could call casual players. I saw a girl who played and maybe she wasn't good at shooter games, but she was good at strategy games. In just one session, she learned all about the rooms and the landmarks and because of that, she could buff her team to kill the other one so many times. Just because she was the head of the team, it worked so well," Deschamps said. Even blowing up walls needs to be done carefully, as friendly fire extends to explosives.The appeal to an audience that extends outside of the most hardcore of FPS players is part of why Ubisoft hopes that the game will become it's highest-selling shooter. Earlier this year, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot dubbed Siege as having the potential to be more successful than Far Cry 4, which has sold more than seven million units. When asked about the high expectations set for Siege, Deschamps agreed with Guillemot's sentiment. "When you think about all the good shooters we make at Ubisoft, including Far Cry, which I worked on, it's a great game. We have fun playing it. The thing is, for [Rainbow Six: Siege] we've got 5v5 for our game, which we hope will gather a lot more people. We hope everybody will want to become the best in a competitive league together, that they'll want to achieve that together. We think that people will look at that and be like, oh man you play that game, oh you're good? I want to be a part of that team, I want to be with you. This way, the game is going to grow by itself, and we really think there's big potential there. So that's why we think Rainbow Six: Siege might be able to beat the other shooters we have." Based on my experiences with the game, it's an expectation within reason. Siege's class-based gameplay and hardcore mechanics have left me curious to play more. I look forward to seeing how well I fare online when the game launches in December this year for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 07:03 pm
During an appearance today at Europe's EGX gaming event, PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida made comments that suggest a successor to the PlayStation Vita may not be in the cards. Asked about a PlayStation Vita 2, Yoshida said the current video game climate is "not healthy" for such a platform to exist due in part to the rise in popularity of gaming on smartphones and tablets. "That's a tough question," he said when asked about a potential PlayStation Vita 2, as reported by Eurogamer. "People have mobile phones and it's so easy to play games on smartphones," Yoshida said. "And many games on smartphones are free, or free to start. I myself am a huge fan of PlayStation Vita and we worked really hard on designing every aspect. Touch-based games are fun--there are many games with really good design. But having sticks and buttons make things totally different." He added: "So I hope, like many of you, that this culture of playing portable games continues but the climate is not healthy for now because of the huge dominance of mobile gaming." Also during the talk, Yoshida was asked about the possibility of a new Wipeout game coming to market. Though developer Sony Liverpool is closed, Yoshida said Sony has a "never say never" attitude about bringing Wipeout back someday; the same can be said for other dormant Sony properties, he said. Another fan asked about the possibility of a Killzone remastered bundle for PlayStation 4, not unlike Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. He didn't rule it out, but said Sony would need to find the right partner to make it happen, if it ever does. He also estimated that only about half of current PS4 users owned a PlayStation 3. Remastered bundles are a good way to catch them up with franchises they may never have played, Yoshida explained. Watch the full interview below, which also dives into the past 20 years of PlayStation.
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 05:44 pm
Ubisoft has announced the complete soundtrack for Just Dance 2016, the Assassin's Creed publisher's latest entry in the blockbuster dancing franchise. There are more than 40 tracks included this year, including famous pop songs like "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea and Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass." Also featured are some famous movie songs like "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid and "You're The One I Want" off the Grease soundtrack. Check out the full lineup of songs below the video. Just Dance 2016 launches on October 20 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, and Wii U. This year's game also features support for the new Just Dance Controller mobile app, which lets players (on current-generation consoles) to use their smartphone to play the game. Just Dance 2016 Complete Tracklist:- "Heartbeat Song" by Kelly Clarkson
- "Teacher" by Nick Jonas
- "Chiwawa" by Wanko Ni Mero Mero
- "Copacabana" by Frankie Bostello
- "This Is How We Do" by Katy Perry
- "Drop The Mambo" by Diva Carmina
- "Hit The Road Jack" by Charles Percy
- "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by The Girly Team
- "Irish Meadow Dance" by O'Callaghan's Orchestra
- "Junto a Ti" From Disney's "Violetta"
- "Kaboom Pow" by Nikki Yanofsky
- "Kool Kontact" by Glorious Black Belts
- "You're The One That I Want" From The Movie Grease
- "The Choice Is Yours" by Darius Dante Van Dijk
- "Under the Sea" From Disney's "The Little Mermaid"
- "When The Rain Begins To Fall" by Sky Trucking
- "You Never Can Tell" by A. Caveman & The Backseats
- "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars
- "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
- "Animals" by Martin Garrix
- "Hey Mama" by David Guetta Ft. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, & Afrojack
- "Blame" by Calvin Harris Ft. John Newman
- "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga
- "Want To Want Me" by Jason Derulo
- "Gibberish" by MAX
- "Hangover (BaBaBa)" by Buraka Som Sistema
- "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas
- "Ievan Polkka" by Hatsune Miku
- "Let's Groove" by Equinox Stars
- "William Tell Overture" by Rossini
- "Balkan Blast Remix" by Angry Birds
- "Rabiosa" by Shakira Ft. El Cata
- "Stuck On A Feeling" by Prince Royce
- "Boys (Summertime Love)" by The Lemon Cubes
- "Fun" by Pitbull Ft. Chris Brown
- "Circus" by Britney Spears
- "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea Ft. Charli XCX
- "Same Old Love" by Selena Gomez
- "Cool For The Summer" by Demi Lovato
- "Lights" by Ellie Goulding
- "No Control" by One Direction
- "I'm An Albatraoz" by AronChupa
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 05:31 pm
The Fallout 4 Xbox One product page has been updated, revealing the role-playing game's file size on Microsoft's console: 28.12 GB. As people are saying, that seems fairly trim for such a large- and ambitious-sounding game. But compression is likely keeping the overall file size down. Bethesda Game Studios' last title, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, was just 3.68 GB on Xbox 360. Fallout: New Vegas, meanwhile, was 4.75 GB, while Fallout 3 weighed in at 5.48 GB. File size details for the PlayStation 4 and PC editions of Fallout 4 are not yet available. We have followed up with Bethesda in an attempt to confirm details about Fallout 4's file size. The Fallout 4 release date is set for November 10 across all platforms. Recently, Bethesda announced post-launch content release plans for the game, which include regular free updates, paid DLC, mods, and more. In addition, you can watch Fallout 4 composer Inon Zur play the game's theme music in this stunning video. On top of that, Bethesda has shared new details about Fallout 4's revamped perk system. Via: ICXM.Net
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 05:30 pm
THE BIG STUFF:Xbox Boss Finds Console Wars Debate "Distasteful": Phil Spencer continued to be one of the most likable gaming executives out there this week with his comments about the Xbox One vs. PS4 battle and why it's not really in the best interest of anyone. Hitman Delayed Into 2016: Another Big 2015 Game is now a Big 2016 Game, as IO Interactive's new Hitman was pushed to next year. Click through the link to learn why. Video Game Voice Actors May Go on Strike: If 75 percent of the video game voice actors in the SAG-AFTRA union vote to strike, then it will happen. Head to the link to see their list requests. THE OTHER STUFF:Roblox, which is described as the Internet's largest user-powered game creation, development, and gameplay platform, is expanding. It's coming soon to Xbox One, starting in December, marking its console debut. There will be over 20 games in the app at launch, with more coming later. Read more about how this exciting-sounding user-generated content platform works at the Roblox website. Some images of the available games are below.     Eurogamer has a great, in-depth interview with the folks behind the upcoming no-fantasy RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Among other things, the studio reveals the game will take you at least 50 hours to complete. Read the full interview here. NOPE NOPE NOPE. That's the message conveyed by one member of the first Destiny fireteam to take down the game's new King's Fall raid. Watch the funny video below, but be warning, there is a lot strong, loud language.
Ever wonder what Uncharted 2: Among Thieves would look like as an 8-bit game? Wonder no more!  Fallout 4 is out now, kind of. Check out this nice Fallout 4 mod in GTA V. Just a couple more months until the game arrives. Hang in there. Another Final Fantasy game was released on Steam this week. You can get Final Fantasy V right now for $16, but be warned, reviews right now are "mixed." The Guardian has a nice, in-depth feature about Destiny's first year and some of the challenges that Bungie faced. Among other things, Bungie frankly acknowledges about the much-criticized story, "We definitely didn't get that right." Read the full interview here. GameStop is rolling out a number of Batman Day deals today only, September 26. Here's a rundown of all the deals. - $20 off Batman: Arkham Knight (September 26 only)
- A limited edition comic book with GameStop exclusive cover will be free to customers with no purchase necessary
- 50% off GameStop exclusive Prop replica Batarang
- Various POP! Vinyl Batman figures- $10.99
- GameStop exclusive Batman Damage figure- $24.99
- 50% off Batman watches
Oh Hell Yeah! Here's an awesome new gameplay trailer for 2K's upcoming wrestling game, WWE 2K16. Check it out. The United States Marines announced this week that they are testing robot dogs for future warfare. No, really. Get the full story here. A Super Mario Maker invincibility glitch? Yes, please. Watch it in the video below. Apple plans to launch its electric cars starting in 2019, according to this excellent new feature from the Wall Street Journal. It's not easy to show off how virtual reality works. But Sony has done a nice job, as you can see in this new video from the Tokyo Game Show. Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked troves of NSA documents, has a theory for why we maybe haven't made contact with alien life just yet. It has to do with encryption. 343 has published a detailed overview of how Halo 5's new CTF mode plays and how it compares to Halo 4 and other games in the series. Read it here; it's packed with awesome insight (and GIFs!) for hardcore players. Have an excellent weekend!
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 04:48 pm
ArenaNet has released the launch trailer for Guild Wars 2's first expansion, Heart of Thorns, which launches in just under a month on October 23. Check out the video below, which appears to use in-game assets instead of a more Blizzard-style CG approach. Whatever the case, people are loving it. As previously announced, Heart of Thorns adds a new Maguuma Jungle zone, an expanded progression system, more abilities (such as hang-gliding), a new Revenant profession, guild halls, and a new PvP Stronghold mode, among other things. The base Guild Wars 2 game recently became free, but Heart of Thorns is a paid expansion available by itself or through various bundles. Pre-purchasing any version of Heart of Thorns grants you guaranteed access to all beta weekend events leading up to release. In other recent news, ArenaNet has announced the voice talent for Heart of Thorns, which includes Destiny and Uncharted actor Nolan North. He plays the expansion's main antagonist, Mordremoth.
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 04:30 am
 Microsoft drops a bunch of Xbox deals, the PC is no longer the most popular platform among kids, and Lionhead Studios say they are not working on Fable 4.
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 03:24 am
Originally slated to launch in 2015 before being pushed to 2016, Mega Man and Dead Rising designer Keiji Inafune's platformer Mighty No. 9 now has an official release date. Publisher Deep Silver and developer Comcept announced on Friday that the game will launch in the Americas on February 9, 2016 and in the rest of the world on February 12. That release date applies to the physical and digital versions of the game for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U. The game will be available digitally only for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Digital versions of the game for PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS are also in the works, but are without release dates.     In the game--which was funded on Kickstarter--you play as a robot named Beck who is the only one not infected by a mysterious virus that makes everyone else go crazy. For lots more on Mighty No. 9, which is getting its own live-action movie, be sure to read GameSpot's in-depth interview with Inafune. A demo for Mighty No. 9 was supposed to be available for backers on September 15, but it has been delayed. Comcept has apologized for the delay, but has not announced a new release date for it. The developer has, however, confirmed that the demo's time limit has been dropped. In addition to Mighty No. 9, Inafune is working on a new Xbox One exclusive.
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 02:45 am
 GameSpot and Kinda Funny combine their unique sets of skills to rescue hostages and take down terrorists. Brought to you by Ubisoft.
By Anonymous on Sep 26, 2015 02:11 am
The first volume of Afro Samurai 2 has so many problems that aren't just glaring, but offensive, be it to your eyes, ears, or moral sensibilities, that no one will finish this slog without something to complain about. Revenge of Kuma is the first game in the episodic follow-up to 2009's well-received Afro Samurai. Like its predecessor, it portrays a society that embodies an unusual mix of samurai and hip-hop cultures. The soundtrack's strong beats and confident rhymes set the mood as you clash swords over the course of your journey, but any goodwill earned by Revenge of Kuma's tone is rapidly discounted when you try to engage with it on any other level. The game introduces neophytes to Jinno, an orphan-turned-martial-artist who failed to take his own life in the first Afro Samurai game. He's been rebuilt as the bionic warrior, Kuma, who dons the head of a stuffed bear. Goofy headgear aside, Kuma has potential on a conceptual level: more machine than man, he is insusceptible to the dark temptations that surround him. This potential is never realized. Revenge of Kuma is anything but subtle.Your interest in Kuma's character is lost the moment Afro Samurai 2 attempts to explore the depths of his past. As you traverse Kuma's old stomping grounds, you're meant to confront the phantoms of those he's lost. It's an emotionally ripe setup, but when your mission objective is so literal--"Confront the reality that everyone you love is dead, and their memories are all you have"--there's nothing to glean from walking in Kuma's shoes. You walk up to characters frozen in time while shrill screams fill the air, one after another. Revenge of Kuma doesn't go to the trouble of working for your sympathy; it naively demands it. The script at large is drowned in impish indulgences, including references to modern-day celebrities--musician Drake and former boxer Mike Tyson come up in conversation--and needless, rampant swearing. I have no problem with such language in principle, but like Moira Burton in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, Afro Samurai 2's script is soured by this forced edginess. Afro Samurai 2 needlessly objectifies women for the sake of nothing but titillation and attitude. The reverb from this particular blare of ignorance is deafening.
One scene in particular stands out as egregiously offensive and juvenile. Upon entering a bar filled with women in g-strings (and nothing else), you're confronted by slow zooms and pans on a stripper in the center of the room. An equally-naked DJ calls for your head, but not before the camera shifts to a close-up of her exposed, undulating body. This scene is justified by the plot as a place where men gather, but that premise--because the setting could have been a number of other less salacious locations--is a farce. There's no explicit need to showcase nipples for minutes on end for the story to accomplish its goal. To add insult to injury, upon meeting your mark after your battle with the DJ, he repeatedly refers to her as "that dead bitch." Afro Samurai 2 needlessly objectifies women for the sake of nothing but titillation and attitude. The reverb from this particular blare of ignorance is deafening. No, I'm not referring to the soundtrack, which is the only thing resembling "good" in the game. Elsewhere, Afro Samurai 2's audio can be literally painful. There are countless moments when one character or sound effect becomes many times louder than anyone or anything else, leading to extreme discomfort. While I may not have picked up on the nuanced lyrics as I engaged in combat, the soundtrack got under my skin, instilling bravado in ways the game otherwise fails to do, fleeting as it is. I don't feel so good.I wish I could say that its combat mechanics shine through as an exception to Afro Samurai 2's myriad problems, but they're as sloppy and incoherent as the rest of the game. You primarily use one button to create simple combos and another to block incoming attacks. When an enemy comes in for an attack, a button prompt appears over their head. In theory, you would have the full duration of the prompt to deflect an incoming attack, but there's instead a vague window of success within the life of a prompt. You stand a better chance of winning if you simply remain on the offensive, though the wild, needlessly acrobatic animations often take you halfway across the screen. You eventually learn special attacks that are tied to three different fighting styles, but it's a hollow system--with zero added benefit--that unnecessarily complicates things. As you engage with your enemies, you randomly earn skill points. In one fight with a few common enemies, I earned eight, and I had no idea why. The arbitrary dispersal is magnified by the fact that you only need 28 points to unlock everything under Kuma's three skill trees, though you can't unlock the final abilities in each tree because they're locked until the next episode. Just as confusing is the structure of skill trees themselves. Reaching a point on a skill path doesn't mean you can unlock the next buff or ability--the game wants you to jump to another branch of the tree first in some cases, negating the reason for the tree-like structure in the first place. Every moment brings new problems to light, and it doesn't take long before you want to put the controller down and walk away.
You probably get by now that Revenge of Kuma isn't worth your time, and I haven't even mentioned the confusing world map, the abrupt transitions between cutscenes and gameplay, the horrible frame rate, the dumbed-down boss fights, and the litany of technical glitches I encountered, including getting stuck in geometry or having to restart the game because it crashed altogether. Every moment brings new problems to light, and it doesn't take long before you want to put the controller down and walk away. Revenge of Kuma makes for a better album than a game, but I wouldn't recommend buying it for that reason either, since you're required to suffer the game to listen to music that's trapped within. In the words of Revenge of Kuma: Confront the reality that everything you loved about the first Afro Samurai game is dead, and your memories are all you have.
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