Sunday 24 February 2013

Marvel Heroes MMO coming soon!


Been waiting for the Marvel Heroes MMO game ever since I heard about it...and it's coming out in the next few months!

Developed by one of the original geniuses behind Diablo 1 & 2, this game bears plenty of similarities with those. For me it reminds me a lot of the X-Men Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance games. But it's gonna be much bigger since this is a MMO.

I have never played a MMO before so quite excited to see how this turns out. Game is completely free-to-play but if you want to unlock costumes and heroes from the start, you can purchase them at different prices for various amounts of content. At the moment, there are some exclusive content only if you purchase the Ultimate Pack at US$200. Hefty price but pretty worth it especially with the permanent 5% Bonus XP and item find. You even get your name into the game's credits! Pretty Cool!

Still deciding which hero I should play if I get the Ultimate Pack. 
Black Panther is pretty cool and I have always liked his look, despite him not being one of the more popular heroes. Good thing is that I won't be seeing too many Black Panthers running around the world. But if I pay US$200 and not play one of the more exclusive characters, it might make me feel it wasn't worth it. 

Deadpool in his pirate costume would be a better choice. His pirate costume is one of the enhanced costumes where it has enhanced effect, voiceovers etc. Would definitely make game-play more entertaining, definitely more so with Deadpool.



Of course, there is Thor, Hawk-Eye, Hulk among many others.. So, anyone else looking to get the game?

Source: Marvel Heroes Official Site

Django Unchained stole my name!


Watched Django Unchained yesterday and it was pretty good. Reminded me a little of Red Dead Redemption.. Not saying the movie copied the game but I just got reminded of RDR during certain scenes. Especially when the "Doctor" and Django went into the bar early on in the movie, and the bartender ran out.. I swear I could have heard him shout, "Help! I'm Herbet Moon!"

Of course, Django, should definitely have activated his "Dead-Eye" skill whenever there is a shootout. How else would he have been as good a gun-slinger like John Marston.

But wtf man.. they stole my name for Jamie Foxx's character, DJango. My PSN nick is Jengoboy and I go by the username "Dr_Jengo" on some forums. Wife was playfully teasing me about the name before the movie.

There was a scene in the movie where the name was highlighted.. "DJango.. The D is silent".
Well if you ask me, I'll tell you, "Jengo.. There is no D".

Photo Source: Joblo

Monday 18 February 2013

Trailer for Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2

So it's finally here.. Until a few days ago, I was thinking that the new season would be starting this week  but it was only the release of the trailer.. Still gotta wait a while more before we can say "It has begun!".

So here's the trailer..

All kinds of high-octane action but somehow it has produced more 'huhs' rather than "wows" from me.

Firstly I don't recognise who a lot of the characters are. Initially, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Stryker, Liu Kang all didn't look anything familiar. Bald Shang Tsung? The first season had characters that I immediately recognise.

Not trying to put down the trailer though. I'm definitely excited about it.. Liu Kang, bad-guy? There will be a lot of action and I'm sure that Season 2 will be a hit. It's just that I spent more time trying to figure who's who rather than enjoying the action during my first view.

So definitely can't wait for the Tournament to begin and there's still no release date as of yet..

Friday 15 February 2013

Valentine's Day Skins for Borderlands 2!

Quick update before I'm off for my stay-cation..

Gearbox has announced some shift codes to celebrate Valentine's Day or Loverpalooza.

You will receive a special skin for each character as well as a "special version of Moxxi's Heart Breaker shotgun that will be the same level as (and appear in the backpack of) the first character you load after redeeming the code".


The codes will only be valid through Feb 17, 2013 so grab them before they are gone.

PC / Mac Loverpalooza SHiFT Code: W3KJ3-69JR5-9CXT3-JTJJT-WSCK5
Xbox 360 Loverpalooza SHiFT Code: W3W3B-BHX9K-3TSTX-WXJ3J-XCHKH
PlayStation 3 Loverpalooza SHiFT Code: WJCJJ-HCBFB-CCKC3-H3CJT-6FBHW


Here's my Salvador in his "Pink Eyes" Outfit


Enjoy your weekend and I'll be back on Monday!

Source: Gearbox Software Official Facebook Page

Monday 11 February 2013

Updates from McFarlane's Assassin's Creed Figure Line

So the updates are here!

ToyArk has uploaded several pics from McFarlane's booth and plenty of updates from the new Assassins Creed Figure License they have newly acquired.. 



Was a little pissed that McFarlane has gotten the license for this, and it looks almost confirmed that NECA doesn't have the license anymore as no pics on AC Figures have been released as well no statement assuring fans that they still have the license, makes me pretty sure only McFarlane has the license now..

However, their figures seem to be winning me over, before I can say "Fuck you, McFarlane!" From the pic above, it seems likely that McFarlane will be doing figures of past Assassins as well as Aveline and Nikolai. My biggest issue with McFarlane taking the license for AC3 was that I thought they will be continuing where NECA left off, leaving inconsistency in the figures. If they are going to figures of all Assassins, past and present, that will ease my worry. I did in fact state that I would like to see figures of other Assassins apart from the main ones in my Top 5 Wants for 2013.

The line looks to be promising with plenty of characters planned but it seems like face sculpts will need major improvement by the time the figures release sometime in August 2013.

Source: ToyArk

Waiting for news from ToyFair 2013

Watching a Man Utd game while waiting for some updates and news from ToyFair 2013..

There's been plenty of updates already but nothing particularly that interests me..I'm looking for figures from some of my favourite games and companies..

Mortal Kombat from Jazwares? What's the update on NECA's license for Assassin's Creed figures? Confirmed line-up of McFarlane's Assassin's Creed 3 line, as much as I'm pissed they are getting the license? Hoping to see something interesting!

Sunday 10 February 2013

Playing Borderlands Legends

Really enjoyed the Borderlands games so I wanted to try Borderlands Legends, the iPhone game.

The game's pretty good! Don't expect high-paced FPS action though. This isn't a simplified version of the usual Borderlands games that we have played. It's a top-down strategy game.

Something that looks like this.
Unlike the console games where you control 1 character, here you control all 4. The 4 characters from the first Borderlands game. As always, the vault hunters are still exploring Pandora, looting cash, gaining exp and upgrading equipment..

So how do we play?
After a training level, players are thrown onto a map..
You will get a couple of seconds to move your vault hunters into position. With each character's own strengths and weaknesses, it will be up to you to decide the "formation" you prefer. There isn't much customization and choice of weapons so each player's "formation" probably wouldn't differ much. Mordecai best works as a sniper(long range) and Brick is best put in front of the line. 

Their selection of weapons doesn't help either. Each character will only be able to use a specific set of weapons.. Brick- Shotguns, Roland- Assault Rifles, Lilith- SMGs, Mordecai- Sniper Rifles.. So let's say you decide to put Brick at the back, he will basically not shoot at anyone at all.

Early stages are more forgiving. You will still be able to complete stages just huddling all 4 chars together. Latter stages will need better strategizing..

After the few seconds of lead time, red indicators will appear, indicating the locations where the enemies will enter the map..

Adjust the formation should you require before the monsters come streaming in. 

Each character also comes with their own set of skills which you can unlock as you level up. Some are active skills which can give you a temporary boost during battle. Use them at the right time and it can help you overturn the odds. Others are passive where you can increase critical hit chance, boost health and armour etc. 

Brick's Skill Tree
All active skills will be available for use once you have unlocked. Use them to your advantage!

As you complete maps, you will earn cash to buy better equipment, weapons and shields. 

However, there are only a couple  of maps which you will keep repeating. Controls can get a bit hard when things get a bit chaotic. Sometimes characters don't move to the spot you want them to and switching between heroes can get a bit messy. These issues are mostly because of the small iPhone screen rather than the game itself, might be easier on an iPad, I dunno.. Gun upgrades are only available at the Vending Machine. There are no gun drops, only cash drops but it seems like they will be adding this feature in an upcoming patch.

Overall, it's a good game and worth the price. Am really enjoying it. One of the best part is that you can play it offline. Several of my iPhone games are turn-based so I will need to be connected to 3G or Wifi to play them. Considering the 3G network is getting increasingly suckier (ever since 4G was launched), it's great to have a game to play on the go. Hope to see more updates or maybe even a Borderlands Legends 2 in the future!

There is in fact a new patch coming out for the game, fixing some of the issues mentioned above. Do check it below.



Thursday 7 February 2013

Assassin's Creed Figures from McFarlane!

Saw this news and got a little excited initially.. 

Assassins Creed III Figures From McFarlane Toys

But then it struck me.. Does that mean that NECA lost the Assassin's Creed License?

I have the entire collection of Assassin's Creed figures from NECA. From the first Altair from AC1 till the AC: Revelations Ezio 2-pack. The collection has grown pretty huge and I'm really proud of them. Now McFarlane taking the license for AC 3 figures.. 

What I hate about collections is inconsistency.. Of course, it still seems uncertain if the license is exclusive to McFarlane or if McFarlane will be doing the AC3 figures along with NECA's own line. I'm hoping it's the latter. I would definitely not say no to more Assassin's Creed figures! It will be really frustrating if NECA loses the rights to continue the Assassin's Creed figures..

I have posted on their Facebook pages to try and get more info so I'll update this page if I get any news.. Meanwhile let's take a look at the McFarlane figures..

This is the image that popped up on BBTS..



So we see Connor and Hatham Kenway. The bottom right is of "RATONHNHAKÉ:TON" which is actually Connor in the "Tyranny of King George" DLC. The last figure will be a mystery for now. My first guess was Altair (Old man) but the image says "Silhouette is not of actual character" so it may not be him. 

BBTS is taking pre-order for only these four figures with an expected release date of July 2013 however in the link below, it says that "Series 1 will include AC3's Connor, Haytham Kenway, and five other figures." Hopefully we will see more updates and confirmations, including a confirmation if NECA still has the license, in the upcoming ToyFair 2013.


More pics on the Connor Figure..


Sources : Ign, Toynewsi

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Funny how this showed up..

Assassin's Creed considered co-op, but it 'didn't fit' the story.

Funny how this article showed up on Joystiq one day after my post about seeing co-op in future Assassin's Creed games. You can read about it at the bottom..

The article talks about how Ubisoft felt that Co-Op wouldn't fit in the Desmond-Animus storyline...

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD...


LEAVE IF YOU DON'T WANT ASSASSIN'S CREED 3 SPOILT FOR YOU...


LEAVE..


STILL HERE???


OK READ ON THEN...


Well my guess still stands... co-op didn't fit in the storyline.. Oookaaayy... But now that Desmond is dead.. There could be a new storyline.. One that has Co-Op fitting in.. 

Last we saw in AC3 was Juno saying it was time for her do her part.. She might probably the new Antagonist in the future games and Assassins have to work together to stop her.. The article somehow just affirms my belief that Co-Op in Assassin's Creed games will be the future..

Logitech Giving Away 30k Shift Codes for PC/MAC

Damn you PC/MAC Borderlands 2 owners!



Logitech is giving away 30,000 Borderlands 2 Shift Codes for PC/MAC. Each shift code entitles you to not 1, not 2 but 5 Golden Keys! Lucky you! Wish they had 1 for console players.

Click the link to see how to get the codes.

Monday 4 February 2013

Thoughts on Assassin's Creed 3 and Co-op in the future?

Finished Assassin's Creed 3 some time back so just wanted to share my thoughts..

No spoilers..

I have been playing the Assassin's Creed games ever since the first one. With 4 games in 4 years, many would have been bored of the series already. 

Sure, the core game-play has pretty much been the same. Combating is still about Counter, Parry, Disarm, Assassinate.. But the inclusion of the Tomahawk has been a masterpiece. Combat with the Tomahawk has been so stylish that it almost entirely replaced the Hidden Blade for me. The Bow and Arrow is another handy weapon to remain stealthy in long-range situations. Finally the Rope Dart which I can swear I heard, "Get over here!" each time I use it. Pulling mid-range opponents closer to you or breaking a rifleman's aim were some of the very memorable combat moments I had in AC3. Personally I felt combat has become easier now or maybe my Assassin skills are at their peak now..

It's still about running over obstacles and rooftops but free-running seems a lot more smoother now. With the frontier now a huge part of the environment, it's not always about jumping from building to building. 

I didn't particularly enjoy the hunting missions and I felt AC3 was trying too much to be an open-world game. Too much Red Dead Redemption similarities here... In fact I didn't do any side hunting missions apart from the ones in the main storyline. But in my quest for 100% and hopefully a plat, I will be doing them in my 2nd play-through and maybe I might be a bit more convinced then.

However the naval missions were a master class! I didn't particularly enjoy most of the extra gameplay that the Assassin's Creed games have offered and I was dreading these extra missions. I was wrong, but that's a good thing. Again, I didn't try many side missions as I was focusing on the main story in my first play-through. The ones I tried in the main story were excellent. There wasn't too much sailing around to make it feel boring. Any sailing was about navigating through rocky waters and everything else was about action, action and more action. Blasting and firing at other ships and watching them sink to their doom were very satisfying..

Multiplayer is also pretty much the same. If you never liked the previous games' Multiplayer, you still wouldn't like. It is something different from the regular FPS and TPS Multiplayer games so it's definitely worth trying out if you haven't. I have to give credit to Ubisoft for sticking to their style of Multiplayer which is rather unique.

What got me thinking was the Wolfpack mode. Human allies versus AI targets. The game-play is simple. Kill all AI targets within a time limit. The faster you kill, the more time you have for the next level. Could this be a test on Assassin's Creed co-op in a future game?

We have already seen Assassins engaging the help of other AI allies and recruited Assassins since AC Brotherhood.These AI allies can be called to take out unsuspecting guards or provide help when there are too many guards on you. This was in Single Player.

Online, you team up with others to take out other human opponents. Of course sometimes, it becomes a game of cat-and-mouse with attackers and targets running all over the place. With the latest entry, it's human vs AI in the wolf-pack mode. There is even a private lobby where you can just invite friends. Coincidence much? Read on..

What if all these were small tests on the gaming community to see how we enjoy and react to the different modes? What if we replace the AI allies in Singleplayer with Human allies? What if you co-ordinate attacks with your friends? Friend A and B can distract the guards while Friend C goes for the kill. Yes, that can already be done with AI but wouldn't it be more satisfying doing it with friends? 

There is a vast difference between playing alongside AI and playing with real human buddies. Working on timing, co-ordination to get the perfect kill.. Think about it, you just might see it in the next Assassin's Creed game..
---

I wanted to write about thought on the franchise as a whole but this post got rather long, so I'll leave it for another day on another post..

Saturday 2 February 2013

Pre-ordered my Stuff at the God of War: Ascension Pre-order Event!

There was a God of War: Ascension Pre-order Event yesterday evening over in Singapore.

Of course with all the freebies being given out, I decided to head over there to pre-order my copy. I thought that with an event and all, it was going to be happening..

Went there early with my wife for dinner and decided to pop by Funzcentre Orchard just in case there was a queue starting to form. Nothing.. A huge empty space in front of the store.. Still early I thought.. But when we went back after dinner, still nothing. Not even a queue.

Rather disappointing, I was half-expecting a huge prop with a bed in the centre. Some big muscular bald guy dressed as Kratos with 2 topless ladies lying in bed with him.. a chubby bald guy painted like Kratos with 2 foam Chaos Blades to be there at the event. The place looked like any other day.

However, it seemed like the other venue, Sony Wisma Atria had something going on as posted by Playstation Asia on their facebook. Or maybe that's in Malaysia. I can't tell from the pic.. 

Oh well, at least I got what I came for and I didn't have to queue for long. 2 Pre-orders in for the Limited Dualshock bundle with the freebies. Also got these 2 copies of the God of War Saga at SGD$9.90 each. That's a good deal!



Now just to wait for Kratos' Ascension in March..

Friday 1 February 2013

GTA V postponed to Sep 17 2013!

Saw this late last night..



My first reaction was "Damn! That's a long wait.. I'm not going to have any games to play after May!

Then after it sank in, it was a blessing in disguise. I'm planning to get God of War Ascension, Army of Two Devil's Cartel and Dead Island Riptide in the coming few months.. These games should pretty much fill my time.. and with all of them having Multiplayer in some form or another, I would like to spend some time with them.

Besides, I do have a small pile of backlog games that I have yet to touch plus I'm still not done with Max Payne 3 in any way.. These games should be more than enough till September and I'm almost forgetting my wish of playing through GTA IV and the Episodes again before GTA V is out..

Long wait? More like September is too soon! But of course, I would still love to get on GTA V asap!

So how does the delay suit you guys? Do comment below! Till next time, Chiku Chiku Enjoy!