Wednesday 29 May 2013

The Last of Us Preview Event in Singapore

Had the privilege of attending the The Last of Us event held in Singapore earlier. The event was hosted by Playstation Asia together with Gamespot Asia at Wisma Atria, Sony Outlet. Went there with an old friend, Jazz, I met on the GameAxis forums.
 
The 1 1/2 hour event started off with Playstation Asia staff showing us the actual contents of the Special Edition and Collector's Edition. (See my previous post regarding the details).

Thankfully, we were allowed to take pictures of the contents..

Full-sized Artbook, Mini Artbook and Steelbook
Comic
Full-Sized Artbook again
and of course my favourite.. the Diorama Statue featuring Joel and Ellie!
Great detail on the Statue, it was definitely the highlight at the display. A really stunning piece, not many CE statues come close to the detail of this. The gas mask you see at the back of Joel is move-able but don't think it can be taken out. Upon lifting it up, it isn't exceptionally heavy but does not look cheap at all.

Not sure if we are getting the backdrop featured in the pic, but if it's included in the CE, it will make a fantastic display.

So.. after checking out the CE contents, we got to see the game itself. No pics or video of the game-play though. Couldn't risk getting kicked out halfway during the event.. haha!

Demo-ed by one of the Playstation staff, we were able to see some puzzle-solving elements, various methods of taking out enemies such as Infected and hostile humans, and even how to take out booby traps laid out for the unsuspecting player.

Players will also be able to activate a mode to find enemies behind walls. Game-play is not all about running and gunning down your opponents. In fact, you will hardly be able to do that based on what I have seen so far. Players will have very limited ammo so you will have to choose wisely when to use your ammo. There are several other ways of taking down the opponents, like stealth kills and good old-fashioned melee kills, which involves smashing their heads in with a metal pipe.

Preserve your ammo as much as possible was the mantra the presenter kept reminding us. In this aspect, the game was quite alike the old Resident Evil games where you had to use what little weapons/ammo available to you, to the best of their abilities.

Another game that The Last of Us was likened to was Dead Island. Players will also be required to scavenge for various parts that will enable you to modify your weapon.

Controls seem a little clunky though. With free aim, it was extremely hard to get the headshots in. This was evident in the hardest part of the demo, which will probably pose a challenge to many. While being hung upside down, Joel will have to fend off several Infected with a gun. Another thing to note; you will have to protect Ellie at all times, it's Game over if either one of you die.

So, hopefully we might see some improvement during the final release with a day 1 patch. Or maybe it was meant to be like that to give you a more realistic feel.

All-in-all, the game looks pretty good. The Last of Us was developed by Naughty Dog, the same company that brought us the Uncharted series. I have never played the Uncharted games though so I'm definitely interested in picking this one up. Wasn't sure about getting this on Day 1 but I'm a lot more convinced now.

The event itself was a positive. There were probably less than 30 attendees and the friendly staff were more than willing to give us more info on the game and demo another 2 PS Vita Titles. One of the questions posed to us was if we wanted to see a developer attending any future events and of course that was a "Yes" for most of us. 

Overall I felt the event went along smoothly. Hope to see more events like this in the future but there was a downside.. Not to be a whiner but the freebies were a huge disappointment! The freebies that were advertised turned out to be a Soul Sacrifice plastic folder and a Portable Cleaner (those stuff that you use to wipe your Handphone screens with, I presume).

I mean come on, it is a The Last of Us event after-all. Why couldn't they have given out something related to the game? Playstation Asia is bringing this event to several other countries so they could have mass-produced something to be given out at all the events. Heck, even a TLOU T-Shirt would have been fine. What has a Soul Sacrifice folder got to do with a TLOU Preview Event?!

Pics anyway..

Hope you had had fun reading this post.. It's late here and I'm tired. Not going to do a check before posting this up so excuse all grammar, spelling, punctuation (what else is there..) errors. Will do an edit tomorrow..

Edit: All checked, should be fine now.. I hope..
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Edit: Here's a pic of the Dawn of the Wolf postcards that will be included in the CE. 

The pic was taken by Boinkzoink from the CE forums, another local who attended the event.  There is an Easter Egg regarding these in the game according to Playstation Asia.

(pic courtesy of Boinkzoink from the CE forums)

It's anyone's guess what this Easter Egg is about. Some kind of DLC? A parody of the Dawn of the Dead? 

I remember watching a very old movie about a guy injecting a serum into himself to become a Werewolf to fight off Nazi mutants. So maybe Joel became a Werewolf to fight off the Infected? Who's that girl with him then? Doesn't look like a grown-up Ellie to me.. Any guesses?


Tuesday 28 May 2013

Got my Invite to The Last of Us Event in Singapore

Got my sms and e-mail invite to attend the event later tonight here in Singapore. Will get to try out The Last of Us and get some freebies for attending so will update the blog with pics and thoughts on the game later tonight..

Anyone else attending? Do drop me a message so we can say hi later!

Wow! Shortest post..

Weekly PlayAsia Deals (May 28 - June 4)

This week's PlayAsia Deals are out!

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (US$19.90) - Buy Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3)/ Buy Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Xbox360 & Kinect)
Quite a decent game from what I have seen, price makes it a little more convincing. This is one game I'm considering getting.. not because I'm hugely interested in it.. but because I need a reason to buy the Ghost Recon figurine.. 
Pretty cool, don't you think? I have mentioned before I'm a fan of the UbiCollectibles statue line that includes most of the Assassin's Creed figures as well as several other Ubisoft published games but I don't want to buy a figure, for the sake of it. So hopefully, I would like to get the game and have some connection to it as well as the figurine itself.

The Walking Dead - A TellTale Games Series (US $21.90) - Buy The Walking Dead - A TellTale Games Series (PS3)
This game was nominated for 2012 Game of the Year and not without a reason. One of the best games adapted from comics. I have a friend telling me how good this game is. Might consider getting this too. 

Like always, more deals on the right to check out...

Sunday 26 May 2013

Mother of all Collectors' Editions!

Ever thought a particular Collector's Edition was very pricey? Ever thought some of the Collector's Editions you own are huge? Let me tell you my friend.. you have seen nothing yet!

Was browsing through the CE forums this morning when I saw this article. At £125,000 the Grid 2: Mono Edition is the most expensive Collector's/Special Edition ever made. It will probably hold this title for quite a  while I suppose..

So what is in this edition that makes up the price?

For £125,000 this Mono Edition contains 
- A BAC Mono SuperCar in exclusive Grid 2 Livery (Holy smokes! A actual car!)
- A day at the BAC factory which includes a factory tour and time spent with technicians to customise the BAC Mono for size and specifications (Fully Customized!)
A Grid 2: Mono Edition branded Bell Racing helmet
Race suit, boots & gloves all made to measure in BAC Mono and GRID 2 branding
- A PS3 copy of the Grid 2 game (It is after all a VideoGame Collector's Edition, in case you forgot)
- A PS3 Console (Just in case, you decide to buy this Edition but you don't have a PS3 to play the game.. They got you covered..)

Oh and 1 more thing.. There is only 1 Edition of this..


Anyone fancy this? 

I'm not quite sure how much a SuperCar generally costs in the UK or cars in general.. but I can imagine that they aren't as costly as what they cost right here in Singapore..


Anyway.. coming back to the topic.. you can check out the full details on the Mono Edition here
If you do get this, I'd be glad to have you a do review of it on my blog... I'm serious!

For an Edition like this, naming it Mono Edition doesn't seem to appropriate.. They should have named it Grid 2: Real Fucking Car Edition!

Source: CE.org

Friday 24 May 2013

Full set of Infamous Cole Statue Variants!

After more than a year and a half searching high and low for these, I finally got them!

Once thought, it was virtually impossible to get these, I finally have them in my collection. These were mostly given out in a IGN competition and some of the Evil Cole ones in a Sucker Punch competition and I'm sure there aren't many of these around.

The Cole Statue (in the middle) is from the Hero Edition and I already had that when Infamous 2 came out. So, the Evil Cole (Left) and Good Cole (Right) statues are the new additions..

They look real awesome together.. Just some info for those who haven't played the Infamous games.. the appearance of the character, Cole, changes according to your decisions. Bad actions will change Cole's rating to Evil and vice versa for Good actions. Along with the appearance, you also get a different set of skills depending on which side of the fence you choose. So that's the reasoning behind the variant statues.

Some comparison pics to show the differences between the 3..

  
  
  
  
  

Hope you liked the pics..You can click on the pics to enlarge them. I'm very happy to finally have them and I have to say a huge thanks to my friend, Daniel from the CE forums who helped forward the Evil and Good Cole statues to me. Wouldn't have them without his help.

Just 1 more pic.. a "Face-Off" between the three..


GTA V Collector's Editions Revealed!

The Collector's Editions for Grand Theft Auto V have been officially revealed! 

In fact, there's going to be a Special Edition and a upgraded Collector's Edition.


The contents for the Special Edition was actually leaked on a few sites a while back, and the leak looks pretty accurate but the "Online Store Benefits" doesn't seem to be existent in the official announcement.

I was actually expecting myself to rave about how awesome the Collector's Editions for GTA V are. Some of my close friends know that I'm a huge GTA and Rockstar fan that even the slightest cool thing about the CE would have me going crazy about how awesome it is. I would probably be biased. Some would call me a fan-boy rather than a hardcore fan, but that's how biased I am to Rockstar and not only for GTA.. but all their other games.

However, after seeing the announcement, I'll be lying if I say I'm very happy with the contents. In fact, I'm very disappointed. There's nothing really exciting in terms of physical content. Security Deposit Bag? Havent we already seen a Security Deposit Box in GTA IV's Collector's Edition? For all their creativity and the super-fantastic promo items they usually release, all they can think of including in the CE is a Security Deposit Bag?

Couldn't they have added fake Gold Bars? Bag of notes? Or if they really wanted to keep with the Security Deposit theme... maybe a replica Security Deposit Locker instead?

I mean the theme of GTA V is about bank heists after all.. Maybe some of these might turn up as merchandise but they could have included 1 or 2 in the CE. Then there is a a cap, not my kinda thing.

There is a physical map as well but all the previous GTA games had that in the disc case as well so that was expected,

However, the CE isn't all disappointing. There is plenty of bonus in-game content included. 4 for the Special Edition and 6 for the Collector's Edition.

1) Stunt Plane Trials (Both Special Edition and Collectors Edition)
2) Bonus Outfits, Tattoos and more (Both Special Edition and Collectors Edition)
3) Custom Characters for GTA Online (Collectors Edition Only)
4) Special Ability Bonus (Both Special Edition and Collectors Edition)
5) Unique Vehicles and Garage Property (Collectors Edition Only)
6) Additional Weapons (Both Special Edition and Collectors Edition)

All pre-orders will also grant you access to the Atomic Blimp in-game vehicle.
Looks quite similar to the Bioshock Zeppelin. I will gladly swap that for this one if they do make a replica!

Content-wise is pretty cool especially the Stunt Plane Trials and Custom Characters for GTA online. Definitely looks like the SE and CE is focusing more on the in-game content rather than physical stuff but they are rather pricey at US$79.99 for the SE and US149.99 for the CE. Notably, the CE is a tiered up version of the SE so you can just choose one. 

But of course, even though I have huge complaints about the content and price... Rockstar is still Rockstar, GTA is still GTA and Me being Me... I'll be getting the Collector's Edition..
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See source for full details..
Source: Rockstar Games

Monday 20 May 2013

The Last of Us Pre-Order Bonuses and Collectors Editions for Singapore Revealed!

Looks like Playstation Asia are getting on the bandwagon for pre-order bonuses. 

One of my biggest complaints as a gamer and collector in Singapore is that we hardly get any pre-order bonuses from local stores. Unlike retailers in United States, countries in Europe and Australia who hand out plenty of pre-order bonuses, local retailers don't have much to offer. Of course, the reasons why it isn't feasible to have such a policy in Singapore are plenty, some more valid than others.

Whatever the case, it's great to see Playstation Asia adding pre-order bonuses for their games, after the God of War promo they did a few months back. 

So what are they giving it out for pre-ordering The Last of Us?

A Limited Edition T-Shirt and an Umbrella!
Not sure what's on the back of the T-Shirt and I can't figure out what that thing on the umbrella is.. but still great to have something to show for pre-ordering.

The Umbrella will be given for all The Last of Us pre-orders at any Playstation Focus Shops. For the T-Shirt, you will need to place a pre-order on the Collectors Edition. Of course, while stocks last.

These are the 3 different editions available at local stores.

Steelbook Edition (SGD $69.90): Will come with a Steelbook as shown above and a Naughty Dog Interactive Sticker Sheet.

Special Edition (SGD $94.90): Comes with the Steelbook and Sticker Sheet like the Steelbook Edition. There's also a Mini Artbook, Mini Comic, Dualshock 3 Skin, Postcard Set, Sights and Sounds DLC pack and Joel and Ellie sackboy costumes for LittleBigPlanet.

The Collectors Edition is the big one but comes at a price. At SGD $219, you get an upgrade to a Full-Size Comic and a Full-Size Artbook. Steelbook, Dualshock 3 Skin, Postcard Set, Sights and Sounds DLC Pack and the LittleBigPlanet Costumes are all in there. 

There is also a Survival DLC pack exclusive to the Collectors Edition and the highlight... a 12 inch Premium Statue by Project Triforce. They make some really good quality statues so fans of the game will really want to pick this one up.

For the full details and a list of the Playstation Focus Shops that are giving out the Pre-Order bonuses, check out their official site here.
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On another note, if you are interested in trying out The Last of Us before it's release, GameSpot Asia is hosting a special fan event on 28 May, 6pm -7.30pm right here in Singapore. All you have to do is register your details here. Attendees will also receive limited The Last of Us premiums

I registered and I'm hoping to be selected. If you are attending as well, do drop a comment below and hope we can catch up at the event!


Sunday 19 May 2013

Fantastic Deal for Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel is on sale now at only US$28.90 (Approx SGD $36). This is for the XBox 360 version. Great price for a relatively new game. Grab it if you are interested in the game! 

Sill lots of stock left but it seems to be grabbed up pretty fast. Usually they don't restock once the allocated number is sold.

Buy Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel (Overkill Edition) (Xbox360)

Assassin's Creed Movie dated for May 22 2015

Just as I was wondering about updates from the Assassin's Creed movie, this news comes up. 

 The Assassin's Creed movie has been slated to be released on May 22nd 2015. That's about 2 years from now.. A Super Long Wait.. 

For those who are wondering which Assassin's Creed game they will be adapting from.. Variety reports that the movie will be about "a man who learns his ancestors were trained assassins after he is kidnapped by a secret org with ties to the Knights Templar, and sent back in time to retrieve historical artifacts". Well, that sounds a lot like the events in Assassin's Creed 1.

Sounds good.. Ubisoft is apparently very involved in the making of the movie so that may or may not be a good thing. Remains to be seen but I'm definitely excited for this. It's definitely great to see a game I love being adapted into a film. I'm definitely hoping and wishing that it will be a success so we can see more Assassin's Creed movies and that will definitely be good for the franchise as a whole..

Source: Joystiq

Opening up the Package..

Remember that box I teased at the end of this post.. Managed to get some time to take pics over the past few days..

Before that, here's the teaser pic again..

So.. let's get to the actual items..

The 3 boxes stacked in the middle are the Grand Theft Auto Kubrick Sets.
Rockstar had a 15% sale on all their Kubrick sets recently and had stock on all three. Shipping directly to Singapore would have cost a bomb so a friend helped me buy and ship it over to me.

I wasn't a big fan of these figures before this. I would have preferred to have action figures or statues of the GTA characters. Of course 1/6 Scale Figures would have been the ideal fantasy. So these Lego-Styled figures were not really my thing. 

So why did I get them? It was probably the best deal I can ever get on these sets, especially the rarer San Andreas Set. Ebay prices for some of those have gone for extravagant prices. So at 15% off US$39.99, it was a now-or-never kinda thing for me. 

Not intending to open them up yet so here are some pics I got off the Rockstar Warehouse Site..


They do have a certain appeal to them. Funny-looking figures of the past-gen GTA characters brings back so many memories.. Officer Tenpenny, Salvatore Leone, Lance Vance and even Candi Suxx may not be the protagonists but were so vital to the crazy stories of the GTA games. 

They will never ease my desperation for 1/6 scale figures of the GTA series but these will do for now I guess..

Part of the Kubrick Sets promotion was a Rockstar Keychain for every purchase of a Kubrick set or something like that. So I managed to get 3..

Rockstar building their brand name with these wonderful little merchandise with their logos. The keychain itself is rather heavy.. so some good quality stuff here I must say.. They came with some stickers as well but I let my friend have it.
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Under all that items, at the bottom of the box, was this Assassin's Creed Comic. 

Simple but cool artwork of Nikolai Orelov! This is actually one of the Variant covers for the #1 issue of the 3-part The Fall Comic series. Just thought it will be nice to have it. Still trying to get my hands on the Gamestop variant. The one above is the Target variant.
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There is yet another pair of items that were in the box. Will post them up tomorrow as there are plenty of pics that I have taken of those..