Way of the Samurai 3 coming to PC in the near future

The Way of the Samurai franchise never gets enough love. Perhaps because its experimental wackiness was first released way ahead its time, but its core concepts of morality, branching paths, brief and replayable length, and roguelike “from the beginning” approach would be much more successful in today’s market.

Back when the franchise was getting started on the PlayStation 2, even Knights of the Old Republic hadn’t introduced these ideas to console gamers yet, and many missed out.

Thankfully, fans have not forgotten, and others are stepping in to bring the older games to Steam for reevaluation. Ghostlight Interactive, the same company which ported Way of the Samurai 4, has announced plans to bring Way of the Samurai 3 to the PC in the near future.

Overview

Honor, sacrifice, betrayal… Your choices make you who you are. How will history remember you?

You must wield the sword of a mysterious lone samurai during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku era, in one of the most atmospheric action RPGs ever created.

Explore the villages, body-strewn battlefields, bandit fortresses, immense castles and local town of Amana, in an open world bustling with a rich cast of colorful characters that you can help, ignore or victimise.

Choose your friends and enemies carefully in a game where every decision has far-reaching consequences, and where finishing the game is just the beginning of your journey…

Features

• The Butterfly Effect – More than 20 different endings. Your every action, no matter how subtle or ludicrous, could set in motion a huge variety of events, allowing for huge replayability. Explore new narrative paths, reveal new allies… and enemies!
• Huge Customization – Craft your own unique weapons from over 200 different parts. Create the ultimate unbreakable weapon to suit your preferred fighting style. Forge lethal swords, spears, pole axes and more outlandish weaponry and discover hundreds of new abilities as you become a true master of each weapon!
• Reward System and Samurai Rating – Your actions and conduct will reward you with Samurai Points and Titles, all of which unlock new game features, customization options, outfits and accessories. Live as an honourable samurai, wallow in the low life of a bandit or strike your own path! Your choices lead to new endings, strange followers and other unexpected outcomes.
• The Pen Can Be Mightier Than the Sword – Fight your enemies by force or take the diplomatic route, using subtle gestures like the unsheathing of your sword or kowtowing. Featuring an extensive dialogue tree, combo system and much, much more!

Ghostlight Interactive has a long history of bringing Japanese games to Europe, and if this is a success, hopefully it will dive back into the excellent first game. Keep an eye out for this one.

source:  GEMATSU

Assassin’s Creed sale this week on PlayStation Store, Black Flag cheaper than ever

Whenever an Assassin’s Creed sale rolls around, I’m always sure to double check the price of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Why? Because that’s the one everybody swears by as being the best and the one I want to play the most.

The PlayStation Store is currently hosting a sale for the franchise, and at $9.89, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag drop so low. You’d think that without an entry in the series this year, Ubisoft would want to keep that price high for those looking to fill the void, but no. The best Assassin’s Creed is dirt cheap, and it’s available now for those who are curious.

Check out the full list of discounts below.

Platform	Title	Sale Price	Original Price
PS4	Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag Gold Edition	$16.49	$49.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Trilogy	$17.99	$24.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China	$6.99	$9.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India	$6.99	$9.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia	$6.99	$9.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry	$5.99	$14.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag	$9.89	$29.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Syndicate	$29.99	$59.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Gold Edition	$35.99	$89.99
PS4	Assassin’s Creed Unity	$19.99	$39.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Gold Edition	$15.99	$39.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Ultimate Edition	$6.99	$27.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry	$5.99	$14.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed II Ultimate Edition	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed III	$9.99	$19.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed III Ultimate Edition	$19.99	$49.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation HD	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag	$9.99	$19.99
PS3	Assassins Creed Revelations Ultimate Edition	$7.49	$29.99
PS3	Assassin’s Creed Rogue	$11.39	$29.99
PS Vita	Assassin’s Creed III Liberation	$6.74	$26.99
PSP	Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines	$4.99	$19.99

And as for the rest of the bunch, I’m sure the first one still has its “simplistic” charms, relatively speaking of course. Both Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhoodhold a place in fans’ hearts as the best received of the lot.

What will you be picking up?

SOURCE: PLAYSTATION BLOG

Metal Gear Solid fan remake has ceased development

                     

The Shadow Moses Project, which was to be a remake of the Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid, has been canceled. The team took to social media to announce this, though their announcement was vague:

The team says they have some “other news coming though,” and they have asked fans to stay tuned.

Fan remakes like this are always a risky venture when it comes to the time put in by those developing the game and the hopes and excitement of fans following it. While a few companies seem happy to let these things percolate, most notably Valve and Bethesda with the Half-Life remake Black Mesa, and the Morrowind remake called Skywind, most companies seem more focused on protecting their properties and these projects are often shut down hard and fast. While we don’t know why it was shut down quite yet, a cease and desist seems likely, as Konami’s been pretty protective of their properties as of late.

If it was indeed Konami, though, that’s a bit disappointing. While PC games like Half-Lifeand Morrowind are still available and can be installed on modern PCs, something like Metal Gear Solid, originally released on PlayStation in 1998, is lost to time until the company decides to remake or re-release it on a more modern platform, meaning there’s no money flowing to the company for them to miss out on. Konami had cheekily acknowledged the existence of the remake a few months back:

Shadow Moses’ team had been teasing a big announcement set for just a week from now, and we may never find out what they had in store. Hopefully that news is that the game is getting an official remake, or that the team is making their own stealth game, or something like that.

source: technobuffalo

Etrian Odyssey V debut trailer – It’s not easy being green

Atlus confirmed the long-rumored latest entry in the Etrian Odyssey series last week, and it has followed up with the debut trailer. For what it’s worth, if you love Etrian Odyssey and are not yet sick of the formula, you’re going to love Etrian Odyssey V.

Unlike Etrian Odyssey IV, which received a much needed graphical overhaul when Atlus brought the series to the Nintendo 3DS, Etrian Odyssey V doesn’t do anything new on the graphical or artistic front. The celebrated team behind the franchise is still cranking out adorable character art and crude monster models in the same graphic engine, and, of course, everything is still green.

Now, I’m not one to dismiss a game in a series because it looks just like the ones before it. I’ve always tried to look at each game in a series by its own merits, beyond the continuing aesthetic. However, after three games of trouncing through the forest in this same engine, the Etrian Odyssey team is really going to have to do something special with the series if it wants me to slug through another one.

This goes double after seeing what it can do with unique aesthetics, like in the marvelous Persona Q.

I’m sure it will be a solid game, but we might need to wait for the Nintendo 3DS’ successor to get something that at least looks different. Etrian Odyssey V launches for the Nintendo 3DS on Aug. 4 in Japan. No word on the localization just yet.

source: SILICONERA

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 confirmed for release this summer

After it was leaked by the developers recently, Nintendo stepped in to confirm that Inti Create’s hot sequel Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 would indeed be coming to the Nintendo 3DS this summer. You can pick it up on June 1 at a special launch discount.

This confirmation makes me wonder if Mighty No. 9 will be released by then.

Gunvolt returns to the run ‘n gun platforming genre with his electricity field and fully customizable blaster. This time, though, Copen, one of the challenging rivals from the first game, will be returning as a playable character, and he will be armed with each of the villains’ special attacks.

Inti Creates’ Azure Striker Gunvolt is a pleasant run ‘n gunner available on the Nintendo 3DS and Steam. It’s held back by rudimentary platforming design, but, otherwise, is an excellent, if slightly uninspired, blast from beginning to end. If Inti Creates properly addressed the first game’s criticisms, this should be a much more solid game.

Again, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 launches for the Nintendo 3DS on June 1.

SOURCE technobuffalo

A Statue Mario costume is now in Super Mario Maker, and it looks very silly

Tanooki Mario is one of my favorite power-ups in the Mario series. Originally appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES, Mario basically donned the full racoon suit instead of just the tail. What’s more, a sort of hidden ability was packed into the suit.

Pressing down and B turned Mario into a statue. Mario was invulnerable in this form, and it was a great way to put together strings of platforming while avoiding enemy hits late in the game.

Now, that Statue Mario is available as a costume in Super Mario Maker.  Except, well, it’s only sort of the same. An 8-bit version of Mario is peering behind the statue and carrying it when in full sprint. So ridiculous, friends.

To get the costume, all you have to do is clear the special level. It looks easy enough, too.

source: technobuffalo

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst movement and combat videos give us faith in EA’s upcoming game

The two core pillars of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst are getting around as fast as possible and kicking a lot of butt doing it.

EA studio DICE has released a pair of videos highlighting the movement and combat aspects of their upcoming run-and-punch.

The first video shows off not only how smoothly protagonist Faith moves this time around, but does a great job showing off just how beautiful the game world of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst looks. The second video pulls out of first person a bit more so we can get a look at Faith’s improved hand-to-hand abilities, centered around a lack of gunplay and a focus on fluid, smooth fighting.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst hits PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 24.

source: technobuffalo

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past’s intro remade in Unreal Engine 4

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past doesn’t need the aid of Unreal Engine 4 to be the best Legend of Zelda game. It already is.

However, seeing a classic through new eyes is always a treat. This is the latest from CryZENx, the modder behind a whole host of Nintendo characters re-rendered in Unreal Engine 4, and it is without question his best work.

It’s not the entire game, but CryZENx’s setting recreates A Link to the Past‘s masterful intro. The rain, the music, the castle flashing in the lightning blasts. In a move of utter desperation, Zelda telepathically calls out to Link’s uncle to save her from the dungeon, and the rebellious Link takes off after him into the rain-soaked night with nothing but a candle to light his path.

His adventure is only starting. Man, what a great game!

source:  DESTRUCTOID

Titanfall 2 shows up on GameStop shelves

                            

GameStop may have spoiled EA’s reveal party for Titanfall 2; though, really, who didn’t see this sequel coming?

The currently unannounced Titanfall 2 showed up in GameStop on store shelves with placeholder artwork. You can see the boxes in Twitter user @niallmaherFM’s picture, embedded below.

Titanfall 2 is definitely coming. We’ve seen leaks from almost everywhere, including toy-maker MacFarlane’s bungle a few weeks back. It was then that they said Titanfall 2 would show up alongside a line of toys later this year.

GameStop definitely jumped the gun here. Now we’re just waiting for a formal announcement from EA and Respawn.

source:  GAMESPOT

Disney Infinity 3.0 Marvel Battlegrounds adds brawling to the game

      Disney Infinity 3.0 is expanding into a whole new realm with Marvel Battlegrounds.

Disney Interactive held its first Disney Infinity Next on Tuesday to announce the launch of Marvel Battlegrounds. The new expansion will let you have a four-player, arcade brawler style fight with all of your favorite Infinity characters. You’ll be able to put them against one another in locations such as Wakanda, Knowhere and more.

Along with the new set, several new Marvel characters were announced including Black Panther, The Vision, Ant-Man, Black Suited Spider-Man and Captain America: The First Avenger. Outside of Marvel you can also keep an eye out for Zootopia’s Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, while Baloo from The Jungle Book will be joining in the fun as well.

All of the new figures will be releasing on various dates over the coming months, but you can look for the Marvel Battlegrounds expansions tarting on March 15.

source: technobuffalo

Etrian Odyssey V confirmed for a summer release in Japan

Well, toss another life-draining JRPG into the already crowded selection for this year. Atlus has finally confirmed the existence of Etrian Odyssey V in the latest issue of Famitsu, and it will be released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on Aug. 4.

No mention of an English release just yet, but I hope Atlus shows us a little mercy and pushes the game back into 2017 or at least the winter. I don’t want this competing with Dragon Quest VII.

This marks the first original entry in the main series since Etrian Odyssey IV launched to universal acclaim back in 2012. Since then, Atlus has churned out a few quality remakes and spin-offs, but fans are a little tired of dabbling in the past. The time has come to get this ball rolling again!

Atlus revealed very little on the gameplay in this latest game, but Etrian Odyssey V will be returning with a story mode with set characters. Our story takes place on the continent of Arcadia, which is broken up into “tribes.” The four characters teased come from these different tribes, and they are named Arslan, Lunaria, Celian, and Branii.

My guess is that Etrian Odyssey V will follow in the path of the remakes with both a Story Mode and Classic Mode with just the bare character development and dungeon crawling.

Etrian Odyssey V will launch in Japan on the Nintendo 3DS on Aug. 4. Again, no word on an English release, but I can only hope that Atlus has this lined up for a release alongside Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final. Just, please… take your time Atlus. No rush.

source: SILICONERA