GamerDino.com

GamerDino.com - The most passionate source of video game reviews, news and coverage!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/call-duty-advanced-warfare-dlc-arrive-2015/1409/

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare DLC to arrive in 2015

It’s just been confirmed that the upcoming DLC releases for Activision’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will not be made available earlier than 2015. Unfortunately, the publisher hasn’t specified exactly when those DLCs are going to hit the market, but hopefully that’ll be sooner rather than later in the year.

The DLC season pass, which includes four DLC packages, is currently available for purchase at $49.99. However, users can also purchase the DLCs separately, at $15 each – meaning that if you plan on getting all of the map packs (called Havoc, Ascendance, Supremacy, and Reckoning), it’ll be considerably cheaper to purchase them with the season pass. What’s more, it’s been officially confirmed that a perfectly legit Advanced Warfare Zombie mode is going to arrive at some point, though it’s currently unclear if the mode is going to introduce any new gameplay mechanics to what’s already available.

One last bit that we happen to know about Advanced Warfare’s DLCs is that they are scheduled to become available to Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles first, followed by the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC releases.

Are you looking forward to blasting your way through those brain-eaters with Advanced Warfare’s positively destructive arsenal of weapons and special abilities?

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/fix-call-duty-advanced-warfare-pre-load-cross-buy-issues/1404/

How to fix Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare pre-load and cross-buy issues

Shortly after Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s release, numerous PlayStation and Xbox users have found themselves facing issues accessing the game after having pre-loaded it, while others have reported that the cross-buy option in the PSN Store is nowhere to be found. Thankfully, these problems have been acknowledged, so we now think we have working solutions to both!

First off, there’s some good news and some bad news for those users who have pre-loaded the much-anticipated Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The good news is that you’ll most probably be able to get the game up and running after using this fix. The bad news is that you’ll have to delete the files you’ve pre-loaded, and download them again. We know, this particular issue kind of defies the purpose of the handy pre-load option, but oh well… Here’s the official solution to the Advanced Warfare pre-load issue, as per PlayStation Support:

If you pre-loaded CoD: AW and you’re experiencing issues with the game, you must delete all pre-load files from your system and re-download all Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare content.

Please ensure you download all available updates for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and your system is running the latest system software.

Re-download steps

1. Delete Pre-Load Game Content from the Dynamic Menu.

2. Go to your Library and re-download the content.

When it comes to the missing cross-buy option, PlayStation Support suggests that users simply restore their licenses on the PlayStation 4, and then visit the PSN Store and find the free Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare game. Apparently, this should do the trick. Let us know if it did it for you!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/1090/1090/

Introduction

Sound. It’s always been a key component in video games. Without the technology we have today to motion-capture performances to deliver facial expressions and body language that convey emotion, the game designers of yesteryear had to utilise sound as a means of tugging at the player’s heartstrings. From music to voice acting to ambient sound, this article will attempt to explore what makes sound such an important component of the video game experience.

Music

In the early days of gaming (purely text-based games and games with text rather than cutscenes driving the story), this involved using music in a thematic approach in order to elicit specific emotions from the player. For situations fraught with danger and excitement, the music would be fast-paced and present a sense of immediacy in the situation, making the player tense up and ready themselves for a battle. When the situation mellows and players are free to move uninhibited through the world, then a relaxing yet upbeat tone would play, a theme that would inspire the player to explore and relax now that the battle was over. For some players, the transition between musical themes also served a useful function in that it warned them that the situation was changing and they needed to prepare for what was about to happen. For example, in the Splinter Cell series, there would be a dead silence to indicate that you were being stealthy but once the “suspicion” theme started to play, then you knew that the enemy AI was on to you, allowing you time to react and try to become part of the shadows once again. If the enemy did detect you, then alarms would blare and a loud, raucous musical theme would come on, providing a sense of urgency that causes the player’s heart to race as they frantically scramble to the nearest cover of darkness and try to shake enemies off their tail.

Music is still an extremely important part of game design today because the best soundtracks have the ability to elicit a visceral reaction from the gamer. Good music in any form has the ability to make people feel something. Be it making them feel happy because the rhythm is upbeat and the lyrics celebrate the awesomeness of life or making them feel sad because the melodies are depressing and the lyrics even more so, good music has the ability to elicit emotions from a normal human being. When applied within a context, music can be even more powerful. With a good soundtrack, it becomes easier for a player to immerse themselves in the world and develop an emotional connection with the game, replacing pixels on a screen with a whole new virtual world complete with fictional characters you can relate to or bond with. This is of course, before the advent of voice-acting but even today, with voice acting and motion-capture performances, music still plays a pivotal role in bringing the world of the game alive.

Voice-Acting

It’s no secret that voice-actors are some of the most underrated performers in the arts, at least, until recently. Before, we couldn’t even care who voiced what character but now voice-actors are celebrities in their own right. This recognition of their work is fully deserved and can be seen in the various campaigns to bring back original voices of characters in a franchise such as David Hayter as Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid V or Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

Without the advanced technological advancements that allow us to capture facial expressions and body language, voice-actors had to do all the heavy lifting when it came to creating emotional performances and really lending depth to a character. While visuals tend to impress people more than audio, for a long time, it was the tireless efforts of voice-actors and their directors that brought our favourite characters to life. Until recently, it was possible to hear the same voices over and over again in various video games as the video game voice-acting industry seemed a little small as evidenced by the large body of work of big names like Nolan North, Laura Bailey, Troy Baker and Jennifer Hale, names you would most definitely come across if you play any AAA blockbuster video game. With video games becoming a multi-billion dollar industry, we’re starting to see more and more Hollywood actors making the transition to voice-work and mo-cap performances. That is not to say that the thespians of Hollywood are only in it for the money, it just means that game publishers are now able to afford the price-tag of talented Hollywood A-listers, bringing in a whole new dimension of performances in video games.

With the proliferation of motion-capture technology and the ability to bring characters to life through the mapping of actor’s faces, voice-acting may well become a doomed profession as time goes on and game-makers turn to mo-cap and advanced facial mapping. Or maybe not. There are a lot of games out there who still animate faces traditionally and still use voice-actors to convey the character’s emotions and little foibles. It’s difficult to tell how voice-acting will be affected by this new trend of blending the cinema with the controller because the future is unpredictable, but for now, I think voice-actors are finally getting the recognition they deserve and should continue to do so far into the future.

Sound Design

This part of the video game is probably the least acknowledged component as it is often goes unnoticed. The best ambient sound design is subtle, creating an atmosphere of sounds and noises within the environment in order to create a living, breathing virtual world utilising minute details that people don’t tend to notice but really will have a big impact if they aren’t there or are poorly done. I’m one of those gamers that loves realism, ironic, I know. Someone who plays games tends to do so to get away from the real world, so, wanting a game to be realistic seems a little silly. But realism really adds to the experience for me as it forces you to confront real(-ish) situations and think up real-world solutions to possible real-world problems. It’s a form of learning without actually realising it. For a game to be realistic, it of course has to have realistic sound. That means leaves should rustle in the wind, the ground should crunch when you march through the jungle or snow-infested landscapes towards your objective, water should have a lapping sound when you silently approach a dock as you infiltrate an enemy’s base etc. etc.

Good sound design can mean a range of things. It might mean creating all-new sounds to match impossible worlds and impossible things like a space-ship or a steampunk robot or it might mean recording real-world items and the sounds they make and replicating it within a game. For example, Bioshock Infinite features a floating world with wondrous flying buildings and monstrous enemies. The sound design is exquisite for this game as you hear the soft, subtle whine of the buildings as they travel through the skies and the loud and brash mechanical gears that operate the half-man half-machine monsters you constantly face in your attempts to rescue Elizabeth. This lends authenticity to the experience, it makes you feel like such a thing could exist and if it did, it would sound exactly like that.

On the other end of the spectrum, Battlefield 3 and Medal of Honor: Warfighter have both taken the sounds that real weapons make and put it into their games to give a sense of character to their weapons and vehicles. The roaring 7.62x51mm NATO round in battle rifles and sniper rifles sound heavier and more distinct from their smaller 5.56×45 mm NATO round cousins in smaller, more compact assault rifles, giving you a sense that these weapons are really different. In both games, the level of detail in sound design is just bonkers as firing in confined spaces, guns sound deafening and really block out other noises while in wide-open spaces, you can happily fire away without feeling your ears might fall off from all the noise. Another good example would be Gran Turismo 5 where all the cars sound fantastic. They really sound like cars and they give off the impression that they have an individual character, letting you hear the difference between a straight-six engine, a V6 or a V8. And the squeal and screech of tortured tyres as you will yourself around a corner too fast, letting your back-end slide as you attempt to push in to first place.

The point is, all these little details that the developers and sound designers focus on tends to go unnoticed but it does play a very important role in making your experience just that much better. If you take a run-of-the-mill average shooter (not naming names), the guns all feel the same and have that same laser-weapon like quality to the sound. It’s not something a lot of people care about but for me, it goes to show how much the makers of the game care about the product when they pick up on the really fine details and work on them exquisitely even though most people couldn’t care less.

Conclusion

Please remember that I’m no expert in sound design or sound engineering or music or any of the like, I just wrote this piece up as a tribute to one of the cornerstones of a good video game, hoping to raise awareness about how important sound really is and how good it can make a game, and by extension, a gamer, feel when used properly. For those reading through my convoluted mess of nonsense, thanks for tuning in.

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/league-of-legends-wiki-lol-time/1069/

League of Legends Wiki: Ashe

Writing a League of Legends Wiki would surely be a daunting task. You’d have to provide descriptions for more than 100 champions, along with their numberous abilities; you’d have to cover the hundreds of items available; and you’d basically have to come up with tons and tons of information about all kinds of stuff. In the end, you’d end up with a product that’s already available somewhere else (a regular League of Legends Wiki).

That’s why we’re not going to do it.

Ladies and gents, prepare to explore the vast world of League of Legends in an entirely new (and brave) way! We’ll be taking a look at champions and other things LoL… one step at a time! But that’s not all, apart from (By the way, the fact that you’re still reading this shows that we’re doing a pretty good job at keeping you interested thus far.) the usual tips and tricks for the various champions, we’ll also give our best to make these short walks to Summoner’s Rift and back an absolutely worthwhile experience for you, since we value your time and… well, let’s just say we know that you’d prefer playing League of Legends to many other things, including reading a potentially flawed League of Legends Wiki. That’s why we’ll try to keep it all somewhat lighthearted by putting the focus on the lol in LoL.

We can’t think of a better way to kick off our League of Legends Wiki than taking a nice, in-depth look at one of our absolute favorite LoL champions – Queen Ashe – The Frost Archer, or simply Ashe. What’s more, we’ve actually managed to have a few minutes of face-time with the beloved champion for a quick interview that you can find below, where you’ll be able to to learn about the latest developments at Summoner’s Rift straight from the horse’s mouth (or rather, straight from Ashe’s mouth).

Before we go on, though, we’d like to warn the pro player wannabes that this League of Legends Wiki is actually designed for those of us who simply want to have a laugh, so the tactics revealed in the lines below may or may not work for you. Depends on how mad and good you are.

Who is Queen Ashe?

Well, depends on who’s asking. If you happen to be among the many Freljord ruler wannabes, then she’s Queen Ashe, the rightful ruler of those frosty lands of conflict and lurking evil. If, however, you are an incoming tank champion that she has failed to notice from afar, then she’s just a humble peasant from the nearby village that doesn’t want any trouble. Never mind the ancient frost bow on her back.

Ashe is also one of the biggest Robin Hood fans, as evidenced by the fact that she’s a skilled archer, as well as her overall styling. She specializes in killing enemies off using deadly arrows that are not only painful, but freezing as well. Our favorite ability of Ashe is her ultimate (shocker!), the Enchanted Crystal Arrow, which can hit an enemy with a devastating power, all the way from the far end of map. Thanks to its stunning effect, it’s also very useful if you need to stop an enemy champion from running away (we told you there’ll be something useful in here). Another very useful, yet somewhat overlooked, Ashe ability is the Hawkshot, which lets Ashe shoot a hawk as an arrow, revealing the dangers that lie ahead. If’s also very useful if you want to quickly check who’s hiding in the bushes.

GamerDino interviews Ashe

And now it’s time for our exclusive interview with Queen Ashe. I’ve sent our own John Blaszowski, who’s our corespondent from Summoner’s Rift. Here’s how his conversation with Ashe went!

GamerDino: Hey Ashe, thanks for sitting down with us for this interview. You must have a busy schedule, with all these League of Legends tournaments and all…

Ashe: First, it’s Queen Ashe, and yes, my schedule is quite busy these days, but that’s OK. After all, the pay is good and I enjoy striking enemies down from afar. Besides, someone has to unite the Freljord, as the tribes living there…

GamerDino: … Ah, the Freljord, yes, that’s all very interesting, but we’re sure that our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal life, if that’s OK with you. So why don’t we start with your favorite food? What does Queen Ashe feast on between those exhausting sessions at Summoner’s Rift?

Ashe: I usually don’t have much free time between matches so I quickly gobble a chicken sandwich (or two) down, just to make sure that I’ll be able to pull the bowstring hard enough.

GamerDino: How hard is hard enough?

Ashe: If I can shoot an arrow that can pierce Fiddlesticks’ head and come out of the other side of his skull, then it’s enough.

GamerDino: Sweet. But why a chicken sandwich? Why don’t you have some pizza or a chocolate bar?

Ashe: Would you like how I look if I crammed myself with pizza or chocolate all day?

GamerDino: Well, um, it really depends on…

Ashe: Let me break one thing to you, mister – if you want to survive in this business, you have to make sure that you can not only frag champions, but you also look good while doing it.

GamerDino: No doubt. We can’t deny that almost all female champions we’ve encountered in League of Legends are quite attractive.

Ashe: Who’s the most attractive one you’ve encountered?

GamerDino: Now, that’s a tough questions…

Ashe: So, you’re saying that I’m not the most beautiful female champion in LoL?

GamerDino: We haven’t said such a thing!

Ashe: But you don’t seem to disagree either…

GamerDino: You know what, let’s change the topic reaaally quickly now and talk about the type of men that you like!

Ashe: I like GamerDino, though it doesn’t seem to like me…

GamerDino: Look princess, why don’t you just stop whining? It’s not our fault that men are afraid to come near you…

Ashe: Do you want me to teach you how to shoot with a bow?

GamerDino: Yes!

Ashe: Great! Stand right over there and I’ll show you how it’s done…

Unfortunately, we haven’t heard of John ever since he went to that interview, but we sure hope that he’s alright. After all, there’ll be many more interviews to be done, as our League of Legends Wiki must go on!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/oculus-rift-a-revolution-or-a-gimmick/1062/

Oculus Rift: A gimmick or a revolution? (Part 1)

One cannot deny that the Oculus Rift managed to make quite a name for itself in zero time. In just a year or so, the device has received such publicity that there’s hardly a gamer out there who hasn’t heard of the Oculus Rift and its magical ability to create a virtual reality where you can experience all the thrills offered by modern 3D games, but in a much livelier and more believable way.

Despite all the buzz surrounding the device, though, the Oculus Rift is yet to prove that it’s anything more than a short-lived gimmick. As with everything new and shiny, there’s an understandable interest in the Rift, a certain degree of anticipation, as if the industry’s saviour is coming to open our eyes and minds for a whole new world of entertainment. Well, while we can by no means deny the potential of the Oculus Rift, we’re just not the type to blindly welcome everything that’s different from what we’ve known so far.

But before we can make the potentially rushed conclusions that we’re bound to make in a forward-looking article like that, let’s take a quick look back at how the Rift has come into being!

In development by Oculus VR, the Rift is the brainchild of Palmer Luckey – a head-mounted display designer and enthusiast who has worked at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies. After coming up with the idea of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, Luckey was more than, well, lucky… to receive the unprecedented support of gaming industry legends such as iD’s John Carmack, Epic’s Tim Sweeney, Valve’s Gabe Newell, as well as enterprising industry newcomers such as the guys from Unity Technologies, who are responsible for the increasingly popular cross-platform Unity Engine.

That said, the Oculus Rift certainly has all the industry support it needs, but what does it really do? Well, it’s obviously a clunky device that you attach to your head, effectively sticking a sizable 7” display on your face. The commercial version of the Rift will output a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, but due to the 3D technology in use, each eye of the user will practically be seeing an image with a resolution of 960×1080 pixels. The idea is to create an immersive, in-your-face experience for players, but this is where we have to ask ourselves if the experience will be good enough to make up for the tremendous discomfort of attaching such a bulky device to your head…

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article series, where we’ll take a look at the initial line-up of Oculus Rift-optimized games, as well as try to answer the question if the Rift actually has what it takes to bring a true revolution to the gaming industry!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/skyrim-fallout-new-vegas-dishonored-and-others-get-permanently-discounted/1044/

Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, Dishonored and others get permanently discounted

Bathesda has just permanently lowered the prices of some of the most popular titles in its line-up, including The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, Dishonored, and more. The cool thing is that the price-cut is in effect for all popular platforms, including Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Games on Demand and PlayStation Network. Here’s what Bathesda posted on its personal blog regarding the discount:

Effective this week, we have new pricing on a number of games and add-ons across Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Store, and Steam. They include:

Xbox LIVE

Oblivion: Shivering Isles — 800 Microsoft Points

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Games on Demand) — $29.99

Dishonored (Games on Demand) — $29.99

Fallout: New Vegas — $14.99

Fallout 3 — $14.99

Fallout 3 Add-Ons (Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, Mothership Zeta) — 400 Microsoft Points each

QUAKE Arena Arcade — 400 Microsoft Points

PlayStation Store

Oblivion: Shivering Isles — $9.99

Dishonored — $29.99

Fallout 3 Add-Ons (Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, Mothership Zeta) — $4.99 each

Steam

Skyrim — $29.99

Dishonored — $29.99

Fallout: New Vegas — $14.99

Fallout 3 Add-Ons (Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, Mothership Zeta) — $4.99 each

Does anything catch your eye, guys? Sound off in the comments below!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/playstation-4-vs-xbox-one-which-one-has-the-better-gaming-controller/1011/

PlayStation 4 vs Xbox One: Which one has the better gaming controller?

The brutal rivalry between the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One is surely one of epic proportions. Specs sheets are being thrown left and right as arguments in favor of one console or the other, exclusive titles get analyzed and compared, while each company is using every possible occasion to strike at its opponent. Sometimes, though, we can get a bit carried away in our silly little arguments, focusing on small details that don’t always have a profound impact on our gaming experience. We do tend to forget the importance of some fundamental features of every game console, such as the controller.

In the case of the Xbox One and the P layStation 4, we really have two very different gamepads that will surely make hacking and slashing your enemies that much different depending on which console you decide to side with. Let’s take a closer look at the expected pros and cons of both the Xbox One controller, and the PlayStation 4 controller, or the so-called DualShock 4!

1. Build quality

If there’s something characteristic about the Xbox controllers, it’s that despite their bulkiness, users simply find them very comfortable and reliable. Of course, we can’t be sure yet if this will be valid for the Xbox One’s controller in the long run, but if history is to repeat itself, then it means that the next-gen Xbox will easily win this one, as PlayStation controllers have traditionally been prone to various malfunctions after being subjected to some heavier usage (word has it that console controllers take the harshest beating right after a lost game).

2. Key layout and features

So, the standard buttons are present on both devices, including directional D-pad, dual analog sticks and four action keys, with the Xbox One controller keeping its characteristic positioning of the analogs. A new feature of the PS4 controller is the touchpad, positioned right in the center. While we aren’t really into that type of stuff, though, we won’t rush to draw a conclusion about its usefulness. Another change to the PS4 gamepad is that Sony has replaced the Start button with a Menu buttons, which seems to be quite similar in nature, while the new Share button will naturally let you share your numerous successes on the battlefield with your online buddies. Players will surely appreciate the fact that Sony has tried to make the analog sticks a bit more comfortable to use by giving them a bit of a concave shape and coating them with a finish that is less slippery.

Meanwhile, the Xbox One has this really cool new “HD rumble” effect feature that can make certain keys or parts of the gamepad vibrate, so that your attention is drawn to the desired control. In addition, Microsoft boasts a 15% increase in the speed of communication between the controller and the Xbox One, which should make for an even more responsive experience.

When it comes to power management, the Xbox One controller is still using AA batteries, but you can always connect it to the console in order to save power. On the other hand, the PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller comes with a soldered battery unit that can be recharged. Which solution would be more suitable for you depends on your gaming lifestyle, but it’s always a convenience when you don’t need to go to the nearby store when the batteries of your Xbox controller unexpectedly run out.

3. Your turn

So, now that we’ve gone through the most important aspects of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers, it’s your turn to tell us what you think of them. Sony has quite the legacy, but it can’t be denied that Microsoft is doing pretty well with its own controllers. Which one do you think will present gamers with a more refined experience – the Xbox One controller, or the PS4 DualShock 4? Be sure to cast your vote in the poll below and let us know!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/there-may-not-be-enough-playstation-4-consoles-for-everyone-at-launch/1008/

There may not be enough PlayStation 4 consoles for everyone at launch

Love it or hate it, the PlayStation 4 shapes up to be the people’s champ of the next-generation console market, with Microsoft getting almost all the negative feedback after the controversial announcements surrounding the Xbox One. However, a sad has hit the interwebs today, suggesting that there may not be enough PlayStation 4 stock at launch date, leaving some sad, wannabe customers without a unit to call their own.

While there were some rumors about this (which PlayStation fans tried their best to hide from), the console’s short supply almost got confirmed today with Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO, Jack Tretton, saying the follwoing:

“I certainly think, given the technology that we’re offering, given the software lineup, given the price point we have, that we’ll have consumers interested in excess of what we’re able to manufacture.”

Nooooooooo…. oooooo… ooooo! (breathless) Well, nothing’s perfect in life, guys, but at least Sony took the stage at last week’s E3 to announce that it won’t charge player for reselling their disc-based games and won’t require players to have an always-on Internet connection in order to play singleplayer games, unlike Microsoft and the Xbox One. Fingers crossed that Sony will be able to ramp up production soon after release.

via: CVG

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/remember-me-review-elephants-would-cost-a-fortune/974/

Remember Me Review: Elephants would cost a fortune

You’ve heard that elephants never forget, right? Well, if you actually had the misfortune of being a citizen of Neo-Paris, which is the imaginary city where Remember Me takes place, owning an elephant would probably make you a millionaire. Why? Read on to find out!

Posted on Sun, Jun 16, 2013 | By Rado Slavov

Story

The thing is that the enterprising folks from the Memorize company have invented a new device called Sensen (Sensation Engine), which can basically manage all of your memories. You can upload your memories to the cloud, so that they are always accessible to you, or simply remove any unpleasant memories. Well, with everybody’s memories made easily accessible to the Memorize company, you can imagine the kind of influence that the company has managed to build.

Realizing the direness of the situation, a group of people called Errorists gets formed in order to fight Memorize and put an end to the newly-established regime. The thing is that Memorize has the technology to deal with everyone who’s daring to oppose them pretty easily – they simply wipe their memory.

The main character in this story, Nilin Cartier-Wells, is an Errorist fallen in the hands of Memorize. The game opens up with Nilin going through a series of painful procedures aimed at removing every last bit of memory she has. Thankfully, Edge, an old buddy of yours and leader of the Errorists group, contacts you just in time before the final procedure has taken place. With some help from Edge, Nilin manages to escape Memorize’s prison, which takes her to the slum of the city. It turns out, however, that the extremely poor area is inhabited not by regular humans, but by the so called Leapers – people who have become so addicted to experiencing (mostly good) memories via the Sensen, which has caused the device to deteriorate over time. The problem with this is that the corrupted Sensen has completely messed up the minds of the users, causing all those people to enter a state, which many of us would characterize as ‘zombie.’ Before the day is over, Nilin has to face various kinds of Leapers, city guards and mini-bosses in order to stay alive and continue her journey.

  Gameplay

Remember Me is a third-person game that features both fighting and platforming action. Between the various fighting scenes, Nilin has to reach certain locations which requires her to make her way around the city by jumping from platform to platform, or by climbing from balcony to balcony. The platforming part of the game doesn’t cause much trouble, although it feels somewhat basic and lacks freedom.

The fighting system is pretty cool as it allows you to create your own combos by lining up different kinds of available moves. As a whole, combat feels similar to that of the Batman Arkham games, which is good, but the concept of designing your custom combos makes it even better. It does take a while to get used to all of this, though, as the game doesn’t try very heard to teach you how it works.

Remember Me features a third gameplay aspect which is all about remixing other people’s memories. It turns out that Nilin has this very rare ability to alter an individual’s memories (through their Sensen) in order to get them to cooperate. Those episodic sequences where you play with someone’s memories are quite cool (once you get the hang of them) and make for a nice change of pace.

Remember Me certainly has a bit of an arcade feel to it, which isn’t a bad thing, of course, but it slightly contrasts the dark, serious tone set by the narrative and the setting. Furthermore, although we absolutely love the fact that there’s quite a bit of dialog in the game, we have to admit that some parts of it don’t sound very convincing. Still, imperfect dialog is much better than no dialog at all.

Graphics and Sound

Remember Me uses Unreal Engine 3, and thankfully, the developers have made a good use of the technology by crafting a game with beautiful environments and characters. Well, some objects and details are a bit rough around the edges, but all in all, Remember Me is a looker and manages to keep steady frame-rates. Lighting effects, in particular, are a joy to behold.

While we weren’t really amazed by the soundtrack, we can’t say that it’s bad either. Remember Me is certainly above average in the overall sound department, although the voice acting for Nilin could be a bit better, especially in the more explosive scenes, where her voice tends to remain surprisingly calm and neutral.

The Verdict

Remember Me is a noteworthy action-adventure game that features a strong storyline and immersive setting. Most characters are very interesting and make you want to see more of them.

In terms of gameplay, some aspects leave a bit to be desired, but overall, the experience that Remember Me offers is pretty solid and entertaining. It’s probably not a game that will linger in your memories forever, but if you’re looking to play a beautiful and story-driven action game, then you should by no means overlook this one. In fact, Remember Me is definitely one of the more intriguing games this summer.

Remember Me Video Review

Remember Me Review Screenshots

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/the-hottest-games-that-made-an-appearance-at-e3-2013/960/

The best games that made an appearance at E3 2013

The biggest expo in the video gaming industry, E3, has come and gone, and now that the dust has settled, we can take a moment to look back and reminisce about the games that made the biggest impact at the show. Of course, there were many noteworthy titles that made an appearance at E3 2013, but if we’re to go through all of them here, it would make for an extremely long read, so instead we’ll just focus on the potential smash-hits, as those are the ones that concern the biggest audiences.

Titanfall

Titanfall is a new game that we’ll be following with great interest, simply because it’s the brainchild of Infinity Ward (Call of Duty series) co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella, who went on to found a new studio, Respawn Entertainment, after being fired by publisher Activision in 2010. Titanfall is going to be the first game out of Respawn Entertainment and will, somewhat unsurprisingly, be a first-person shooter title. However, the unique twist here is that in addition to regular running and gunning, players also will be able to board and take control of powerful battle-mecha. We don’t know about you, guys, but this sounds like a breath of fresh air to us. Based on Valve’s Source engine, we hope that Titanfall will make it in time for its scheduled release date in Q1 2014. Check out the trailer above to see Titanfall in action!

The Division

It looks like Ubisoft has a real winner on its hands with the newly-announced The Division. Coming to a next-gen console near you (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) sometime in 2014, Tom Clancy’s The Division will be a third-person action-adventure game that will put players in quite an interesting setting: after an unknown disease spreads across the NA continent on Black Friday, the entire US collapses in just five days. You are part of a group that’s been formed to try and save whatever is left of the nation. As you can imagine, though, there will be a lot of other people who’ll be desperately fighting for control over certain areas, so The Division won’t be short on action. It’ll actually be a tactical MMO action game with RPG elements like special abilities and items. The launch trailer for the game demonstrates how coordination between the group members will be of utmost importance for your success. If you’ve missed the news about The Division, be sure to watch the video above and let us know what you think of that promising game!

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Yes, yes and yes! The Witcher has returned to E3 to give us a sneak peek at the upcoming The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – the conclusive chapter in the critically-acclaimed fantasy RPG series. To tell you the truth, the trailer doesn’t reveal that much about the game, but it does confirm a bunch of important details for us, and of course, it gives us Geralt of Rivia – one of the most charismatic characters to appear in an RPG game. The video gives us solid proof that we’ll be getting a vast, open world to explore in The Witcher 3, as well as the fact that Geralt will be able to ride a horse in order to get from one area to another in a timely manner. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, promises to feature a world about 20% larger than Skyrim, and deliver the whooping 100 hours of game time. We’re willing to believe, but of course, we’ll have to wait until next year to be able to experience it for ourselves.

Destiny

The intriguing Destiny, produced by original Halo series developer Bungie, made quite a splash at this year’s E3, complete with a new trailer allowing us to see more of this ambitious upcoming game. Being labeled a shooter with MMO elements, Destiny promises to deliver the immersiveness of a strong storyline as well as the epicness of a great open world inhabited by lots and lots of real players. Designed for both current and next-generation consoles, it’s planned that Destiny will be the first of a series of similar games produced by Bungie. By the looks of it, a lot of great things are in store for Halo (and all shooter) fans out there. The only bad news is that Destiny still lacks a release date, as it’s expected to arrive sometime in 2014.

FIFA 14

EA didn’t miss the chance to talk up its upcoming FIFA 14 at E3. Sporting a number of new and improved systems for ball control, passing, shooting and so on, FIFA 14 is scheduled to arrive on pretty much every platform you can think of on September 24 in the US and September 27 in the EU. When it comes to FIFA 14, next-gen console (Xbox One and PlayStation 4) gamers will benefit the most as the version of the game for those platforms will be built using EA’s new Ignite Engine for improved crowds, player movements, ball physics and more. Unfortunately, the PC and the current-gen consoles will not get those benefits.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Infinity Ward is promising a kind of a reboot for the ultra-successful CoD series with Call of Duty: Ghosts. The game is said to introduce a new and exciting setting, new characters, a whole new story and, at last, a brand new graphics engine. The numerous fans of the FPS series will be able to dive into this new Call of Duty on November 5. What do you guys think? Will the new Infinity Ward team be able to produce a game as compelling as Modern Warfare? Sound of in the comments!

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/best-upcoming-pc-games-of-2013-1/951/

Best upcoming PC games of 2013 #1

We gaming enthusiasts are always looking forward to the titles that are going to ship in the near future. Well, when you have in mind that upcoming games often make use of advanced, new techniques, and the fact that we’ve already beaten all the current hot games, it becomes perfectly clear why it’s so easy to get excited over the titles that happen to be right around the corner. Our fingers are always itching to install something new on our gaming rigs, and now that we’ve mentioned “rigs,” we’d like to point out that we’ll now take a look at a number of hot, upcoming games for the PC. Games that, with a bit of luck, will hit our hard drives by the end of the year…

  Neverwinter

Expected to arrive as soon as June 20, Neverwinter will be a free-to-play MMORPG based on a modified edition of the Dungeons & Dragons rule-set. The game is expected to feature 5 different hero classes, while players will be able to form groups of up to 5 heroes (human- or AI-controlled), so it seems that Neverwinter will not be one of those RPG where you’re a lone wolf doing everything by yourself. Interestingly, the developers from Cryptic Games say that Neverwinter will not be just another MMORPG, but will actually offer a very strong storyline that players will simply be able to experience together with other players.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Love it or hate it, the Assassin’s Creed series has become a runaway success, which means that there are tons of players out there who’re waiting for the latest installment in the series – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. The interesting thing about Black Flag is that it will feature a lot of sea action, and the protagonist will ever be manage a ship that will be taking you to your various destinations. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is scheduled for an October 29 release, though Europeans will be able to join the party a couple of days later, on November 1.

Fortnite

We’re looking forward to checking out Fortnite not so much because of gameplay, but because it’ll be the first game to make use of Epic Games’ new Unreal Engine 4! And as everybody who’s closely following the gaming industry knows, the introduction of a new Unreal Engine is a pretty big deal, as it’ll end up being used by a multitude of dev studios for numerous exciting projects. Still, Fortnite itself doesn’t seem to be pushing the graphical capabilities of the engine to the max, due to its specific style, but we still think that it’ll be a pretty cool game. After all, it’s got an interesting concept (scavenge during the day, defend during the night), and it has zombies in it! No specific release date has been announced yet, but it should become available sometime later this year.

Watch Dogs

Watch Dogs is a game that’s said to deliver a true next-gen experience, no matter what that’s supposed to mean. Coming to all major platforms on November 19 in the US and November 22 in the EU, Watch Dogs will put you into the shoes of protagonist Aiden Pearce who’s going to be on the hunt for some pretty valuable information in a city where any connected device is being monitored by a smart supercomputer named CtOS. As you can see from the image, in addition to cracking and hacking, Aiden will also be quite skillful at using firearms (and vehicles), so get yourselves ready for an explosive action-adventure stealth game!

Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Speaking of stealth, a new Splinter Cell game is right around the corner! Scheduled to be released on August 20 in the US and August 23 in the EU, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is going to pick up the story of agent Sam Fisher right where Conviction left it. Things will be very different this time, though, as agent Fisher will no longer be a fugitive, but will actually head the newly-formed Fourth Echelon. Being the commander of a group of elite operatives will not be a desk job, though, as a bunch of extremely dangerous terrorists will be threatening to do some very bad things to the world, and it’ll be up to Sam Fisher and company to stop them and save the day. Hopefully the gameplay will not be as “streamlined” as in Conviction…

Command & Conquer

The beloved Command & Conquer franchise is returning this year with a game that’s said to be a sequel to C&C: Generals, but will be titled simply Command & Conquer. In a way, EA is hoping that this is going to be a successful reboot of the series, and we have to say that we’re very excited about this game, partly because it’ll be available as a free-to-play title. Not that we’re such big fans of free-to-play, but we can see where EA is going with the whole concept of purchasable generals. This fall is the time when C&C will be back, complete with straightforward base-building and impressive action scenes!

Company of Heroes 2

After a bunch of expansions, the critically-acclaimed Company of Heroes is finally getting a real sequel this year in Company of Heroes 2. Once again set in WWII, the campaign mode of the game is going to focus on the story of Lev Abramovich Isakovich, a lieutenant from the Soviet Army. The tactical top-down battles will be coming to your screen on June 25.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

This wouldn’t be a complete list of hot upcoming games if we don’t mention the Call of Duty game of the year – Call of Duty: Ghosts. Produced by original series developer, Infinity Ward, Ghosts take the franchise in a slightly new direction as it’ll be set in the near future, where America is no longer seen as a major world force. The protagonist of the story will be part of a special elite squad called Ghosts, and your mission will be to fight against an enemy that threatens what’s left of America and the world. Call of Duty: Ghosts is going to launch on November 5 for all major platforms, including the good old PC.

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/microsoft-will-allow-you-to-resell-xbox-one-games-published-by-microsoft-other-publishers-may-not/949/

Microsoft will allow you to resell Xbox One games published by Microsoft, other publishers may not

Microsoft has finally shed some light with regards to the controversial Xbox One game reselling topic. According to the software giant, as far as games published by Microsoft are concerned, Xbox One players will be able to resell their games through the authorized resellers at no additional charge. However, that apparently won’t apply to other publishers, who will be able to opt-out of the game-reselling program, or choose to participate, but with their own set of terms with the resellers (read: with an additional transfer fee).

In other words, you’ll be able to “freely” resell certain games (if through “participating retailers” can be called “freely”), but others – you may not. It seems things will vary depending on the publisher. If you allow us a small comment here, we’d say that this situation would be pure madness, and customers will probably the only ones who’ll suffer from these new Microsoftish policies. Thank you.

via: Wired

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/kiefer-sutherland-to-play-snake-in-upcoming-metal-gear-solid-v/945/

Kiefer Sutherland to play Snake in upcoming Metal Gear Solid V

Breaking news! Kiefer Sutherland is going to be the voice actor for Snake in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain! OK, the news probably isn’t of such great importance, but it’s still interesting to know, considering this is the first change of the voice actor for Snake ever since the original Metal Gear Solid. This was revealed through the E3 teaser video produced by Konami. In it, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has also shared some intriguing details about the next Metal Gear Solid game:

“This time, with Metal Gear Solid V, the themes are a little different from previous games in the series. We’re taking on some very heavy subjects such as race and revenge. I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance, expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words. Furthermore, the game takes place in 1984, when Snake is 49 years old. Therefore, we needed someone who could genuinely convey the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late 40′s.”

So, there you have it – Kiefer Sutherland has been the ideal man for the job. We’ll be able to compare his performance with that of Snake ex-actor, David Hayter, once the game ships later this year for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (exact release date hasn’t been specified yet).

via: Wired

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/tekken-revolution-is-coming-on-june-11-exclusively-for-the-playstation-3/940/

Tekken Revolution is coming on June 11, exclusively for the PlayStation 3

The latest installment in the venerable fighting franchise, Tekken, has been announced. The game is called Tekken Revolution and it will launch in just a couple of days, on June 11.

Tekken Revolution will be a PlayStation 3-exclusive, but what’s most interesting is that it will be a free-to-play title. However, information is pretty scarce right now, though, we guess that players will be able to unlock new characters as in-app purchases. We’ll surely know more in just a few days. Tekken Revolution got announced through GameSpot’s E3 2013 Preview. If you’d like to get a sneak peek at a few moments from the game, play the embedded video below at around the 19:30 mark.

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/plants-vs-zombies-garden-warfare-shooter-is-real-coming-to-e3/937/

Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare shooter is real, coming to E3

Well, well, well, what do we have here? An enterprising individual has sneaked into the Los Angeles Convention Center (which will serve as stage for this year’s E3), and has discovered that PopCap has already decorated the place with signs of Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. So, we already know that Plants vs Zombies 2 is officially coming, but what’s Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare?

Reportedly, Garden Warfare will actually be a shooter situated in the world of PvZ, which is the garden of the protagonist. No, we’re kidding, we don’t know exactly where Garden Warfare is going to take place, but the rumors tenacious that the game will be a 3D shooter, which sounds incredibly interesting and fun. Could this be the lighthearted zombie game of the year, and exactly what elements it’s going to borrow from the traditional Plants vs Zombies, we do not know, but thankfully it looks like all will be clear as soon as next week. Our guess, however, is that it won’t be a first-person shooter, but more of a top-down action game. We’ll see.

Stay tuned for our coverage of E3!

via: Kotaku

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/bioshock-infinite-mass-effect-trilogy-and-more-on-sale-at-gamefly/934/

BioShock Infinite, Mass Effect trilogy and more on sale at GameFly

GameFly is kickstarting the summer season with a neat sale on same of the hottest titles around. The retailer is currently offering the PC Download versions of a bunch of games such as BioShock Infinite, Mass Effect trilogy, Torchlight II, Hitman: Absolution, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and more at some pretty tempting prices.

For example, you can get the wonderful BioShock Infinite for just $26 (£16.99), Torchlight II for $8 (£4.99), Hitman: Absolution for $8 (£4.99) and Deus Ex: Human Revolution for $6 (£3.75). For the full list of discounted titles, visit the source link below, which will take you to GameFly’s sale!

source: GameFly via Joystiq

[gamerdino]

New Post has been published on GamerDino.com

New Post has been published on http://www.gamerdino.com/activision-boss-confirms-call-of-duty-ghosts-and-destiny-are-coming-to-e3-2013/931/

Activision boss confirms Call of Duty: Ghosts and Destiny are coming to E3 2013

Activision Publishing CEO, Eric Hirshberg, has confirmed that his company will be bringing a number of high-profile games to E3 next week, and that includes the much-anticipated Call of Duty: Ghosts, Bungie’s new online shooter, Destiny, and the intriguing Skylanders: Swap Force. In addition, Activision has revealed that Skylanders’ Starter Pack will be available at the whooping $75, with characters costing $10 each.

Meanwhile, Hirshberg has mentioned that his company expects this to be a very interesting year for the whole gaming industry, due to the introduction of the two new major consoles, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Here are the CEO’s exact words:

“There’s a console transition coming and naturally, everyone wants to see what new possibilities that will unleash in the games. We remain laser focused on delivering the things we know our gamers care about most: great gameplay, immersive worlds, and cool innovations.”

Activision has been going from strength to strength lately, so they definitely have the muscle to bring really cool things to the market. Let’s hope that Call of Duty: Ghosts and Destiny will live up to the great expectations.

And while we’re counting down the days until E3 2013 officially kicks off, why don’t you get up to speed by checking out our article about the hottest games that should be showcased at E3: E3 2013: The games to keep an eye out for (part 1) | (part 2).

via: GameSpot