With the huge success of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, there was no doubt that there would be another iteration in the series. Many wondered where you go from Arkham City; Arkham County? Arkham Tri-state area? We got an tease from the Joker himself when during the 2011 Spike VIdeo Game awards pulled out a file labeled Arkham World and called it a spoiler. Imagine our surprise when it was announced the the next game would be a prequel. Batman: Arkham Origins, developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal instead of the previous developer Rocksteady Studios, is set to take place several years before the first game Arkham Asylum with a younger, less experienced Batman taking on eight deadly assassin’s hired by Black Mask. It’s Christmas Eve and with the bounty on Batman’s head, everyone will be gunning for him. The trailer features Batman, Deathstroke, Black Mask, and Deadshot, not to mention three very unlucky criminals.
Batman: Arkham Origins is set to put a higher emphasis on detective work than previous games. Also offering a plethora of side missions including a “Crime in Progress” where Batman can stop street crimes or aid the police to improve his reputation and a “Most WAnted” mode where you go after other villains in Batman’s rogue gallery. Batman: Arkham Origins is set to release October 25, 2013 and if you preorder you get to play as the assassin Deathstroke. Check back with us for more updates on your favorite caped crusader.
Bethesda recently teased that they would be announcing a new game with a cryptic repeating video of bob wire and a record player. Much of the internet believed it to be a teaser for the next Fallout game. Today an official announcement has been made with a new IP in The Evil Within. This will be the first game by orginal creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami’s new studio Tango Gameworks. Mikami released a statement, “We’re incredibly proud to announce The Evil Within. My team and I are committed to creating an exciting new franchise, providing fans the perfect blend of horror and action.” This new survival horror will be released on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, and next gen consoles in 2014. In the mean time, check out this scary live-action teaser trailer.
*Volunteer Positions* While evaluating the state of the Gaming Journalism scene, I noticed that we at Real Otaku Gamer has a unique approach when covering geek/otaku culture. As the site gets restructured and we go into our 3rd year, we are looking to create opportunities that will help the site become more robust and varied with coverage. Real Otaku Gamer has a global vision, we accept writers from all over the world.
These new job positions are going to help Real Otaku Gamer become more organized and develop a bigger community so we can grow as a brand. These positions are volunteer only as we are a small site. As we grow so will the sponsors and hopefully revenue.
IF HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSITIONS, Email us at feedback@realotakugamer.com
These New Positions are as follows:
1. Community Manager: You will be taking care of the daily running of the site. You will work along side the Editor in Chief and other Admins on the site with promoting the site and helping build a brand. You must have good communication skills.
2.Marketing and PR: You will be responsible for all Public Relations with companies and the community. You must have good communication skills and be able to relate to people of a number of levels. You will also run contests and giveaways.
3.Managing Editor: You will work closely with all staff to make sure the posts we produce, are up to our standards.
4.Social Media Manager: You will be in charge of growing our social networking presence. You will be working close to the senior staff.
5. Assistant to Editor in Chief: You will assist the E.I.C. in the daily running of the site.
6.Advertising and Promotion: contact us for more details.
7.Art Director: contact us for more details.
8.Podcast Producer/Editor: contact us for more details.
9.Video Producer/Editor :contact us for more details.
Now, the next few positions are for the Real Otaku Gamer Specialists. These positions are dedicated for people who want to cover a specific genre/category. This is where your inner Otaku can really shine.
1. PC
2. Mobile/Tablet
3. Tech
4. Anime
5. Manga
6. Comics
7. Nintendo
8. Sony
9. Microsoft
10. Movies/Television
11. Asian Cinema
12.Indie Games
13.Toys/models and Merchandise
14.Convention Coverage
15.Cosplay and Cosplay Culture
To apply for these positions, you must first submit a writing sample and once the sample is approved, submit an small essay telling us why we should pick you for the job you are interested in. An essay is not necessary for all positions. Deadline to have the samples submitted is May 20th, 2013. We must have all essays in my May 17th. Send the Essays and Samples to feedback@realotakugamer.com.
If you have any questions about any of the positions and their responsibilities, just email us at feedback@realotakugamer.com or go to the Twitter and Facebook pages. Thanks you for your time.
“The mind of the subject will desperately struggle to create memories where none exist…” – Rosalind Lutece, Barriers to Trans-Dimensional Travel, 1889
Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt. As you soar into the floating city of Columbia for the first time you see exactly where Irrational Games’ ambitions lie; Amongst the clouds with this incredible city. The game manages to achieve all of it’s ambitions and more, with a story the likes of which we haven’t seen since the original Bioshock, varied and new first person gameplay and a stunning, truly realised world for the player to explore. This game does what it’s predecessor did in 2007; it changes and challenges the gameplay and story of this console generation and reinvents them to become a truly incredible experience.
The game world is in almost direct contrast to that of Irrational Games’ original Bioshock, we see a rich and colourful city in the prime of it’s existence whilst also involving the player in Columbia’s breathtaking descent. Columbia has it’s own set of rules, it is a fully realised world with a vibrant cast of characters that really make the world feel real. People walk around, reacting both to the player and surrounding events, with clever and involving conversations that reflect the world around them. The game is set in alternate reality 1912 and shows off the views and values of an America steeped in religious rule, patriotism and severe xenophobia. The content in game is quite harsh in contrast to the vibrant city and challenges the player to look at society today with reference to the game. Every area of the game feels different and diverse, from the squalid Shantytown to the opulence of the streets above and then into the skies of Columbia aboard the many airships and floating platforms, never ceasing to pull the extraordinary narrative along with each detailed environment.
The streets of Columbia
As the player enters Columbia they are introduced to the basic gameplay elements of Vigors (akin to the original Bioshock’s Plasmids) and the variety of weapons through a carnival, set up as part of the celebrations for Comstock, the game’s antagonist. In your first hour you will experience combat with some basic guns, vigors and the transport method doubling as a melee weapon; the skyhook. The skyhook allows for some incredible firefights and a new mobility unseen in gaming. Just hop aboard a skyline and you can drop behind enemies, into cover or zip around the area quickly all the while returning fire from attackers. The game’s AI is also quite clever, with enemies and “Hard Hitters” (different, more tough enemies such as the handyman and motorized patriots) able to use the skylines and move around like the player. Then the game takes it up a notch, in story, gameplay and emotion with the introduction of Elizabeth.
Elizabeth. This one character serves as the core of the story and gameplay. From the moment you meet her she barely leaves your side, constantly adding to the game. In combat she will help you by finding health, salts and ammo and also cash outside of combat. She also has the ability to open ‘tears’ in the environment, pulling items from other worlds and reality into being in the locale. She also adds real emotion to the gameplay. You begin to rely on her and think about combat situations with her abilities in mind. In the few short absences she has from the player you genuinely miss the character. Her powers and dialogue always make the player feel more invested in the story, her presence never once takes anything away from the experience. Her AI is also incredibly well done, she will explore and interact with the environment, once again bringing areas of the game to life and you will want to sit in one spot and see all the animations and dialogue the developers have crammed into each of the game’s areas.
Elizabeth
I have talked about the story a lot so far, the narrative really pulls the whole experience together. The story crafted by Irrational Games masterfully weaves the setting, values and original story together into a story that will keep the player invested in the game’s fifteen plus hours of gameplay. Without revealing too much, the story centres around the protagonist, Booker Dewitt, tasked with travelling to Columbia to rescue Elizabeth to pay off his gambling debt. The city is ruled by “The Prophet” Comstock, who has kept Elizabeth locked away for years. Bring in the Vox Populi, a resistance movement of the lower classes and racial outcasts, fighting against Comstock’s extremely one sided rule. The story has the occasional lull in sections, but they always followed by something amazing soon after, only increasing the effect of the succeeding event. Once you dive into the narrative the tale morphs and evolves at a cracking pace up to the jaw dropping finale, where players will be left thinking long after the credits roll.
Overall the game is an amazing experience. Irrational Games have done an amazing job of bringing the world of Columbia to life. The story, gameplay and above all the work that went into Elizabeth help this game to exceed all expectations and in turn reinvent the FPS genre amongst it’s many more stale counterparts. The game is incredible in scope and story, well worthy of any gamers time, earning it’s well deserved place amongst some of the finest games of the generation.
In my mind, this game deserves no other score than, Go and Buy it NOW!
At PAX East this year I had the opportunity to check out Secret Ponchos, a spaghetti Western themed, top-down shooter from Switchblade Monkeys. The lush looking art, awesome music and simple premise drew me in, but the addicting gameplay was what ultimately won my heart.
Plot
“In Lonetree – a lawless, cutthroat town full of outlaws and bounty hunters – everyone is gunning for your head. Create your outlaw and engage in multiplayer duels to determine who lives, who dies and who becomes a legend.”
Characters
Click on the links to learn more about each character, their weapons and their stats.
The atmosphere is what really makes this game unique. You truly feel like you’re playing a Western – tension, itchy trigger finger and all. The music creates the perfect vibe, the colors make you feel all deserty… it’s hard to describe, but they truly nailed that feeling of when you were a little kid playing cowboys and Indians – ducking behind couches and peering around for enemies, reloading your imaginary six shooter – it’s all there.
Gameplay
Players can choose from six different characters with their own special moves and weapons. Each character has a primary and secondary weapon, and each weapon has a primary and special attack. You use the left stick to move around and the right stick to aim, with a cool shadowy line showing you where the bullet will strike. It takes a little getting used to at first, because you also have to make sure your weapon is drawn and aimed before you can attack, meaning you have to be a quick thinker to avoid death until you gain muscle memory.
The unique weapons and attacks of the characters really add a level of complexity to the simple gameplay, causing you to sacrifice certain advantages for others. For example, I played The Killer, and while my gun was pretty strong, I had to reload constantly. I tried to compensate by throwing my knife, only to find that I had to wait for the knife to “come back” before I could throw it again. Apparently, I should have been using it to stab instead of using my special attack. I tried to re-compensate by dodging all over the place, only to find that I was depleting my stamina bar. It became readily apparent that this seemingly simple game had much more nuance than I originally thought. There is also a lovely line-of-sight mechanic that let my opponents disappear completely if they hid somewhere. I think this contributed to that feeling of being little and playing cowboys and Indians… I really didn’t know where my enemies would turn up and the tension was excellent!
The multiplayer modes are fast-paced and just the right amount of challenging. There are four modes: one v. one, two v. two, four v. four and eight player free-for-all. Creative Director Yousuf Mapara said the team hopes to add more game modes if time permits.
I spoke with Eduardo Echeverria, the interface developer, who told me that the game will allow you to customize your character as you gain a reputation, essentially allowing you to create your own outlaw. He also revealed that they are developing a female character, when I mentioned the lack of ladies. Check her out looking slightly androgynous as a matador:
When I asked about the motivation behind the game, Echeverria looked me in the eye and said: SoulCaliber. You see, the developers used to play a lot of SoulCaliber, and they really loved how the game was easy to get into but had a depth of strategy for more experienced players. They wanted to create a game like that. What they ended up with has been compared to League of Legends, Street Fighter 2 and Team Fortress. In other words, this game is lined up to be ridiculous fun.
Secret Ponchos is slated for PS3 and 360 release only at this time.
Hideo Kojima and his team have finally revealed the trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. It was previously teased at last year Spike Video Game Awards as just the Phantom Pain developed by Moby Dick Studios but the truth is now revealed. Please watch, share and enjoy and comment down below on your thoughts of the game.
After much speculation and intrigue, Bungie has today revealed their latest game, Destiny.The game has no release date yet but will launch for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as “future generation technology”. Bungie has revealed a large amount of information in regards to how this new game will play, and what we can expect to see from this ambitious new project. Destiny is a “shared world shooter”, a social and co-operative game drawing from aspects of an MMO (but is not one itself, as stressed by the developers), requiring no subscription, only a constant online connection. It will seamlessly search for players in the vicinity exploring, completing the same mission and incorporate them into the world, allowing chance meetings, partnerships and help in missions, battles and goals. The game will also support lobbies with friends and direct invites, but focuses more on a living and thriving online universe filled with happenstance and action. You can play the entire game solo however also. Non-combat based social hubs also exist, where players can relax and engage in competitive activities against one another.
One of the many vehicles that will be a feature of Destiny
As stated, Bungie developers have stressed that this game is not an MMO. Engineering lead Chris Butcher has said, “These are living, open worlds with evolving stories, changing time of day…and every one is full of players. Destiny is an always online experience, but it’s not an MMO.” The idea of using MMO elements in this game is clever, it will allow for a social experience without as much of an emphasis on guilds and organised raids, all the action will unfold differently depending on when you’re online and who you meet. The matchmaking is reminiscent of the 2012 game “Journey” where every time you come across another player you are intrigued and curious, and the newly forged ‘partnership’ can turn the tide of the game, lasting for many missions or simply vanishing into the world as quietly as they had appeared.
Now onto the storyline. The human race has been reduced to a single city after the ‘golden age’ in which humans took to the stars rapidly, with vast technological expertise. They were hit by a so far unidentified enemy, reducing them to almost nothing, saved only by the ‘Traveller”, a large sphere hovering just above the earth. The last of humanity live below the Traveller, in the last city. As they begin to rebuild and branch out they find that their old planets are now occupied by strange new creatures and forces, and now must defend the last hope of humanity, the city, from extinction. The player is a ‘guardian’, a powerful human able to wield some of the Traveller’s power. Rather than like in Bungie’s previous title Halo, the humans aren’t a dominant force in the universe. The universe is designed to be scary and imposing for the last of the humans, with imposing aliens fortresses and environments like the citadel. Bungie’s new graphics engine will also help to shape the atmosphere of the game, with increased lighting and graphical capabilities to change how worlds are perceived by the player.
The Citadel (concept art)
The player, as a guardian, can play as one of several different classes. The three confirmed so far are the Hunter, the Warlock and the Titan. Players will create and customize their own character, gaining new armor and weapons throughout the game. They will have their own personalized character in this huge galaxy. The tower, the players home, will serve as a hub for the character, where you can gear up your guardian and organize adventures and lobbies of friends. You will also be able to buy and customize vehicles and star-ships, and space combat has been hinted at but not confirmed. The developers have said they want the characters and universe, however dark and imposing to create a sense of hope for the players. ”At its core, Destiny is a hopeful world. It’s a place worth spending time in. It’s a place worth fighting for.” says the story lead, Joe Staten. The world and game design here is aimed at keeping players invested week after week, month after month with new goals, rewards and content to experience.
Three of the classes from Destiny, the Hunter, the Warlock and the Titan (left to right)
The mission and game structure featured in Destiny will be open and in contrast to the multiplayer co-operative play for the main storyline the game will also feature competitive multiplayer modes, with credits and rewards being universal across the story and competitive parts. Even with a strong and expansive storyline the game will feature a variety of side missions and activities, from exploration to bounty hunting, all awarding the player with rewards and credits. All these missions and sections are playable with friends via direct invite and you locale will be populated with other online players that may tag along on your quest with you.
Destiny represents an ambitious and brave new step into the future of gaming, and will incorporate Destiny not only on home consoles but on iOS and Android devices, laptops and handhelds such as the vita to keep the player connected into the universe of Destiny. It’s large scale universe, bold new steps to change the first person shooter genre, and the seamless incorporation of single player and multiplayer are incredibly exciting and hopefully we see some more of this game in action in the near future. Bungie’s reveal seems to have excited many fans of Halo and Sci-fi already, and only time will tell whether they are capable of realising the dream that is Destiny.
Nickelodeon’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was met with controversy and fan outrage before it actually premiere. The new CG style turned a lot of people off and no one knew if this show would be any good. I’ve seen almost every iteration for the Turtles from the original cartoon to the movies to the really crappy live action tv show with the fifth female turtle. (And if you remember the Coming Out of Our Shells tour, extra brownie points for you) I had my reservation as well but after seeing the first hour-long episode, I was hooked!
And so were most of the naysayers. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quickly became Nickelodeon’s highest rated program with 3.9 million viewers in it’s premiere week and constantly pulling in the viewership. This rendition of the turtles has managed to not only pay homage to its predecessors, but stand out on it’s own with a well balance of action and comedy.
For anyone who may not now what TMNT is about, four turtles where mutated into human size, intelligent beings that learned ninjustu from their master Splinter, once human but now a giant rat, and battle their arch nemesis, The Shedder. In this reimagining of the turtles, series creator Ciro Nieli, set out to show the brotherhood between the turtles. Being a fan of the turtles since the comics, Nieli really wanted to make each turtle an individual, and man did he succeed. Each turtle really stands apart from the rest, from the way they act to the way they look. These turtles really look different from each other, and I’m not just talking about a different skin tone, but their height, body build, even eye color is unique to each turtle.
These turtles really do feel unique. Their personalities shine with both original and new flare. Of course they touch on the Leo and Raph rivalry, but I really like what they do here with Don and especially Mikey. While Mikey is always the younger brother and the “party dude,” I feel like he truly exudes the younger brother wonderment and innocence. April was turned into a teenager to be closer to the turtles. So far, it works really well, yet many times she turns into the damsel in distress. And Donatello’s crush is funny, yet sometimes creepy. With Casey Jones already announced for the second season, it’ll be interesting to see how this dynamic changes. Master Splinter was also de-aged and is much younger then what he is normally portrayed in other iterations. This also works with the series, as he is powerful and funny. And of course we can’t forget the shedder, who is truly foreboding and scary. It took a little while for him to really show up, but when he finally did, the payout was superb. The fight was brutal and you truly get a sense of his evilness.
While an awesome show, not everything is great though; the first couple episodes really felt like a “monster of the week” formula, and April feel under used. A lot of people were complaining about the CG before the show aired but for it’s style it works perfectly. I really can’t find too much to complain about. I love this show; it is the perfect mix of comedy from the original series and dark from the 2003 series. If you have not given this show a chance yet you are doing yourself a disfavor. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles airs at 11 am on Saturday mornings. Watch it and be amazed. BOOYAKASHA!!!
With the release of Assassins Creed III fast approaching this October 30th, Ubisoft has released a neat interactive trailer through YouTube to hold off fans until the main day. Think of it as one those choose your path books… but better. No worries, I won’t spoil the trailer with small description below. More of my thought after the trailer below.
The trailer starts off in Bunker Hill, with a very famous speech being presented, that’s if you actually paid attention in history class. Like any other Assassins Creed, Connor Kenway (Main Character), is presented with an assassination. Along the way there is a few guards that he has to fight through to get to his target.
Well instead of talking about it, why not give it a shot?
I played though it and attempted all the scenarios. There doesn’t seem to be a wrong way of doing. It just shows the many abilities and possibilities for the game and how to attack or assassinate a target. Don’t forget the game comes out this October 3oth and will be widely available on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U.
A new game is now available on Club Nintendo as virtual download for the Wii. Pilotwings! Nailing a perfect hundred (or greater) score on a particular discipline is guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone’s face in satisfaction. Pilotwings can normally be downloaded from the Virtual Console section of the Wii Shop Channel on the Wii console for 800 Wii Points. For a limited time only until October 28 2012, Club Nintendo members can get a download ticket for just 100 Coins.
