Fire Emblem: Awakening character progression revealed

Next week another installment of the Fire Emblem series will be released for the Nintendo 3DS. A video has been released that describes the character progression and leveling process in detail, so fans of the series can plan out how they will play.

battle from FE: Awakening

Based on the information from the video, characters earn experience from fighting in battles, and they're stats improve when they gain a level as in any standard turn-based RPG. Each weapon type will have different levels too. If you use a certain weapon type more than the others, it will be your most effective weapon because your character will be more skilled in using it. Weapon types include swords, axes, bows, lances, tomes and stones.

Apparently the AI in this game is top notched as enemies will seek to battle characters that they have a high advantage over. The video urges players to not rely on your strongest character, but make sure your weaker characters support your stronger characters in battle so they can level up too.

There are two types of classes in the game; base classes, and advanced classes. Base class units are weaker while advanced class units are stronger. With the use of a master seal item, a base class unit can evolve into an advanced class unit, which gives them a massive stat upgrade.

Special abilities are acquired through this evolution process. The class of knight can choose to evolve to either great knight, or general. Great knights can move longer distances on the map as well as equip swords, lances and axes. Generals on the other hand are a more defensive and become nearly impenetrable by enemy attacks.

overhead view of map

An item called the second seal allows you to change your character's base class. The class type you can change into depends on the unit. For example, knights have the options to become priest or thieves while cavaliers have the option to become myrmidons or wyvern riders. You are able to change between base classes and advanced classes as many times as you like as long as you have the seals to do so.

The game includes many skills that will improve your character's stats and give them special abilities. The skills can be carried over to various class types, so it is important for players to develop and train characters from different class types. Special abilities are used in battle and are normally in the form of extremely powerful attacks that give you the upper hand in battle.

Skills are used to give your characters an advantage in areas such as strength, healing, disarming and many more. Characters can have up to five skills equipped at one time.

Fire Emblem Awakening will be out Feb. 4 for the Nintendo 3DS. Check out the video below.

Hitman HD trilogy will be released tomorrow

According to an article by Gameinformer, there will be a Hitman HD bundle released tomorrow. This release is for the Hitman fans who find themselves craving more from the series after the magnificent Hitman: Absolution.

The bundle will contain all of the games prior to Absolution, except for the first game, Hitman: Codename 47. This means that fans will be able to play Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money in spectacular HD quality.

Since Blood Money is the only game in the bundle that was released during this generation of consoles, it is uncertain if there will be any changes made to the game, or if it is just included in the bundle for the hell of it.

The trilogy is listed at a price of $39.99, and will be available for Xbox 360 and Ps3. For more, check out the trailer below.

GTA fan begins building map in anticipation of next installment

On GTAforums.com, there is a fan who has begun building a map for Grand Theft Auto V based on screenshots and trailers that have been released.

The username of this fan is jbte, and from what the picture displayed below shows, jbte must have spent countless hours analyzing different screenshots and trailers. It's obvious that jbte has done extensive research and will probably be doing a lot more when new media is released.

I'm certainly intrigued to see what comes of this project. The most fun part of this project will be comparing it to the actual finished product of GTA V and seeing how close jbte gets in creating an identical map. To learn more about this, check out Gameinformer's coverage of it, or check out the boards on GTAforums.com. 

Farewell THQ

Yesterday, THQ was granted a motion to approve the sale of a majority of their assets to multiple buyers from the US Bankruptcy Court. THQ has noted that they will receive approximately $72 million, according to an article by IGN. This makes the THQ estate worth a grand total of $100 million when you add certain assets and other IPs that were excluded from the sale, according to the article.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell said that it has been a "to work alongside this great group of people" and that he is proud of the games that they have created, according to the article. He also went on to say that he hopes the talent assembled at THQ-owned development studios will continue to make an impact on the video game industry by making quality games.

As for who bought the development studios formerly owned by THQ, it goes as follows. Sega now owns Relic, developers of Company of Heroes 2 and Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War. Koch Media now owns Volition and their development studio, Deep Silver, will be in charge of the Saints Row series and Metro series.

Crytek, who is currently developing Homefront 2, purchased the rights to the Homefront series. Take Two, the parent company of 2k and Rockstar Games, purchased Turtle Rock Studios' project codenamed Evolve. Lastly, Ubsoft purchased the rights to publish South Park: The Stick of Truth and THQ Montreal.

It's sad to see a company that has been in the Industry so long fall apart after years publishing great video games. It's even more sad to think about all of the people that will possibly lose their jobs due to this massive break up. My wishes go out to the people who will be affected by this.

To read more and see the letter issued to THQ employees by CEO Brian Farrell, check out IGN's coverage of  this story.

DmC review: A facelift never looked so natural

After I heard Ninja Theory was taking up the reigns to the newest installment in the Devil May Cry series, I felt at ease. Since they brought us games like Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, I felt like the series was in the right hands.

I was right to feel this way because this is probably the best reboot I have ever played, and possibly the best Devil May Cry game that I've played. DmC manages to keep the fast-paced, stylish action that the series is known for, but manages to surpass its predecessors with a captivating storyline and creative level design.

A Devil May Cry game never has had a story that made me want to keep playing to progress the narrative and see what happens next. They've always been games that I played for the addictive, fast-paced action and cheesy one-liners said by Dante. DmC changes that providing a gripping story about revenge, loyalty, betrayal and the sacred bond shared between brothers. The only disappointment with the story is that it cuts itself short when all you want is more. The story is so good that I found myself disappointed that it ended about 10 hours after I started.

Visually the game is absolutely stunning. I, unlike many fanboys of the series, like the new Dante and wasn't bothered at all by the change of appearance. More importantly, the world that Ninja Theory has created for the game is remarkable. Instead of the using the Gothic style world that was used in the previous installments in the series, Ninja Theory created a new world with a real life, modern day feel. A world that is controlled by an evil corporation owned by the demon king Mundus, and by a propaganda television news network also controlled by Mundus.

Stabbin' and jabbin'

During the game, Dante is constantly pulled in and out of a parallel world called "Limbo." In Limbo, Dante is attacked by the demon king Mundus's demon army and also by the world itself. I was in absolute awe when I first saw the ground in Limbo fall out from under me, and the walls close in an attempt to crush me. The way the world literally shifts while you are playing the game creates a visual spectacle that is unmatched by other games in the genre. Enemies don't look bland or generic, but instead they are creatively designed and look creepier than ever.

Where this game really shines is the combat. Dante is Nephilim, meaning he is the spawn of both an angel (Eva) and a demon (Sparda). This means Dante can wield both angelic and demonic weapons, making the possibility for awesome combos a lot higher. Of course Dante's beloved sword Rebellion returns along with his trusty pistols Ebony & Ivory. Devil Trigger is back as well and allows Dante to freeze his enemies in the air and destroy them with powerful attacks. It also replenishes health.

What impresses me most about this game is the ability to seamlessly swap weapons in the middle of a combo in order to gain more style points. All you need to do is hold down LT or L2 to switch to angelic weapons and hold down RT or R2 to use demonic weapons. There are two angelic weapons, two demonic weapons, three different firearms and one Rebellion, giving players eight different weapons to choose from. Since the D pad is used to equip weapons, it is possible to use every weapon in your arsenal in a single combo. The only problem is the lack of an ability to lock-on to enemies, but the intelligent auto lock-on suffices so combat doesn't get too frustrating.

Platforming is also smooth and actually fun considering how simple it is. Dante is given an angel hook and demon hook which can be used to grasp on to certain parts of the environment and enemies. The angel hook is used to pull Dante towards the targeted point, while the demon hook is used to move objects and platforms.

Hackin' and slashin'

The game offers three difficulty modes to begin with, and offers four more that can be unlocked by completing the game on the hardest modes, offering a big incentive to play the game over. There are also collectibles in each level and secret challenges. Gathering the collectables and doing these secret challenges factor into your mission score at the end of each level. Bloody palace mode also makes a return and is available for download via XBL and PSN.

Boss fights are well designed and extremely fun, but not very difficult. Each boss has a small set of moves that are easy to predict and don't do much damage. Still, this doesn't take much away from the battles. They are still satisfying and epic, especially the fight against Mundus.

I can't imagine DmC being much better than this. Ninja Theory went above and beyond to create a game that looks nothing like the others in the series, but feels just right. Because of its well written and acted storyline, gorgeous and creative level design and fluid, fast-paced gameplay, this game deserves a SSS ranking and Ninja theory deserves the highest of fives for creating it.

Also, for all of the crybaby fanboys out there. Ninja Theory is releasing a character skin so you can play as your precious old Dante again. I hope this gives you incentive to play this game, because this game should not be neglected over something so stupid.

Opinion: Obama is wasting money with new study on effects of video game violence

At a press conference early this morning, President Barack Obama asked Congress to fund a new study on video game violence.

According to Reuters, a "senior administration official" confirmed that Obama "would be asking for $10 million  for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the root causes of gun violence, including any relationships to video games and media images."

My problem with  this is there have already been studies done on the relationship between violent video games and aggressive behavior. For the most part, these studies all end in the same result. The result being there is no direct correlation between the playing of violent video games and violent behavior.

Take the study done in 2011 at Texas A&M International University where clinical psychologist Christopher Ferguson bluntly said that he found "nothing" after researching whether violent video games compel people to commit acts of violence. Or how about the fact that juvenile crime is the lowest it has been in the past 30 years, according to federal crime statistics.

So why waste $10 million on research that has already been done? Of course one must look to the Sandy Hook shooting that occurred last month when a young adult male shot up a Kindergarten, killing 27 teachers and children. As in tradition, outraged Americans who frantically rummage their brains for a reason why someone would do something so terrible, look to something that they have little understanding of.

They completely disregard studies like the recent one I mentioned earlier, and also disregard statistics provided by a federal  government agency. They also disregard logic and reason. Millions upon millions of people play violent video games, the most popular being (although I hate to say it) Call of Duty. If violent video games caused real-life violence, shouldn't there be total anarchy?

Movies are also scrutinized for portraying violence on the screen, but not as much as video games because video games are interactive. But, one form of media that are never called into question are books. Books are just as violent as video games and movies, but people accept them more because they have been around much longer than video games and movies.

The other day I was talking to a friend about "The Count of Monte Cristo," the 19th century classic written by Alexander Dumas. In the book, there is a graphic scene where a man is brutally killed with a mace. Dumas continues to describe the death of the character by talking about how the blood squirts out of his face and how he squeals in pain, waiting to die.


I don't know too much about politics, but what I do know is the President Obama is wasting taxpayer money by spending so much money on a study that will most likely have the same results that similar studies in the past had. That money could be used towards more important things like failing inner-city education systems or a more important study on mental health without the video game variable.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengence demo next week

Konami has announced that they will release a playable demo of Metal Gear Rising: Revengence next week. The demo will include three stages and will be available for both Xbox and Ps3 via Xbox Live and Playstation Network.

Konami didn't just announce a demo, but they also released a new trailer for the highly anticipated game. The trailer shows off Raiden using the game's Zan-Datsu combat system to chop and slice his enemies to hell.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengence will be available for Xbox 360 and Ps3 February 19. If you're fine with spending a few extra bucks, a really cool lamp based off of Raiden's sword is included in the collector's edition.

Check out the new trailer below.

Will Killing Day finally be made?

I remember watching E3 2005, back when I was a 14 year old lad, and being mesmerized by chaotic dual-wielding demo of the game Killing Day. The game alone made me want to splurge for a Ps3, but to my and many others disappointment, the game was cancelled and never made.

Several years later, Ubisoft may be resurrecting the game, according to an article by Gameinformer. The article also states that the game has fluctuated from abandoned to revived over the years, but looked as if the general public would never see the release of the game. A trademark filing that was filed recently shows that there still may be hope that the game may be made.

Not too bad looking considering it was going to be a launch title.

The filing indicates that Ubisoft hasn't completely abandoned the project. It's not a green light to start developing the game, but Ubisoft refused to comment on the issue, according to the article.

 Since we're on the subject, some cancelled games that I would like to see resurrected are Frame City Killer, 100 Bullets, 8 Days, and Shenmue 3. What projects would you all want to see revived? Feel free to share.

Gearbox Software declines offer to develop a Call of Duty installment

Recently, Gearbox Software's CEO Randy Pitchford was approached to develop a Call of Duty game, according to an interview done by German gaming publication, KGN. 

In the interview, Pitchford states that he doesn't want to develop a Call of Duty game because he doesn't think there is anything to accomplish by doing so. He said if he were in it for the money, he would have done it, but it wouldn't add to the studio's credibility and it wouldn't move them further.

Personally, I think this is an honorable move by Pitchford. Call of Duty has become infamous for charging $60 for what is basically the same game every year. He showed that he is a game creator that puts people in front of his own personal gain.

What do you think? Feel free to discuss your thoughts about Pitchford's decision and reasoning. 

Gabe Newell approached by Hollywood executives

On a recent appearance on popular podcast, the Nerdist, Gabe Newell discussed ridiculous ideas proposed to him concerning a Half-Life or Left 4 Dead movie.

Obviously Newell was not wooed by the Hollywood execs, who proposed absurd ideas involving horses in the Half-Life movie.

I imagine this being the look Newell gave to the execs.

"There really were people who came to us with proposals of ' ‘Okay, it's Half-Life 1, and there are horses, and it's a cavalry charge, and it's high-tech carbon armor on the horses,'" Newell said in the podcast. "We were like, 'What the fuck are you talking about? Have you even played this.'"


Considering the quote above, it's safe to say that if a Half-Life movie were to be made, Gabe Newell would make sure that it wouldn't be complete crap. That gives me hope that someday there will be a good movie adaptation of a video game.

More Playstation 3 units sold worldwide than Xbox 360

With it's extensive list of incredible exclusive games, Playstation 3 has finally passed Xbox 360 in units sold worldwide. Although Xbox 360 has dominated sales in North America, a new report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that Playstation 3 is the top dog in the international gaming market.

The report by the IDC titled, "Worldwide Video Game and Entertainment Console Hardware and Packaged Software 2012-2016," shows that Playstation 3 has sold 77 million units worldwide compared to the Xbox 360's 76 million.

This is the first time that Playstation 3's worldwide sales have surpassed Xbox 360's, which makes sense seeing that Ps3 didn't launch until one year after the 360. This comes as no surprise to me. In the beginning of the generation, Xbox 360 had the upper hand when it came to exclusive content and online experience.

Protagonists of some Playstation exclusive games

Now with the generation coming to a end, 360 still manages to provide a better online experience, but Ps3 has more exclusive games and better exclusive games. It will be interesting to see which system has the most units sold by the time their successors launch.

Valve and Xi3 present Piston

 Details are emerging about Valve and Xi3's Steam-Powered PC, codenamed Piston.

A representative of Xi3 stated that the system will be a step up from the company's current 7 series of PCs, according to report over CNET. The 7 series includes quad core processing chips that run up to 3.2 GHz, and AMD's 383 Raedon HD 7660G graphics core. The 7 series also supports up to 8 GB of RAM. We can expect that Piston will be a fairly powerful machine if the specs are similar or better than Xi3's 7 series of PCs.

Xi3 also announced at the Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES) that they will be optimizing Piston for Big Picture mode and be housed on one of X13's modular systems.

She's a beauty

"Today marks the beginning of a new era for Xi3," said Xi3 CEO Jason A. Sullivan in a press release. "This new development stage product will allow users to take full-advantage of their large high-definition TV displays for an amazing computer game experience. As a result, this new system could provide access to thousands of gaming titles through an integrated system that exceeds the capabilities of leading game consoles, but can fit in the palm of your hand."

Bloody Palace mode will be included in DMC

Fans of the Devil May Cry series will be overjoyed to hear that the action-packed Bloody Palace mode will be returning in the upcoming installment to the series.

As in previous games, there will be 100 levels of hacking, slashing and shooting. The best part about the return of the game mode is that it will be free to download off XBL and PSN.

The developer of the game, Ninja Theory, tweeted, "Bloody Palace gets really hardcore towards the end. You'll have to be something special to beat it." This statement makes it sound like gamers will get hours upon hours of enjoyment and frustration from the game mode.

Screen capture of the new Bloody Palace mode

DMC will be available on Jan. 15 for Xbox 360 and Ps3. Expect a review of the game shortly after its release.