Limited Edition Batman: Arkham Knight PlayStation 4 Revealed

Nobody can deny that the Batman: Arkham Series by Rocksteady Studios is the most famous and loved series in the world. So to celebrate its grand finale, Sony announced two new Batman: Arkham Knight Bundles made available this June.

The first bundle (as seen in the image above) will contain a Limited Edition custom designed Steel Grey System along with an identical DualShock 4 Controller, a physical copy of Batman: Arkham Knight and exclusive content that has three bonus Scarecrow Missions. This bundle will cost you 450$.

NOTE: PlayStation 4 owners will have access to all the bonus content first like additional missions, custom skins for Batman and the Batmobile.

The Standard Edition will provide you with the classic PS4 System, the controller, along with the a Blu-Ray Disk of the game and the exclusive content. This will be sold for the standard price of 400$.

Both these bundles will be available on June 23, 2015. That's the same day Batman: Arkham Knight releases. But the bundles are up for Pre-Order already. So if you still don't have a PlayStation 4, this just might be enough to persuade you to get one.

Are you interested in a Bundle? If so, which one will you be getting?

Also, here is the Scarecrow trailer in case you've missed it.

Halo 5: Guardians Release Date Confirmed via New Teasers

Today, Microsoft and developer 343 Industries, revealed not one but two teasers which puts our minds into an uncontrollable spin by raising a lot more question than before.

In the first video, Spartan Locke readies his sidearm to fire at the Master Chief who is on the ground, hurt and weak with a GSW to the left side of the torso. 

"All hail the conquering hero. Let us remember him as our protector, and not the one who gave us this. As our savior, and not our betrayer. Let us see him forever, as you, and not as you. All hail the conquering hero. The one who was supposed to save us all. But now I'm going to save us from you." This is what Locke says to the Master Chief.

In the second video, the Master Chief is the one walking towards the downed Spartan Locke. The video shows The Master Chief saying, "This? Is this what you wanted? Is this what you were looking for? Was everything you've compromised, everything you've done worth it? Was it? You've completed your mission, Spartan Locke. Mine is just beginning."

So now comes the real question. Who is the Hunter and who is the Hunted? In any case, I'm sure we'll have one hell of a journey hunting the truth.

"The Master Chief. The Spartan. Who is the hunter and who is the hunted? The trailer shows one of the most epic showdowns in entertainment history by pitting the legendary Master Chief against the UNSC's top manhunter, Spartan Locke." This, Microsoft said in a press release.

The videos also apprise the release date of Halo 5: Guardians, confirming October 27, 2015 as the official date.

Battlefield: Hardline Review (Campaign & Multiplayer)

Battlefield: Hardline

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CAMPAIGN:

Battlefield games have always had great potential and can very easily pose a threat to its competition, if done right. I personally loved all the previous Battlefields but I cannot deny that they were stained with flaws and graphical glitches. And unlike its competition, these games lacked the 'awe' factor which hurt its fans and brought into question the publisher's intentions and dedication.

After a lot of criticism, EA has finally decided to take things seriously. Hardline is the latest installment in the series and it looks real promising. Did all the pounding help create a better game? Did EA's effort bear fruit? Let's find out in my review of Battlefield: Hardline.

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS.

• Platform(s)         :   PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 
• Developer           :   DICE, Visceral Games
• Publisher            :   EA
• Engine                :   Frostbite 3
• Genre                 :   Action, Shooter
• View(s)               :   1st Person, 3rd Person while driving (Multiplayer)
• Ratings               :    ESRB - M, PEGI -18
• Release Date       :    March 13/17/19, 2015
• Price                    :   Starts at ₹ 3,499 / $ 59.99 / £ 39.99 

INTRODUCTION:

Pointing out the obvious, EA has brought the successful Visceral Games (the minds behind the widely acknowledged game - Dead Space) into the folds of the development team. That proves how much EA wants to win this round.

You will be surprised! The game has a new look. This time, Battlefield isn't about war or marines. It is about cops and drug dealers and criminals. We were all bored of the same war stories anyway so this transformation is very much welcome. It plays just like a Battlefield game and yet feels completely different. If you were asked what game you were playing without revealing the name, you couldn't have guessed. The change is drastic and you will love it.

THE GAME:

You play the character of Nicholas 'Nick' Mendoza, a Detective at Miami Vice who aims at bringing his previous partners to justice after they went corrupt. He is a Cuban Immigrant who loves everything about being a Cop. His father wasn't exactly a role model and he is one of the reasons why Nick became a Cop. This, Nick's boss could relate and appreciated his efforts saying that he was on the right track.

Graphics, Sound & Things That Matter:

The overall graphics and ambiance is good, but not what one would expect out of a next-gen Battlefield game. The game plays really smooth and doesn't have many glitches (so far). The best part about the game is that it has a little humour. I don't remember ever laughing while playing a game (except South Park: The Stick Of Truth, but that was meant to be funny). This makes the game a little interesting and sets it apart from almost all the games out there. A big plus for EA!

The story is terrific, just like any Battlefield game. There are some really ugly twists and it makes the game so much better. The game has a very believable (and beautiful) modern day setting. The climatic conditions are amazingly well done. The sky looks gorgeous and the hurricane (yes, there's a hurricane) is pretty great. The fire is bright and looks natural. smoke and particle effects are well done too. Lights, shadows and reflections are very accurate and that elevates the experience of the game. The design and layout of the buildings and houses are simply superb, in particular Roark's Mansion in Episode 7 and Dawes's Mansion in Episode 10. Those were designed impeccably well, like a dream house almost - very modern, very classy.

Our partner has our back in case the situation takes a turn for the worst (well, sometimes). We have always played as a Lone Wolf in the previous installments and this part has its fair share too, if you like it. The game sometimes has as an open-world scenario. You have to take time to assess the situation and then proceed. Not a typical Battlefield game, right? It has a few driving sequences too, which is fun. 

The weapons sound sick with great customization options. Gun fights have loud 'bangs' and 'booms'. Environmental damage has always been one of Battlefield's strongest suits and it does not disappoint here. It makes the game feel very much alive. The background score and sound effects are amazing (the best part about the game in my opinion) for which the credit goes to Visceral, I believe. They also tried being cheeky by showing an enemy playing Dead Space. Haha! That, according to me, was super cool (cheekiness hit!). Water effects could have been better, though.

One thing I loved about the campaign is that when you start a new chapter, you get a recap of the story that's you've finished so far. So maybe you were out of town or didn't get the chance to play the game for a few days. When you resume the campaign, this feature would refresh your memory and you'd know exactly where you let off.

The Bad Side:

The graphics have been dialed down a notch and are a little funny to look at when you first see the game. It feels cartoony in a lot of places. It just isn't as great as Battlefield 4, or even Battlefield 3 for that matter. The character skins have a shiny demeanor (the same as in Alien: Isolation) that looks really artificial here. It looked great in Alien: Isolation because of the fact that the environment was dark and SEGA had written a custom in-house engine for precise lighting effects that complemented the surrounding and, ultimately, the skin. I feel they could have done a better job with the character detailing too. The eyes look really REALLY creepy. It's like looking at the doll from one of the horror movies. The eyes can completely freak you out.

The collision effects are just pathetic. The objects we slam into incinerate right in front of our eyes, be it a tree or an entire car. The takedowns are pretty silly and the combat gets boring after a few hours of playing. The 'Freeze and Arrest' system is a great addition but seriously flawed. It makes no sense whatsoever especially if your enemies are dealing in high-value, illegal stuff. Firstly, one man cannot carry a ton of cuffs to be able to arrest over a dozen bad guys, especially in Episode 7 where he is on the run from the authorities and he has to infiltrate Roark's Mansion where he single-handedly has to take out about 50 men (generic Battlefield game). So, myy question is, where does he get so many cuffs from and where does he keep those?! They could've eliminated this in the solo-missions at least. It would've brought a little diversity (something that this game heavily needs).  Secondly, won't the enemies try to alert their friends or try to escape once they are cuffed and we are away to continue with our mission? They just go to sleep (literally!). I mean, what is that?! It is just WRONG! And since this is extremely stupid, the only one new feature of this game gets exceedingly annoying after a certain point. But the good thing is that arresting someone is entirely up to the player. Phew, a little breathing room! You can always go guns-blazing but then what's really different about the game? 

A tree coming off when rammed with a boat

The enemy sleeping after being cuffed

The AI is bad, truly bad. Enemy reactions are all the same (area wise) when you flash your badge and arrest them. They don't see you even if you are right in front of them even on a bright sunny day. You will have a come within their visibility range (a yellow cone on the map which is displayed on the top left) for them to start spotting you (yes, there are different levels of alertness). There were a few punch lines but didn't really carry a punch. I still hate the idea of one man taking out an army of men, especially during the day. A Sniper has better chances but still it would be stupid at this magnitude.

I like to get into the shoes of the character we play and, this being a Cop story, just the arrest system wasn't enough to convince me. EA could've done something like L.A. Noire. Nick going to the crime scene, interrogating, solving cases, etc. That would've been different and nice. It surely would've gone with their theme of Cops and Criminals. The problem is, EA still see this as a military shooter. Proof? The military-grade weapons, tank fights, resources that Nick and his friends have at their expense, etc. The most annoying thing (apart from the arrested man going to sleep) was the tank fight. I mean how does Nick know to maneuver a tank? And even by some vague connection he did learn something of that sort, how can one man alone operate the tank? It might be possible that Nick might have had training and the Tank (that he found on the Airfield) was a one-man operated tank, but it all just seems highly unlikely. There are a lot of other things that I can't even begin to explain. Maybe that's for the best. I know this is a game but how much can we let go? 

VERDICT:

EA has tried and failed repeatedly to impress its audience and this time is no different. I believe that this is a new low, not what is expected by such an esteemed publisher. The game had great potential but in the efforts of trying too much, EA has disappointed magnanimously. The game feels incomplete. The graphics are dull, the animation feels lifeless and it gets boring pretty soon. There isn't anything exciting to keep you hooked to the game, except the last two chapters. But if somebody was like me, I would've stopped playing before we reached the 5th chapter (there are a total of 10).

Battlefield 4 was such an improvement over its predecessor. The ambiance was brilliant and one could get the sense of fear while playing that game. I know EA could've done a better job as a whole due to the fact that it had more powerful hardware to work with (GPUs & Consoles are better than they've ever been). Maybe it didn't care how the campaign turned out because Battlefield has always been known for its Multiplayer experience. Nevertheless, having had such a great concept, I really wish it would've capitalized on that and done justice to the phenomenal story. The story is still lingering in my head because it is above top-class. Realism is where EA screwed it up. Actually, pretty much everywhere other than the story. 

With competition like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Destiny, EA cannot afford to make such mistakes. And in all honesty, even with quite a bunch of issues, I would prefer Battlefield 4 any day. That game is a great package. It has everything a gamer could ask for - great campaign, great graphics, great gameplay, great multiplayer, great experience.

So, here are my final thoughts on the game.

+ Good new idea for a game perspective

+ Smooth gameplay

+ Terrific story

+ Great weapon customization

+ Amazing weapon sounds (probably the best)

+ Accurate shadows

+ Humour 

+ Fun Multiplayer 

- Flawed game basics

- Graphics are dull and character detailing is weak

- The game feels cartoony

- Poor collision, water effects

- Combat gets boring; you lose interest in the game after a while

- Game feels incomplete

Since this is a full review, details are necessary. But that's rarely how a game is rated. The rating comes from how much fun one has while playing the game and if he/she will ever go back and play it all over again. Experience is what matters. So, keeping in mind what EA is capable of and based on the how I felt while playing the game, this is my final score.

MULTIPLAYER:

Battlefield multiplayer is always massively fun. You can get lost in it for hours and Battlefield: Hardline does the same. It basically retains the same creed with new Game Modes, Maps, Classes and Weapons. 

Classes:

• Operator        : These are the medics of our force. They carry Assault Rifles whilst healing their teammates.
• Mechanic        : These are the engineers of our force. They carry Carbines and they specialize in repairing vehicles.
• Enforcer          : These are the support of our force. The carry Light Machine Guns and they help by providing                                                      ammunition to their team.
• Professional  : These are the snipers of our force. They carry Sniper Rifles and their main area of expertise is support.

Game Modes:

• Blood Money             : In this mode, Cops and Criminals fight for only one objective, steal as much money as you                                                           can from your enemies.
• Conquest                  : The original Battlefield style game. Flags are set around various points and the teams fight                                                            for control over those.
• Crosshair                  : Here, the Cops aim to escort a VIP to the extraction points protecting him from the Criminals                                                      and the objective of the Criminals is to eliminate the VIP before he is extracted.
• Heist                           : In Heist Mode, the Criminals try to crack open a vault and steal the cash inside while the                                                              Cops try to prevent that from happening.
• Hotwire                     : Just some crazy speed chasing.
• Rescue                       :  This is an elimination type game mode where the Cops try to save the hostages from the                                                               Criminals .
• Team Deathmatch  : Classic Team Deathmatch, just overwhelming.

Overall, Multiplayer is a ton of fun and you will not reach for your Disk Drive once you start playing. The only problem is you will stay there for hours together and the only time you'll want to get up is to grab a bite, or maybe not even then. :P

Batman: Arkham Knight Delayed Yet Again, But Worth The Wait

This is the second time we've got news of the game being delayed and the date has been pushed to 23rd June, 2015. This marks an extra eight months wait for the fans worldwide as the original release date was said to be October the 14th, 2014. The news is brought by the game's official Twitter account.

The game director Sefton Hill said, "We're a developer that hates to make any compromises, so we are sorry to say this means it's going to be just a little bit longer until you can play the epic conclusion to the Arkham trilogy." 

To make up for the delay and teasing us, Sefton Hill added, "As a reward for your patience and understanding, and to make the wait even more unbearable, we are pleased to whet your appetite with a new gameplay video."

The gameplay footage was recorded on a PlayStation 4 and shows off Batman's new gadgets, moves and the Batmobile (yes, the car we all love so much!) along with how dark the game and the Batman really are. All I can say is that the craving for it has just become a bit much. This is surely going to be worth the wait.

343 Industries Employees Tease The World

Frank O' Connor, the franchise development director of Halo at 343 Industries, along with a bunch of other employees  have tweeted a link with 'Halo 5' and 'Hunt the Truth' hash-tagged. The link in the tweet leads to a Tumblr page where you see a countdown meter (currently showing 2 days and 9 hours) and the word 'Traitor' carved on a bullet.

This is really exciting news for Halo fans and Xbox owners. Maybe we'll finally be able to see a teaser of the new game? I really hope so. Whatever the case, one this is for sure. This weekend just got really interesting for a lot of people.

Here's the link to the Tumblr Account -> Hunt the Truth

Unchartered 4 release pushed to 2016

The biggest and the most anticipated release for the Sony PlayStation this year has been delayed to spring 2016. Unchartered 4: A Thief's End was originally set to release this fall but has been put off by a considerable amount of time.

This may have come as a great disappointment to all those who have been eagerly waiting for more of the Unchartered. But the following might give its fans a change of heart.

On the PlayStation Blog, Naughty Dog Creative Director Neil Druckmann gave reason for this the delay saying that:

"The game has grown much more ambitious than we originally envisioned. After spending so many years with Nathan Drake, he means a lot to the team, and telling the climactic chapter of his adventures is a task we don't take lightly — this game deserves every bit of the attention to detail, precise pacing, and nuanced storytelling Naughty Dog is known for. So we've made the difficult choice of pushing the game's release date. Giving us a few extra months will make certain that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End not only meets the team's high standards, but the high standards that gamers have come to expect from a Naughty Dog title.”

If you still haven't checked out the gameplay, here it is.

The Order: 1886 Review (PS4)

The Order: 1886

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SCE is out with another exclusive and that is my favourite time of the year! I still remember when I saw this game revealed last year at E3. I was blown away by the uniqueness and the feel this game had then. I couldn't wait for it to show itself and it finally has. We all know that games tend to be different from their trailers. So, how has this game fared? Is it worth all the hype? Let's find out.

THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

• Platform(s)        :   PlayStation 4 (Exclusive)
• Runs at               :   1080p, 60FPS
• Developer           :   Ready At Dawn Studios, Santa Monica 
• Publisher            :   Sony
• Genre                 :   Action Shooter
• View(s)               :   3rd Person
• Release Date        : February 20, 2015
• Price                    :   ₹3,999 / $59.99 / £45.70 

REVIEW:

You play as Sir Galahad in an alternate version of Victorian England. He is an expert tracker and hunter. He has immense experience fighting, especially Lycans (The Order was established by King Arthur to fight these Half-Breeds). He is calm and cool with great skill and instinct. That, my friends, is a deadly combination. Sir Galahad is also a mentor to Igraine (the female protagonist).

This game is reportedly inspired by Unchartered 2: Among Thieves. So you will find it to have pretty similar elements, just done better. The gameplay is extremely smooth and the interactive cinematics adds to the charm of the game. The cinematics are truely beautiful, almost movie-like. 

Interactive Cinematics

Interaction with Objects

One thing that requires our close attention is the Character Modelling in the game. The characters are so gorgeous, sometimes it feels like watching a scene from an actual movie. The expressions and delivery of speech are very much believable, making the experience even better.

Sir Galahad

Igraine

Sir Percival

Other Characters in the Game

The graphics and the detailing is very much accurate (the only kind that matters to me). This is some of the best graphics I've seen on a console in a very long time. The ambiance is really beautiful. Moreover, Sony claims that this game is just touching the surface of the graphical capabilities of the PlayStaion 4. I really can't wait to find out what more this system can do (excited!). But I've got to admit - the transition between scenes can be a little bit wonky sometimes. Nothing to be alarmed about because it is fluid most of the times.

Another thing that makes this game stand out is the authenticity of every little thing. The clothing, words used, environment, painting on the walls, the weapons, the newspaper, lighting, reflections, personality of the characters, their haircut, everything reeks of the ways of the Englishmen from the 19th century. A special round of applause to the voice actors in this game. It is not easy to convince someone of something that isn't real, especially of an imaginary world. But the acting is so natural, it feels like we are at the center of it all. Brilliant job done there! The soundtrack is engrossing and the audio effects are precise.

Sir Galahad Scouting the City

Sunlight and Shadows

The Famous Painting of Lady Godiva

A Newspaper

Rappelling Down From An Airship

Inside of the Airship

Burning

If you like a game because of its guns, you're gonna love this one. By now I'm sure you would've had, at the very least, a glimpse of the weaponry in the game. So there's no need for me to tell you that these people (the characters in the game) have some crazy technology at work.
The weapons are loud, powerful and really cool. You will enjoy using each and every one of those. The gunplay is super smooth, aiming is what you'd expect it to be (landing head-shots is pretty easy) and there aren't too many weapons that would get you all confused. You'll just be left wanting more. The destruction, blood, smoke and fire effects are magnificent.

Pn83 'Falchion' Auto-Rifle

Essex M2 of the Combo Gun (Secondary Fire)

Arc Gun

M84 Marksman Carbine (Sniper)

Thermite Gun (bad-ass)

Frag Grenade

Repeating Arbalest (Crossbow)

There are a few gadgets that have their own application from time-to-time. The developers have also implemented the use of the DualShock 4's touchpad (as seen in the image below). Here, it is used to send a morse code to an airship above (which is pretty awesome).

TS-28 Monocular (Binoculars)

Stamford Lockpick

The Half-Breeds in this game are pretty horrific, I must say. Lycans, is what they are called. Though the small ones are easy to kill, the Elders require a lot of fire power to take down. The sad thing is we don't get to fight a lot of Lycans in the game. Then what's their purpose? Well..let's just say yhey are important to the story. Combining the shooting and the cinematic interactions, this game gives the player one hell of an experience.

Lycan

The Elder Lycan

The Elder Lycan Can Sniff Out Its Prey

The Elder Lycan's Scary Eyes

Fight Sequence

An Intense Battle

The AI is pretty weak, according to me. Sometimes an enemy (human) won't shoot you if you're standing right next to him and sometimes the enemy won't even notice you if you run past him (LOL!). And the Half-Breeds (the small ones) are pretty stupid. They have only one move (i.e) pounce, which can be easily evaded by mashing the 'X' button at the right time. The combat with these Lycans is repetitive, which is a little boring. But these are really minor mishappenings. I wouldn't say no to smarter enemies, though. Makes it a little more realistic and challenging. It's all very exciting nonetheless. The story progresses pretty nicely with a load of twists towards the end, some of which can be foreseen easily, the rest, staggering. The ending is great, which a lot of games fail to deliver.

VERDICT:

This is no 'The Last Of Us', let me be clear. I don't think there has ever been any game that can come even close to that game's perfection and I don't see any in the near future as well. But Sony is on the right track with 'The Order: 1886' and it is definitely up there. And like any game, this has it's own pluses and minuses.

+ Immersive story
+ Exceptional visuals and sound
+ Smooth gunplay
+ Great ambiance and overall feel

- No replay value
- Expensive
- Needed more Lycan Enemies

There have been a lot of reviews giving negative remarks to this game just because they felt that the game wasn't long enough. I strongly disagree with that kind of mentality. It's the quality and the story and the immersiveness that matters, not how long the game is. Yes, it is a little short but that shouldn't necessarily make a game bad. Sometimes it's the opposite that's true. Like in Alien: Isolation. That game is gorgeous! But I feel that it overstayed its welcome. It would've been great if it was a little shorter. Reason?  Because it gets all repetitive. Do the same things over and over and over again till..well..till the end, whenever that comes.

This game has no multiplayer so from that perspective, it is expensive.  But what can you expect from a AAA exclusive? They will always be expensive! That's one area where the companies can show off and let their competitors know how cool they are.

I haven't played a game with such an incredible story in quite some time now. This game reminds me of the many reasons why I got into gaming (story, gameplay, experience, graphics). The quality of this game is something that no other game on the market has at the moment. It feels very royal.

So if you are one of those people who can afford it and are looking for a game with a package of fun, ease of play and solid experience, then this is definitely one of the better games available right now. If not, you can always wait till the price goes down and since this doesn't have multiplayer, you won't be missing out on much. Because its campaign won't change and the DLCs (if they will have any) will be available when you decide to get the game. But you must give this game a shot, either now or in the future when the price comes down. You will not regret it.