Final Fantasy XV Director Explains All Male Cast

As many will know by now Final Fantasy XV’s core cast is made up of entirely male characters, this was a big shock to fans of the series that are used to a diverse set of characters in the games. According to the game director Hajime Tabata this was a decision to make the game “more approachable.”

In a recent interview with GameSpot Tabata stated that, “an all-male party feels more approachable for players.” After playing the demo that was released last week with Type-0 HD, I’m inclined to agree with him. He went on to say, “even the presence of one female in the group will change their behavior, so they’ll act differently. So to give the most natural feeling, to make them feel sincere and honest, having them all the same gender made sense in that way.”

With the demo now in the hands of the public it’s hard to deny what Tabata has to say, the game feels like a road trip, and with its open world setting having it as a full male cast will probably create that light hearted romp that the developer is trying to make with it.

No release date has been set for Final Fantasy XV yes, though you can expect some big news to come out of E3 in June.

Liu Kang Joins the Roster for Mortal Kombat X

A new trailer has been released for Mortal Kombat X, this time we see Kung Lao and Kung Jin fighting alongside Liu Kang; ultimately confirming his inclusion in the upcoming game’s roster. The trailer below she’s the three White Lotus Society members in action, in typical MK fashion there is a lot of visceral content on show.

All three fighters have a different style in which to take down their opponents, though it’s always the same outcome; they make sure they stay down. Those who pay attention to the lore of the MK game will know that during the last game Lio Kang had died and the trailer explain how he is yet another member of Quan Chi’s undead army. This isn’t the first time this has happened as he also rose from the dead in Mortal Kombat: Deception.

Mortal Kombat X is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 14. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Mortal Kombat X will release sometime this summer.

New Minecraft DLC to Hit PlayStation Consoles This Week

Coming this week to the PlayStation iterations of Minecraft is an array of different DLC packs that are sure to open everyone up more creatively and add a ton of customization options. The Mass Effect Mash-Up Pack and Pattern Texture Packs add new items to the worlds on two different spectrums. The Mass Effect Mash-Up Pack will enable players to explore the Mars Facility from Bioware’s acclaimed Mass Effect 3; will you survive the nasty that lurk within? Also purchasing this pack will give access to Mass Effect Textures and new items to be used in crafting. A themed UI and menus as well as 36 character skins and 22 music tracks will allow players to battle against the reapers in a blocky universe.

If the sci-fi orientated pack isn’t for you then there is also the Pattern Texture Pack that will be made available. This pack allows players to decorate the Minecraft worlds with bright colors, beautiful patterns, and knitted animals; perfect for those who prefer a quaint time in the blocky worlds. The pack also includes a themed UI and stylized texture set that can be applied to new or previously created Minecraft worlds. Both packs will be available this week, most likely in the scheduled PlayStation Store update.

Mewtwo DLC Coming Pretty Soon for Super Smash Bros

Director of Super Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai, made a surprise appearance on a Japanese livestream today to announce that the Mewtwo DLC will be arrive pretty soon. The show which was aired on Japanese site Niconico focused on the music and sound effects of video games, it was also highlighting Kenji Ito one of the game’s composers, but before the broadcast ended Sakurai showed up to make a quick announcement.

“About the delivery of Mewtwo that everyone is worried about, it is pretty much done,” he said. “As planned we are planning to release Mewtwo so wait until the announcement. We plan to release Mewtwo pretty soon.”

We already know that players who purchased Super Smash Bros. on both 3DS and Wii U will get early access to the character, although Nintendo has yet to state how long after other players will be able to purchase him. According to the Club Nintendo page, you can register until the end of the month in order to receive download codes. Hopefully just after the first of April we will have something more official than just a date for codes!

New PlayStation Games for the Week of 3/24

This week sees the release of the hugely anticipated dark RPG Bloodborne, developed by From Software and in partnership with Japan Studio the spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls will see the series return to the PlayStation family. Though if you aren’t one for the hardcore action RPG there are other titles that you can get your hands on.

If you’re looking for some big mech action you can pick up Armored Core as a PS One Classic digital title. Also on the classics list this week is the PS2 title Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore; for all those one-on-one fighter fans, become the strongest champion in the DoA tournament. For Vita users there is a whole array of different genres that you can try out, including LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin, Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo, 2013: Infected Wars, and Metal Slug 3; which is also available on PS3 and PS4.

Finally the other big game of this week is Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, which bundles together Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and all of the accompanying DLC from start to finish. With new performance boosts which have made the games run at the highest quality on the new-gem consoles. All of these games go live with tomorrows PlayStation store update; with the exception of Bloodborne and Borderlands: The Handsome Collection also goes live at midnight this evening!

First Dragon Age Inquisition DLC ‘Jaws of Hakkon’ Announced

Bioware has today announced the first expansion that will be coming to Dragon Age: Inquisition, titled Jaws of Hakkon. The premise of the DLC will be detailed tomorrow when the developer unveils the official trailer. The news first broke when a bunch of new achievements popped up for the game, although now it’s something a lot bigger. The achievements revealed describe that we’ll be getting a new area to explore, while also uncovering secrets of a legendary figure; it looks like some light will be shed on the extensive mythology of the Dragon Age universe.

With four new achievements to obtain the all follow a set requirement, the list in total follows:

• Firestarter – Destroy all the Winter Shards and light the fires in the Old Temple
• Legend Marked – Impress the Avvar of Stone-Bear Hold and gain their friendship
• Historian – Uncover the secrets of a legendary figure
• Winter’s End – Dispel a myth of ancient days

While no release date or window has been shared yet, it may become more apparent tomorrow when the trailer drops. Though it’s likely that if a date is share it will only be fore Xbox and PC versions.

Codemasters Teasing New Overlord Game via Twitter

Early this morning something appeared on the Codemasters Twitter account, this something was an image of the Overlord’s helmet. Shortly after this post the account Overlordgame went active, and seems to be run by the Overlord advisor Gnarl. It’s all very cryptic but we could have some news on a new game sooner than we think.

The series which saw its debut in 2007 and followed by a 2009 sequel were both developed by Triumph Studios. No word on whether the same studio will be behind whatever project this is, though they did seem to know exactly what they were doing with the game and would be a shame if they’ve been moved on. If it is indeed a new Overlord game that Codemasters is teasing an Triumph is back to work on it, it would make sense as the developers schedule shows the last game to come from them was 2014’s Age of Wonders III. We hope that more news will come soon.

New Star Wars Controllers to Hit Xbox One Next Month

If you’ve ever wanted to support the massive sci-fi universe of Star Wars by owning a stylized Xbox One controller, next month you can when two designs launch that are going to ask players who their favorite of the two infamous droids is. Both the R2D2 and C3PO controllers are set to be released though the latter is a GameStop exclusive, other retailers will stock only the R2D2 one. Both controllers are also wired so players on PC can also purchase the new styles if they wish.

On both of the controllers is also a decal of the Rebel Alliance so all of your friends will know who you support when you’ll be playing Star Wars: Battlefront later this year. The custom decal controller launch next month on April 30, and will set you back $49.99, and with the release of Battlefront at the end of year you can be sure there will be more designs to come.

Prepare for State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition

State of Decay is coming to Xbox One in a New Year one survival edition. Announced today, the new edition will include new weapons, vehicles, and adds the DLC add-ons. The new version merges all three parts of the game together including the original, Breakdown, and Lifeline DLCs that have been added throughout the last year. The game also hosts a number of improvements that is sure to please a lot of fans that have been giving feedback on the original release.

Of course if you prefer to play on PC you can do so, as this new version will launch on the platform as well. Undead Labs the developer behind the game is also taking advantage of the Xbox One limited-time achievement system and will be adding in events for players to achieve. While no specific date has been announced yet, it has been revealed that the Year One Survival Edition will launch sometime next month.

 

 

How to Customise your Weapons in Bloodborne

With only a few short days until the release of PlayStations big Spring game Bloodborne, developer From Software and the guys at PlayStation have given players an insight into how to deal with customisation within the game.

As you may know by now rather than having bonfires to return to in order to upgrade your character and weapons, Bloodborne instead has a hub that players can use; much like the one seen in Demon’s Souls. The hub known as the Hunter’s Dream can be returned to by using one of the lanterns spread throughout Yharnam and at any time can be used regardless of whatever nasty is on your tail.

In the Hunter’s Dream you can speak to the Doll, who can repair and upgrade your weapons. Not only that but you can also speak to the old man in the wheelchair, Gehrman and gain advice. The main currency in Bloodborne is called Blood Echoes, which you can earn by the usual hunting beasts and more and can be used to purchase items from the shop, or repair and strengthen your weapons. You may also stumble across Blood Gems which can be attached to weapons to increase attack power or add special characteristics to them, take advantage of these if you are getting stuck on a particular boss.

Lastly in the Hunter’s Dream you can interact with the Memory Alter, a place where you can memorise special Caryll Runes to upgrade your character; these can range from allowing you to carry more items in your inventory, or boost the amount of Blood Echoes you receive from each beast you hunt down.

Bloodborne launches next Tuesday on March 24 in the US and March 27 in Europe exclusively on PlayStation 4.

 

 

Blizzard Unveils New Hearthstone Blackrock Mountain Cards

The third expansion for Hearthstone named Blackrock Mountain is coming soon, and today Blizzard has announced two new cards that will see a release with the expansion. The cards which will be available in the Spire wing see the dragons take over the boards of Hearthstone. The first of the new cards is the Dragon Egg, one mana, 0/2 that when damaged summons a 2/1 Whelp, which seems to be a cheaper and easier to handle version of the Nerubian Egg. In a priest deck this card could get out of hand very quickly by increasing the eggs health.

If dragon’s eggs aren’t your thing then the second card, the Dragonkin Sorcerer could be up your alley. A four mana, 3/5 that gains +1/+1 when you target it with a spell. It should have a nice home in a pure dragon deck so that’s always a plus. Blackrock Mountain is coming very soon to Hearthstoneand with 31 cards now revealed for it, you can now start preparing your deck for what’s to come.

Get Excited Over the New Final Fantasy Type-0 Launch Trailer

Today marks the release of Final Fantasy Type-0 in the US and with it like most games now Square Enix has released an epic launch trailer alongside it. What started as a Japanese exclusive on the PSP has become one of the most anticipated games in the west. Now the re-release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One brings the Final Fantasy side project to the masses.

Those of us who knew about the games existence has been desperately holding out for years that we would get a Vita release. Though with the release on the home consoles it’s not only sparked interest from many Final Fantasy fans, but also fans of the RPG genre in general. Not only can fans experience a new type of Final Fantasy; but we are also being treated to a free demo for the upcoming Final Fantasy XV. The Episode Duscae comes with all day one editions of Type-0.

Final Fantasy XIV: Letter from the Producer Live - Special Edition - News Round Up.

It's almost time for another Letter from the Producer Live; and with only a short time to go Foxclon took to the camera for the test stream before the real thing kicks off. There is some real nice new Heavensward artwork in the background.

The has kicked off in the usual manner; with the Tour of the North trailer, this time one that shows the new areas coming to Heavensward, following that we are greeted by Yoshi-P and Foxclon.

Going on from there instantly shown was the release date for Heavensward. For Windows, PlayStation3, PlayStation4, and Mac.

Straight away we are into the details on what is to be included with the collectors editions; it seems each platform will have different price points. The standard edition will be $59.99, whereas the collectors edition will be $129.99.

Those playing the game for the first time can take advantage of a bundle with Heavenward and A Realm Reborn being included. 

Mac users have not been forgotten about; with a digital release incoming for $59.99 

** Now onto the unboxing for the collectors edition. 

Included in the boxed version will be a dragon statue, an art book containing concept and creature artwork for the inhabitants you'll find in Ishgard, and a blu-ray titled A Realm Revisited that contains a compilation of all the trailers released for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

In game items; will be included with all version of the special editions; whether it be the boxed or the digital versions, and include a Flying Griffin Mount, Dark Knight Cecil Baron Helm, a Wind-up Kain Minion, and a Fantasia potion. 

Pre-orders begin on 16.3, please be aware of your regions times; the times are based on the Official Square Enix Store, though other retailers may stock at a later date. 

Those who Pre-Order will gain access to 1. Baron Circlet, 2. Baron Earrings 3. Chocobo Chick Courier, and 4. Early Access that kicks off on June 19. four days before release of the game.

A note on pre-order codes and how to collect them when you purchase the game. 

Here is the schedule regarding Pre-Orders, Teaser site, Early Access, and Launch of the Expansion.

• March 16, 2015: Pre-orders begin / Heavensward teaser site updated / Pre-order code site opens (NA/EU)
  
  
• June 18, 2015: Early Access codes can be registered on the Mog Station. (PlayStation Network codes scheduled to be around this timing)
  
  
• June 19, 2015: Early Access begins.
  
  

• June 23, 2015: Official service for Heavensward begins!

Now some questions regarding access to the new region of Ishgard; of course you won't be able to enter the areas until you complete the final quest implemented in Patch 2.5 Part 2. Also to be able to play across all platforms you will have to buy a copy of both the PlayStation and Windows versions. 

PlayStation 3 users please be aware that the file size for Heavensward will be roughly 20GB so if you only have a console with that space; Square recommend you upgrade to a larger HDD.

Here is some more regarding the pre-order items and how items will be distributed to account; don't worry the items are account wide not character binding. 

A digital upgrade program will be available; though details on this will be shared at a later date. 

The next Letter from the Producer Live date has been set for April 11; and will premiere the opening movie for Heavensward. 

A Realm Reborn Official Walkthrough coming on March 17; at the minute looks to be Japan exclusive. 

Before the Fall Part 2 incoming; new story quests that will lead up to the events on Heavenward; weekly restrictions within World of Darkness will be lifted, and the ability to gain encrypted tombstones will be added as well. 

Final Coil of Bahamut to be added to Duty Finder. An increase to the amount of MGP that can be obtained from event will be raised. 

Thanks for tuning in; that's all for today. 

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