Assassins Creed 3 Review

This week I managed to get a bit of hands on time with AC3 and I can tell you I was like a kid at Christmas. There are few games that I will genuinely get excited for but since the announcement of AC3 I’ve barely been able to contain my excitement when speculating about the game. Which is why back in March I paid my £90 for the Freedom edition, which as I type is winging its way to me, and we will be posting an un-boxing on the youtube channel when it arrives.

I suppose I should really talk about the game now then, I’ll try to review it without giving away too much of the story but there will be a few spoilers, so be warned.

The game opens with a short intro that’s partially controllable of Desmond and the team arriving at the hidden mountain pre-cursor facility. Straight from the off you can see the work that has gone into the animation, even just walking into the hidden compound as Desmond the motion is much more fluid and polished. Not to say the previous games were lacking in polish Ubisoft have just managed to find even more to lavish upon AC3 and they really have gone all out. After I’d finished admiring the way Desmond shifted his weight while running around the starting cave I decided to carry on playing. Its fairly straightforward and very little of the storyline is explained before you are once again thrust into the animus to begin unravelling the past.

There are a purported 1000 new animations to Conner alone making this one of the most intricately animated games in history.

Annoyingly I found myself having to play a short tutorial on the basic controls. However it is rather useful as the controls have been tweaked and the free running  overhauled and simplified so it is a rather useful tutorial, even if all you want to do is skip straight to the game.

When the game finally kicks in the first thing you notice is that you’re not Conner? You are in fact a character called Hatham Kenway another assassin linked to Desmond. After a rather lengthy intro you finally make your way to Boston. This is still however all part of an almost 4 hour long intro to the game proper. It’s here that for the first time you really see the beauty of this game, how amazing the graphics really are and just how stunning the setting is. When the weather kicks in for the first time and you see how rain, and snow etc all affect the environment it’s absolutely awe-inspiring. It’s a completely immersive environment filled with the sights and sounds of a bustling American city at the start of the revolution. It’s the most ambitious recreation that the Ubisoft team have attempted to date and by far the most convincing.

 The new combat system takes the free flow combat from the other games in the series and builds on it to create something truly unique. I have to say I have not had as much fun massacring soldiers since… well ever.  Although I feel possibly the freeze frame moments when counter attacking may get a little repetitive. That said at the moment I’m loving the mechanic and having a lot of fun with it and how many games let you remove an opponent from the end of your sword with a swift boot off the roof. In short the combat is nothing short of swashbuckling perfection. The only slight criticism I would make of the refined combat system is that it’s still a little bit simple and easy to master. That said it still doesn’t take away the sense of achievement when you take out a whole fort of troops single-handedly.

Add to all the improvements they’ve made that the game is also at least twice as big as any of the previous titles with an absolute mountain of side quests to complete and various other ways to pass the time. Baiting traps for wild animals and stalking them through the various canopies of the frontier, bow in hand, make for an excellent way to waste a few hours, without even realising you’ve forgotten about your latest assassination target. The world is so vast and intricate with, treasure and a multitude of other things to find, templars to kill, naval battles to be waged and a plethora of wild animals to hunt, this time around everything truly is permitted.

The one downfall for this game then is the storyline, in particular the ending to this trilogy that we have waited so long to conclude. It’s not that it lacks imagination or that the storyline is not good in its own right it just lacks something when held up against the triumph of writing seen in the previous titles. But for a trip to New York and a few other small cameo’s Desmond’s story is not as interesting as it could be, with this being the conclusion to his story it would have been nice for him to have had a more involved storyline. The characters also lack charisma and Conner is not nearly as likeable as Ezio, but then again who among us doesn’t want to be a mix of Casanova and James Bond. It was easy to like Ezio but Conner comes from a different time and a different place, a time when anger, revolution and identity were the cornerstones of society and Conner is absolutely the right character for this role.

This game then is bigger and in most ways better than any of the previous Assassins Creed games, a few small flaws don’t change the fact that for the fans out there this is the ultimate AC experience and is very close to perfection. It’s worth noting as well that on top of everything else there is still an enjoyable multiplayer aspect to the game with a few new modes, the most notable being wolfpack where you can team up with friends to take on co-op assassination sequences. As an all round game this for me blows everything else out of the water and for its few short comings the game is redeemed by the sheer quality of the graphics, storyline and game play that the franchise built its reputation on. I would have to say I for one have signed up to fight for my freedom and urge you all to do the same, it’s Join or Die time people make your decision.

A truly breathtaking game with bags of content to keep you busy through the holiday season. An absolute must buy for fans of the franchise and a great game by anyone’s standards.

           

GG Rating            5/5

Slick, action packed, good fun with a few minor glitches, almost the perfect assassin.

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games proudly announce that LEGO The Lord of the Rings, will be available in stores in the UK on Friday November 23rd for the PlayStation 3 system, the PlayStation Vita system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Wii system, Windows PC, the Nintendo DS hand-held system and the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system.

In LEGO The Lord of the Rings, family members of all ages can assume the role of their favourite Fellowship members in LEGO form as they embark on an epic and thrilling adventure to save Middle-earth.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings is based on The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy and relives the Fellowship’s astonishing adventure across the imaginative world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, but with the added fun, humour and creativity that fans can expect from the LEGO videogame franchise.

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Looking forward to Halo 4 and the continuation of Chief's story? Well it's time to get a little more excited as Microsoft and 343 have unleashed unto the world the trailer for the fantastic looking Spartan Ops season1.

Instead of my ramblings, why not just check out the video below.

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Need for Speed™ fans can start their engines with today’s release of Need for Speed Most Wanted, the newest mobile iteration of the hit arcade racing franchise that lets fans outrun cops, outsmart rivals and outdrive friends in fantasy locations driving over 35 of the world’s fastest and most exotic cars like the SRT Viper GTS or the Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Developed by EA’s award-winning Firemonkeys studio in close collaboration with Criterion, Need for Speed Most Wanted boasts new features and is the most action-packed Need for Speed mobile experience to date.  With over-the-top collision mechanics, players can now accrue more detailed damage to their cars than ever before: every smash into walls, competitor cars, or pursuant cops creates an adrenaline-pumping frenzy of shattered windows, cracked headlights and flying parts.  Stunning graphics let racers see the world flashing by and gives the fastest sense of speed ever in a Need for Speed mobile title. With cops being more involved in the race than ever before, players will feel the rush of being targeted in every challenge.

Need for Speed Most Wanted is designed to support competitive play and brings new social connectivity capabilities to mobile users helping them to connect and compete with fans across the Need for Speed Universe, it’s never been easier for players to find opponents, challenge friends worldwide and take to the road to prove who can be the Most Wanted. Every event in Fairhaven comes with its own leaderboard or “Speedwall”. For the first time on mobile, gamers can set record speeds and compete against their friends’ race times fighting to get on top of the Speedwall across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices.

For the first time, players can rack up points on the couch with the all-new CloudCompete technology playing multiplayer on the console and then top off their Speed Points while on the go on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android.  Earn Speed Points with fun, arcade-style action in fantasy locations with every drift, jump and take down to drive them to the top of the Most Wanted List. In this world, there can only be one Most Wanted. 

Need for Speed Most Wanted is now available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play and the Amazon App Store for £4.99.

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So you find yourself looking forward to the upcoming game Assassins Creed 3 but you haven't played one of
the other 4 titles already available. Fear not, Ubisoft have created a wonderful little video which gives a brief history of all the goings ons in the saga.

Of course if you're already a huge fan of the series and still feel that a week is still just a little too far away, you may as well have a watch and reminisce whilst getting yourself all giddy over whats to come.


Also, who knew Q was Desmonds father?!

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Have you been playing Dishonored as much as we have? If so then we have some good news for you. Dishonored will be receiving 3 DLC add on packs.

Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials, being released in December for £3.99 / €4.99 / AUD$8.45 (or 400 Microsoft Points), will include 10 challenge maps that will test and track your combat, stealth and mobility skills. Ten distinct trials await challengers - including an arena battle against waves of enemy AI, a gravity-defying run of drop assassinations, and a race against the clock. Dunwall City Trials also features a whole new set of achievements and trophies as well as a global online leaderboard that will establish the greatest assassins for each challenge.

The second and third add-ons for Dishonored will be coming in 2013 and will each feature story-driven campaigns. Pricing on these two packs will be revealed closer to launch.

Daud, the leader of a group of supernatural assassins known as ‘The Whalers’, will be the focus of the second add-on pack, scheduled for release in early Spring 2013. Make your way through new Dunwall locales and discover Daud’s own set of weapons, powers and gadgets in this story-driven campaign. How you play and the choices you make will impact the final outcome…

Additional story details on the third add-on pack will be revealed closer to its launch next year.

So are you excited by the prospect of DLC for Dishonored? I know we are.

Also don't forget to follow us as we play through Dishonored over on our gaming channel on youtube Gaming Zeroes

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Have you been sat at home looking at your plain old keyboard and though "I need something a bit more exciting in my life"? Then say hello to the Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E.5 Professional Gaming Keyboard.

This hulk of a keyboard has been designed with the competitive gamer in mind and built with a modular chassis which features an OLED Command Module. Very fancy.

"Our range of S.T.R.I.K.E. keyboards has captured the imagination of passionate gamer and we are pleased to expand the range with the newly announced S.T.R.I.K.E.5." said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.

The concept behind the modular design is to allow gamers to rearrange the configuration of the separate keyboard modules so that the layout suits the individual gamer and their preferred method of play.

Fitted along with dedicated buttons for macro commands and media controls sits the unique E.Y.E. OLED Command Module. This unit functions as the brains of this operation and it allows the gamers to adjust multiple aspects of their gaming environment. This includes a speaker and microphone volume control, backlight brightness, multiple Respawn Timers and a game, website and application launcher.

This modular beauty will be hitting our shores mid November but if you're interested in getting your hands on one as soon as possible then you can pre-order it here for £179.99

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Microsoft may have only just put up their launch trailer a few days ago but that hasn't stopped them making another one using nothing but gameplay footage. Oh and they have thrown us a few new images as well. Enjoy!

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Assassin's Creed is stealthily creeping towards us from within the shadows and newly added trees to take us out on the 31st of October. To tide you over for the next week and to get you in the mood Ubisoft have released the launch trailer for this highly anticipated game.




Are you looking forward to the latest instalment from the Assassin's Creed series? What's your favourite new aspect to the game? Sound out below in the comments. Follow @gamesgadgetgeek

Do you enjoy listening to your favourite music from your favourite game whilst playing and always thought "I wish i could hear that all the time"? Well good times are ahead as X5 Music Group have announced that The Greatest Video Game Music Volume 2 is now available to pre-order through iTunes.

For a full rundown of what songs will be on the album and a for a free download of the Halo tune 'Never Forget/Peril', then check the press release below.

X5 Music Group, a world leading distributor of digital music , today announced that it’s eagerly anticipated album, The Greatest Video Game Music 2, will be available worldwide for download on November 6^th.

Performed by the world famous London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Greatest Video Game Music 2, features 17 brand new, classical orchestrations of some of video game’s most cherished musical themes, including tracks from blockbuster games such as Halo, Batman: Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Final Fantasy VII.

The album is a sequel to 2011’s hugely successful The Greatest Video Game Music, also recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which has sold almost 100,000 copies to date, making it the best selling video game music album of all time.

As part of the creation process of the album, readers of IGN and Kotaku were asked to choose two new tracks to be included on the album. Over 80,000 votes were polled and the results see the inclusion of exciting new arrangements from both Mass Effect 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

To celebrate the announcement, fans can now download the track Never Forget/Peril from Halo for FREE at: http://www.greatestvideogamemusic.com/#download

The album can be pre-ordered NOW at iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/greatest-video-game-music/id569865653

Celebrated conductor/arranger of the new album, Andrew Skeet, said, “it’s been an absolute pleasure to be invited back to produce a second video game music album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Not only are they a phenomenally talented ensemble, but we’ve been able to work with them on some incredible source material too. I really think video game fans are going to love what we’ve produced.”

Daniel Bäckström, Chief Creative Officer at X5 Music Group commented, “interest in video game music continues to go from strength to strength, so we’re very pleased to be releasing a second album to fans of the genre around the world. With a really exciting line-up of musical tracks, breathtaking arrangements and world class performances, The Greatest Video Game Music 2 is sure to bring the classical audience and the gaming community closer together.”

The Greatest Video Game Music 2 will be available to download, globally, on November 6^th. The full track list is as follows:

·         Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Main Theme

·         The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Far Horizons

·         The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Dragon Roost Island

·         Final Fantasy VII - One-Winged Angel

·         Mass Effect 3 - A Future for the Krogan/An End Once And For All

·         Halo - Never Forget/Peril

·         Sonic the Hedgehog - A Symphonic Suite

·         Chrono Trigger - Main Theme

·         Luigi's Mansion - Main Theme

·         Kingdom Hearts - Fate of the Unknown

·         Super Metroid - A Symphonic Poem

·         Diablo III – Overture

·         Batman: Arkham City - Main Theme

·         Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Icarus Main Theme

·         Fez – Adventure

·         Portal - Still Alive

·         Little Big Planet - Orb Of Dreamers (The Cosmic Imagisphere)

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The latest mobile network provider on the block is edging ever closer to its October 30th launch and its just announced the price points for all of its offerings. Have a read of the press release below to find out more.

EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today unveiled the pricing and plans for its new superfast Fibre Broadband and 4G services, designed for 21^st century consumers and businesses alike.

The UK’s first 4G mobile service will launch on Tuesday October 30^th, offering consumers and businesses a new way to access the people, places and things they want on the move, with speeds typically five times faster than 3G.

EE will also launch its new fixed-line Fibre service for the home and offices, with speeds typically ten times faster than today’s standard broadband plans.

The delivery of increased speeds and connectivity has inspired the development of EE’s first next-generation digital services, such as EE Film and EE’s new device and digital content replacement services.

Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE, said: “We’re proud to be leading the way and pioneering the roll out of 4G in the UK. With our new brand and unique 4G and Fibre services, we will deliver consumers and businesses across the country next-generation services and a superior level of support.

“Our new plans have been developed to offer our customers everything they have been asking for – superfast performance, choice and value – as well as a fresh approach to pricing and customer service that offers accessibility, flexibility and guidance every step of the way.”

The launch of the EE brand will be backed by a multi-million pound marketing campaign across TV, print and digital media channels.

Superfast speeds

EE will be the first company in the UK to launch a mobile 4G service, along with its new fixed-line Fibre Broadband service. It will be called 4GEE and will offer speeds five times faster than 3G, and speeds typically ten times faster than currently available in homes and offices.

EE will be available to buy nationwide, with the 4GEE service going live initially across ten cities on 30^th October. The company has an aggressive 4G rollout plan in place with six further cities coming online in the run up to Christmas, with further cities and rural locations planned for 2013, and 98% of the population due to be covered by the end of 2014.

Once achieved, this will be the fastest rollout of any UK network in history.

EE’s Fibre Broadband service, available to both consumers and businesses, will be available in 11 million premises nationally with plans starting at just £15 per month.

Smart new services

The launch of superfast mobile and fixed speeds by EE will inspire the birth of revolutionary and exciting new services for business and consumers.

The first such service is EE Film, the only service in the UK which combines 2 for 1 cinema ticketing, listings, trailers and film downloads or streaming in one place. The Film Store presents the largest catalogue of new releases available in the UK, with more than five times the number of new releases than other similar providers, and more than 700 films available in total.

EE customers will be able to watch a film of their choice on their mobile, on their PC or even on their TV (via their laptop). Pause & Play also allows customers to view the film on one device, such as their smartphone, pause it, then pick it up on another device, such as their laptop.

4GEE customers will able to download or stream a film, each week, on EE, without impacting their data allowance. Further films can be downloaded or streamed with prices starting at 79p, and the cost can be charged to customers’ mobile bill, or credit and debit cards.

Simple pricing for the digital consumer

4GEE phone plans will offer customers a wide selection of simple smartphone and mobile broadband plans, putting the customer in control by combining a range of data options with unlimited UK calls and texts. Data allowances start with the light data usage entry plan, offering 500MB (£36/pm) and extending up to 8GB (£56/pm) for the heavier data user.

Data controls will alert customers when they are approaching the data allowance limit, and then when their limit is reached. They can then choose to buy a data add-on, or wait until the next bill period starts.

All customers will be able to tether or use VoIP services as part of their plan – with no need to buy specific data add-ons. BT Wi-Fi is also included in all plans at no extra cost, providing on-demand access to millions of wireless hotspots across the UK.

For just £5 more a month, customers will be able to take their unlimited voice and text allowance abroad with them, in Europe and selected countries in the rest of the world, as well as access to special data add-ons offering significant value on data use while abroad.

New Fibre Broadband and 4GEE plans for Business

Small business customers will have a range of 4GEE phone plans, with data allowances of 1GB including unlimited UK calls and texts starting from £35/pm (excl. VAT). Companies can also reduce costs by choosing the new 4GEE Sharer Plan, which allows sharing of data allowances across all users and devices within their business, plus inclusive calls to colleagues and landlines.

EE also provides medium sized, public sector and corporate customers with a range of dedicated 4GEE plans from an additional £3 a month on top of their existing or new package, as well as added services including security and mobile application development. Data share plans are also available for these companies, with the added benefit of increased spend control through reduced out-of-bundle rates for data, and spending caps ranging from £50-£200.

Olaf Swantee commented: “UK Businesses have shown considerable interest since our 4G launch intentions were announced. We hope that our new 4G plans and services will make us the most exciting digital communications business partner to work with in the UK.”

EE Consumer Fibre Broadband plans

EE’s Fibre Broadband will offer speeds typically up to ten times faster than the UK average. Ideal for households or small businesses with multiple devices, EE Fibre broadband offers maximum download speeds of 76Mbps – allowing customers to stream HDTV, play online games, watch films on demand or quickly upload or download large files. Plans start from £15 per month, with off-peak calls and a free BrightBox router included as standard.

4GEE customers save £5 per month when taking EE’s Fibre Broadband product for the entire length of their phone plan – offering savings of up to £120. Orange and T-Mobile customers can also benefit, allowing them to enjoy EE Fibre Broadband in the home or office at reduced rates.

Expert service

EE customers can expect a superior level of service on the high street, on the phone and online, with a significant new service approach and services designed to give customers peace of mind.

10,000 EE experts have been trained to serve and sell to customers in a new way, designed around specific handset types.

If an EE customer wants to speak to an expert at one our customer centres, they can fast-track the automated call system by first connecting, then dialing 33, to get connected directly to an expert.

EE also operates customer services on social networks Twitter and Facebook.

A number of new services, fit for the digital world, have also been developed to provide peace of mind for new EE customers.

Clone Phone: Clone Phone from EE securely backs up data such as contacts, calendar and content (customers’ own photos and videos) via an App, which provides an easy way to restore your content if a phone is lost, stolen or broken. It means you don’t just get your handset back, but you get your digital life back too.

Repair & Loan Phone: Repair and Loan Phone provides a convenient way to arrange a repair in store and stay in touch in the meantime. All customers will be provided with a replacement phone, and phones will be repaired and returned within 14 days. Small business customers benefit from next day replacement for any faulty phone.

Transforming the high-street

From the 30th October, all existing Everything Everywhere, Orange and T-Mobile stores will become newly branded EE stores.

4G Ready

EE will be offering a simple process for Orange and T-Mobile customers who’ve already purchased a 4G ready handset, to swap to 4G, at no additional cost.

For more information on 4G and Fibre plans or the EE brand, please visit www.ee.co.uk.

• Superfast speeds: EE delivers superfast speeds, five times faster than 3G, and typically ten times faster in homes and offices with Fibre Broadband
• Exciting new services: EE Film provides customers a one-stop shop for film, combining 2 for 1 cinema ticketing, listings, trailers and film downloads or streaming into one place. EE Film also offers ‘pause & play’ functionality between mobile and PC with the largest catalogue of new releases compared to similar providers. The new Clone Phone insurance service replaces your device and digital content in under 24 hours
• Simple pricing for the digital age: Unlimited calls and texts as standard on your mobile; customers simply select their data allowance, starting from just £36 per month for consumers and £35 (excl VAT) for businesses, with built-in cost control tools
• Expert Support: Fast track service for all customers, plus access to approximately 10,000 experts on the high street, on the phone and online

Are you guys liking to the look of what EE have to offer? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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It may be launching this coming Friday by thats not going to stop the Forza Horizon crew from giving us their latest Vi Doc.


The demo is available to download now so go have a play while you wait. Also keep a look out for our review of the game later this week. Follow @gamesgadgetgeek

Assassins Creed Film Confirmed

So this rumour has been doing the rounds for a long time now and a certain stars name has also been thrown around quite a lot in connection with it. Well we can finally confirm that in a press release on Monday 22nd Oct 2012 it was confirmed that Ubisoft and New Regency have partnered to do the Assassins Creed film.

PRESS RELEASE

UBISOFT^® AND NEW REGENCY PARTNER ON ASSASSIN’S CREED^® FILM

Deal Builds on Attachment of Michael Fassbender

image obtained from www.lytherus.com

London, uk — October 22, 2012 —Today, Ubisoft^® and New Regency announced that they are partnering on the forthcoming Assassin’s Creed^® film.

Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film and television division of Ubisoft, will develop the Assassin’s Creed film in close collaboration with New Regency. The development of a screenplay is beginning immediately and the project is being fast tracked as the creative pieces come together, while allowing Ubisoft to maintain control of key elements of the movie’s creative direction. Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

“Ubisoft chose to partner with New Regency because they are a talent- and filmmaker-driven company, with the same independent and creative mindset that we have at Ubisoft Motion Pictures,” said Jean-Julien Baronnet, chief executive officer, Ubisoft Motion Pictures. “Bringing aboard New Regency’s renowned production and distribution expertise while maintaining our own creative and financial flexibility ensures that Assassin’s Creed will be a high-quality film that respects the lore and fans of the video game franchise.”

The partnership with New Regency comes hot on the heels of Ubisoft Motion Pictures attaching distinguished actor Michael Fassbender to the Assassin’s Creed film.

“We wanted to do everything we could to secure the rights to Assassin's Creed, which Ubisoft has maintained with such care and quality over the years,” said Brad Weston, president and chief executive officer, New Regency. "Having just finished working with Michael on Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave (with Plan B) made the partnership even more irresistible."

Ubisoft Motion Pictures was created in January 2011 to expand the audience of Ubisoft’s successful video game brands by bringing them to film, television and Web series.

In addition to the Assassin’s Creed movie, the studio also is in production on the Rabbids TV series, a collection of 78 seven-minute CGI episodes based on the insane, hilarious and silly stars of the video game franchise of the same name, in partnership with France Televisions and Nickelodeon. Ubisoft Motion Pictures also has two additional feature-length films in development based on the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon video game franchises.


Not just Assassins Creed then we also have Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon to look forward to. I for one cannot wait to see how this all pans out and until then hopefully Assassins Creed III keep me busy fighting the American revolution.

Let us know what you think and who you would want if not Michael Fassbender in the Assassins creed film, just a quick shout before anyone else I'd quite like to see Jeremy Renner as Sam Fisher but maybe I'm completely off the mark leave a comment and let me know. 

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