Press Release

Marvel Super Heroes are assembling for an action-packed, brick-smashing good time!  Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment announced today that LEGO®  Marvel™ Super Heroes will be available from autumn 2013 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Wii U™ system and Windows PC, as well as the Nintendo DS™ handheld system, Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.  LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the first instalment in the highly successful LEGO videogame franchise to feature famous Marvel characters.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes complements the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes construction toy collection, which brings the characters, vehicles and action of Marvel’s renowned universe to the world of LEGO build-and-play adventure. There are currently eight iconic scenes from the X-Men, Iron Man and Spider-Man franchises available and more construction sets tied to the new Iron Man 3 feature film will launch later this spring.   

LEGO  Marvel Super Heroes offers an original storyline in which Nick Fury calls upon Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other heroes spanning the Marvel Universe to save Earth from such threats as the vengeance of Loki and the hunger of Galactus, Devourer of the Worlds.  LEGO and Marvel fans will enjoy classic LEGO videogame adventure and humor, while playing as their favorite Marvel characters.

“We’re very excited to bring a myriad of classic Marvel characters to life in LEGO form for some fun, family-friendly gameplay in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games Publishing. “Players will brave the ultimate mission to save the world as they explore famous landmarks in LEGO New York and take the adventure beyond Earth to iconic locations in the Marvel Universe.”

“Fans of both LEGO and Marvel have wanted this game for years, and we’re addressing that demand with more Marvel Universe characters than ever in a console game,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President, Games Production, Marvel Entertainment.  “If you’re a fan of Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy or scores of other Marvel characters, this is the game for you.”

In LEGO  Marvel Super Heroes, players will unlock more than 100 characters from across the Marvel Universe, including fan favorites like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Loki and Galactus!  The game will pack in a plethora of super-cool character abilities, combat-like action sequences, epic battle scenes, puzzle-solving and a unique story told with playful LEGO humor.

LEGO  Marvel Super Heroes is being developed by TT Games and will be published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.  For more information, please visithttp://videogames.lego.com/en-us/lego-marvel-super-heroes.

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We've managed to get our grubby little paws on Microsofts latest Xbox, the Halo 4 limited Edition console. So for your viewing pleasure we decided to film ourselves opening it up for you. Enjoy.

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     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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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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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

We're getting ever closer to the launch of Halo 4 and Microsoft are making sure we bloody well know about it. First up is the trailer they have been talking about for the last week which shows Chief being scanned for weaknesses  if he has any at all.


We also have a vi-doc which gets talking about all the new multiplayer goodness we can expect to see when we finally get our hands on it.


So are you guys excited for Halo 4, why not tell us what you're looking forward to. Follow @gamesgadgetgeek

007 Legends Review : Not so Legendary!!!

So Bond is back, the longest running movie franchise in history, all 50 years crammed into one game, well all the classic moments at least. Or that is how the game is billed. Don't get me wrong opening to Auric Goldfinger's assistant sprawled across your bed covered in gold paint in a room littered with champagne bottles is a pretty good way to start the game, it doesn't really get more classic than that. On the outside then this is the most innovative and intriguing bond game to date, the weaving together of 6 key Bond films that each shaped his character. From losing his wife in On Her Majesty's Secret Service to avenging Felix in Licence to Kill each of these films played a key role in developing Bond's character and this is what Eurocom were trying to achieve with the game. As a life long Bond fan I have to applaud their efforts in trying to do so much with one game its refreshing to see a company that don't want to just churn out a movie game for the sake of it.

From the outset the game plays and looks like a hybrid of the old and the new, this is the really clever part of it, they have taken the old film settings and villains and recreated them as best they can and in some cases modernized parts of the set. Then they've added Daniel Craig as the man himself James Bond, thrown in the new Aston Martin DBS and there you have it, a modern classic. Is this really what was needed though, I mean would you want them to go back and edit in Daniel Craig instead of Sean Connery in Goldfinger, of course not so why do it with the game. We've all played the modern games, driven around in the new Aston, fired an AK-47 but wheres the excitement in that. Why not give us a DB5 to roar around in and then destroy whilst playing chicken with a large mirror, I can't help but feel that most of the classic moments are lost in the modernization of the game and the lack of back story with each mission.

However these minor issues wern't about to stop me playing the game so my review continues. 007 Legends is not the prettiest game to come out of a box, its more N64 than Win 7 64-bit and there isn't an awful lot to shout about. While the characters look realistic and the areas are relatively well presented there are a number of bugs. Namely scanning lines that appear quite frequently on the console versions at least, I imagine enabling V-Sync on pc would solve the issue. I've also found that on the PS3 at least, there are laggy patches that are a far cry from CoD's widely advertised 60fps. Seeing as this is basically a CoD clone but with Bond playing the hero it's a bit strange that it should have so many issues. My favorite bug by far though occurs during the licence to kill missions where i was attacked by an army of Daniel Craig's. I kid you not, most if not all of the enemies spawning were Daniel Craig clones. With this being such a high profile game and using such low end graphics the fact that you get these errors and more, mostly shadow issues, consistently is almost unforgivable.

Its not all bad though the gameplay in general is a bit of fun, its your standard FPS, run through the level and shoot everything that moves, although there is technically a stealth mode, but more about that later. Right now I want to talk about quick-scoping. With this being almost a carbon copy of CoD the guys at Eurocom have heavily utilised the quick-scope mechanic, which is far to easy in my opinion, allowing you to waste entire rooms of people with no skill at all. The one redeeming feature of the gameplay is the MI6 upgrades shop. At various points throughout the missions you will come across crates that will allow you to exchange xp for either weapon parts or character boosts. This actually does add a bit of fun and a tactical side to the gameplay, choose to silence up and go stealth, or chuck a grenade launcher on your AK and go crazy, it's your choice. That said anyone that can get through this game in stealth mode has the patience of a saint and far too much time on their hands. Not being able to look round corners here is a real disadvantage, in fact the only help you do get is that crouching makes your footsteps silent. The game really suffers from a lack of interactivity with the guards bodies here, being able to hide the subdued guards would make stealth mode worthwhile, but in it's current state, it is not really a viable option.

Overall the gameplay lacks innovation, each mission consists of fighting to the villains office, infiltrating their office, gathering intel and then a quick time event to beat the boss. Even though there are a few car chases thrown in and some different styles of gameplay, namely skiing and zero gravity missions, it doesn't stop the overall game from becoming repetitive. What's more if you don't know the films inside out the overall feel of the story is completely dis-jointed, you are dropped in halfway through storylines with no real clue as to whats happened or why and as a result the game has no real flow to it.

I don't want to completely write this game off though, it does have some positive aspects and it is still fun to play through, especially for any Bond fans out there, they've also brought back the fan favourite MI6 missions which add a bit more of a challenge to the game, You could also do a lot worse if you're looking for something to tie you over untill the next big release. Ultimately this is a game that will be picked up by fans and kids and its success will probably be determined by how many fans want to pick it up brand new and how many are willing to wait for the price to drop.

Verdict : 3/5

While the gameplay isn't particularly bad it lacks the polish of a good game and the innovation of a great game, that said it will still provide entertainment for Bond fans and anyone that wants to pick up an easy shooter and blast away the enemy.

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So I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of Dishonored last week and was keen to find out if all the hype from E3 was deserved or not. I rushed home, copy of game in hand, and threw it straight into the PS3 eager to try out this new IP. However I was met with the familiar installation screen, so I went and made a cup of tea, wrote a short novel and then returned to find the game finally installed. Ok so it was more like 25mins not a lifetime but, boy was the wait worth it. The game opens straightaway with stunning visuals, a boat ride across the harbour to the city of Dunwall, with exquisite lighting and incredible colours, for a moment I was completely transfixed missing the opening story completely.

Luckily I didn’t miss anything too important. Unfortunately that’s also the way it goes with most of the storyline, it isn’t the most gripping story ever told. You play Corvo, Lord Protector to the Empress of Dunwall, a city beset by a plague of rats that is decimating the population. It’s a huge, sprawling industrial city that made its fortune on whale oil and, as you find is very much powered by the oil. Framed for the murder of your beloved empress and wrongly imprisoned, you set out to seek your vengeance.

From the offset it feels like a cross between Bioshock and Assassins Creed with just a hint of Half Life 2 thrown in there. It has to be said the city feels very much like Victorian England meets City 17 and it’s not just the robot-walkers that conjure up this feeling, the general layout of the city and the feel of it all bring back fond memories of Half Life 2.

However this is a completely different game, a game driven more by you and your choices than an over-arching intricate storyline. Do you sneak past the guards and subdue them where needed, or do you brazenly stroll through the city carving a bloody path through all that stand between you and your vengeance. This is where Dishonored comes into its own, each of the 9 levels is its own sandbox environment, with its own workings and you can choose how to play, how to level your weapons and gear, not to mention your void powers. There are 10 powers to choose from and each lend themselves to different styles of gameplay, ranking up blink, dark vision and agility will allow you to perch on rooftops and observe your enemies, their patrol routes etc. and then find a way around them. Whereas vitality, blood thirsty and wind blast let you rip through multiple enemies to leave a mass of bloody corpses in your wake.

 Even the choice to kill your way to the end or to stealth it impacts the storyline, more corpses means more rats which leads to an ultimately darker end game than if you avoid killing too many guards. Admittedly the AI is inconsistent and fairly dumb, for lack of a better word. You can be peeking out from behind a wall one hundred per cent sure that you can’t be seen and yet the guard spots you, but run into the nearest building and watch through a window as he tries to find you and nothing, he goes back to his patrol, satisfied that you’ve been dealt with. Not to mention the imagination they must have been using when they came up with the name for the mysterious stranger from the void, The Outsider, who imbues you with your powers.

 However, I can forgive them here, as they pretty much used their entire imaginative quota when coming up with the game concept, and what a concept. Equally matched with astounding gameplay, that will have you leaping from buildings, bending time and swash-buckling your way to revenge. Every moment you pull off a daring escape, or impossible feat is matched by complete failure, when you over reach and fall to your death, or are inevitably eaten by a fish, as you frantically head for shore. It’s this balance that makes the game what it is, it drives you to carry on trying different styles of play and punishes you when you fail. The game is a masterpiece and but for a few shortcomings is virtually perfect. As much a work of art as it is a gore-fest, few games these days genuinely surprise and fewer still surprise in their delivery of gameplay and choice, Dishonored does it all and smashes any preconceptions you have about the genre, it’s a breath of fresh air in a market that has become stale of late. It’s hard to see any game that will be anywhere near as innovative as this in the near future so enjoy it while it lasts. 

Pros:-                                                                                          Cons:-

Innovative gameplay                                                                  Buggy AI

Stunning visuals                                                                         Fish

Evolving storyline

Style

Overall Rating          9/10

Watch our play through of dishonoured daily at www.youtube.com/gamingzeroes

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So they are at again, those blasted zombies! They have infested another trailer for the upcoming zombie slaying game, Dead Island Riptide.

The trailer isn't as harrowing as the first teaser for the original game but it still has hints of its direction. See the trailer below to see what you think about it.

The boys and girls over Bethesda are getting us all excited for the upcoming release of Dishonored. So while you wait for one of the biggest games of they year, why not have a look at this launch trailer.



Dishonored is set for a European launch on October 12th for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

Bethesda have just released their first in a line of Developer Documentaries for Dishonored. The game is due to be released October 12th accross Europe, so whilst you wait with baited breath. have a gander below.

Today the Battlefield Blog has posted up what players will be getting as part of the Premium Membership for September. Read on for the full details.

1. EXPANSION PACK
What: The Battlefield 3: Armored Kill expansion pack.
Released: Sep 4 for PS3 Premium members / Sep 11 for Xbox 360 and PC Premium members
Where: Download it at no extra charge in the in-game store or from Origin/Battlelog.

2. UNIQUE IN-GAME CONTENT
What: 5 Premium exclusive Assignments tied to Armored Kill, each unlocking one Premium exclusive dog tags. On top of this, you get one additional Premium exclusive dog tag and 5 new Premium exclusive weapon camos. You can read all about the Assignments in Armored Kill in this blog post.
Released: September 4 for all Premium members.
Where: Automatically available in-game when you have applied the latest multiplayer update.

3. STRATEGY GUIDE
What: Another great strategy guide from our friends at Prima. This one features a lot of info and playing tips on Armored Kill.
Released: Second half of September (Date TBA).
Where: Available to download (when released) on the Battlelog Strategy Guides section.

4. PREMIUM EVENT #1
What: Double XP weekend.
When: September 15-16.
Where: Any ranked server, any ranked game mode.

PREMIUM EVENT #2
What: To be announced
When: Second half of September (Date TBA)
Where: To be announced

5. PREMIUM VIDEO
What: A video presented exclusively to our Premium members (Contents will be announced later)
When: Second half of September
Where: Available to view (when released) on the Battlelog Videos section.

Battlefield 3 Premium Edition will be hitting shelves September 14th and includes both the game and a Premium Membership. Get yours now with the links below.

So are you looking forward to the upcoming content from the premium membership? Sound off below.