Don Mattirck kicked of the presentation immediately showing new Xbox, called Xbox One. It might sound like a step back from the previous 360 name, but its name suggests that the console does everything in one box.

The console resembles the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 slim.

This time around the Kinect sensor is bundled with every console and supports 1080p video. It also works in complete darkness allowing you to play with the lights off if you want.

The controller looks very similar to the Xbox 360 controller, but under the hood over 40 changes were announced. The notable change are built in feedback into the triggers and a better d-pad, which hopefully will mean better fighting game experience.

As for the specs the new Xbox has 8GB ram, USB 3.0, built in Wi-Fi, a Blu-ray drive. It will be based on a 64bit system supporting variable power states. It is also said to be very silent during operation around four times quieter than the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Xbox One is said to have three operating systems: The Xbox system, Windows Kernel and a third OS connects these two to allow immediate switching.

The interface is similar to that of the Xbox 360, but now it features multitasking like in windows 8, where the screen splits into two. They demonstrated this with Skype in snap mode while watching a movie.

Voice recognition is back and better than ever. Now it allows you to turn on your console by simply saying “Xbox on”. Another addition is a feature that allows you to watch TV using Xbox One. Simply saying “Xbox watch TV”, turns on live TV. Saying a channel name allows you to quickly jump to that channel. The TV on Xbox also has something called Live TV allowing you to open information about the show you are currently viewing. They showed this by watching a basketball match and opening stats for each of the players.

Switching between TV, games, music, movies, internet explorer happens instantaneously allowing the Xbox One to really be the center of the living room.

Just like PlayStation 4 Xbox one brings integrated DVR to easily share videos.

Its confirmed that Xbox One won’t require an always online internet connection, but it does require you to be online at least once a day in even if you are planing to just play a singleplayer game. All games will have a mandatory install after which they will be playable without the disk. Inserting the disk into another console will require the user to pay a fee in order to install the game, thus reducing used game sales. This fee is said to be as high as the actual price of the game.

Microsoft announced their new partnerships with EA and NFL. EA unveiled a new game engine called EA Sports Ignite which will be used for future EA games.

Even though no new Halo game was shown, Microsoft announced that Steven Spielberg is making a Halo TV series.

Games

Call of Duty Ghosts is said to launch exclusively on Xbox One coming later for other system.

Aside from these three videos, Microsoft announced 15 exclusives during the first year of the console, among which 8 will be brand new franchises.

As you can tell very little games were shown and none of them were played on stage. Those waiting for third party titles especially those from Japanese publishers will have to wait another 20 days for E3 where the real show-off between Microsoft and Sony will take place.

The post Xbox One Revealed appeared first on Rice Digital.

Announced at Arc System Wrok’s 25th Anniversary celebration last weekend, the existence of the anime was revealed by Arc – along with a name – BlazBlue: Alter Memory.

By the sounds of it, it will be set during the ‘Calamity Trigger’ story – which suggests it will be a retelling of the game’s intricate story – with Ragna the Bloodedge arriving at Kagutsuchi with a bounty on his head. Better yet – the full voice cast of the games will also reprise their roles for the anime.

The anime is in production at teamKG and Hoods Entertainment, under the direction of Seiji ‘Full Metal Alchemist Mizushima. It’s scheduled for release this Autumn.

As if that wasn’t enough – Arc also unveiled more details on their forthcoming BlazBlue spin off visual novel – Xblaze. While this has been known to exist for some time, there’s not been much in the way of detail. At the recent event, Arc kindly showed off the opening cinematic – which you can check out below!

If you’re a 2D fighter fan you should check out Yatagarasuon the Rice Digital Store – a stunning sprite-based scrapper which blends the best of Street Fighter 3 Third Strike and King of Fighters. It’s from ex-SNK developers at Hotapen. You can buy it right here.

The post BlazBlue gets an anime and new story arc in Visual Novel Xblaze appeared first on Rice Digital.

Also: I’ll be gutted if this thing doesn’t have blue LED’s on it!

The post PS4 teaser is GO! appeared first on Rice Digital.

True Remembrance is set in a world plagued by a condition called The Dolor – a serious bout of depression caused by bad memories, if you will. People called Mnemonicides (from mnemonikos, “memory” and -icide, “kill” if that helps) treat those with Dolor by sealing away their unwanted memories. They operate from within an isolated city, which is where we meet Mnemonicide Blackiris and his Guest, La, along with a small cast of other characters.

The game was initially released in 2004 by indie developer Shiba Satomi. In 2006, it was re-released as an updated version, complete with opening animation, new storyline and enhanced graphic effects. Insani’s translation (the official English translation) is based on this ‘Director’s Cut’ release and I don’t think anything has been lost in not covering the initial version.

While the premise lends itself to action or supernatural intrigue, the story focuses more on the characters, their daily struggles and the parts they play in a story that started many years ago. This isn’t to say it’s Slice of Life, or a story akin to the depressing Narcissu, but it’s a visual novel that subtly weaves the lives of multiple people together and plays it out for us to read.

There is something to be said about how the writing (or translation) has been handled. Blackiris’ narration has a vague poetic air about it, yet it doesn’t stray into purple prose. La, one of the main characters, has a different way of speaking, which is refreshing in this case as it’s simply truncated and not peppered with verbal tics as other games would use to signify ‘different’.

The game’s presentation is rather simple. Sprites have a few poses and expressions while all backgrounds are low-resolution photographs. There are a handful of short tracks that repeat in the background but don’t become annoying if you tune them out. True Remembrance’s tiny 640×480 resolution is sure to be confronting if you’re used to playing larger visual novels. While there is an option to make it fullscreen, doing so on any modern monitor is simply not worth it.

The story offers no decision points but does make up to it by the fact that elements are foreshadowed so early and the story is woven so carefully. Sometimes it feels like plot elements are solved or forgotten too easily (a certain subplot with a character called Lips comes to mind) but otherwise it’s interesting to try solve the mystery behind everything – even after you finish the game.

It’s a valid concern whether the game gets lost in explanations or philosophical ramblings. I felt that the focus on day-to-day activities and simple interactions kept the game safe from forcing viewpoints on readers. Certainly, there are a few moral issues that come up, but the focus of True Remembrance is firmly on its characters, how they dealt with their past, how they should deal with the present and how they interact with everyone else.

True Remembrance isn’t too depressing, or full of supernatural intrigue, but in the end is comfortably human. It’s a visual novel about people above all and is rather well articulated. Sometimes the story feels like it is solving problems too easy, but it offers a number of interwoven stories that are nonetheless interesting and don’t try to force an opinion on you.

As with Narcissu, Insani received full permission to translate and release Shiba Satomi’s True Remembrance on their own website for Windows. While there is a remade version for 3DS on Nintendo’s eShop, it is for Japanese systems only.

The post Visual Novel Spotlight: True Remembrance appeared first on Rice Digital.

The Arc System Works Festival took place today in Yokohama Pacifico venue. While this event also covered Arc System Works’ other games like Blazblue and Persona 4 Arena, it was the announcement of a new Guilty Gear game that took center stage.

This new entry, titled Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, shows off fan favourites Sol and Ky duking it out, as well as the new engine that the game is running on. Using Unreal Engine 3, Xrd manages to replicate the look of 2D sprites using 3D models. It looks great, and the way they emulate the feel of 2D animation by lowering the framecount is impressive. It’ll be interesting to see what the rest of the cast looks like using this style!

If you’re a fan of 2D fighters – why not try the excellent Yatagarasu, the 2D fighter from ex-SNK developer Hotapen.

It’s available on the Rice Digital Store right here.

Check out the new trailer, and Guilty Gears amazing new look below:

The post Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- appeared first on Rice Digital.

And if you weren’t looking at Sexy-Hot Pokemon cosplays before? You definitely are now…

ME-OWTH! That’s right!

(this is actually, all I have to say about this one – other than you might like to check out some of Jessica’s other cosplays).

SOURCE: JessicaUshiromiyaSan

Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to find a decent Nurse Joy cosplay? They vary from the usual – ‘I’m in a hotel lobby, holding a Chancey’  to ‘I’m trying so hard to be  sexy that I’m not even cosplaying anymore’. This is why I’ve gone for this one – she might be in some kind of cafeteria (nurses have to eat, right?) but she’s pretty, kinda cute and seems nice enough to bring home to your mother – just how Nurse Joy should be.

SOURCE: TheBird-TheBee

I love this cosplay series – an amazingly well done Officer Jenny with lovely photos. Check out the rest of the Officer jenny gallery here…

SOURCE: Mostflogged

Oh Hilda – there are NO shortage of pretty cosplays of YOU my dear. Which, I like to think, somehow makes the world a much better place

SOURCE: Beethy

I’m a little torn when it comes to girls dressing as Pokemon – mainly because it usually involves a nice dress in the appropriate colour, finished off with a nice headdress, or ears or a hat or something… but well, better that, than some unsightly furry contraption…

SOURCE: Gijinka

Two of my favouite characters – in decent cosplays – and, you know… together…

SOURCE: Zettai

Jesse, forgoodness sake, when are you going to take that gel out of you hair? There isn’t enough room in this bed for the three of us! You looked very attractive being photographed next to that missile carrier but now? Now that we’re, you know… getting down to it… it’s kind of impractical.

SOURCE: Ryoko-Demon

Goodness gracious me! Misty – what has gotten into you! Don’t let Brock see you like this – you know how he gets…

SOURCE: Sirenamezzo

Hmmm – Dat Bidoof!

Wait – what? I’m so sorry, I er… I’m not sure how this got here…

SOURCE: Never mind…

*runs*

The post Pokemon cosplays that may elicit sexual arousal appeared first on Rice Digital.

While many games have used the Mystery Dungeon style of gameplay, the Pokémon versions have always felt pretty strange to me. While MD games pretty much play like watered down Rogue-likes (dungeon crawlers with a heavy focus on randomly generated content), they’re still a lot less forgiving than the mainly lighthearted Pokémon games. Obviously, some changes had to be made to accommodate for Pokémon fans, which in turn has watered down gameplay even further.

Gates to Infinity also includes something that the mainline Mystery Dungeon games tend to avoid – an overarching plot. Like previous Pokémon MD entries, you’re sent into the world as a human-turned-Pokémon. Instead of offering a personality test to decide which Pokémon you are like the earlier games however, you instead get to choose which you will be, as well as the first Pokémon you meet. Even though this seems like a small change, these simplifications continue throughout the game to create an overall more bland game.

The bulk of Gates to Infinity is spent, as you’d probably expect, trawling through a multitude of dungeons, either to complete requests or advance the story. Each dungeon is randomly generated, but they all boil down to a few rooms connected by corridors, with there being a small chance of a special room like a shop appearing. There are quite a few locations to explore, but they generally consist of dull caves with nothing particularly interesting going for them. Since dungeons are randomly generated, there are no chances for set pieces outside of certain story events, meaning that most ‘adventures’ consist of a bunch of dungeon floors that all start to look the same after a while.

Some variety is introduced into this monotony by the Pokémon themselves. Like the main series, each Pokémon has a set of four attacks, as well as elements and abilities. A new feature found in Gates to Infinity is the ability to level up moves, with move levels shared between all Pokémon. It’s a nice addition, and isn’t something that would work well in the main series, thanks to its multiplayer components. It’s one of the few times Gates to Infinity tries to improve the formula, and it adds an extra layer to dungeon crawling, if only a minor one.

Another change that is interesting, but not necessarily great, is Paradise. Your chosen partner Pokémon wants to build a utopia for all Pokémon, and to do so you need money and materials. Doing request will reward you with said materials, which are used to clear barren land and create facilities to build up Paradise. This makes request have more of an importance, since they allow you to further expand Paradise, instead of just giving out money and items. The main problem with this addition though, is that it doesn’t particularly help in any way. While you can build dojos to improve  different move types, the benefits are so miniscule that it’s more beneficial to quickly run through a low level dungeon.

Further problems arise from the different fields you can create. These allow you grow new berries ad seeds that you can use on your adventures. This would be fine, but even without these fields, items are far too abundant for you to ever run out. Adding on any items that you grow, the game becomes a breeze. The only penalty for being defeated is the loss of a meagre amount of items, which just makes a small dent in your inevitable horde of items. Then again, you’ll most likely find yourself rarely using items, thanks to the games lack of challenge. Bosses may pose a slight challenge, but for the most part you’ll breeze though dungeons.

To be fair, this entry in the Pokémon franchise is most likely aimed at the younger side of the fanbase. This is proven by the game’s story and how most events play out – bad things happen, and the power of friendship saves the day. While I can appreciate a lighter story in an industry full of guns and violence, it’s almost too mice for its own good, sometimes coming off as annoying. Story events also have the tendency to go on for far too long, which is not helped by way text slowly scrolls along.

To be honest, Gates to Infinity isn’t a great game, but it isn’t a complete lost cause. Outside of the bland dungeon designs, everything is nice and colourful, from the town hub to each Pokémon, which definitely benefit from the series’ jump to the 3DS. Dungeon crawling can also be fun, as long as you don’t intent to play for long stretches of time. In the end, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gate to Infinity is an average dungeon crawler with a few sparks of originality. It’s not the worst Pokémon spin-off, not by a long shot, but you’d be better off waiting for Pokémon X and Y.

The post Review – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity appeared first on Rice Digital.

Those of you who are new to the doujin scene may not know of the excellent work Rockin’ Android have done over the years, but it’s fair to say they’re kindred spirits in their desire to see some of Japan’s little known indie games get the love and attention they deserve!

Flying Red Barrel comes from doujin Developer Orange Juice – responsible for the cult classic SUGURI. They’re know for crafting unique little shooters  - and this one is no exception.

Take to the skies in your little plane and blast down wave upon wave enemy planes as you attempt to uphold the law of the Blue Sky Union against the pirates of the resistance.

There’s a lovely, charming little story behind it all – but of course, the meat and bones of this comes down to the action itself, and it’s here that Flying Red Barrel really excels itself.

Keeping it nice and simple in the spirit of the classic shooter Raiden – the mechanics aren’t too complicated. Shoot down enemy planes with your primary fire and collect the coins that shower down the screen when you do so. Collecting coins will fill up your rocket gauge giving you access to more fire-power (and allowing you to hit those high end score bonuses).

The more rockets you have the less your manoeuvrability, so the emphasis is not on hoarding, but blasting and replenishing, recycling your fire power little and often. It pays to be as aggressive as possible.

In a rather nice touch, you can attract coins towards your plane by taking your finger off the fire button – with the obvious downside to weakened defence. Or, if you prefer, just carry on blasting and attempt to pick up those coins manually – which is, of course, just that little bit more dangerous.

It’s a really nice little risk reward system, which gives the action a little more depth without ballooning into something hugely complex and intimidating.

It’s a smashing shooter that’s great for those who are a little scared of the more full-on shmups, but still hugely satisfying for those of you who consider yourselves veterans of the genre. Flying Red Barrel: Diary of a Little Aviator is available to download today for very pocket friendly£3.99 on the Rice Digital Store RIGHT HERE! 

As always, all our titles are available internationally – the currency will convert automatically for you when you reach the checkout!

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Blood-Over features a decent plot. The tale begins with you and your trusty maid, Akari, going for some demon hunting. After your encounter with the grim reaper who is your first boss you are beaten and she steals your soul. After that it’s a struggle to find the grim reaper once again in order to regain your soul at the same time fighting the lust for demon souls that is slowly taking over your character. The game features quite a few of memorable characters, most of which you will meet through boss battles each having their own distinct personality.

Blood-Over has simple gameplay which is easy to learn and hard to master. It plays like a typical side scroller, since you are confined to going left, right and jumping. At your disposal you have a kick and fire button and that’s it. Using these you can string together combos and perform special moves. Crouching and pressing the kick button does a dodge, without which you don’t stand a chance against any of the bosses. The majority of the stages aren’t too difficult and if you play carefully you are likely to not get hit at all. Bosses on the other hand are ridiculously hard and it is here where you will lose the majority of your lives.

The main way for getting a higher score is by doing an Overkill. Beating the hell out of an already dead opponent gives you overkill points. After this you have a limited amount of time to kill another enemy in order to string multiple Overkills. Overkilling enemies fills your blood bar allowing you to perform devastating special attacks.

You are accompanied by your maid, Akari, whose only purpose is to dish out a special attack via her minigun. Special attacks are done using up the blood meter which you can use at will once you have enough blood. However once the blood meter is full your maid will automatically fire her special attack if you are hit, nullifying the damage you would have taken, working like a temporary shield for your character.

Blood-Over features dynamic difficulty. Once you start the first stage the game is automatically set to easy. If you manage to string a huge overkill combo and not lose any lives the second stage will become harder. Then if you play badly the difficulty will drop back to easy in the next level. This makes sure the game is always challenging, even when you beat it once. The difficulty level also determines the ending you will get further promoting multiple playthroughs.

From the visual side Blood-Over is rendered in 3D. While it may not feature the best 3D graphics you might have seen, for a doujin title it is still quite impressive. The developers could have easily taken a 2D approach since the entire game plays like a 2D game but instead to their credit they made everything in 3D. The music also needs special mention since the game features a stellar sound track, featuring one of the most epic title screen songs I heard to date.

THE VERDICT

Blood-Over may not bring anything revolutionary but it does a great job for a doujin title. From the engaging story, great soundtrack, dynamic difficulty and even little things such as different character voices in the main menu it’s evident that a lot of effort was placed in every aspect of this game. Definitely have a look at this game it will not disappoint you.

As the developer 9th Night doesn’t exist anymore the only trial version I could find is of version 0.91a (the newest version being 1.05a).

Blood-Over Trail 0.91a, Mirrors [1] [2] [3] [4]

The post Doujin Classics: Blood-Over appeared first on Rice Digital.

After eight years away from the courtroom, Dual Destinies sees Phoenix Wright returning to what he does best – no more piano playing fortunately! He certainly has his work cut out for him though, with a destroyed courtroom causing havoc for the judicial system. Wright has the help of Apollo Justice, star of the previous AA game, and Athena Cykes, an attorney who can analyse witnesses’ statements to find contradictions in their testimonies.

Dual Destinies is also the first game in the series to use full 3D instead of the sprites of previous entries, which, as you can see in the trailer, is a great step up. Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies will be available to buy digitally in North America and Europe this Autumn for 3DS. Check out the trailer below for more info:

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