Saturday, May 25, 2013

Injustice: Gods Among Us - "History of Batgirl" ViDoc

With Batgirl now available as the second downloadable character for Injustice: Gods Among Us, NetherRealm Studios has released a ViDoc recounting the character's history, conveniently entitled "History of Batgirl."

You can check it out here or below:


Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition Announced for PC


Earlier this week, fans long since waiting for Mortal Kombat (2011) to come to PC have had their prayers answered:  the game will arrive this summer.

On July 3rd, Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition will be available digitally, with retail copies hitting store shelves on August 2nd.  No system requirements have been announced yet, however note that the PlayStation Vita exclusive content will not be present, this is t
he same version as what's currently available on consoles.

I'm also not sure if Kratos will be present, or the Chamber of Flame.  My guess is no since the PC isn't a Sony-specific platform.

You can check out the official announcement on NeatherRealm Studios' site here.

Shame the extra klassic skins from the PlayStation Vita version won't be there, but here's hoping they're able to vastly improve the game's netcode!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Xbox One Announced

Today, Microsoft announced their next generation console:  Xbox One.  Releasing this holiday, Xbox One is an all-in-one entertainment device that lets you play games, watch TV, stream movies, and have Skype calls with your friends, all in your living room.  A new Kinect sensor is also packaged with every console.

You can check out the reveal video here or below:



For full announcement details, you can check out the official Xbox One page here.

Right now, it's pretty much what I expected, a general media hub that doesn't seem like it tailored to the hardcore gamer packaged with a lot of flashy buzz terms that don't mean much aside from marketing.

Microsoft is promising to showcase their games, as well as new exclusives, at this year's E3, so that'll really show us the direction they're going with here.  As a gamer, it's the games I care about, and not the casual Kinect stuff or other random entertainment features.  I want inspiring, innovative game experiences.

At present Xbox One doesn't look like it's a console for a consumer like me, but of course, we'll see.


Batman: Arkham Origins Official Trailer

Yesterday, the official CG trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins was released, and you can check it out here or below:



Simply an excellent trailer.  Of course being CG we need to see some actual gameplay, but I have faith that the game will turn out solid despite the new developer.

At least this trailer shows they have the mood and atmosphere down pat.

Iron Man 3 Review


I think few will doubt the strength of performance and character that Robert Downey Jr. has brought to Iron Man.  Five years ago I walked into the theatre expecting a typical summer blockbuster and in tandem with that, I was blown away by the personality and charisma that he brought to Tony Stark.  Watching Iron Man was all about watching him, plain and simple.

I missed out on Iron Man 2, however there's no question that charisma transferred over to The Avengers, and Downey Jr.'s performance was once again a huge show stealer.  Thankfully he's lost none of his touch for the start of this summer's blockbusters in Iron Man 3.

In a post The Avengers world, Tony Stark is having some problems.  The film begins with many of his suits being destroyed, and then flashes back to before the first film, 1999 in fact.  Celebrating New Years in Switzerland, Stark is still a pompous jerk focused on one thing, and that evening it's with a hot botanist, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall).  This sets off a chain of events that's finally caught up to him now, resulting in the devastation of his personal life.

In the present day, Stark is having a lot of anxiety issues from the attack on New York earlier and his brush with mortality.  While he struggles with his inner demons and keeping his relationship to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) ship-shape, a new terrorist calling himself the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has arisen and is doing terror bomb attacks throughout the US.  The catch is no one can figure out how these bombings are actually occurring, as there doesn't appear to be any bombs or remaining components present at the detonation sites.

Of course since it's public knowledge that Tony Stark is Iron Man, many people are looking to him to help stop the Mandarin, and when he issues a challenge to the terrorist, well, that's when things get personal.

What follows is an action packed effects fest of the highest calibre.  In addition to Downey Jr.'s always amazing performance, the level of action and specifically effects was extremely enthralling.  Even outside his suit, which Stark spends a good bit of time, the film's action doesn't disappoint, which I loved.  Battles of all sorts are grandiose in the extreme, interjected with humour at every turn.

In truth, my only gripe about the film was the plot as a whole felt very contrived simply to get stuff to go boom, and while that's certainly not the end of the world, it made Iron Man 3 feel less clever than the original; more of a spectacle than a story.  Overall that's quite forgivable, though what was really hilarious was the villain's actual motivation.  I'm not talking about the twist (which was very cool and I won't spoil it here), but let's say the film's antagonist has the dumbest motivation I've ever seen for a villain ever.  He still makes a great villain, however, it's just the reason he's doing everything doesn't quiet add up to anything substantial.

Regardless, Iron Man 3 is a great film, very entertaining and extremely enjoyable.  It's all about Robert Downey Jr. again, and provided you loved his rendition of Tony Stark before, you won't be disappointed now.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Injustice: Gods Among Us "Batgirl Gameplay Reveal" Trailer

It's confirmed, Batgirl is the next DLC character in Injustice: Gods Among Us.

For those looking to see how she plays, you can check out this official gameplay trailer here or below:




Injustice: Gods Among Us - "History of Lobo" ViDoc

With Lobo now available for download via Xbox LIVE Marketplace or the PlayStation Store, NetherRealm Studios has released a ViDoc explaining the history of the character.

You can check it out here or below: