Showing posts with label Gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaming. Show all posts

Friday, 16 August 2013

Saints Row 4 Review

Big news, Saints Row 4 will be released soon! We've been checking out trailers and finding info on the game. All so that we can give you an idea of what to expect.

Saints Row 4 Trailer


What can you expect from Saints Row 4? The trailer below gives you some idea. Insanity is the short answer however. The Saints Row series is releasing its 4th game this year. Over the series they have set themselves apart from other video games due to the high levels of crazy they inject their games with. The last Saints Row game, Saints Row 3, was pretty nuts... But it looks like number 4 will go even further. I'm talking about aliens. That's right. Aliens!



My thoughts after watching the trailer? Well, I think my brain melted a little bit. It was funny. But also... What did I just watch??

Saints Row 4 Release Date


Late August 2013. Aren't we already in August? How did this one get past me?



Saints Row 4 Gameplay


What can I say about the Saints Row 4 gameplay? Guns, superpowers and so much more! Watch the below video and you will see why I'm so excited about this game!

Sunday, 21 July 2013

Negau Blog's Top 3 Open World Video Games

What is an Open World Video Game?

Open world games are a genre of video game which do not rely as heavily on mission-based gameplay as other games. You are free to explore the game's environment in a variety of ways, completing side-missions, mini-missions or simply interacting with scenery and characters. One of the biggest producers of open world video games is Rockstar Games. To give an idea of the open element of these games, here is a compilation of clips from GTA 4 gameplay.

 

1. Saints Row 3 - An Open World must-have

You want freedom? Saints Row The Third gives you freedom and then some. You have a range of activities to choose from including driving cars, fast boats and soaring through the sky in a fighter jet. The latest Saints Row game has really improved on almost all aspects of gameplay. One thing we really enjoyed was the heavy injection of insanity which the developers gave to this game. Watch the video below and you'll see what we mean.

 

2. GTA 4 - Driving Down the Open World Road

I know not everyone will agree with me, but driving is what makes the GTA games great for me. Vehicles let you get around open world environments quickly, and modern driving mechanics make it as much fun as any other part of the game. See below for a high-speed car chase video from the game.

 

3. Red Dead Redemption - An Eco-friendly Open World Poem

Imagine for a moment an epic poem about nature and frontier life. Now imagine you get to ride around those idyllic landscapes on a wild steed, firing revolvers from the hip as you gunsling your way through an engrossing storyline. That is Red Dead Redemption, a good open world game made great by the environment and stories within it.

 


Soon to come...

According to the natural progression of the video game, this open world game should be jumping to the top of this list soon. It's GTA 5 and you can find our news and review of it here.

  What are your top open world games? Follow or comment and let us know! Joe Malpas

Shogun 2 Total War - A Negau Review


Shogun 2 Total War is a game about the rise and fall of the Japanese Samurai. We recently published a list of our Top 10 Best Martial Arts Films, so staying on the topic of martial Japan we bring you a Shogun 2 Review. Interesting to note is the fact that Total War will be releasing another sequel game, Rome 2 Total War later this year.

The history behind Shogun 2

Find below a clip from the film 13 Assassins. The film gives a good idea of what Shogun 2 is about... Samurai warriors fighting in feudal Japan. We here at Negau watched it only recently, otherwise it might have made it into the Top 10. Feudal Japan was ruled by an emperor, through the military power of the Shogun. The campaign map is split between numerous historical factions, each led by a daimyo.



What is the Shogun 2 Gameplay Like?

Here's a video that will show you one of the biggest differences between Shogun 2 Total War and its predecessors. The sieges are far more complex, with the AI often encircling your fortress and attacking from multiple directions. Armies can also penetrate defences by climbing walls, burning gatehouses or using artillery.


What is the Best Element of Shogun 2?

Our favourite part of Shogun 2 is in The Fall of the Samurai expansion, which includes the option to fire artillery in first-person. You can adjust the height of the artillery piece, fire a round and watch as it soars towards your foes and finally explodes among them.


Where can you buy Shogun 2?




Joe Malpas

Monday, 15 July 2013

Napoleon Total War - Review

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What is Napoleon Total War about?

The Napoleon Total War game is set during the Napoleonic Wars. You play the game on two levels: the campaign map and battle map. On the campaign map you control regions, cities, towns, navies, armies and agents. You also control the government of your faction, including tax rates and ministers. On the battle map you controls units of soldiers or ships as your army or navy tries to defeat the enemy.
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Napoleon Total War - Napoleon's Campaigns

Napoleon's Campaigns features a few of Napoleon Bonaparte's most dramatic campaigns. These include the Italian Campaign, Egyptian Campaign, Europe and finally the Battle of Waterloo. These campaigns are great fun for Total War veterans and novices alike. The Napoleonic French armies benefit from the massed fire of their cannon batteries, hard-hitting bayonet charges from infantry columns and some superb light cavalry who fire their carbines from horseback. You also get to take on all of the major players of the period such as Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as some interesting smaller nations.
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Napoleon Total War - Campaigns of the Coalition

This aspect of the game lets you take control of a leading faction in the coalition against Napoleon, Great Britain, Austria, Russia or Prussia, and lead their armies against the Napoleonic threat. You can sail the powerful navy of Great Britain against the combined fleets of France and Spain in a recreation of the Battle of Trafalgar, defend to the last man the aged empire of Austria in epic set-piece land battles, drag horse and cannon across the steppes of Russia to lend much-needed aid to your allies, or turn the tide against Bonaparte with the Prussian infantry - the best drilled and equipped infantry in Europe.
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Napoleon Total War - Napoleon's Battles

You can also take a leading role in one the major battles of the Napoleonic Wars. These can be played at varying difficulties but each provides unique tactical or logistical challenges to the would-be Emperor of the French.
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Napoleon Total War - The Peninsular Campaign

A new update/expansion for Napoleon Total War, this introduces lots of new elements to all levels of the gameplay. The Peninsular Campaign is set in Spain and Portugal during Spanish resistance to French occupation which took place during the late stages of the Napoleonic Wars. Choose to play as either the Spanish, French or British as they struggle for control of the Iberian Peninsula. New agents are available on the campaign map, allowing you to convert enemy settlements' populations. Guerilla tactics also play a large part on all levels, as you lay ambushes with you armies on the campaign map and set traps with a few guerilla units in the midst of a battle.
Link
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Joe Malpas

Best App for iPhone

Link

Our Top App Purchase for iPhone

Our favourite app for the iPhone is Instant Heart Rate by Azumio. This heart rate monitor can be downloaded from the app store on the iPhone or iTunes.

What is the iPhone Instant Heart Rate Monitor?

The Instant Heart Rate app allows users to check their heart rate on their mobile phone. You can see your pulse on the screen, track your heart rate over time and monitor your health. If you play sports or exercise regularly, this iPhone app is great for allowing you to check how fast your heart is beating before, during and after a workout. For those more interested in their long-term health, you can use the app to keep track of changes to your resting heart rate day-to-day, week-to-week or on a longer-term basis.

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Features of the iPhone Instant Heart Rate Monitor App

The app is easy to use, all you have to do is place the tip of your finger over your iPhone camera and wait a few seconds while your heart rate is recorded. You can export your heart rate data and share it on Twitter or Facebook. There are also hashtags which allow you to record the situation of each heart rate record, each hashtag is listed below:
-Post-workout.
-Tired.
-Resting.
-Just woke up.
-Before bed.
-Exercising.
-New tag. You can use this option to create your own custom tags.

Joe Malpas


Sunday, 14 July 2013

Rome 2 Total War - News

http://www.rocketchainsaw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/rome-2a.jpg

Rome 2 Total War Release

The latest game in the Total War series, Rome 2 Total War is going to be released this September 2013. The game is already available for pre-order on Steam for £29.99 ($45). Rome 2 is the sequel to Rome Total War, which was the Total War series' first release.

https://soe-assets-live.s3.amazonaws.com/totalwar.com/web_assets/images/themes/rome2/rome-screen-1.jpg


Rome 2 Total War News

The most recent Rome 2 update from the Total War team is the release of an online Rome 2 Total War interactive campaign map. This map gives users to ability to plan their Rome 2 campaign in advance. The Rome 2 Total War map itself is pictured below. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what the game will be like, but we'll include a description underneath.

http://maps.totalwar.com/
Rome 2 Total War Campaign Map

The Rome 2 Total War interactive campaign map is essentially a map of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Territories are marked in as they would have appeared during the beginning of Roman expansion. Regions belonging to the main playable factions in Rome 2 are highlighted, as are those of other available factions (playable via updates or expansion packs). By exploring the Rome 2 interactive map you can discover who the factions are, what relations they have with other factions, what their available resources are and which mercenaries they can recruit. You can also plan a campaign by choosing a faction which you would like to play, selecting regions which you envision conquering and anticipating other factions' reactions to your territorial expansion.

You can find the Rome 2 Total War interactive campaign map here.

Our Favourite Total War Game - Napoleon Total War

Our favourite total war game has to be Napoleon Total War, a must-have game for any fans or readers of War and Peace. Conquering Europe to the sound of thunderous fire from cannon batteries or holding the line under the Union Flag as you hold back Napoleon's armies, everything about the game is true to Napoleonic period warfare. It is a game filled with excitement and history that will test any Total War gamer's tactical abilities.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/34030/

Joe Malpas

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Thursday, 11 July 2013

GTA 5 Release


When is the GTA 5 release date?

Don't worry! The GTA 5 release date has been announced for the 17th September 2013. Phew, that's a load off our minds. Now we can relax. But there's still much to talk about concerning Rockstar Games' upcoming GTA 5 release.

GTA 5 Trailer...

As so often happens before major games are released Rockstar Games, the company behind GTA, has decided to whet our appetite with a pre-release GTA 5 gameplay trailer. So lets discuss the trailer in minute detail, because waiting for game releases is a gruelling test of one's endurance. We need to stick together and talk about our problem (as if GTA is a problem!) if we're going to get through this.

What is in the GTA 5 gameplay trailer?

What's the first thing we see? A helicopter. Things are looking great, we love flying (virtual reality makes crashing less of a concern), but is that a Zeppelin in the background? Here's hoping we can fly one of those in the game! 

What is the GTA 5 game world like?

Rockstar Games describe the GTA 5 game world as "Beautiful, Massive and Diverse" in their recent gameplay trailer. Large scenic environments have become pretty common in recent game releases, so we're hoping that GTA 5 will be 'massive' compared to previous GTA games and on a far larger scale. One thing which we're really excited about is GTA 5 deep-sea diving. Yeah, you read that right, deep-sea diving! The addition of interactive underwater scenery is likely to open up a whole other world of gameplay and virtual siteseeing.

What is GTA 5 gameplay like?

On the whole, it looks like Rockstar Games has really amped up the gameplay for GTA 5. Game mechanics have been upgraded, all the better to shoot bad-guys/good-guys/ambiguous strangers with. Oh, and did I forget to mention... shooting deer too! GTA 5 offers the option to hunt wild animals in-game, which will either be very fun or challenging to our morality (expect to find this blogger kneeling over the corpse of a virtual Bambi looking for the 'Forgive Me' button on his controller). You can also play sports such as golf and tennis in-game. These are always fun to try a couple of times, but generally little more than a distraction from the core gameplay. 

What are the missions in GTA 5 like?

I would say think Ocean's Eleven but dirtier, bloodier and with a lot more stubble! Bank robbery, kidnapping, bounty hunting and car-theft will be some of your main sources of income in GTA 5. Two new ways to earn money on the side which we were interested (but not overwhelmed) to see are investing in the stock and real estate markets. Like we said, it looks interesting but isn't really the GTA we're expecting.

Problems with GTA 5...

A relatively minor point to start with, car customisation. Car customisation is one of my favourite aspects of the GTA games. But from what I can see in the GTA 5 trailer, it doesn't look like this aspect of the gameplay has evolved much. I'm hoping to be proved wrong, but it looks much the same to me. One part of the GTA 5 gameplay trailer which stuck with me was when the soft-voiced female narrator said the words "the use of three lead characters allows for a touch of voyeurism". This very unsettling comment is made on top of a satellite to street-view montage straight out of our paranoid federal government nightmares. Whether this is due to a worrying turn taken by Rockstar Games in their struggle for world domination or just bad editing, we're hoping that the GTA 5 gameplay will be lighter on the voyeurism and a bit heavier on the things we've come to love about the GTA games.


Joe Malpas