New Dragon Age Video Shows of Combat

Dragon Age's combat has always looks simliar between 1 and 2 but behaved very differently. Dragon Age one require strategical thinking and DA2 required quick reflexes. Dragon Age Inquisition wants to give you the choice.

Watch the video below for the full break down but lets quickly go over it. Without changing any settings or going into a menu you can flip between real time action RPG combat controlling a singular unit to paused time tactical combat dishing out movement and attack orders to your entire party. The impressive thing about the new system is that you can do one or the other but also BOTH. You can give orders to the rest of the squad and then lead them in battle yourself.



It's worth pointing out once again just how pretty this game looks and boy did that Dragon look fearsome. For those who don't know every dragon in Inquisition is a unique creature with it's own attack patterns, behaviour and territory.

Abe's Take
This is shaping up to be one of the best RPG's in a long while the previous Dragon Ages had various flaws that seem to be ironed out for the new release. here's hoping no new ones affect this promising game

Titanfall Update 5 and DLC land soon

Titanfall has evolved a lot since it's launch way back in march, new content in the form of modes, maps and functions have been added over the months along side the usual tweaks and fixes.

Titanfall will go though some extra changes this Thursday as a new update hits along side the new map pack.
First up is the addition of an in game currency (no micro-transactions confirmed) that will be awarded for completing (the newly added) daily and weekly challanges, playing matches and selling unwanted burn cards. The purpose of this new currentcy? so you can (blind) buy themed burn card booster packs and new titan decals.

Elsewhere the Campaign has been moved into the multiplayer tab and levels will rotate though the story making it a lot easier to get a match and finish that campaign off

Here is the full patch notes

GAME UPDATE FIVE
NEW FEATURES (All Platforms)
For this update, we're introducing the Black Market -- where you can buy and sell burn cards. Additionally there are eight new Titan decals available in the Black Market which you can also buy with in-game credits.
Daily Challenges - Collect three new Daily Challenges every day. You can have a total of 9 active daily challenges at any one time.
We have moved Campaign game mode in with the other existing game modes. It will rotate through all maps over and over and you can join at any point.
Added message when a friendly Pilot with the flag jumps on your Titan in CTF.
There is now a Gen 1 image which will show up for Gen 1 players in all menus.
NEW FEATURES (X1)
Added achievements for Frontier's Edge DLC.
BUG FIXES (All Platforms)
Fixed Titan decal unlocks showing up repeatedly.
Removed pre-lobby after selecting a game mode, now you will be taken directly to the game lobby.
Made wi-fi hacking count towards Spectre leeching for stats / challenges / insignias.
Fixed an issue where you could earn enough XP that it would appear to wrap around and reset your level.
Nuclear Eject: fixed a rare bug where an invincible Titan would be left roaming around the level because the player died upon ejecting.
Lots of yummy bandwidth optimizations as well as various delicious framerate optimizations have been lovingly hand-crafted and squeezed into the game.
Fixed case of being smushed into a solid wall while rodeoing and becoming unable to shoot through the Titan.
Fixed many cases of incorrect or missing impact sounds from explosions including Arc Cannon fire and Cluster Rockets.
Fixed a server issue when players used the Rematch burn card in areas where they would get stuck.
Fixed a case of getting a double lock-on with the Archer.
Fixed an annoying case of the party chat icon not appearing.
Fixed a case where parties could be split up.
Fixed text overlap on controller layout menu.
Fixed some kills/events not counting towards progress on challenges, achievements, or decals.

EA Unviels Xbox Exclusive Program - UPDATE II

EA was a big fan on Microsoft's always online vision for the Xbox One sure it took the pressure off them regarding online passes and 2nd hand sales but they also saw potential in its "your content, everywhere" approach and its strong digital presence and had idea's about their own sub membership and now we have first details of EA Access 

Just what is EA Access? I hear you ask though the soundless void of the internet. It's a secondary subscription within Xbox Live for Xbox One £3.99 a month £19.99 a year (Currently seeking confirmation because that seems to be quite the gap between monthly and annual cost) that offers benefits to (assuming) Gold members

The Vault - Unlimited access to "the greatest EA games on Xbox One" that's Fifa 14, Madden 25, Peggle 2 and Battlefield 4. (the press release refers this list as "Beta users have access to" unsure if the Vault itself if locked to beta users or if the game list is limited in beta) UPDATE: Full game access is for all users and will expand after launch!

Early Access - Access members get access to digital trails for 5 days before launch and any save data transfers across to the full game (unaware if this happens for retail as well as digital) Fifa 15, NBA 15 and Dragon Age are all confirmed Early Access games UPDATE: different games will have different amount of content available in their pre-releases. Some will be full games with a time limit others will be unlimited but only be one mode of the game but data will transfer to the full title regardless of the form (of the trail or the full release so buy retail if you want)

Discounts - Access members receive 10% of ANYTHING EA from the Xbox store. That's full games, DLC, micro-transactions or anything with an EA sticker. UPDATE: The small print excludes Titanfall from discounts which I suspect is due to their contract with developers Respawn

The service hit's Beta today and will launch in Europe "soon"

Abe's Take
This is very tempting just for Early Access to Dragon Age and (possibly) Mass Effect 4. If Battlefield Hardline is featured in this too it will help players burned by the BF4 release know the game will preform.

First Look At Frontiers Edge Pack for Titanfall

There was complaints that the maps in Titanfall was all too "samey" along with "lack of" content but they have been approaching that with the DLC map packs and free Content updates. The first map pack added a Jungle, a VR simulation and a very "samey" level

The second map pack is looking like it will bring the break the so called "samey" feel to the maps.

First up we have Haven, This rather shiny map is set in an "exclusive" sun draped beach resort. Which has apprently escaped the conflict till now

Haven will feature large buidling both to run along but also inside of allowing for some tense pilot vs pilot action. Titans will occupy the streets as well as the beach and the roadway

Second up is Dig Site which (proably because we've been playing Alien recently) reminds me of Hadley's Hope from Aliens.

This level is set in the side of a mountain in a mining facility. this level will be filled with winding routes and lots of high ground for pilots. Dig Site is said to off mid to close range combat so keep an eye out for SMG's

Last up is Export, The final map is set in what is being called a "boom town", a settlement that exists because of successful mining of rare materials.

This map is set up for "house to house" close quarters combat for Pilots and plenty of natural choke points for Titans. With a smattering of roof tops for pilots to battle over and then attack rival titans.


All in all the new maps are visually interesting and do look like they will have different play styles (for the most part) to previous maps.

First look Halo 5's Agent locke

A while ago we got a look at the Halo 5: Guardians box art (below) and it showed chief but also an new character. Now we can see under the hood of the new character

There was a lot of guess work, was it really a Spartan? could it be Cortana in a robot body? Small details started to appear. We now know its a Spartan by the name of Agent Locke and that he'll co-star not only in Halo 5 but also Halo: Nightfall the live action series produced by Ridley Scott.

Agent Lock will be played by Mike Colter (The Good Wife and The Following) and (is Believed) he will also voice the character in Halo 5. It's also believed that Agent Locke will appear in some form in Halo: Master Chief Collection's meta story told though terminals hidden though Halo 2 and 3.

Trailer for the said collection suggests that Locke has a history with chief and seems to be reciving someform of training from the Arbiter
X

Abe's Take
We still don't know that much about Locke. Why is he an Spartan but doesn't carry a Navy rank perhaps he is part of O.N.I (Office Of Navel Intelligence)? Is he hunting Chief? I sure hope he doesn't turn out to be Johnson's son but it should be rather fun finding out

MASSIVE rainbow 6 Video appears

It seems after years of Call of Duty, Last years rough Battlefield 4 Launch and Titanfall shaking up the online multiplayer. It seems like the perfect time to bring something else to the table.

until last year the FPS genre has become saturated by "gritty" modern shooters. All running around with the same dull face, same guns and the same brown and grey contrasts. It looked like the FPS market had been played out (much like the music genre before it) but then came a string of releases that changed that. Farcry 3, Blood Dragon, Payday 2, Wolfenstien, Titanfall, (the incoming destiny) and even the Meh Alien Colonial Marines showed us FPS could have colour, could have fun, could be about anything and multiplayer didnt have to be like CoD or Battlefield.



Now the rule book has been thrown out games are off doing there own thing such as Rainbow Six Siege for which we have 24 Minutes of live stream footage for you. This Raindbow Six isn't like the last few that tried to lure the CoD crowd, Seige is bring back what the series stood for; Tactics, Teamwork and... Hostages!

Abe's Take
In a year where people are feeling burnt out with CoD and weary of Battlefield R6: Seige could easily become many's go to online game. Unless CoD or BF: Hardline are major shake ups of the core gameplay I can see myself buying this and Team GK-UK will comically struggle to rescue/hold the hostage

Next Xbox One Update

Another month passes and another update is heading to Xbox One.

Microsoft's new systems has continually evolved since launch, something that on 360 had to be done in massive updates like NXE and Kinect Dash, this is evidently down to the "three OS" they have been championing since launch.

We now have details about what to expect in the next one, here are the details ripped straight from Major Nelson's mouth (or his blog if you prefer)

Activity feed updates - We're adding new ways for you to interact with friends in the activity feed. The interface will change to a single column scrolling list that is longer and includes more content. We'll add the ability to post text to your feed, and to "like" and comment on feed items. You can share game clips and anything else in the feed with friends either publically (to your activity feed) or privately (as an attachment to a message). You'll also be notified when anyone likes, comments on or shares your items. Each user will get a personal feed on their profile, so you can see what specific friends have been up to. And, with SmartGlass, you can see what your friends have shared to their activity feed and "like" specific posts (additional activity feed support coming in future SmartGlass updates).

Expanded Friends area on Home - Right from Home, see what's going on with your friends. Stay up-to-date with their current activity, the top trending games your friends are playing, and a leaderboard to see who has been working the hardest on their Gamerscore. We're doing an extended preview on this, rolling it into the early access preview this month to a subset of our preview audience so we can refine it until it's ready for the entire Xbox One market.

Mobile purchase - One of the most requested features on Xbox Feedback. Using Xbox SmartGlass or on Xbox.com, you can remotely purchase games and Add-on content. No more waiting to begin downloading when you get home - if your console is set to automatically take updates, your console will begin downloading your purchase.

Low battery notification - You asked for it, now a notification will pop up when your controller battery is getting low.

Disable notifications during video - Adding the ability to turn off notifications based feedback we heard from you.

Enabling 3D Blu-ray - An update to the Blu-ray player app will enable 3D Blu-ray functionality on Xbox One.

OneGuide in Brazil, Mexico, Austria and Ireland - Live TV listings can be configured for four new countries as part of this month's Preview program. And now there is an OneGuide Issue Reporter available under the TV & OneGuide settings, Troubleshooting section.

Last seen time in Friends list - Direct from Xbox Feedback, the friends list will now show how long it's been since a friend has been online. For example, "Last seen 20m ago: Forza Motorsport 5."

Abe's Take
That's a fair amount of changes to the Xbox One whilst bring features up to speed and added fan requested ones. I know the 3D blu-ray has held back some people from acquiring the device.
The first one however seems to be a response to Miiverse Nintendo's surprisingly great "Gaming Social Network"

Remember Bladestorm?

Let me tell you a story long ago before there was a Dyansty Warriors 6 and the idea of a "Warriors" game featuring anything but Japanese and Chinese historical warriors (let alone giant robots, pirates or Zelda) There was Bladestorm.

Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has sent out word that Koei Tecmo are taking another crack at Bladestorm. However it wont be a sequel KT hasn't given any details but they say its a reboot more than a remake or another entry. The game entitled Bladestorm: War & Nightmare will have new features and seems to be them trying to "do it right" this time.

For those who don't know Bladestorm was Koei's attempt at blending Dynasty Warriors high actions and it's far more strategy focused sister series Kessen. The game was set during the 100 years war featuring famous warriors from Europe from the time period e.g. Joan of Arc. The games basic gameplay looked like Dynasty Warriors but your character had commender other units on the field to do anything that the most basic slash. so for example before you could attack an group of French soldiers you must first find an cavalry unit or an group of knights to join. When you did you would magically gain that units equipment until it was defeated or you left.

Abe's Take
I tried the Bladestorm demo several times and although i thought the concept and setting had potential it was always held back by how useless your "legendary hero" was with out another unit glued to their spine.
I'm hoping it returns with a better combat system and it's unit based strategy giving us the real balance between dynasty action and Kessen strategy

Harmonix looking at Rock Band

It's been a while since activision completely killed the music came genre by releasing 6-8 different Guitar (and other) Hero titles in one year.

Harmonix is wondering if enough time has passed and is seeking your thoughts on the matter, Which you can do by completing this Survey. Considering they have at least 4 projects on the way (that we know about) It seems unlikely there will be any to announce for awhile.

The survey wants to know stuff like what system you used, if you still have any instruments and a list of 5 things for you arrange in most wants to least wants; like if you want a new game on old-gen or new-gen and if you want new controllers.

Abe's Take
I loved Rock Band and when the mood is right we brake out the plastic pretend instruments to relive our (faux)glory. I would gladly buy another... but there would be conditions. Like having the option of using instruments we still have, would be amazing if we could import our song library from last-gen to new-gen. Personally I wouldn't mind either RB4 or an new-gen complete edition.

DOOM Revealed

Bad news friends! Doom 4 is no more. Gone is the sequel to the mildly warm reviewed Doom 3, Gone is the slow paced narrative lead horror. Good news friends DOOM has be revealed.

We knew Bethesda kicked Doom 4 back for failing to live up to the franchise and now we know what that means. DOOM is returning to it's roots, gone is the "CoD style horror" now it's the mother of violence!


Back is the gore, the fantastical weaponary, back on Mars fighting the (always a good idea-that-never-backfires) "unholy union" of (demon) flesh and machine.

Not that you'll be underarmed in anyway players will be treated to weapons like the Plamsa Rife, all heat sinks and fans that will (thanks to next gen only power) have a devastating effect on enemy flesh but also give you some form of seizer

The main selling point of the recent wolfenstien was its DOOM beta access so we can assume some multiplayer will be involved, possibly readying us for a quake game.

No release date is given for DOOM and as of yet can't be preordered however... Wolfenstien is current £31.85 for the Next Gen versions and still comes with the Beta. (Game itself is also and fantastic selute to classic shooters

Ubisoft Creates Epic Job title

The games industry isn't like other industries. It likes to think it's as young as it consumers and they like to reflect that in strange ways, such as the hiring of Michael "Frosti" Zernow

Michael "Frosti" Zernow has joined Ubisoft's team his function should be obvious once you hear his title. Drum roll please.... Chief Parkour Officer.

Yeah that's what it will say on his pay check. Zernow's no stranger to video games, having done motion capture for various titles in the past  "I've been a long-time fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise," he said. "It's one of the few highly visible examples of parkour that attracts younger athletes to the sport every year."

Evidently Zernow is the one responsible for the shake up of Assassin Creed Unity's parkour as can be seen in this new trailer



Abe's Take
i suspect we'll start seeing more job titles like this now. However I would like to bring up that trailer for a sec. Assuming that is Arno (ACU's player character) he sounds awfully English for a Frenchmen, this wouldn't be the first time this has happened Patrick Steward played a Frenchmen for 20+ years with his classically trained English accent on display. I suspect this will follow Next Gen's technique of all the "French good Guys" will have English accents whilst the "Bad Men" and women will have French accents

Cat Mario Hits eShop

Seems nowadays simply having games on a games console isn't enough. MS has several programs in development, Sony has got their ball rolling with the long dormant Powers TV show and now has Nintendo has thrown their hat in the ring. Well near the ring anyway. Well towards the ring.

Introducing "The Cat Mario Show"

As you can tell by the title this will be a hard hitting drama detailing the political strife in the mushroom kingdom and it neighbours, think Game of Thrones but with cat suits and denim dungarees... Oh wait it's a puppet show to help the newest generation of gamers with Nintendo games. The first episode is available now on eShop and covers Super Mario 3D World. The plan is to release new episodes for new games for both Wii u and 3DS... I suspect it's presenters will get Amiibo that will act as the Super Leaf (and other low difficulty modifiers 

Abe's Take

I suspect this will get watched over and over in our household, that number will increase tenfold if it hits YouTube.

Fatal Frame Wii U Footage Appears

Well we told you we'll be back like some ghostly visage of an long departed ancestor, which brings us nicely to this.

First check out the trailer. WARNING trailer is Japanese


Well what to say about that? It doesn't appear that Nintendo gave any restrictions to Koeo Tecmo and looks like how any classic Japanese horror movie should - Dark and kinda grainy.

It also looks really good, graphically speaking when I watching the trailer I got flashes of the recent Tomb Raider which is rather high praise.

We've got some gameplay details as well! The navigation will play out like any game from the last 10 years, however the combat will be handled exactly how a game about a camera exclusive to Wii U would. You'll be using the Gamepad as the camera and you'll will be able to rotate and look about separately to the screen (think ZombiU/Lego City scanner). Much like the "VR" systems doing the rounds and the 3DS book game combo of Fatal Frame.

We don't know of it'll launch westward as only one of the last 2 Wii Fatal Frames was released (and only in Europe at that) but the Wii U has different challenges to Wii and lack of constant games is one so it is possible.

Abe's Take
It looks like this is shaping up to be worthy addition to the series, the Wii U and the genre.

We've Been Gone

Some folk might have noticed a certain lack of... activity around here and well you'll be right.

There have been various shake ups here at the GK-UK Moon Base that has greatly altered my timetables and the site is not easy to do anything worthwhile  with using the mobile app but now a routine has been found and site should return to "normal".

You'll notice that it looks a little different around here. I've played around with the colour scheme, some folk (you know who you are!) complained about the old one "burning the Retina from their face" which isn't too helpful for reading. I'm currently experimenting with different layouts and page styles so nothing set in stone (which is why the reviews page is still in "eye bleed classic" for now), if you see anything you like/don't like make sure to tell and we'll see what we can do

Which brings us nicely to another change. We've switched the comments system over to DISQUS. The Google comments was great for established Google users and spread it around G+ nicely but wasn't that great for non-Google members, new visitors and quick commenter. It should now be possible to post using your Facebook/Google/Twitter details or as a named guest. The Disqus system  will send you an email if someone replies to your or an comment you've replied to so you can keep up with the conversation with little effort. It is the hope that we can build a community of awesome gamers.

We've got some stuff coming up which includes Destiny Beta plans, A feature called "Did they fix That?" where we try out games deemed unfinished at launch now to see if they can in-fact be played and reviews should start appearing more often and be branching out to more than games.

We hope to see people around and we'll catch you soon
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                                                                                        The Game Knights - UK team

The Game Knights UK Team.... Looks not.. like this