Bioware and ThinkGeek Solutions introduced a new line of fashion forward clothing during PAX Prime this year. The line focuses on two of their most well known game series, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Items in the line range from subtly inspired to recognizable and consist of dresses, leggings, T-shirts, hoodies, cardigans and accessories such as scarves and jewelry. The line includes pieces for both males and females. A selection of items from their ladies line are available for pre-sale on Bioware’s website.
Gaming merchandise is not a new idea and has long been a way of supporting and showing love for your favorite games. Unfortunately, wearable merchandise often lacks variety and has been limited to simple graphic T-shirts or a basic logo screen printed on hoodies until recently. Finding merchandise in a ladies cut or size can limit the selection even further.The previous absence of variety for females is one of the reasons why the new Bioware line is so exciting.
According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) 40 percent of all gamers are female. [1] This can explain the increasing need for gaming merchandise for females. Fashion merchandise has been mostly limited to companies who license properties such as Black Milk Clothing, ThinkGeek or We Love Fine. These companies have worked with game developers to create unique and usually limited fashion items. Bioware’s new line of clothing will be featured and sold through their official store.
See more of the released line at the Bioware store. More pictures from the show are posted here.
Annie is an avid gamer who takes her love for gaming to the written format with her thoughts, opinions, and discussions regarding games in their current state, but as well as the industry. With her insight to PC gaming, Annie is one step ahead of the team, and looks to keep it that way.
It’s probably no secret to you that our team enjoys going to QuakeCon down in Dallas, Texas at the Hilton Anatole. Why? We get to meet some of the coolest people that come in the forms of exhibitors, guests, PC enthusiasts, press members, and even professional gamers who decide to show what it takes to be the best of the best. Let alone does this event that started back in 1996 have a long running legacy thanks to a group of friends creating it; the event is also a four-day long BYOC (Bring-Your-Own-Computer) LAN party that consists of thousands of gamers from around the world – Literally.
Having been there to celebrate the 20th Anniversaryof QuakeCon, we got to spend time with more than 12,000 people who came through the doors and even talk to hundreds of them. Thanks to the support of id Software, Bethesda Softworks, the volunteer staff, and the exhibitors; the event gets to happen again and continue doing so. Aside from us discussing what happened at QuakeCon 2015, lets look at the dates for QuakeCon 2016. For those interested the dates will take place between Thursday, August 4th till Sunday, August 7th, 2016.
If you want to stay at the Hilton Anatole to make your travels a bit easier, prepare to make your reservations by calling 1-800-Hiltons or 1-800-445-8667 or online at :https://aws.passkey.com/g/51971676. Want to save a little bit of money? There’s a special room rate of $169.00 per night is available when you reference QuakeCon 2016, and book your room(s).
Plan on attending? Great! In addition to what we saw last year, a new host of things will occur such as event panels, presentations, and even workshops, meanwhile Bethesda will showcase their upcoming titles to fans in attendance. If you are there? Give us a shout out and we’ll gladly meet you at the panels and or workshops that will be taking place. Each day of QuakeCon will be packed with tournaments, game presentations, contests, entertainment, announcements, panel discussions, parties and more!
QuakeCon welcomes a wide array of companies showcasing their hardware and services. For information on becoming a QuakeCon exhibitor or sponsor, please visit www.quakecon.org/sponsorsandexhibitors/ or email sponsors@quakecon.org.Exhibitor and sponsor registration is scheduled to begin in early 2016.
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
Editor’s Note: This title is absolutely not meant for children and we highly recommend approaching this title with high discretion for minors.
So you’ve had your hands on the Incinerate ‘N Detonate update that came to Killing Floor 2 for a few days now I’m guessing. If not? Right now is the opportune time to get your hands on it since you can find the game for 19.99 USD (33% off the full price of the game) over on Steam. If you want to upgrade to the Deluxe Edition? Now is your best chance since it’s only 6.66 (see what happened there?), but now it’s time to discuss the newest class in Part 2; The Firebug. Thanks to the update you’ve also finally had a chance to see how the game balanced itself out by adding two classes that were desperately needed in the long run of things and now they’re finally here. So what exactly did they bring in with the Firebug? There’s no secret that we here at Blast Away the Game Review have spent quite a bit of time with the game via the press-preview and even the pre-launch preview for the Incinerate ‘N Detonate. To be honest? In the first part of our preview we got to take a look at the Demolition perk that left us jumping for joy at the sight of zed body parts flying around. Now? The Firebug class has honestly grown on me. Having decided to spend some of my down time on our family trip to Chicago, I decided to rip out the laptop, boot it up, and get down on some Zed killing with the Firebug, which lead me to finding out that flame based weapons are now my favorite ones out of them all.
Much like the Demolition class, Firebug starts off with some insanely useful weapons such as Molotov cocktails, the caulk ‘n burn, and the 9mm pistol. To be honest? I’d have loved to have seen a flare gun as one of the starting weapons for the Firebug class since this one has grown on me, but imagining seeing a zed glowing red? Priceless. Much like before the class comes in offering several huge feats; increased fire damage, increased fire resistance, and more. To be blunt? This class offers a huge advantage in the long run against some of the enemies and even offers a consistency in damage potency thanks to its weapons such as the Microwave Gun, Dragon’s Breath Spas 12, and even my favorite – Flamethrower. Thanks to its direct intention on delivering massive amounts of damage over time and up front, the Firebug is a class that is worthwhile having around when large groups of zeds end up rushing around the corner. Thanks to diversity in weapons, it’s nice being able to see enemies burn to a crisp while your team finishes off the rest or even sends their own bullets through the masses in order to support your damage. Just like before with the Demolition class, the Firebug is about pure damage and sustained group dispatching, but what else lay around that corner for you to enjoy? Take a look at the full change-log found on the Tripwire Forums here. We hope to see you helping us save London soon.
Our preview is based upon the Early Access version that was given to us by the games publisher. For information about our ethics policy please clickhere.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
You may remember that we reported at QuakeCon 2015 that we got to sit in on a panel that discussed the future of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited where members of the team discussed the upcoming DLC’s including Imperial City. Well guess what PC players? As of today you can now get your hands on it for PC and Mac. Xbox One players can get their hands on it starting September 15th while PlayStation 4 owners will get to enjoy it starting September 16th.
As many of you may be familiar with the Imperial City, it’s time to free the heart of the Cyrodilic Empire and push out the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. But guess what? Those three alliances will be fighting the Daedric forces for their own reasons, but there is another enemy just around the corner; members of a different alliance.
Want to know what the games new DLC features? Lets take a look below
New PVE and PVP Content
Featuring six distinct Imperial Districts, battle against the forces of Molag Bal as well as the other Alliances.
Additional Dungeons
The extensive Imperial Sewers network offers new PVP and PVE challenges for small groups of adventurers, while White-Gold Tower and Imperial Prison challenge PVE adventurers with both Normal and Veteran difficulties.
New Quests, Enemies, and Characters
Whether participating in massive PVP battles in the Imperial Districts or adventuring in one of the new dungeons, players will be introduced to new quests and enemies, including the Xivkyn.
Additional Weapons, Armor, and Currency
Fight the forces of Molag Bal to plunder Tel Var Stones, a new form of currency you can use for exclusive Veteran Rank 16 weapons and armor, or search for new Treasure Vaults containing other rare finds.
Imperial City-Exclusive Collectibles and Items
Exploring Imperial City or visiting the Crown Store will reward the player with a host of new collectibles including pets, mounts, costumes, and polymorphs!
The Imperial City DLC is free to PS Plus subscribers or it can be found for 2,500 crowns on the Crown Store. Find out more at: http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over onTwitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
If you’re like David Murphy and I here at B.A.T.G.R. you’ve surely been demolitioningsome zed’s in Killing Floor 2. This also means that you’ve been playing the early preview of the game that came out the other day. As of today you can get your hands on the newest update for the game (free-of-charge for Early Access goodies), which includes the new Firebugger perk as well as the new Demolitionist perk. Did we also mention it comes with two new base maps called Catacombs and Evacuation Point? What about the fact those of you who want to get your hands on Killing Floor 2 taste can do it free this weekend starting September 3rd to September 6th? We didn’t? Well now we have!
Now we know some of you are wondering how the game will go even more cutting-edge than before with its gore technology, well for those of you who own past the NVIDIA GeForce 770 or beyond (we don’t so guess what? We’re missing out), you can now experience the new PhysX FleX technology which allows for more ground-breaking gore effects in-order to make games all the more realistic than before.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and kill some Zeds in order to make the world a little safer place.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
Pros:
+Character designs fit the JRPG Quite well
+Character development is unique, fun, and at times comical
+The class system makes the games customizability quite enjoyable as new party members are obtained
Cons:
-Dungeons tend to be long, drawn out, and lucrative
-Combat can be tedious and difficult for people whom are not used to the JRPG genre
Where do you go when you want some good JRPGs? The Sony PlayStation Vita thanks to companies like Atlus whom bring across some of the most entertaining games. Today that has not changed, tomorrow that will not change and in the upcoming years from now I’m certain that will not change. As the newest entry from Aquaplus and Atlus; Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal is the first among many of the games I’ve played to date that has entered the Adults Only gaming scene. The odd part about that? I’ve noticed retailers such as GameStop, Best Buy, and even Hastings (for you mid-westerners) have been extremely cautious with their supply of the title. Why? Like that unforgettable game Manhunt 2, the game had to edit out certain features to ensure the game could instead get a Mature rating. The question here? How badly did it affect the game at all? Truthfully not, which leads us to our review!
When starting up the game there are a few things that you’ll very quickly notice: Sexually suggestive art and the fact the game is a dungeon crawler of its own among the likes of titles such as Etrian Odyssey and even the most recently reviewed Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy. Unlike these two titles, however, Dungeon Travelers 2 is very simple in story, which can leave you scratching your head since it focuses on the main protagonist Fried, whom is new to the Royal Library, and his comrades as they take out monsters so they can be sealed and studied on an academic level. Much like the previous two titles? The story is simple as well as your role; the downside? Exploring the dungeons is where the story opens up and becomes dull, but the part that captures replayability and your attention? The want to clear out dungeons, play each class, and even find out just how powerful each of the characters can become with higher levels, better gear, abilities, and even spells.
Much like other 3D dungeon crawlers such as the previous two mentioned, then you’ll understand how the game plays and the mechanics behind it. This includes dungeons that are are displayed through on-screen 3D visuals, but unfortunately will not get much of a overlook due to the fact players will spend a majority of the time staring down corridors that look pretty well copy and pasted and offer little variation in detail depending on the zone. Because of this? The map does become important due to the inability to differentiate since each of the corridors look almost the same no matter the zone you are in. While this can seem alarming it does not take away from the challenge the game has to offer since the game itself can be quite difficulty to complete due to the rising difficulty with each dungeon explored.
So what exactly offers the difficulty to each of the dungeons? Well the enemies of course, and this is where Dungeon Travelers 2 seems to turn on a spotlight and illuminate itself the best. With a very straight forward combat system, players will understand the menus if they’ve played turn-based RPGs before. Since the menus seem pretty much the same as any other, players will find themselves pulling the strings for the party as Fried. In this role as the “leader”, Fried will tell each character if they should attack normally, use an ability (presented with a small bar and numbers in order to judge just how many skill points these attacks would use. Even as a fan of the JRPG genre, Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Order & The Monster Seal finds itself not so unique when it comes to innovation, but what it does offer? A fun time when trying to go through each dungeon, fighting extremely difficulty enemies, and even testing out each of the games classes since there are five readily available for you to use.
Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal – PlayStation Vita | Vita TV [Reviewed] Developer: Aquaplus Publisher: ATLUS U.S.A. Price: 39.99 USD Released: Now Available
As someone who has played more JRPGs than I’d have dreamed of, I decided it was time to whip out several of the classes and learn them to their best, which leaves me with having played with a Paladin (upgraded fighter character), Priestess, and even an archer in order for me to find the best suited team for my play style, which ended up having the Paladin in the front row while the other two took to combat from a distance. Something that was rather useful in my 115 hours of gameplay (yea, you read that right, 115 hours played). Unfortunately? It would’ve been nice to have seen some twist to the classes compared to a straight line in what they would become at higher levels, but it offered an enjoyable experience none-the-less.
When looking away from a few technical flaws such as a very dumbed down campaign, the game does have a controversial approach to it due to the artwork. This is due to the rather provocative artwork the game is known for. When it comes to the mutant females that players will encounter, players will find themselves fighting against cutely drawn girls, which are almost always tied up in a sexual position. As a person who has played games loaded with fan service, this game does find itself deducing itself to a face-palm worthy title when it comes to this since bosses are the ones that take on the biggest hit. Here players will find themselves looking at a character that seems to appear as a youthful teen that has been changed in a way to look like a mutant monster, and well – for some? This will be troubling and will turn them away if they aren’t one that is keen on some undeniably cringe-worthy fan service moments.
While these small differences the game can be looked at from different perspectives. One of them being the fact the game has next to no puzzles, unless you count having to backtrack to older dungeons to open up other zones. However, for those that want a game that is challenging, difficult, and at times quite humerous? Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal is quite the must-have for the PlayStation if players can get back from the sexualization of the enemy female characters. With that aside? This game is an enjoyable challenge that will mark itself as a must-have on those PlayStation Vita collectible shelves.
Our review is based upon the release of the version that was given to us by the games publisher. For information about our ethics policy please clickhere.
Final Score: 7 out of 10
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over onTwitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
Editor’s Note: This title is absolutely not meant for children and we highly recommend approaching this title with high discretion for minors.
If you’re a fan of zombie games like myself and love to play co-op with as little story as possible? Killing Floor and Killing Floor 2 by Tripwire Interactive are the go-to games to have in your Steam library. Having been in Early Access for several months now, Killing Floor 2 has taken the co-op experience to a whole new level with its new blood generated engine, slow-mo moments, and even its realistic-ly unique weapon library it has. Thanks to the game being in an Early Beta stage we’ve gotten to see a few finetunes it has received, but we have also managed to get our hands on an early preview of the games upcoming Incinerate ‘n Detonate update, which takes the gore factor to a whole new level. Even with the base game being enjoyable as it is, there is something said about Killing Floor 2’s game that keeps it addicting, but eventually it grows dull, boring, and repetitive no matter who you play with. Luckily the developers have been listening to fan feedback in the forums and Steam’s community hub.
Welcome in the Demolitionist and Firebug perks. As someone who has been playing a lot of Killing Floor 2 on Windows 10 as of late, the game is fun, it is gory, and it has a unique spin to it. With both the Demolitionist and Firebug perks coming up, the update build that was made available let us quickly dispatch the Scrakes, Fleshpounds, and even that ugly big baddy Hans Volter. What makes this update so good? Let us take a look at what you can expect.
Not a lot has changed when coming in with an update such as this one. Just as the name suggests of the update, the Demolitionist and the Firebug perks have made a return to the game. While the past few months have been difficult taking down the minor bosses like the Scrakes, Fleshpounds that will shred you apart when they get a chance. The downside? The only way I’ve only seen groups successfully take down Hans with the AA-12 shotgun and tons of them laying around, but the chances of survival for any group I’ve been with outside of this strategy has been slim. Okay, okay, okay – I admit that I have defeated Hans Volter before with only the Bullpup and the AK-47 so put the torches down already. Luckily this is where the patch makes a huge difference for the overall combat. The first perk I messed with? Made this easier and filled a huge gap in the team building mechanics this game has. This is where the Demolitionist and the Firebug perks played a huge role.
Entering the fray as the Demolitionist I got to see some very needed changes, which include the starting weapons as well as the first set of weapons you can get at a low cost, so lets take a look at those before going much further. You’ll start out with a stick of dynamite, a utility knife, and the first starting weapon… the HX 25 grenade pistol, because who doesn’t want to blow shit up and feel like a badass? Want to blow enemies up like a -80 firework in a dog bowl full of water? Here’s your chance. The gun turns absolutely almost any enemy into bloody chunks that will go flying around in the air or simply just leave a splatter of blood and gore on the floor, ceiling, and even the walls. Much like any perk in the game, the Demolitionist can’t stand still. The perk will require you to move, be precise, and time your shots due to all the weapons requiring precise shots for the explosives to do their jobs. If that fails? Just shoot the damned floor and watch the body parts fly; it works and well. With the H2X I did find a small shortcoming to it, but if you are quick and can get out of the way, reload then shoot? You are good, but do note this class is not friendly for being surrounded till you get higher tier weapons such as the Grenade Launcher or at least a backup shotgun so you can dispatch a few enemies before being overwhelmed if you are playing solo.
While the class has made a return it’s a welcoming sight thanks to the H2X, Grenade Launcher, and even dynamite sticks. If this is up your alley, this is one just for you, and we can’t wait to show you more regarding the Firebug class in our upcoming part 2 of the preview for the upcoming patch.
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
If you’re one to watch eSports and have been following StarCraft II’s esports, you know there are some of the best of the best competing out there. This week that doesn’t change as players prepare to battle it out in the final Playoffs that start this weekend on Friday, August 28th through Sunday, August 30th. These top teams have battled it out and will get to take on some of the best players in the world on opposite teams.
As you may know, Red Bull Battle Grounds is a premier competitive video game tournament series. Here they have featured some of the most heart-stopping, mind bending, and awe-striking gameplay ever when it comes to games; this does not intend to change as these top teams will face off in StarCraft II’s Archon mode,which will launch with the upcoming expansion “Legacy of the Void” the second expansion for StarCraft II. This game mode will have two players taking control over one army, while controlling it cooperatively against another two-player team’s army, these two teams will be set to communicate, coordinate, and share all forms of resources as well as military power in order to eliminate their opposing team.
The event will take host to eight teams that have won a series of action-packed, heart-pounding and gut-wrenching qualifiers in order to get where they are now since this past summer. This series features an original tournament set-up that will allow the teams to challenge other teams directly. Each of these teams will start off with three lives and the final two teams standing will be named the victors and will move onto the Grand Finals that will take place on September 19th in Washington D.C. Here they will face off on the reigning Red bull Battlegrounds champion Bomber with a teammate to be announced later on, but also the winners of the Toronto qualifier, viOLet and MaSa. Veterans such as TaeJa and Mc will be taking the stage on the playoffs in order to show off the Archon mode, which will redefine the StarCraft II competitive gameplay.
WHERE: Red Bull eSports Studio in Santa Monica, California
WHO: The Casters
Nathan “Nathanias” Fabrikant Paulo “CatZ” Vizcarra
Andre “Gretorp” Hengchua Danny “ViBE” Scherlong
The Players
Chris “HuK” Loranger + Jang “MC” Min Chul
Brandon “puCK” Qual + Bailey “Bails” Thomas
Park “DongRaeGu (DRG)” Soo Ho + Yoo “True” Ki Sung
Yang “Alicia” Joon Sik + Choi “CranK” Jae Won
Aleksandar “Beastyqt” Krstiæ + Kevin “qxc” Riley
Seo “Journey” Tae Hee + Kim “Reality” Ki Hyun
Kim “Heart” Min Hyuk + Kim “Ryung” Dong Won
Yun “TaeJa” Young Seo + Choi “TheStC” Yun Sik
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
If we weren’t already happy with the release of One Piece: Unlimited World Red and spending a lot of time with it, we’re now being given another taste of the crazy and wild crew of the Straw Hat Gang. As of now? You can get your hands on the game in North America while our friends down in Brazil only need to wait one more day to get their hands on the game for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. How much will it cost you to join the Straw Hat Gang? 59.99 USD on PS4, 39.99 USD on PS3 and Vita while Steam users can snag it up for 49.99 USD.
For those unfamiliar with the title, One Piece: Pirate Warriors was developed by the Japanese based team Koei Tecmo Games and combines the familiarity we have come to know and love with the Dynasty Warriors franchise while also adding in the One Piece twist that fans of the anime have come to know and love.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
If you’re all for Street Fighter V then we have some great news for you. As of today our friends over at Capcom have announced that R. Mika will be making her way onto Street Fighter V’s roster. For close quarters fighting fans, this is great news as she follows her appearance as a close quarters wrestler.
As part of her gig as a wrestler, R. Mika can bring on her tag team partner Nadeshiko using her V-Trigger ability, which is influenced by what direction fans push when activating the V-Trigger. Nadeshiko can perform a drop kick from above, behind, or to the front. Mika can also charge up her normal and special throws during combat. She also delivers monologue, and she can be hit, but she can also be stopped from delivering her monologues at any time.
Street Fighter V comes out for PS4 and PC in March in 2016 so stay tuned for more updates regarding the game.
About the Writer:
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.
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