The trailer of developer Ready at Dawn’s The Order: 1886 was fun to watch. We were shown a rewritten history, one with guns that didn’t exist in such a time, one which had a werewolf eating the flesh off of a killed human.

 The Order: 1886, is a Playstation 4 exclusive, that, I believe, will put Playstation over the top. It is being touted as the exclusive title that will win people over. The transition between CG story and gameplay was smooth, and barely noticeable. The game looks gorgeous, and ran smoothly.

 I have to admit, I am curious as to how it will play, and can’t wait till gameplay is available. We, as gamers, have to wait till 2015 for a release, however, this is definitely a game we should want to put on our wish list. Keep in touch as we get more news for you.

Written by Casey “Tigger” Todd

 Konami and Kojima-san have outdone themselves again. Today, or late last night if you saw it leaked, the official E3 trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was shown, and boy oh boy it did not disappoint. The trailer was one with no voice, with “Nuclear”, performed by Mike Oldfield(great song choice) playing in the background, and appeared to show mostly story driven scenes, with a dash of game play in it. It was just enough to wet our lips and excite all Metal Gear Solid fans till the next trailer comes out.

 This new trailer, does give us a hint towards how dark, and angry, this story will be. We see Big Boss’ face covered in blood, he seems more scarred and tattered after the incident in Ground Zero. Now we all have our theories on what will happen, and how this will link the story lines of Big Boss and Solid Snake, but I can tell you, I can’t wait to see what amazement Kojima-san has for us.

 We will sadly have to standby and wait, as there is no release date yet, however Konami has done a great job of wetting our lips and keeping fans of the series happy. Stay tuned as we hunt down all the information we can on this epic game, in an epic series!

 Wow. Just… wow. Today has been a massive day for both platforms with the games that have been announced, and shown. Batman, Halo, Assassin’s, etc. The list goes on, and on. However, I don’t think any game made anyone’s eyes bug out quite as bad as the announcement of GTAV next gen. However, the reports, and monologue provided by Sony is sketchy at best right now. Leads one to believe that this game. No, this behemoth, could be a exclusive for PS4.

Here is why. 

Reason One: Why didn’t Microsoft announce this if they are having such a tight relationship with Xbox? I.E. DLC first on xbox, exclusive content, etc.

Reason Two: Gameplay captured using PS4. If this was a multi-plat re-release, why didn’t they just say that? Why just single out the PS4 like they did?

Reason Three: This one, straight from the horses mouth. Your online saves, character, progress. Everything from your PS3, and Xbox 360 will carry over to PS4.

Granted, all of this that I am writing, besides the announcement it self is pure speculation, but is justified due to the evidence presented during it’s reveal. If this is true, even if it’s only a timed exclusive, this could be a major blow to the Xbox-One.

What’s your thoughts? Would you buy a PS4 just for GTA, or could you care less? Let us know in the comments below.

Originally Posted on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page

Written by Dustin Murphy

 Assassin’s Creed® Unity was truly revealed today as we mentioned earlier with a first look gameplay trailer. What took us away of course was the fact that it is a four person, cooperative title that will kick off a next gen and PC exclusivity this fall. We have learned that Assassin’s Creed Unity will be launching world wide on October 28th, this year.

 What does this mean? Folks that are still hanging on to the last generation will not get to experience the new title, which is unfortunate, but will promote a core development cycle for both XBox One and PlayStation 4.

 The amazing Assassin’s Creed team over at Ubisoft has announced that the studio in Montreal will be obtaining support from nine other teams from around the world. The setting we know, of course, is within Paris during the French Revolution, which took place in 1789. We have learned that the streets of Paris will give us a glimpse at starving inhabitants, irritated patrons, and of course an entire country ready to take up arms. Among the calm before the storm, we will be seeing a young man by the name of Arno. Arno of course is wounded by the loss of those around him and has set out on his trek for redemption against what has occurred. Doing so will set him into the middle of this struggle and, of course, transform him into a Master Assassin like those before him.

At the core of what we have seen at E3, it is beyond evident that the franchise will be re-invented with this title, including the core form of the game, which is the mechanics. Stealth, navigation, and combat have seen a turn around in how the game will work to better benefit the players. We have learned that you, the player, will be fighting and moving your way through a full-scale open-world of Paris France, and this is all due to the new age consoles that have begun to take their place as the current generation. Players will have a full world before them where they will be able to experience richer and more lush combat experience, an entirely new, more believable stealth mode, and also a new cover system, which reigns in the use of new crowd manipulation abilities that allow for easier assassinations and more complex situations.

With what we know, we’ve also become witness to a very lively single player, but this game is also about something else; a story driven co-op experience. This will allow for four players to team up and experience a story unlike any other before. They will each get to take the mission on in a way that will promote their use of tools such as cooperation, agility, brute force, and stealth. all this to be used in order to support each in various play-styles. Doing this will require a unique skill for cooperation, and of course effectiveness as a group. Without this, the benefit of a team is gone, and is causing many issues.

With this information, players will be able to pre-order the Assassin’s Creed Unity Collector’s Edition, which will include a 16” figurine of Arno as an assassin. The statue will have him poised upon an iconic gargoyle, and of course comes with a music box, which plays a remixed version of the games theme, the official soundtrack, and of course an art book and of course two in-game missions. For those who pre-order the title, they will receive two bonus offers made available to them by Ubisoft. The first will be an exclusive mission called “The Chemical Revolution”. It will offer up to thirty minutes of additional gameplay and will allow players to help Lavoisier the “Father of Modern Chemistry” to escape from his kidnappers and help him by retrieving his poison bomb formula.

The following piece is the second offer. Players can access the Guillotine Spin to Win new spins and content every Friday through launch, which allows consumers to win new and incredibly amazing prizes unlike before. Players will also have a chance with five more spins and more chances to win. What doe this mean? Players can go to the following URL today for a chance to win the prizes below: AssassinsCreed.com/play

Potential prizes include:
• Exotic trips – Paris, Ubisoft Montreal, Comic-Con
• Games and digital content
• Exclusive apparel and gear
• Home Entertainment Systems
• And more

Also with the release date announcement of Assassin’s Creed Unity, we have also learned the Phantom Blade, a life-size replica has become available for purchase. This item will have a limited-run for ordering by the famed award-winning McFarlane Toys. This item will contain the following pieces and are “functional”: hidden blade, retractable crossbow arms, and a soft firing dart. How much will this run you? 59.99 USD while supplies last in select countries starting October 28th, 2014.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit: assassinscreed.com and facebook.com/assassinscreed.

For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, visit the UbiBlog:http://www.ubiblog.com/

 A few years ago at the same event, we were introduced to the future of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, and that was with the title – Patriots. With time the game had fallen silent, missing, and unfortunately never released. As of today, it’s official, it has been canceled, but like a Phoenix from the ashes, we’ve learned that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege was in the works.

 As of today we have learned the latest entry will debut sometime in 2015 on all next gen consoles and PC. Why’s that? Well mostly due to the fact the hardware currently available is much, much, more powerful than the previous generations. With what we saw, we have no doubt the true power of the PlayStation 4, XBox One, and high end PC’s will be fully revealed.

 Fortunately, we have learned that the famed team over at Ubisoft Montreal will be developing the title. This is the first time in any Rainbow Six title that we have learned that players will be fighting in very lethal close-quarters combat. What does this mean? Prepare to feel claustrophobic, prepare to feel as if you can’t breath, and of course, feel free to be aware of your surroundings. Why do I mention this? We have learned that Ubisoft Montreal has decided to add in destructible environments. Walls will break, doors will explode, and we have no doubt that floors could possibly fall in around you. In this game, we also have come to realize, it is fully inspired by real world counter-terrorist organizations, and lets us fully experience in a game, what their lives are like.

 We have also learned that the game will allow us to have deployable item such as shields, mines, barbed wire, reinforced doors and walls, and much much more. Feel like using the terrain against the enemy? Feel free to deploy sheet charges, rappelling tactics and of course your weapons to take advantage of your surroundings. Think you have what it takes to be truly tactical? We have learned that thanks to the Realblast engine created by Ubisoft Montreal, the destruction will be realistic, unscripted, and of course fully dynamic. This means bullets will differentiate in size of destruction, but also means explosives can also change the game majorly. Walls will be shattered, windows will be busted, and doors will get shot in. Lets not forget that floors and ceilings are also fair game from what we have seen. Think you are safe? Xavier Marquis, creative director at Ubisoft has given us a reason not to. Players will be in the mainstream with us.

 “As fans of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six and tactical shooters in general, we set out to create the game we always wanted to play within the counter-terrorism universe. We asked ourselves ‘how could we capture the incredible tension and unique tactics of these confrontations?’ We found the answer in the Siege gameplay and procedural destruction.” said Xavier Marquis, creative director at Ubisoft. “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is the game that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six fans have been waiting for, and first-person shooter players will be drawn to its unique gameplay.“

From more information on Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit: www.rainbowsix.com

For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, visit the UbiBlog: http://www.ubiblog.com/

Originally Posted on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page

Written by Dustin Murphy

 When Assassin’s Creed first premiered seven years ago, on the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3, we were introduced into a world that was being torn apart by the political agendas set forth by the Templars. Inside of it we also got to see a take on history like never before. This has been a trend that has never broken, but one game seeks to break such a trend. In Assassin’s Creed Unity, we have now learned that the game will be cooperative, and will feature a story that takes place during the French Revolution (queue up Les Misérables anyone?). 

 In the unique E3 gameplay we saw, we’ve also learned that the new traversing system has changed, and so has the depth of graphics. Not only a beautiful portrayal of realistic animations, but also of terrains. We have also gotten to see the new crowd blending mechanic. Want to know if you and your friends are blending in? Just make sure you have a smokey blue feature around you and make haste to your targets! In the trailer we got to see up to four players splitting up and taking out guards, which can easily lead up to a quick objective completion. This not only heavily influences the focus on community, but also communication, which will surely play a major role in the game. Assassin’s Creed Unity has also been set to release this fall. Stay tuned as we, hope to, learn more as the launch comes closer.

 To many of us, the series has been a long winded series, and one that deserved the reboot it got; with very realistic human like responses, from Laura, as well as those around her. In the new trailer, revealed at E3, we see Laura sitting in a psychiatrists office. He’s questioning if she is still having problems, digging into the roots of them, and of course giving us glimpses into what Laura has become as she treks through post events from the last game. In the Rise of the Tomb Raider we get to see a very beautiful engine that reflects upon what we saw with the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition.

 The most interesting part of the trailer is that we saw her traversing mountains, corridors, and even into a giant cave, which in turn revealed to us an amazingly large tomb before her. We can only hope that not only does true sized tombs return, but also the open world we came to know, and love.

Update: Currently PlayStation Network is undergoing maintenance in order to get the beta available. If you run into the error trying to retrieve it, please try again later.

 For those of you watching E3, EA unleashed something surprising, a full blown preview of Battlefield Hardline. What else do you want to know? For PC and PlayStation 4 users, the beta is live. For PS4 users, all you have to do is one thing, put in your PS4 disc or go to your digital copy, go to the Hardline advertisement, click it, and download the beta. As of this moment we do not know if it requires the disc for you to play, but we do know it’s live, and we are currently downloading it. Stay tuned for our hands-on-impressions as we look forwards to bringing you the best and most honest take on the beta that we can.

 With the newest entry to the Halo franchise right on the horizon, we were’t surprised when we learned that Halo 5: Guardians is getting a bit of a highlight, and that highlight is Halo: Master Chief Collection, which will be coming to your XBox One this November 11th at the affordable cost of $59.99. These games will all come on a single disc and will include Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4. What else does it include instead of just the throwbacks? Well the most interesting part, but not unexpected, was the fact that Microsoft has decided to include a beta to Halo 5: Guardians, which will allow for a mutliplayer beta. This to us is normal since it follows the past Microsoft trend they have with the Halo series.

 What peaks our interest the most is the fact that all of the Halo titles will run at a steady 60 frames per second at 1080p. This is something we are quite interested to see how it plays, but also how it looks, given the fact we’ve not seen much in the means of 1080p and 60fps on the XBox One so far. What’s the most unique thing about this connection? It contains all formerly released DLC for each title, but also includes all the original achievements that players could want and new ones for Halo 2 Anniversary. 1,000 per game, counting up to a grand total of 4,000 achievement points. For those to looking to expand their Halo achievements, this is definitely worth something grasping. The part that interests us? The games themselves will work with Halo Waypoint will be supported by this release as it heads this way. What Halo will you go for first? If anyone had to choose, we’d suspect Halo 2 from most fans, and guess what? Fans can do so. They can truly hop around each game at their own regard. Does this mean you can grab your hands at the multiplayer of each game? From what we understand, yes you can, and that is something you’ll be able to enjoy. What else does that mean? All the problematic unbalanced mechanics are still fully intact, and that includes my favorite thing ever from Halo, BRX. So mash away and feel free to pistol whip your friends. How will this work? We aren’t sure if the multiplayer will be in each game or a separate multiplayer hub that players can choose, but we are interested to see how the multiplayer will be fully integrated into the system.

 You can access multiplayer maps across the titles by their gameplay type (like Team Slayer, for instance), and 343 will create playlists within individual games as well as all of those in the Collection. For example, these playlists round up all the final four levels of each title. Custom games are included, but 343 says it’s not sure if The Forge map editor will be offered. The company did say, however, that dedicated servers would be used for the title’s multiplayer.

 With the new announcement, there is no surprise or shortages of what we can want, Halo 2 Anniversary is there. In all of the full blown re-done glory. What does this mean? Beautiful HD rendered graphics that will hopefully give you, the players, a true Halo 4-esque graphics. Interested in playing an old version like Halo Anniversary: Combat Evolved? Well you can. Fortunately, they have announced that players can actually choose to switch between the old rendering and the new with the single press of a button. What does this mean? Hello Halo 2 classic! This will however tie into the upcoming Halo 5 series, but how?

 This can be seen as a prologue, which will feed players the ability to play the previous games, and work their way forth to the Halo 5 title, and of course understand what happened. For those who are interested in buying it, you will not be short on surprises, 343 and Microsoft have also announced a digital series called Halo: Nightfall, which as before, will appear as a weekly release, which of course gives it a bit of a time to build up anticipation. We can only hope that Nightfall will build up to Halo 4 like it should, and will give us a look inside of why we saw Master Chief in the desert.