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Smoke & Mirrors: The Issues of Pre-Rendered Trailers

Smoke & Mirrors: The Issues of Pre-Rendered Trailers

Thoughts on the ever constant element of pre-rendered game trailers.

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Shogun Gamer 2.0 - An Introduction

Shogun Gamer 2.0 - An Introduction

Reveal of the major changes coming soon to ShogunGamer.com!

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Xbox One vs. The Internet [E3 2013]

Xbox One vs. The Internet [E3 2013]

A quick re-cap on Microsoft's Xbox One conference, and the internet's perception.

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Remember Me [Review]

Remember Me [Review]

Remember Me is an exciting, if somewhat shallow, sci-fi game.

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The Breakdown - Need For Speed: Rivals

The Breakdown - Need For Speed: Rivals

We take a look at the debut trailer for Need For Speed: Rivals.

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Behind The Art: An Interview With Jason Wilson

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 03/25/2013 - 11:45
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When most of us play a game we all have an understanding of the hard work and time that was put into making polygonal models seem real or captivating.  Even understanding the basics of game design one thing does sometimes go unnoticed: the actual people responsible for making a concept into a reality.

GDC 2013: A Prologue

Submitted by Casey White on Mon, 03/25/2013 - 11:08
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So, GDC 2013 is officially underway (though the show floor won’t be open until this Wednesday). Arriving early (yesterday) I’ve gotten opportunity to get a lay of the land, walk the convention center, and get started on my pre-party drinking  -- we’ll be attending several events throughout the week that offer drinks and socializing. Today (and tomorrow) are primarily about the panels.

Indie Love - Team Pixel Pi

Submitted by Isaac Calon on Mon, 03/25/2013 - 08:48
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An academic trial-by-fire brought five young developers together to create one of the most celebrated student games of 2012, Pulse. Drawing strong inspiration from games like Journey, and with burgeoning professional careers in game development, Team Pixel Pi has reformed as a part-time entity (that is, if you can really call the award- and buzz-filled interim from their graduation to the present a split for the team).

Dead or Alive 5 Plus [PlayStation Vita Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 03/25/2013 - 07:05
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Suffering from some of the same issues that have plagued other fighting games that made the leap to the Vita,  DOA5 Plus is an enjoyable if slightly flawed game that is nonetheless still worth checking out.  Maintaining the same brisk and intense combat the series is known for, the only downsides to the arrival of DOA on the Vita comes in the form of visuals that are a bit uneven and the lack of any compelling or noteworthy bonus content.  Even with the game being a direct port of an almost year old game, DOA5 Plus is still a solid effort that will likely be enjoyed by longtime fans and those new to the franchise.

The Pros: 

+ Combat has made the perfect transition to the Vita.
+ Online play is smooth when it comes to match performance.
+ Having all the stages and characters unlocked from the start is nice.
+ Characters, at least some of them, look quite good in the game.

The Cons: 

- Graphics are uneven when it comes to character models and quality of the levels.
- Touch Fight mode was a complete waste of time and effort to put in the game.
- Online matchmaking can be a tad slow at times.
- The lack of major bonus content is disappointing.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

Once believed to be in a position similar to the early days of the PlayStation 3, the feeling that the PlayStation Vita doesn’t have any games is slowly beginning to fade away.  To most of us it’s apparent that the Vita does have some interesting games to play, but on the surface it may appear to some gamers that the console is a bit light when it comes to compelling or simply diverse software.  Things have indeed started off slow for the Vita, as is always the case with any hardware in the early days, but the momentum is beginning to pick up with the release of Dead or Alive 5 Pl

Developer Behind The Unfinished Swan Tease Next Project

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 17:39
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The developer behind one of the more unique games to come out last year is slowly getting the hype gears moving for their next title.  After wowing PS3 users with an abstract but addicting game in the form of The Unfinished Swan, the team at Giant Sparrow has revealed that they’re in the early stages of their follow-up title.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Set To Arrive On Wii U In Director's Cut Version [Updated]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 03/20/2013 - 11:49
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The somewhat hand-me down perception the Wii U has amongst certain gamers will likely continue with this latest tidbit of news. After being rumored due to vague retail listings, Square Enix has formally announced Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut for the Wii U.

Endless Skater Announced For XBLA/Win8

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 14:32
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Skateboarding fans finally have another video game to do mass combo laced grinds in a project that doesn’t star the legendary Tony Hawk.  Sadly the Skate series is still out of commission as per the ever shifting plans of EA, but now Supervillain Studios has stepped up to the plate to release Endless Skater for Xbox Live Arcade via the Windows 8 platform.

Acquire Reveals The Persona Clone That Is Mind 0 [Update]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 13:02
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2013 may be a better year for the PlayStation Vita since yet another game for the platform has been revealed.  After teasing us last week with a site that led people to believe The Last Guy was set to return (which was a dumb thing to think), Acquire has revealed the new action-dungeon crawler Mind 0.

BattleBlock Theater Date Announced [Trailer]

Submitted by Casey White on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 09:57
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The guys over at The Behemoth have, rather quickly, rooted themselves a secure place deep in the cockles of my heart.

Supergiant Games Reveal Transistor, New Sci-Fi Action-RPG

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 08:47
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Those who are attending PAX East this week will have one very cool treat since they can play the latest game from the makers of Bastion.  Since wowing us with their talents in the incredibly beautiful and ever compelling Bastion, the team at Supergiant Games have announced their latest game: Transistor.

Ovosonico Teams Up With Sony To Produce New IP

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 08:16
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Sony is once again teaming up with a talented indie studio to develop an original title for the PlayStation.  Today the indie based firm of Ovosonico announced that they’ve signed a contract with Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Europe to release an original IP for yet to be revealed PlayStation platforms.

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 19:43
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Overall Feeling: 

Heart of the Swarm does what every good expansion/sequel to a Blizzard title (or game in general) should. It expands on the original concepts, without killing the reason we fell in love with it in the first place, and brings something new to the table. At first glance, the changes to the competitive gaming (easily the biggest part of the game for most gamers) seem subtle, but after playing with the new units for a bit, it’s easy to see just how drastically the game has been changed for all levels of gamers.

The Pros: 

+Improvements to the play and feel of the campaign mode.

+New units drastically reshape the gameplay in competitive, with subtle tweaks to the play-style.

+Top-tier production value that we’ve come to expect from Blizzard.

+Some of the most visually impressive gameplay and cinematics in the RTS genre. 

The Cons: 

-F*ck the Zerg.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Does anyone else feel the connection between Blizzard Entertainment and Wolverine? Seriously, it’s been bothering me all week… Every time Blizzard comes out with a new trailer, a new game, an expansion, or whatever I hear, in my head, “We are Blizzard, and we’re the best at what we do and what we do is…” roll the title and display whatever it is they are showing off that particular day of the week.

Canadian Video Game Awards 2013 Nominees

Submitted by Casey White on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 18:49
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Fans of Shogun Gamer are probably already aware that we are a (primarily) Canadian site. That means we’re big fans of touting the talent of the hard-working Canadians in the video game industry, and that we tend to follow the Canadian Video Game Awards with eager anticipation. Last year we had the privilege of attending the show, which was a blast and finally shone the spotlight on some well-deserved Canadian talent.

Disney Epic Mickey: The Power Of Two Arriving On PS Vita. Why Is This Happening?

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 08:11
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Likely ending up to be the most befuddling announcement made this year, barring of course we get another $599 moment from Sony, Disney has revealed that Epic Mickey is once again returning. 

God of War: Ascension [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 07:51
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Once again technically impressive, the ever amazing visuals can’t save God of War: Ascension from being a rather tepid and disappointing game.  Lacking a true sense of soul and direction, Ascension seems to be all over the place with pacing that never finds its footing, combat that is riddled with small issues that prevent it from feeling refined or evolved, and a story that literally does nothing to advance or deepen the existing God of War mythos.  Aside from a surprisingly deep and fun multiplayer mode, this latest entry in the God of War series sadly shows major franchise fatigue that will likely have the biggest fans of Kratos disappointed with what has been delivered to them.

The Pros: 

+ Beautifully rendered worlds with varied art design.
+ Set-piece moments are impressive for their sheer size and scope.
+ Voice acting is solid as always, even in the case of Kratos being scaled back.
+ Multiplayer mode is implemented well and is rather addicting.

The Cons: 

- Pacing feels uneven and in some cases comes across as padded to lengthen the experience.
- Story is disappointing as it fails to expand the lore and further build up Kratos as a character.
- Combat feels uneven due to weak sub-systems and frustrating enemy habits.
- A lot of the puzzles and even the boss battles feel like they’re on autopilot since there’s no spirit to them.
- Sound design is horrendous and the soundtrack is lackluster compared to the works of Gerard K. Marino.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

The ever fierce warrior that is Kratos has returned for battle once again, yet this time the adventure he embarks on isn’t as memorable as his past efforts. As gamers I think we always have a lingering fear in the back of our minds that one of our favorite franchises may grow tiring, even if it maintains a level of quality that puts other titles to shame.  Rarely do we see top-tier games fall into a rut of things seeming complacent, but with God of War: Ascension such a thing is apparent in a game that despite the stunning visuals feels a bit stale and simply tired.

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