Assassin’s Creed: revelations (details)

It seems the latest assassins creed game has not only been named but details are already starting to leak about the different features and locations that will feature in the game. Given that the last game (assassins creed: brotherhood) was not released too long ago you cannot help but hold a little scepticism as to ubisoft blatantly milking the series. I personally don’t think they are milking it, assassins creed is a journey through the ages and every journey tells a tale, whether or not the next game after this will feature desmond as the main character only time will tell.

The final chapter in the Ezio trilogy has been detailed. The latest issue of Game Informer has first information on Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, which sees Ezio searching for the lost ‘seals’ of his assassin ancestor, Altair.

Finding these seals allows Ezio to peek into the life of Altair, just as Desmond peeks into the life of Ezio through the Animus. During these sequences, you’ll control Altair.

The majority of the game takes place in Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman empire, split into four ‘huge’ districts — Constantin, Beyazid, Imperial, and Galata. You’ll also swing by Cappadocia, Turkey.

As one would would imagine, Ezio’s aged in Revelations. No longer the young lad from the first two Ezio titles, he is now over 50 years-old. Though, with age comes wisdom… or new accessories. He has a new item called the hookblade, allowing him to zipline from point A to point B throughout the city, speeding up navigation by ‘about thirty percent.’ It can also be used as a weapon to pull in and attack enemies. To make for the new accessory, the control scheme’s been modified — Circle/B controls the hookblade and Triangle/Y controls projectiles and bombs.

A crafting system also makes its way to the franchise. Ezio can use the system to make bombs — bombs of over 300 types, according to Ubisoft.

Eagle Vision’s been given a makeover. Now called Eagle Sense, it “let’s your focus on a character and see where he’s been,” according to creative director Alexandre Amancio. “You’ll get an approximation of where he will go. If you’re able to detect the path a guard will take, you can run ahead, set a bomb, and create a trap or an ambush.”

With the Borgia gone and a new area being used for the setting, Borgia Towers no longer exist, but the concept does. A new system has been created in its place. There are locations throughout the city called Assassin’s Dens — you can build these dens by killing off the Templar presence in the area through various assault scenarios. Once obtained, you’ll be able to upgrade the buildings and add ziplines across its rooftops. The guards in the area will shift from hostile to neutral.

Your dens aren’t all safe and sound after their obtained, however. As you gain notoriety in the city, you can lose control of your dens. If your den is under attack and you’re unable to make it to the area to save it, you can send your assassin troops out to do it for you — so long as another den is nearby. You can also have once of your master assassins control a specific den, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it being attacked and taken over.

The leveling mechanic for assassin’s has increased from 10 to 15.

Side-missions are gone in Revelations. Instead of planned events, side-missions are random — you may see a shop owner being mugged as you walk through the city; your mission would be to stop him.

A new facial capture technology dubbed Mocam is being used in the game. The magazine describes it as an “intriguing amalgamation of traditional animation, performance capture and the fascinating new style of performance on display in games like L.A. Noire.”

Desmond, whose accessing Ezio’s memories through the Animus, finds a new safe mode in the machine called the “Black Room.” In this room, you’re able to access Desmond’s own personal lost memories. The gameplay during your time as Desmond are said to be ‘narrative-fueled puzzle sequences.’ The magazine writes, “through the manipulation and creation of geometry with the game world, Desmond seeks to reintegrate the splintered layers of his subconscious.”

As for multiplayer, which is making a return from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, you’ll now be able to create your own character with customized appearance and weapons, and start a guild. Ubisoft says that while the component is returning, they’re putting greater focus towards the narrative, as it’s the heart of the franchise. (neogaf)

Operation Flashpoint: red river (ps3/360/pc)

Red river just like dragon rising is a tactical first person shooter and just like its predecessor infuses action and planning to immerse the player into the most realistic war experience available. just like dragon rising the combat is in your face and unforgiving, only this time there seems to be a little bit more leg room when it comes to fire fights. if you can’t take a world where war is real and every bullet counts with deadly accuracy then its best you think twice before heading into the battlefield of red river – it is no doubt a brutal and tough game but it is also one of the most engrossing war experiences you will ever get on any console or system.

Set in the year 2013 the current conflict concerns the breakout of a civil war in tajikistan. just like before the marines are sent in to clean up the mess only this time neighbouring china orders the troops out and when they refuse all hell breaks loose. what results is not just a fight with the locally inexperienced tajik militia but with the far superiorly armed forces of the chinese army. unlike before this game allows the player to pick between classes, you can chose between the likes of a rifleman/grenadier/support gunner and my personal favourite the scout sniper. each class can be finally tuned to give you the perfect loadout for every situation, their skills vary as does their gear.

The great thing is by doing missions you build up a line of combat points that can be used to open additional perks and build up your weapons and guns. all of your guns are fully customizable, sniper rifles can be given better scopes that help you take out that evasive distant target, regular rifles too can be given scopes and suppressers but you won’t be loaded down with weapon selections – whatever is needed is there while the weapons you don’t need are no where to be found. just remember to take bullet drop into account or you will miss and by missing you allow the enemy to take one more critical shot at you and your team.

Again you are in charge of your very own fire team and like before they require your directions and tactics to get the best out of them, if you treat them right they in return will treat you right. in the previous game there was the constant threat of a stray bullet taking you out, the threat is still there but there are so many allies on screen in most battles that the stray bullet won’t have your name on it. that’s not to say the shootouts are not fierce because they are and then some, unlike their FPS counterparts red river is no corridor shooter its all in the field and the landscapes look the part. the tajikistan country side is beautifully rendered, one of the most striking visual effects of the game is the sky its unlike anything i have seen in a game of its calibre.

The sounds in the game are very authentic from the noise of a whizzing bullet passing by your head to the intrusive crackle of the radio as it sparks to life delivering a barrage of radio chatter. i was really surprised to see some of my favourite bands providing a pre-battle soundtrack for the game, which of course added to the realism. this time around the extra presence of a tough talking staff sergeant delivers the what to and what not to do’s, he surely isn’t subtle but he feels completely authentic as he spurs you and your team into action. one of the first missions in the game that really impressed me was one very similar to the hurt locker a movie which features the daily routines of an EOD member disposing of bombs and improvised explosive devices. you are sent into a village to provide support for an EOD team who are there to deal with a car bomb, soon after your arrival a fire fight erupts and you and your team have to fight off the attackers before they remote detonate the device. its really only a small example of how in depth and engrossing the missions are, many of the missions and fire fights verge on epic – you might not live through it but its always one hell of a way to go out.

Realism is something i keep mentioning when referring to red river because red river really is the most realistic combat experience on the market. there are very few bad points in fact i find it hard to say anything bad about the game, probably the only thing i didn’t like was how a lot of dialogue being shouted back and forth from fellow combatants seems to be repeated to frustrating results. though you yourself play the most important roll in turning the tide of war commanding and directing your fire team is integral and you will find yourself issuing orders to not only save your skin but theirs too – you need to keep them alive and that might be a little tough for most people.

Given the games ability to deliver a brilliantly crafted combat simulator it can easily be forgiven of any shortfalls that might pop up but after three or more play trough's i have noticed very little that could possibly drag it down. from playing the previous operation flashpoint game i expected a lot from red river and i wondered if it would abandon everything that made the original so good, thankfully it stuck to the same formula and the only minor changes were those of improvement. i enjoyed every moment of red river it was so well done in every way possible, i’m giving it a rarely awarded 10 out of 10. if you are looking for the usual run and gun corridor shooting call of duty type clone then you will feel far from home here but if you are looking for the perfect ultra realistic combat experience that doesn’t hold the punches instead pummels you whenever it gets a chance then red river is the way to go.