Playstation Plus February Line-Up (Free Games!)

February's Lineup of Free Games for PS Plus Subscribers is out!

For the PS4..

Apotheon

 

Transistor

I don't know much about these games, so anyone who has played them, feel free to post in the comments below.

For the PS3..

Yakuza 4

Thief

I have always enjoyed watching Yakuza movies but I tried the Yakuza 3 demo and wasn't that impressed. Looks like I can give it a try again.

Heard plenty of good things about Thief but never got it as I don't think I will ever get the time to play it. Well.. since it's free, I can now add it to my backlog and hope for that day..

For the PS Vita..

Rogue Legacy

Kick & Fennick

I'm not sure if this line-up is confirmed for all territories but it's confirmed for Europe and US at the moment.

Not bad for this month's line-up, definitely getting both PS3 games for this month! 

---

#13 - Ermac!

One more 'Ninja' joins the roster... Ermac!

Another ninja looking lesser like one, with every iteration of the game. This new look is based on his hugely popular alternate costume in MK9.

I like it, one of the new designs that I have accepted almost immediately.

Here's the reveal trailer from IGN.

and 2 gameplay videos from THUNDERONE - Fighting Games !

Looking good and that fatality against Sub-Zero.. Sick!!

Still no info about any Collector's Edition. I'm starting to think that there's not going to be one, which is very disappointing. Almost every big game has a CE!

I don't know when the next reveal will be.. but hoping to see some Cyborg Ninjas soon!

---

Borderlands panel at PAX South 2015 - BL3, Pre-Sequel DLC and BL1 Remastered??

Lots of Borderlands updates from PAX South 2015..

The Pre-Sequel's new Playable Character DLC - Lady Hammerlock

You can plan your skill tree over here. 

I like her first 2 trees focusing on her Sniper skills and Cold damage. The last tree is unique with a 'Contract' that can boost you and an ally with different effects. Very interesting and seems very appropriate for her character.

DLC is free for Season Pass owners or can be purchased at the following PSN prices (US$9.99/£7.99/€9.99/AU$14.95/SGD$12.90)

The Pre-Sequel's future Story DLC

Not much revealed about the last piece of DLC for the Season Pass but it has to do with Claptrap, giving us a new perspective.

Borderlands 1 Remastered Edition

Based on IGN's article, Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software, says the success of the Handsome Collection, which includes BL2 and BL: The Pre-Sequel will determine if we will ever get a Remastered edition for the 1st game.

I personally have played BL1 a shitload so at the moment, I'm not too interested in a BL1 remastered edition. There was a rumour going around about BL1 being remade using BL2's new interface. If that happens, it will be something to consider. Either way, it will be good for those who haven't played the first game.

I would rather have Gearbox start work on a BL3... which brings us to the last update.

Borderlands 3

Gearbox definitely wants to make BL3 but hasn't started work on it yet. So I don't think we will see that anytime soon. Good news for me though, I'll have ample time to play through the last 2 games, even trying out different characters.

While I have played the 1st game a lot, I didn't complete the 2nd game and I'm still playing The Pre-Sequel. Would want to catch up on my favourite RPG shooter, before moving on the next instalment.

Lastly..

If you are a fan of the franchise, you have to watch the full panel at PAX South 2015.

Lots of fun stuff where they talk about how Claptrap came about, the decision to change the art style very late into development, Lady Hammerlock game-play and even some voice acting from Randy and the team. I didn't know Crazy Earl was voice-acted by Randy himself! 




Good stuff!

Evolve figures from an Unlikely Source..

When I think Funko.. this is what comes to my mind..

Cute, adorable but just not my thing..

These are real though..These Pop! figures based on the game will release in March 2015 at US$9.99 each.

Great for the Funko Pop! Collectors but for me..

These are what I'm interested in..

 

Part of Funko's Legacy Collection, these figures will be out in April for US$19.99 a pop (See what I did there..) The Goliath figure looks a bit off however but the Hunters look rather decent. I have never bought or seen any of the Legacy Collection figures so I'm not too sure about their quality and articulation.

Will need to see in-hand pics of these and a better look at the weapon accessories to judge their accuracy.

The Maggie figure is missing her pet, Trapjaw however.. and if they can make Goliath's size to reflect the beast he is, I'll definitely be getting these!

---

Enter Kombatant #12... Reptile!

Stayed up late, lying in bed hoping for the reveal of the next fighter but it didn't happen.

So, this morning.. first thing I did was check my FB newsfeed for the info and it's Reptile. Nope wasn't expecting him at all but it's good that the final of the original 3 ninjas will be in the game.

First glance, I thought he was a Cyborg. Just too much all over him.. But he looks badass!

Reptile has come a long way from the first game where he looked human. After that he has gone from being a scale-y human to almost a Velociraptor. I hated his MK9 look where his mask made him look more bird-like than reptile.

While his latest MKX look is awesome, I still think his mouth-area of the mask still looks like a beak. His outfit is stunning and even though he looks more like a tribal warrior than a ninja now, I'm digging it.

Thankfully his fight-style and moves are still very much the same, based on the game-play video below.

Hoping to see his Variation styles soon!

---

Mortal Kombat Digital Comic Chapter 4

Chapter 4 is out! First half of the 2nd issue, so this one is longer than the previous chapters..

Just a quick update of what's going on.. No spoilers till the bottom..

After Raiden's vision, a blast erupts from within Raiden.. injuring Fujin. Raiden quickly heals him.

We, then get introduced to Cassie Cage and Jacqui, Jax's daughter, who we saw in Raiden's vision. Cassie seems to be a arrogant brat like her father, Johnny Cage was/is but a little of the badassery her mum is.

'Is' because we see her later in the Chapter meeting up with Kotal Kahn and 2 of his 'Deadliest Warriors', D'Vorah and Erron Black. 

And guess who has been giving Kotal Kahn a run for his money, all these years? Another of Raiden's vision showed us a clue of this.

Why is Kotal Kahn meeting with Sonya Blade and what happens after this, I won't spoil it for you..

Meanwhile, Cassie ends up in a deathmatch against Frost.

Issue 2 is divided into 2 chapters unlike the 1st Issue which was divided into 3.. So there's plenty more content for the same price. It seemed to go on longer than I expected it to, which was definitely a good thing.

I'm starting to really like Kotal Kahn's design.. Hopefully PCS Collectibles do a 1/4 statue of him soon. This chapter mostly takes a break from the Kamidogu, but I'm quite certain it will reappear later on in the issue.

Spoilers after the pic.. 

Cassie and Jacqui.. Cassie is in the game, so it's rather obvious who will win the deathmatch but how badly will Frost go down? Frost to be killed? 

Jacqui.. still no sign of her in the game, so will she be another new-gen fighter for MKX or will there be tragedy before Cassie wins? 

Sonya Blade, Kotal Kahn, D'Vorah and Erron Black. The new Cowboy-looking, Erron Black has been relatively quiet in the comic so far. Things are getting heated up and he hasn't made a move. Will he be next to go down?

Kotal Kahn, coming to EarthRealm for help? Doesn't sound Outworld Emperor material to me. Or maybe the dangers are really that bad.. He's staying calm even after he's rejected by Sonya. Could be just the calm before the storm. That image of him, eating someone's heart, still lingers at the back of my mind. 

I really don't see the entire Cage family surviving through MKX. Someone's going down and it all points to Sonya. I would be very surprised if it happened otherwise. What better way to introduce Kotal Kahn into the franchise than to show him devour the heart of the franchise's most beloved bombshell?

Side Note: Who's that big guy behind Sonya Blade? Looks like Sheamus from WWE to me!

Looks like someone's a Sheamus fan, or we just might have the next character reveal, right in front of our eyes. Either way, he looks menacing enough to be a Kombatant.

We have 2 character reveals coming our way this week and I would like to think that at least 1 of it, will be linked to the comics.. Fujin perhaps?  

The comics hasn't been short of fatalities, so it's just of matter of who, rather than if we will see another fatality by the end of the issue. 

---

So what did you get using the 10% PSN Discount Code?

How did you guys use your 10% discount code over the weekend for the PSN Store?

Here's my purchases..

I'm going to get the Far Cry 4 and Watch Dogs' Season Passes sooner or later, so why not get it now with a 10% discount?

Lol all Ubisoft Games!

Wanted to get the Season Pass for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel as well but I was too late, waiting for pay day. Oh well..

What did you guys get?

---

Thoughts on Mortal Kombat X Comic Chapters 2 & 3

With the Chapter 4 coming out in a couple of hours, it's time to put down my thoughts before that.

A couple of spoilers to be expected... I don't really do spoilers but I think most of you should already have read the comic and if you haven't, I hope by telling you what's going on.. you would start following it.

Chapter 2 moves along fast, years down the road.. with Hanzo (Scorpion) training Takeda and Fox. It was nice seeing them having a friendly rivalry rather than jealousness between them. 

Hanzo stresses to kill the demon that Raiden warns about. We also see a Kamidogu dagger in Hanzo's protection. Not a false warning as Fox seems to have already been 'possessed' by that demon.

That night, it begins. Fox, under the influence of the demon, disfigures his face and threatens Takeda to confront Hanzo. Something similar to the first chapter, when Kano cuts SubZero in the face as well.

Felt it was too short but it ended with a major cliff-hanger.

At the start of Chapter 3, we see Hanzo is already tied up with Fox/Demon wanting to him to feel the pain of losing his clan again, as we saw many of Hanzo's rebuilt Shirai Ryu clan members killed.

He goes on to say that he wants Hanzo to be consumed by vengeance again and offers Takeda a chance to spare him that pain. A little confusing on what exactly was the demon's intention. To bring back the old Scorpion or for Takeda to kill Hanzo?

Somehow, Hanzo manages to realise that his memories were a set-up and breaks free, with his hell-fire powers raging. This was the part I was talking about in Chapter 1, where I believed that Hanzo is now in control of his Wraith powers, and not that he has lost them. My understanding is that when Hanzo lets his quest for vengeance take over, the Wraith form takes control. When he is control of that need for vengeance, he keeps it in check.

Moving on.. in his skull form, Scorpion attacks the demon and gives us another x-ray move. The blood however, only manages to make the demon stronger, again taunting Scorpion that Raiden never told him about the dagger's powers.. again similar to Kano mocking SubZero about Raiden not revealing the truth about the dagger. It's clear Raiden knows a lot more about the Kamidogu daggers than he is revealing.

And as the demon also mentions Quan Chi's name, Takeda kills him from behind.

Hanzo is back to his human form again, reinstating my belief that he has the Wraith under control; He burns the bodies of his dead clan members and moves on with Takeda to find Raiden, wanting to 'make a God beg for Mercy'.

At the Sky Temple, Raiden is with Fujin and has the Kamidogu of Order in his possession. Raiden cuts himself, and with the blood enhancing his 'sight' to find the demon. In his vision, we see images of several Mortal Kombat characters, each with a little clue of things to come.

With the 3 chapters concluding Issue 1, Raiden tells Fujin that it's too late and that 'it has begun!'

What a fantastic ending to Issue 1, setting up the excitement for the next few issues.

Just looking at Issue 1, I initially felt it was moving too fast and not having enough character build-up. Fox seemed like an interesting character and I was keen to know more about his relationship with Takeda and Hanzo. 

The Shirai Ryu clan, was rebuilt and before we could even see anything about how the clan was run, or who these members are.. they all got slaughtered.

But, we have to remember that this is a short series of prequel comics for the MKX game, so there's limitations to building up the characters. Instead, it's a quick buildup to the game.

I'm very happy with the comic so far.. the art is beautiful and the violence of the Mortal Kombat franchise is there. I'm hoping that the success of this prequel comic will lead to a full Mortal Kombat comic series as the potential is there, and the comic seems to be in the right hands.

There's a lot of questions including if Takeda will be a playable character in MKX? What does Raiden know about the daggers? Very few are answered so far, but hopefully we will receive answers soon. 

The weekly digital release also keeps things moving fast, though it's 1/3 of a comic. Hopefully Chapter 4 is out in a while..

---

AC Unity's Club Competition Week 5

Week 5's details are already out.

Here's the stats of the Schiavona One-handed Sword.

Team AC Unity, the club I'm in, didn't win last week unfortunately. But this week we will be back stronger and my favourite air assassinations will be a joy to help earn Creed points for the club.

As always, we welcome you to join our club on PSN, if you are looking for some coop partners.

Just add me, Jengoboy or my friend, who is also the club leader, MPDEW on PSN and earn some points for the Creed!

---

Video of the Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition's Prototype Sample

So, you already know about Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel coming to new-gen consoles.

Then, you probably saw the news about the RC Claptrap in that Claptrap-in-a-box Collector's Edition..

Here's some footage of a prototype sample of the RC Claptrap..

Someone once told me, "Money can be earned.. Love cannot".

I love this Claptrap...

---

Thoughts & Experiences on Evolve Closed Beta

Or should I say Closed Technical Test..

While the PC and XBox One tests were called Beta Tests.. the PS4 Test was weirdly named a 'Technical Test'.

The 'Technical Test' had a little less content than the other platforms but I suspect there is more to that. Screw you Microsoft!

I played alone on Sunday night, trying to get more hands-on with the Monster, especially Goliath.

Thankfully I haven't lost my touch since the Big Alpha. Used the same tactics to good effect, though I got lucky in 1 of the matches when I finished off the 4th Hunter by luck. Went for a Leap Smash on some Wildlife with the last Hunter surprisingly cloaked just nearby, Got a victory screen when I was expecting some food!

Played a bit of the Support & Medic class as well, though I need to get used to aiming with the Sniper rifle and Tranquilizer. It's easy to heal or shield an ally by aiming in his general direction but extremely tough to hit a rampaging Monster.

I didn't notice any difference since the last test, gameplay-wise. It was a pity that they blocked the PS4 recording feature however. Would have liked to share some gameplay videos with you guys but oh well.

Monday night, I managed to get a few friends to join me and test out the party system. According to them, the PC version had no problems with playing in a party but based on our experience, the PS4 still had problems with playing in a party. Therefore, the reason why it was called a 'Technical Test'?

If we join a party and search for a game, it was almost impossible to find a game.

So, what we did was to search for a game individually and then invite friends in.

Defeats the purpose of playing in a party, but I guess it would be fixed before the game releases.

One of the games matched me up as Goliath while my 2 other friends were using the Support & Medic classes. This was what Evolve was all about. Having your friends up against you, while in a PSN Party chat, can be stressful but at the same a whole lot of fun.

Tried to do the nice thing by not attacking them first but they wouldn't stop healing or shielding my other targets. The hunters were also constantly on my trails and it wasn't easy shaking them off. Managed to squeeze in to Stage 2 before being caught again. Things weren't going too well and I needed to get away. This is when one of the disadvantages of not having communication with your team came into play.

The Trapper deployed his dome trap but I managed to avoid it. So, with the rest of the hunters calling out to him to take down the dome, he didn't take it down fast enough and I had ample time to get away and regen a lot of my armour. That was the break I needed! With more than enough armour and enough feeding, I was almost ready to evolve to Stage 3 but not just yet. This time, I went for the Hunters, did plenty of damage and retreated to evolve.

They caught up with me just as I was finishing my evolve process but no matter. It was time to bring down the house. Had to go for my 2 friends first. The Hunters put up a good fight and my 2 friends were annoying with their healing and shield but the Goliath's Stage 3 was just too strong. Build Strategy working good so far.

The rest of the games were co-op as Hunters. Louis, Leon & myself have been playing together over the 2 Tests and I can say we aren't too bad together. I'm pretty sure we can take down some formidable Monster players. 

Akilen joined us for the last 2 games, one of which was against the Kraken. We won but I really need more game time against the Kraken. It's a totally different challenge against the Kraken when it's flying all over the place. Only had a few games against the Kraken so far so hopefully will learn I'll get used to him soon.

I have been intentionally avoiding playing the other classes for a reason. When the game releases, I don't want to feel like I have played most of what this game has to offer. There has to be enough elements in the game to explore to keep it fresh, considering I have played quite a lot of tests and demos.

Barely played the other Assault & Trapper classes, and the 2nd & 3rd set of Hunters and Monsters. Never touched the other game modes as well, so the game should have enough to make me feel like I'm trying it for the first time.

The game looks all set to go, on Feb 10. Apart from a few issues, like random badges appearing next to your name in the lobby and the above-mentioned party matchmaking, it looks all ready. Servers seem stable and I didn't experience any disconnects during the game. 

However, I noticed quite a number of games starting with bots and then filled with players later. I definitely don't want to be playing against or with bots.. though this might be a problem with people quitting rather than a server issue.

So, if they fix these little issues, we should have a smooth start on launch day, come Feb 10.

---

It was inevitable.. Borderlands on the New Gen!

Alright so there were rumours of this..

It was quite inevitable that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel would come to the New-Gen consoles, then there were rumours of Borderlands 2 joining it.

There was even some talk about Borderlands 1 being given a make-over to enhance it to be similar to BL 2 and TPS's interface..

Not sure about the last one but here it is.. Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel together with all the additional content bundled together in what is called Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.

And it's coming out 24/27 March 2015!! Holy Shit!!! I wasn't expecting it to be so soon!

And for the first time.. 4 Player Couch Co-op! Hmm.. time to re-think and re-negotiate with my wife about that gaming-cum-work room. Should have little less work and more gaming to that room!

For the hardcore fan.. The Claptrap-in-a-box edition!

Hefty hefty price at US$399 but that Claptrap! Limited to 5000 units worldwide, that's something to consider.

Oh man.. having barely played Borderlands 2, I was considering re-visiting it but looks like this is it... and several of my friends were waiting for the PS4 version of The Pre-Sequel so looks like it's time to have a roll-call of who's in.

--

Source: Borderlands Official Site

Test Footage of Behemoth, Evolve's 4th Monster

With the reveal of the Behemoth, I wanted to get a better look at his skills.

While it isn't ready, we have some test footage from IGN..

Apart from being huge and rather slow, this guy looks way too strong. He's like a walking mountain.

Doesn't seem like he can hide much however but then again doesn't seem like he needs to...

---

I have extra codes for Evolve's Closed Technical Test on PS4

Evolve's Closed Technical Test is starting for the PS4.

And I have a few extra codes for the PS4 available to download from the Asia PSN store. If anyone needs an extra code, just let me know!

According to the email, "Fans will be able to play Evolve’s “Hunt” game mode with access to the first two monsters (Goliath and Kraken) and first eight hunters (Markov, Maggie, Val, Hank, Hyde, Griffin, Lazarus, and Bucket) across all 12 maps that support “Hunt” and are included at the time of launch."

That's pretty sweet. Would love to check out how the game feels so close to launch.

I also heard 5-player party games are available so just let me know if you are playing and hopefully we can get enough players on at the same time to try some games.

---

New Mortal Kombat Trailer with Kombatant #11

Kung Lao & Kitana's gameplay revealed in the latest trailer..




Big question at the start.. "Where have you been, Kung Lao?".

I think there's a lot to this question and it seem that Kung Lao has been missing in action for many years, after the events of MK 9. 

Taking into consideration that Kung Lao was one of the Kombatants who died and was later resurrected by Quan Chi, there's a lot to explain about they are seemingly back to normal again.

Another point that I recently noticed is the absence of Liu Kang and the focus shifting to Kung Lao. 

1) Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2: Liu Kang was converted to the evil side and Kung Lao was the 'good guy' trying to reason with him.

2) World Box 1/6 Figure - With a vast range of characters to choose from, Kung Lao was the 2nd character to be made into a 1/6 figure.

3) MK 9's plot - Liu Kang was 'accidentally' killed by Raiden.. Liu Kang dies again. In the original timeline, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung combine to kill Liu Kang who re-appears as a zombie later. The new timeline had a chance to correct that but instead they kill him off again, even sooner in fact. 

Of course, this can all be a coincidence and it's still too early to write off Liu Kang's appearance, something tells me that an old Kung Lao means that he will be Earthrealm's champion in MK X. Perhaps like a mentor to the new-gen of fighters. 

Which brings me back to Raiden's question as he's been looking for Kung Lao to lead Earthrealm's young kombatants.

and Kitana.. 

Mortal Kombat just wouldn't be the same without the sexy Edenian Princess.

I still prefer her MK9 look but she still looks as gorgeous as ever. I wonder how she looks if she takes it off.. I meant her veil of course.. what are you thinking???

Brutal Fatality there and lots of gameplay action!

Finally, we see Goro who's going to be a playable character. No word about him being available as paid DLC but he comes free for those who preorder the game.

Oh man, such an awesome time to be Mortal Kombat fan. Things are moving fast in anticipation of the game in April. Figures, Statues, Comics, Trailers etc etc.

Where's the Kollector's Edition announcement anyway? Was dead sure we would see news of a CE with this trailer. Less than 3 months away and still no CE news.. Looks like it has NOT begun..

---