GTA V is confirmed for 2013 release

Yes you read that right. Rockstar Games has officially announced that GTA V, (The latest addition to the Grand Theft Auto franchise), is due for a release in Q1/Q2 2013, that means to the lay-man, that it will arrive between March 1st and July 1st in 2013.

According to internet discussion a new trailer is due for imminent release on the 8th of November 2012, we will continue to bring you the latest news as soon as it breaks. Pre-orders for the game will start on 5th November 2012 (In the UK, as far as I'm aware).

Currently it is confirmed for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, a PC version is expected, but currently no details are out. Speculation does bring an air of questioning for 1080p (True HD) resolution gaming.

For now there is nothing more to tell, but I will leave you with some teaser art R* themselves put out.

Disclaimer:
Grand Theft Auto, GTA, GTA V, stylings, brandings, monikers and all other associated media are property of RockstarGames and remain so. This image is published under the notation that it is used solely to advertise the aforementioned company and game for free and incurs no financial gain in any way for this blog.

You can find more information regarding RockstarGames and GTA:V at http://www.rockstargames.com and http://www.rockstargames.com/v/ respectively.

This submission and its contents may be altered or redacted without warning under guidance from RockstarGames themselves.

Until the next time.

Windows 8: Day 1 Review

OK, so Microsoft has just released Windows 8, the latest operating system in from perhaps the worlds biggest technology company.

Since it's Day 1 I cannot give a full in depth review but here is a review of the things I checked out so far.


Tiles

Those of you who have taken the plunge and gone to Windows 8 may have notice the desktop no longer exists. Yep, Microsoft have done away with the traditional interface and replaced it with something altogether more weird, the tiled interface.

Showing all the latest news, stock information, games you have installed and more, the tiles interface attempts  to make everything feel that little more central. The only thing thats missing  is a direct link to the system settings, Who doesn't like Control panel?


Performance

Again Microsoft have advertised a new operating system as a performance boost, but in a moment of honesty it is anything but. The boot time increases by about 4 seconds (on average) and the shutdown time is catastrophic in the fact my shutdown time has increased 400% (See end of post for stats)

File searching is a godsend however, its almost instant in its results. I love that!



Compatibility

I've seen in posts on various forums that some programs are not compatible with 8, in the case of McAfee and AMD Catalyst Control Center (AMDCCC). They ARE compatible however you need to uninstall them before upgrade or clean install and then reinstall them afterwards. (its to do with merging files and settings between Windows 7 and 8)


Overall

Visually the system is pleasing and works well, but it needs some serious tweaks to make it better. For example remove the annoying delay in shutdown, add control panel to the tiles menu (for admins) and address the issue in which the startup programs get stopped without warning.


So Microsoft, please don't advertise faster speeds if it doesn't actually happen.

WinXP* Boot = 10sec
WinXP* Shut =  10sec

Vista Boot* = 15sec
Vista Shut* = 10sec

7 Boot** = 10sec
7 Shut** = 5sec

8 Boot** = 16sec
8 Shut** =  21sec

* = 32bit System
** = 64bit System

My thoughts on Pokemon Black 2 and White 2

Ok, So now I've officially completed the game I can look back and expound my thoughts without issue.

!! * WARNING, SPOILERS BELOW * !!

Having played the game I found it somewhat mismatched to its predecessors, I mean the plot didn't seem to feature the enemy team (Team Plasma) as much is it did before. I counted only 3 different events in which they appeared (en mass that is).

At times it felt a good wholesome game complete with some intricate puzzles and logical choices but in other times it just doesn't make sense.

I mean Victory Road is now in disrepair, yet no trainer I encountered mentions anything of the sort, the inclusion of the legendaries (Zekrom, Reshiram and Kyurem) all seem a little lite for my taste, perhaps a little back-story for those who haven't played the original version?

Some of the music doesn't fit the game, for example there is a decidedly Jamaican themed segment of music playing in one of the towns but it just doesn't make any sense for it to be there.
Having said that, it is really well done with the Gym Leader music, especially the final battle theme. A very nice remix.

Moving onwards, you also have the reappearance of Trainer N, who has reconciled his issues from the previous game. However I don't feel he has been used to his fullest extent, it just seemed as if he was dropped into the story as a filler and a way of catching a previous legendary (how else would Reshiram or Zekrom be available for capture since this game is set two years after the originals and both were initially caught by yourself and N)

My final gripe is that after the Elite Four you can venture towards Nuvema town (your original starting town in the previous game) to visit Prof. Juniper. However you encounter a pre-schooler who has a level 60-70 pokemon. How in the heck could he manage this? he's far too young to take on the Gym's required to gain the badges!



Overall yes its a good game, one or two glitches here or there to be taken care of, plus some minor plot inconsistencies, but yes I do like it. My only thoughts now are how are Game Freak and Nintendo going to expand the series further, they seem to be fast running out of Colour names to use as well as the 'Dex hasn't increased since Black and White (V1). Hopefully this wasn't the swansong of the series and we can look forward to a better edition next time.

If we are going to say goodbye to the series, lets go in style a nice round 700 Poke's and a decent plot to end all plots (new region would be nice also, perhaps a revisit to Sinnoh or Hoenn?


Until the next time.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 UK Release Day Review

OK, so the UK has just seen the newest addition to the Pokemon franchise with the release of Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 and as promised here is a release day review of the new games.

!! * SPOLIER ALERT BELOW * !!

Overall since the release of the Black and White versions I feel that the game has grown in leaps and bounds, there are numerous changes to the game including some never before seen towns as well as some old faithful's in Pokemon such as Mareep.

In the terms of the plot, it seems as if it is somewhat shorter than that of its predecessors, almost as if it is chopping out some interesting key points to the storyline.

With the game set only two years after the events of Black and White it shows the player in a world where Cheren (a previous companion) is now only just a Gym leader, and Bianca is a assistant to the ever-helpful Professor Juniper. Team Plasma make a gratuitous return to the series with the group now split into two factions, one faithful to Ghetstis (who wants to control all pokemon) and the other faithful to N (who has now changed his ways and is all for trainers with pokemon), over the course of the game the two factions battle for supremacy in Unova. For the risk of spoiling the plot further I shall cease there with a plot overview.

Graphics have seen a major upheaval in the game, with new and improved camera angles to play with, some even visible from the outset of the game, admittedly the game does have a feel of the old-school about it, but thats the "joie de vivre" of the whole game and its legacy.

Music has also seen a major reworking in the game, with some incredible tunes making way into the game, it still maintains that feeling of the original Red. Yellow and Blue phase while incorporating some newer themes and genre.

Overall GameFreak and Nintendo have outdone themselves with the improved version, even if the game doesn't have its own title. I mean seriously, "Black 2" and "White 2"?  I understand the game is set after the events of "Black" and "White" but it seriously needs its own name. otherwise it just feels cheesy. Having said that a full overhaul of the C-Gear makes up for the name Faux pas so I'm happy there.


My only big bugbear is the fact that the Keldeo event for the game was surprisingly limited in the UK with little or no promotion anywhere, not to mention, furious restrictions on the methods in which it can be obtained.

I would have to say the follow about the game

10/10 for graphics
10/10 for music
5/10 for Events
9/10 for plot (somewhat short and over too soon)
?/10 for connectivity (to be tested)

Overall a score of 44/50 (not including multiplayer in the final score just yet)

Thanks GameFreak and Nintendo for a wonderful game and a glorious series, may there be many more like this.