Dark Souls 2 coming March 2014

E3 2013 will be held in the Los Angeles Convention Center and every where, the city is filled with ad signs for games. This one I'm particulary proud of since they are actually advertising this franchise as a triple A title. Dark Souls 2 is coming, and based on the sign, it's coming on March 2014.

If you've played Dark Souls, then you have a pretty good idea what you'll be getting with the sequel. From gameplay footage and trailers revealed so far, it looks like they won't be turning down the notch when it comes to difficulty. This is one franchise I'm pretty excited to get my ass handed to me.

Dark Souls Trailer

I have a feeling that the sequel just might feel like a big expansion more than anything else with notable differences, but that's not a bad thing for this game because you don't have that many titles similar to Dark Souls, and I actually want more of the same game.

Dark Souls 2 - 12 minute demo by IGN

The game's visual is definitely better based on this demo. One aim the developers mentioned when the game was first revealed is that they want to bring a good narrative for the players. A much needed goal since the previous games, even it being a great action RPG, had close to no story whatsoever.

Game features for Dark Souls 2:

• Prepare to Die… again: Dare yourself to engage against intense gameplay in a vast world powered by an all new engine that leaps graphics, sound & FX forward like never before.
• A labyrinth of monsters & bosses: Immerse yourself into mind-bending environments filled with new twisted monsters and deadly bosses that could only come from the imagination of From Software.
• Sensory assault: A wide range of threats will prey on human senses & phobias – auditory hallucinations, vertigo, acrophobia, etc.
• Deeper and darker: More intricate customization options provide weapons and armor tailoring to player style.
• Evolved multiplayer: Updated multiplayer system enables improved online interaction to bring forward cooperative & competitive play.
• Go beyond death: Dark Souls II features fluid motion-capture animations, upgraded combat system, a vastly expanded suite of characters, deeper customization options, new weapons, armor abilities, and balanced player progression system

Dark Souls 2 will be out for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, but sadly won't be a next-gen title, so keep your current platforms in good change for next March.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Shazam Combos

Here are few Shazam combos that I put together. I'm sure there are more efficient and optimal combos out there but Shazam does decent damage without getting all fancy. Most of these combos involve burning 2 meters because meter burning his command grabs enable for combo extension.

These are pretty easy to pull off because Shazam doesn't have a lot of normals and strings that he can combo off of. At least as far as I can tell.

The Law Of The Jungle -- Destiny Official Trailer

Bungie released a new trailer for their upcoming online FPS called Destiny. It's a mix of CG and live-action featuring Giancarlo Esposito(Breaking Bad, Revolution).

Destiny does look interesting at this point, but its hard to gauge if this would bring something new to the table. After Bungie finishing Halo: Reach, they were absent for years working on Destiny, and with them getting a year-long deal with Activision(I'm guessing for a Destiny franchise), this feels like an ambitious project that could be a make or break for Bungie.

At the end of the video, gameplay footage will debut on Sony's press conference, so if you're curious to how Destiny plays, tune in at this year's E3 on June 10.

Destiny will be released hopefully at the end of this year or early 2014 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One

Final Fantasy XIV's re-launch placed at August 27

Take two! Square Enix says. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be re-released on August 27 for PC and PlayStation 3. Pre-order incentives nd Collector's Edition detailed.

If you plan on getting the Collector's Edition, or simply pre-order the standard version, here are the extra goodies you will get if you do so:

Pre-order Incentives

As well as the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn game disc, fans who pre-order the standard or Collector's Edition of the game will receive the following exclusive in-game content:

• Early Access: Access the game servers ahead of the official launch. Get your head start and make your mark in the realm of Eorzea!
• Cait Sith Doll Minion: On sabbatical from Shinra Inc. and looking for adventure, Cait Sith will join your party as a non-combat pet.
• Mog Cap: Show your love of Final Fantasy and strut around the world of Eorzea in this Moogle themed hat. Kupo!

Collector's Edition Contents

• Collector's box designed by Yoshitaka Amano, legendary Final Fantasy artist
• 80-page "Art of Eorzea" hardcover art book featuring never-before-seen concept art
• "The Waning of the Sixth Sun," a special bonus video disc that takes a cinematic look at the events that led up to the realm being reborn
• "Sounds of Eorzea" album that features musical scores by renowned Final Fantasy series composers
• Five collectable character art cards
• A Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn-branded security token to secure user accounts
• In-game bonus items: Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Coeurl Mount and Behemoth Barding

Right now, the game is currently on its beta stages with phase 3 starting around this month. What's important about the next phase is that it will be the first beta to open the game up to PS3 players.

Not sure if I will bother to give this game a try since this MMO is sticking with the traditional monthly subscription model, which is hard to swallow nowadays with other games now Free-To-Play.

But, this is Final Fantasy,  so we'll see..

[Source: Final Fantasy XIV official website]

A bit of new The Last of Us gameplay

We are halfway through May and when this month is up there's only one game that comes into mind in June. The Last of Us is Naughty Dog's(Uncharted series) new IP that focuses on survival. A harsh post-apocalyptic world were a man and a kid will do whatever they can to stay alive. VG247 released new gameplay footage showing the game's combat and new locales not seen yet. Have a look.

I'm definitely picking this up when the game hits next month. I'm now a fan of Naughty Dog's work thanks to what they did in the  Uncharted series. Uncharted was one of the best franchises born out of the PlayStation 3 and I'm quite curious if they can provide the same success with this new IP with the PS4 now on the horizon.

From the gameplay shown above, its definitely nothing like Uncharted, but you do see some similarities with how their cutscenes were organized. The gameplay seems to require you to think quick without using too much resources to move forward. There's also the infected, which brings a whole new twist in the gameplay but sadly nothing was shown during this footage.

One more feature to note is that Naughty Dog is trying to provide Ellie(The kid) with an advance AI to not make the player feel as if she's a burden. That's the biggest challenge Naughty Dog says so I'm curious to see if they did pull it off for this game.

The Last of Us will be out on June 14, 2013 exclusively for the PS3.

Pre-orders are now out in Datablitz stores so if you want to throw down some cash right now to secure a copy, check out this link for more info on what they offer.