Batman Arkham Origins

Batman Arkham Origins

Batman: Arkham Origins is a 2013 action-adventure video game developed by Warner Bros. Games Montréal and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the successor to the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City, and the third installment in the Batman: Arkham series. It was released worldwide on October 25, 2013.

Arkham Origins moved development away from series creators Rocksteady Studios, and is written by Corey May and Dooma Wendschuh. The game's main storyline is set five years before that of 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger and less refined Batman who has a bounty placed on his head by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. Villains like the Joker and Anarky take advantage of the chaos to launch their own nefarious schemes, while Gotham City's police tries to bring down the winged vigilante. The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in both combat and exploration. Arkham Origins is the first game in the series to feature multiplayer gameplay.

While the game received generally positive reviews, it was heavily criticized for replicating content from the previous Arkham games without improving upon them, or unnecessarily modifying them. A companion game, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, was released alongside Arkham Origins for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. A spin-off game of the same name for iOS and Android platforms was released in October 2013.

Arkham Origins is an open world action-adventure game that incorporates elements of stealth game tactics. Batman can use his cape to glide around Gotham city, and he can use the grapnel gun's retracting rope to attach to out-of-reach ledges and extend his flight. Some gadgets obtained in previous Arkham games are present at the start of Arkham Origins, while others become available during play. Returning gadgets include: the Cryptographic Sequencer, which is used for hacking security consoles; the Batarang, a throwing weapon; the Batclaw, used for hooking on to surfaces; Smoke Pellets, used for stealthy exits and entries; Explosive Gel, used to create openings in surfaces; the Disruptor, which can remotely disable guns and explosive mines; and the Grapnel Accelerator, an earlier version of the Grapnel Boost. New equipment in Batman's arsenal include: the Remote Claw, which allows Batman to target two objects and pull them together allowing him to knock enemies together or hit them with objects; while tethering two walled-points together creates a tightrope that Batman can traverse; the Shock Gloves, which allow Batman to block electric attacks, instantly disable some enemies and stun shielded ones, and short circuit some objects within the environment; and the Concussion Detonator, capable of stunning large enemy groups.

The game introduces a fast travel system, allowing Batman to remotely summon his plane, the Batwing, to transport him to other areas of the game world quicker than gliding or grappling can allow. Enemy tower installations prevent Batman from summoning the craft in some areas and must first be disabled using various gadgets and abilities to make the Batwing available; the Batwing is not player controlled. Some towers can only be disabled when the player has obtained the necessary equipment.

 Players can traverse enemy-controlled areas using stealth or direct combat. Using an enhanced version of the series' Freeflow combat system, combat introduces a tracking system which assesses the players' efficiency, highlighting various achievements in battle such as avoiding damage and using gadgets. Combined with chaining attacks together to maintain momentum, the performance is rewarded with experience points. These points can be used in a branching upgrade system to enhance Batman's abilities and gadgets, allowing players to upgrade multiple paths or specialize in one. Enemy attacks are prompted with a warning icon, which indicate the attack can be countered. Enemies are armed with weapons like knives, lead pipes, and shields which can be countered. The game introduces two new enemy types: the "Martial-Artist" who is capable of blocking, evading and countering Batman's attacks, the "Armored Enforcer" who is invulnerable to harm until he is dazed and de-armored. and Venom-infused henchmen who possess superhuman strength, allowing them to grapple Batman and use uncounterable attacks. Some enemies are armed with guns which significantly damage Batman. The player can use predatory tactics through stealth to tilt the odds in their favor. Many areas feature stone gargoyles or outcrops placed high above, helping Batman remain concealed in between movements to set traps and knock out enemies.

Arkham Origins offers side missions including: "Crime in Progress", where Batman can assist the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) to improve his reputation by accomplishing tasks such as rescuing police officers from a gang or preventing an informant being thrown to his death; "Most Wanted" allows Batman to pursue villains outside of the main story such as Anarky, who plants bombs around city. The Dark Knight system offers tasks of escalating difficulty that promote improvement in stealth and combat. Additionally, Batman's radio scanner also allows him to locate side missions. Completed side missions are rewarded with experience points and upgrades to Batman's equipment.

The game features an emphasis on Batman's detective skills: Batman can scan a crime scene using his "Detective Vision" (displayed in first-person perspective) to highlight points of interest and holograms act out theoretical scenarios of the crime that occurred. The crimes can be reviewed at will, via Batman's link to the Batcomputer in the Batcave, allowing the player to view virtual recreations of the scene from different angles with the ability to move back and forth through the timeline of the crime, view it in slow motion, or pause it while looking for clues to advance and solve the crime. Small and large crime scenes are spread out over Gotham City. For example, reviewing the downing of a helicopter, Batman is presented with false and accurate clues; investigation of the scene can reveal that the helicopter was shot, allowing Batman to trace the bullet's trajectory to a murdered police officer and another crime scene. Once a crime is solved, the player is shown a Batman-narrated rundown of the crime. The Batcave also serves as a hub where Batman is able to change costumes, upgrade his equipment, and access challenge maps to practice combat - these maps were accessed separately from the main game in previous installments. Collectible objects appear in the game, and in similar style to those from previous games. A "1 vs. 100" mode tasks the player with surviving in combat against 100 increasingly difficult enemies. After completing the story mode, a "New Game Plus" mode is unlocked enabling the player to replay the game with all of the gadgets, experience, and abilities that they have attained; enemies are tougher and the on-screen icon that warns players of imminent attacks is disabled. Completing "New Game Plus" unlocks "I Am the Night" mode, in which the game ends if Batman dies.

Watch Batman Arkham Origins Trailer :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pnK8akbd2M

Watch Batman Arkham Origins Gameplay Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ajUQ5hQ9I

Watch Batman Arkham Origins Walkthrough : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NinxoQFGbg

Batman Arkham City

Batman Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and Microsoft Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second installment in the Batman: Arkham series. It was released worldwide for consoles, beginning in North America on October 18, 2011, with a Microsoft Windows version following on November 22.

Gameplay

 Arkham City is an open world action-adventure game that incorporates elements of stealth game tactics. It is presented from the third-person perspective, showing the playable character on screen and allowing the camera to be freely rotated around them. The Arkham City facility is open to the player from the beginning of the game, allowing them to freely travel anywhere within its boundaries.The player can opt to move silently throughout the game, using a combination of gadgets and stealth moves to sneak up on enemies and incapacitate them. Batman can use his cape to glide around the city, diving downward and swooping upwards to extend his flight, and he can use the grapnel gun's retracting rope to attach to out-of-reach ledge. As Batman, the player is able to use "Detective Vision", a visual mode that highlights elements of interest on-screen, such as character status, collectables, and clues; the mode is also used to perform forensic activities such as tracking the source of a sniper rifle round. The player has access to an in-game criminal database which includes forensic puzzles, as well as a network for hacking communication frequencies.

Using an improved version of the Freeflow combat system from Arkham Asylum, the player can now counter multiple blows simultaneously, catch hurled projectiles, attack aerially, and administer a succession of consecutive strikes. Many of Batman's gadgets can now be used in combat. Enemies are armed with varying levels of armor and weapons; attacks from basic weapons like baseball bats and lead pipes inflict minor damage and can be countered, while guns deal significant damage. Certain enemies must be disarmed in specific ways before they can be neutralized in combat: enemies with stun batons can only be attacked from behind; enemies with shields require aerial attacks to disarm; and enemies wearing body armor must be stunned with rapid successive strikes before they can be harmed. Larger enemies must be tackled with stuns and combo attacks, and can be manipulated to take out their allies. Disputes between gangs allied to rival villains often spark turf wars, which complicate the player's ability to move about Arkham City. Combat, among other actions, rewards the player with experience points that allow the player to periodically level Batman up and purchase upgrades for his Batsuit, gadgets, and combat and stealth skills. Each category contains approximately 15 different upgrades. For instance, an upgraded grapnel gun can be used to remotely disarm enemies, while a combat upgrade makes it easier to activate special attacks.

Some gadgets obtained in Batman: Arkham Asylum are present at the start of Arkham City, while others become available during play. Most of these have improved or new capabilities; for example, the Cryptographic Sequencer, used for hacking security consoles, can also monitor shortwave radio channels, while the line launcher can now be deployed as a tightrope or alter direction during flight. Other equipment returning from the first game include: a remote-controlled batarang; Explosive Gel that can now be detonated to knock down enemies in combat and the grapnel gun, which can now be used while gliding to facilitate transportation. New equipment in Batman's arsenal include: smoke bombs that disorient opponents and assist with stealth tactics; a Remote Electric Charge (REC) gun that can stun enemies and temporarily power motors; Freeze Blast grenades that encase targets in ice and can be used within water to create makeshift platforms; and the Disruptor, which can remotely disable guns and explosive mines.

The game has approximately 40 hours of gameplay, with the main campaign lasting 25 hours and side missions lasting 15 hours. The side missions, which can be attempted at any time, feature prominent characters from the Batman universe. One such character, the Riddler, provides 440 optional "Riddler challenges" to solve. Most of these challenges consist of collecting trophies hidden throughout the city through the cunning use of gadgets to disable traps and barriers. The player can mark Riddler trophies on the in-game map once found if they do not initially have the necessary equipment to complete the puzzle. Additionally, the player can reveal the locations of Riddler trophies on the map by identifying the Riddler's henchmen with "Detective Vision" and interrogating them, which requires the player to save the henchmen for last in combat among a wave of enemies. There are also environmental challenges which require the player to solve riddles by locating a specific item or location (which are rewarded with stories relating to the answer), and to locate question marks painted around the city, some of which can only be viewed in whole from certain vantage points. After completing a select number of challenges, Batman must rescue a civilian hostage held in one of the Riddler's death traps.

Shingeki No Kyojin

Shingeki No Kyojin

Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人 Shingeki no Kyojin, lit. "Advancing Giants") is a Japanese manga. series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. The series began serialization in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine magazine from September, 2009 and is published in North America by Kodansha Comics USA. A spin-off light novel began release from December 2011 and has also received a manga adaptation. A television anime adaptation produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G aired in Japan on MBS between April and September 2013. A live action film adaptation is also in production. Four video game adaptations developed by Nitroplus staffers in collaboration with Production I.G were announced to be released as bonus content for the third and sixth volumes of the Blu-ray Disc release of the anime. Another game is being developed by Spike Chunsoft for the Nintendo 3DS.

The manga series has become a commercial success, selling over 20 million volumes as of mid-2013. The release of the anime also saw a boost in the series' popularity with several writers receiving critical acclaim for its atmosphere and story. Although it also gained fame in neighboring Asian countries, the series's themes have been a subject of controversy.

Setting

One hundred years prior to the beginning of the story, giant humanoid creatures called Titans (巨人 Kyojin) have forced humanity to retreat into a system of concentric walls known as Wall Maria (ウォール・マリア Wōru Maria, outermost), Wall Rosé (ウォール・ローゼ Wōru Rōze, middle), and Wall Sina (ウォール・シーナ Wōru Shīna, innermost). Inside these walls, humanity lived in peace for one hundred years, but a sudden attack by a gigantic sixty-meter Titan and a smaller Titan covered in armor plates caused the outermost wall to be breached, forcing mankind to abandon the land between Wall Maria and Wall Rosé, resulting in turmoil and famine.

Little is known about the Titans; giant creatures ranging from 3-15 meters tall, which instinctively attack and devour ordinary humans on sight. However, they apparently do not require meat as sustenance, as they do not prey on other animals, even with the long absence of humans, and apparently gain their energy directly from sunlight. They have hard skin and regenerative abilities, and can only be killed by a deep incision at the base of the neck. This weakness led to the development of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment (立体機動装置 Rittai Kidō Sōchi), allowing humans to navigate quickly in a three-dimensional space. Although it premits great mobility to a skilled user, it carries a large risk of overtaxing the muscles, requiring extensive physical conditioning and agility.

 Plot

The series follows the story of Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert. After the outermost Wall is breached by Titans, including the 60-meter tall skinless Colossus Titan and the abnormally intelligent Armored Titan, and his mother dying in the resulting destruction, Eren vows revenge against the Titans and later enlists in the military, accompanied by Mikasa and Armin. Years later during his first battle against the Titans, Eren discovers that he has the ability to transform into a Titan at will. Seen as a threat to mankind by some, and as a ray of hope by others, Eren joins his companions in a desperate fight to protect what remains of their society while looking for answers to the mysteries surrounding the Titans, the Walls, and his own existence as well.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Wit Studio (a subsidiary of IG Port) aired on MBS between April 6, 2013 and September 28, 2013, directed by Tetsurō Araki. Both Funimation and Crunchyroll simulcast the series on their respective websites, and Funimation intends to release the series on home video in 2014. The anime has been licensed in the UK by Manga Entertainment. An OVA version of the "Ilse's Notebook" special chapter from tankōbon volume 5 was originally scheduled to be released on August 9, 2013, bundled with the volume 11 limited edition. It has since been postponed to be included with a limited edition of volume 12 instead.

For the first thirteen episodes, the opening theme is "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" (紅蓮の弓矢 Guren no Yumiya, lit. "Crimson Bow and Arrow") by Linked Horizon whilst the ending theme is "Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai" (美しき残酷な世界, lit. "This Beautiful Cruel World") by Yōko Hikasa. For episodes 14-25, the opening theme is "Die Flügel der Freiheit" (自由の翼 Jiyū no Tsubasa, lit. "Wings of Freedom") by Linked Horizon whilst the ending theme is "great escape" by Cinema Staff. Both "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" and "Die Flügel der Freiheit" were released as part of the single "Jiyū e no Shingeki" on July 10, 2013.