Descent, the crowdfunded prequel/reboot to the classic Interplay first person shooter franchise, was announced back in 2014 as a PC title, while later on in 2017, developers Descendent Studios signed a distribution deal with Little Orbit to be able to bring the game to the PS4 and Xbox One as well.

Now, as per a new, short gameplay teaser, Descent will be launching on the Nintendo Switch as well. The teaser is just 30 seconds long, so there isn’t too much to look at, but we do get some glimpses of its underground, atmospheric environments, as well as a few shooting sections. Right at the end, the teaser also shows the symbols of all the platforms it’s launching on, where you can also see the Nintendo Switch logo.

A release date hasn’t been mentioned, sadly, with the words “Coming Soon” being all we get in this latest trailer- although the game’s name in the video’s title is mentioned as “Descent (2019)”. So perhaps that holds some meaning. You can take a look at the teaser below.

https://youtu.be/i465zmhzOmg

GamingBolt spoke to senior game designer and writer Dave Ellis and president/CEO and art director Eric Peterson for their thoughts on Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations.

"The game is mostly a traditional adventure game, but we’ve added an element of combat that lets you take Finn and Jake into battle against a variety of enemies."

Rashid K. Sayed: The game will focus on adventuring and puzzle-solving but we’re interested in the investigative aspects. How will Finn & Jake’s detective methods work here?

Dave Ellis: The game is very much a traditional adventure game. The “investigations” are mysteries and crises throughout Ooo for our heroes to solve. At the start of the game, Finn and Jake find the “tickertype” machine that their parents, Joshua and Margaret, used to use when they ran their own detective business (as seen in the sixth season episode “Joshua and Margaret Investigations”). When the tickertype starts printing out new mysteries to solve, Finn and Jake can’t resist the urge to investigate.

Rashid K. Sayed: Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations will release across a wide variety of platforms. Will there be any noticeable differences, particularly when it comes to the handheld versions?

Eric Peterson: Our technology, the Vicious Engine, was built for cross-platform game development across generations of hardware. Therefore, we can take the gameplay on the current gen systems and propagate it to the previous generation, handhelds and PC. Graphically speaking, the latest systems will have more triangles, detailed textures, normal maps, spec maps, shaders and dynamic lighting while also running at higher resolutions and frame rates than previous generations.

Rashid K. Sayed: The ability to earn different drops leads us to believe there will be some RPG elements in Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations. What will they be and how do they impact the overall gameplay?

Dave Ellis: The game is mostly a traditional adventure game, but we’ve added an element of combat that lets you take Finn and Jake into battle against a variety of enemies. The player earns treasure for combat, the amount depending on how skillfully and creatively he fights—how many times he gets hit, how many hit combos he manages to perform, and so on. Landing successive combos in battle allows the player to use a variety of special Jake battle forms to really lay the beat down on the bad guys.

There’s no real RPG leveling in the game—but, if the player is really successful in combat, he can unlock a variety of swords from the show, each of which has special combat abilities with powerful and fun new effects. The treasure the player wins in combat accumulates in the Treasure Room of Finn and Jake’s Tree House.

"The setting time frame-wise is during the sixth season, but players who aren’t aren’t familiar with the show won’t have any trouble getting into the game."

Rashid K. Sayed: Which characters can we expect to appear in Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations?

Dave Ellis: We have over 20 different characters in the game. Favorites like BMO, Ice King, Princess Bubblegum, Lumpy Space Princess, and Flame Princess all play major roles in the various storylines. There are also a lot of other characters who are both fan favorites and personal favorites of the Vicious Cycle team. We felt it would have been UNACCEPTABLE to leave certain characters out of the game. There are plenty of folks to meet and talk to as you explore Ooo.

Rashid K. Sayed: How long will the main quest last and will there be any additional modes to keep players busy afterwards?

Dave Ellis: There are five different separate stories (investigations) in the game, each of which plays out like an episode of the show. Each episode takes the player about 2-3 hours to complete. After the entire game is completed, it is likely that the player will be able to replay individual investigations. Also, all combat segments are replayable, so the player can repeat a combat to get a better rating and get more treasure/rewards. The player can also explore the Tree House between investigations.

Rashid K. Sayed: Being loosely based on the show’s sixth season, will players unfamiliar with the TV series be able to get into Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations?

Dave Ellis: All five investigations (and the overarching story that ties them together) are original stories that stand on their own. The setting time frame-wise is during the sixth season, but players who aren’t aren’t familiar with the show won’t have any trouble getting into the game.

Rashid K. Sayed: Tell us more about the game’s story and how it ties into the show’s sixth season.

Dave Ellis: You could think of the five investigations in the game as five different (but related) episodes that take place in the midst of the sixth season timeline. Because places, characters, and situations have evolved over the course of the show, we had to choose a reference point for our story and we wanted it to be relatively current for those fans who are familiar with the show.

There are references to situations from the sixth season (and the preceding seasons), as well as one or two Easter Eggs referring to future episodes, but the stories are purposely stand-alone tales that don’t require the player to have intimate knowledge of the show in order to enjoy.

"Our goal is to reach as many fans of the series as possible and one of the best ways to accomplish that is to provide the game on numerous platforms across many territories worldwide."

Rashid K. Sayed: Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations will be the first game in the series to be in full 3D graphics. How did you handle the process of translating Adventure Time’s memorable 2D art style into the third dimension?

Eric Peterson: With great care actually! We have quite a few Adventure Time fans on our staff and if something doesn’t look right, we hear about it. Therefore, we have taken a lot of time to properly translate the assets into the third dimension. Our care is evident as you wander through the Adventure Time environments and meet all the characters.

You will especially notice this artistic effort when perusing Finn and Jake’s Tree House where some of the tiniest details and items have been included for fans to see and interact with. I believe fans of the series will appreciate the attention to detail that we have included in our game while staying true to the show’s clever and unique style.

Rashid K. Sayed: How much work went into making sure this felt like an Adventure Time game rather than an action adventure title with the Adventure Time name and characters in it?

Dave Ellis: We purposely chose the graphic adventure model for the game because we felt it best fit the Adventure Time license. Although there is action and fighting in the show, the thing that makes it so much more than an ordinary cartoon is that there are really deep relationships and themes. So much of the show is about Finn and Jake interacting with people and finding ways to solve their problems. Adventure games are built on interactions and problem solving.

A lot of work also went into the story and the script. We have over 6000 lines of dialog in the game, and the original cast is doing the voiceover work. We’ve pulled out all the stops to make the player feel as if they’re actually playing episodes of the show.

Rashid K. Sayed: The game is coming numerous platforms. Was there a specific reason why you guys are not developing only for current gen consoles and PC?

Eric Peterson: Our goal is to reach as many fans of the series as possible and one of the best ways to accomplish that is to provide the game on numerous platforms across many territories worldwide.

"Working with the Xbox One can be challenging at times because it uses eSRAM compared to the PS4’s unified memory. This can cause minor issues managing render targets..."

Rashid K. Sayed: Is it safe to assume that the game will run at 1080p and 60fps on the current gen consoles?

Eric Peterson: We are in the process of determining what resolution and frame rate the game will be at this time. Our preference however, would be to provide a higher visual fidelity verses a faster frame rate. With a classic adventure style game, we don’t feel the frame rate is as vital to the game as the quality of the visuals, so we wouldn’t want to sacrifice them for the extra fps.

Rashid K. Sayed: Did you face any challenges while working on the Xbox One version, including the eSRAM?

Eric Peterson: Working with the Xbox One can be challenging at times because it uses eSRAM compared to the PS4’s unified memory. This can cause minor issues managing render targets, where some post processing render targets end up within the slower memory on the system. With enough time, it is something that can be ironed out to ultimately achieve better performance.

Rashid K. Sayed: What is your take on the differences between the two current gen consoles? Do you think the differences are being underplayed?

Eric Peterson: I think like with any consoles, they have their strengths and weaknesses. Even in previous generations, there were quirks and unique distinctions between systems and therefore developers preferred one console over the other. Frankly, I don’t think those opinions will ever disperse and they will continue to permeate the consumer mindset as well.

Rashid K. Sayed: Is there anything else you want to tell us before we let you go?

Dave Ellis: Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations is definitely a labor of love here at Vicious Cycle. We love the show and we love the characters, and we’ve set out to make the most immersive Adventure Time game experience to date. We hope all of the fans of the show—and adventure game fans in general—enjoy playing the game as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it.

GamingBolt had a chance to speak developer Vicious Cycle about the experience of developing Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends including how it fits into the current continuity, the types of fighting game mechanics it looks to incorporate and much more.

"I am a huge fighting game fan, so we took inspiration from all over the place. Street Fighter, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, BlazBlue, and Playstation All-Stars were all referenced, but we definitely looked at Super Smash Bros. more than any other title."

Rashid K. Sayed: There’s still a lot we don’t know about Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends, including the final roster. Who else will be featured in the game and how do you maintain continuity with the universe’s canon in the process?

Brandon: The roster has all your favorites from the Kung Fu Panda movie franchise. Of course you are going to see Po and some members of the Furious Five, but who would they fight without some of the Kung Fu Panda classic villains? This means series antagonists such as Shen and Tai Lung also make appearances. As far as continuity is concerned we were given some liberties in order to round out the roster so the player can experience other characters fans know and love!

Rashid K. Sayed: Which fighting games served as an inspiration for the mechanics of Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends? Is it more Street Fighter or Super Smash Bros. or does it introduce its own unique mechanics in the process?

Brandon: I am a huge fighting game fan, so we took inspiration from all over the place. Street Fighter, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, BlazBlue, and Playstation All-Stars were all referenced, but we definitely looked at Super Smash Bros. more than any other title. I think gamers will be able to pick up our game and be comfortable and familiar with the feel of the gameplay. That being said, this is a different beast. When people get in and experience the speed of the game, the new strategies and competitive play, and the unique move-sets we’ve designed to fit the characters of the KFP franchise, our game will stand on its own compared to other fighters.

Rashid K. Sayed: When it comes to cross-generational development, what kind of obstacles have you faced?

Eric Peterson: One of the hurdles we encounter during cross-platform development is preparing different assets for all of the possible systems.

Unlike gameplay code which rarely changes from system to system and is practically identical on all hardware, the graphics (i.e. models, textures, lighting, shaders, particles, and so on) usually need to be altered or downsized. And in some cases code pertaining to the graphics needs to be optimized depending on each system’s performance capabilities (i.e. resolution, framerate, networking, etc.).

For example, whereas dynamic lighting works great on the PS4, you need to go with baked lighting on previous generation systems. Or you might incorporate robust triangle count meshes on higher end systems, but be forced to go with a reduced tri count for those same models on the 3DS. The same issues apply to shaders, post effects, full-screen effects, and so on. There are a lot of technical challenges to overcome when it comes to the visual elements of the game.

Therefore, you have to do what is best for the game in each case while still maintaining the highest quality bar for each system.

"There is not a collectible grind in Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends, mostly because we wanted our focus to be on making solid mechanics and game modes. If you have a fun, competitive, and engaging fighting game the replay value is built in."

Rashid K. Sayed: With Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends releasing so close to the third film in the series, are there any tie-ins we can expect?

Brandon: Showdown definitely has some Kung Fu Panda 3 influence, including locations and characters from the film. For example, the hilarious Mei Mei – sure to be a fan favorite when the film is released – is one of the available fighters. Although we can’t get too specific at this point, there will be a number of new characters and locations from the film included in the game.

Rashid K. Sayed: Will Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends have any additional modes to add replay value, maybe something akin to Mortal Kombat’s Towers or Super Smash Bros.’s Trophies?

Brandon: We have the Tournament of Legends where players can choose Good or Evil and fight it out to be the best. Every character has a rival blocking their path and must defeat a Legendary Kung Fu Master to stand alone as the best!

There is not a collectible grind in Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends, mostly because we wanted our focus to be on making solid mechanics and game modes. If you have a fun, competitive, and engaging fighting game the replay value is built in. Challenging friends, climbing the online leaderboards, and setting up local tournaments are all great ways to continue your experience long after clearing the single player mode.

Rashid K. Sayed: What has it been like to work on this kind of property with DreamWorks? How did the collaboration come about and how will fans connect to Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends?

Eric Peterson: We have collaborated with DreamWorks on numerous licensed movie titles over the years; this game is actually the fourth product we have worked on with them! The long-term relationship we have had with DreamWorks dates back 10 years or so now, and we are honored and fortunate to have partnered with them on so many great licenses.

As you may know, there have been a few Kung Fu Panda games in the past, even one for the Kinect. We didn’t have anything to do with the previous titles, but after seeing the types of products that were developed we felt the natural progression for the license was to enter the fighting genre. It was really a perfect fit.

"There are a few differences in the visuals and performance across systems, but you can still expect every character and level to be included in all versions."

Rashid K. Sayed: The online multiplayer market for fighting games has become fairly crowded in recent times. What will Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends do to stand out?

Brandon: There are a lot of online fighting games. Almost any fighting game released these days needs the online element to compete. What we do to stand out is offer the player more options. Instead of simply being able to play a Timed or Stock match, with or without items, teams or individual, we offer the entire lineup you see in our offline versus mode. This gives the online community the choice as to how play instead of forcing them into a game mode that might not match the play style they prefer. We really put a focus on what would give the fans the most for their money and let them experience every aspect of Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends the way they chose to play.

Rashid K. Sayed: Will there be any other modes beyond Vs., Team Battle and the Tournament of Legends mode?

Brandon: We have quite a few Versus Game Modes to choose from, each of which is available both online and off. Each mode can also be experienced by playing a 4-player free-for-all or as teams. For example, we have Kung Fu Hill, which is inspired by King of the Hill, and we also have King of Kung Fu, which is inspired by Oddball. These are unique to a fighting game like this and are normally only seen in shooters. Both require techniques that will make fighting game players think differently about their strategies than in the gameplay modes normally found in the genre.

Rashid K. Sayed: What different features can we expect across various versions of the game? Will you implement GamePad controls for the Wii U and will the portable versions see any major differences?

Brandon: There really are not many differences across the consoles and Steam. We concentrated our efforts on making features that would benefit every system equally. There are a few differences in the visuals and performance across systems, but you can still expect every character and level to be included in all versions.

Rashid K. Sayed: Talking about the PS4 version, did you face any issues due to GDDR5’s latency?

Eric Peterson: Like many other developers who have been asked this question, we haven’t encountered any latency issues regarding the GDDR5 memory.

"Parents and kids can play together and have a great time, while the hardest of the hardcore can build a tournament community around it."

Rashid K. Sayed: What is your take on DirectX 12? How far do you think it will improve games visuals and development on Xbox One and PC?

Eric Peterson: We don’t really want to speculate that until we get our products running on DX12. But, we suspect that some performance improvements will occur on the Xbox One and more will be likely to occur on PC. Additional performance should be visible on PCs simply because they can be upgraded to house more memory, run better processors and include higher end video cards; whereas the Xbox One will have the same standard hardware specs it has had since it shipped–therefore, the gains on the console most likely won’t be as noticeable compared to a high-end gaming rig. Either way, we welcome any improved efficiencies that can be gained on either system.

Rashid K. Sayed: What is your take on cloud gaming? Do you think that game’s visuals can be bettered with cloud processing?

Eric Peterson: We don’t really have an opinion at this time, since the products we are working on don’t utilize the cloud in this manner.

Rashid K. Sayed: Thanks for your time. Is there anything else you want to tell us before we let you go?

Brandon: I’d like to add that as both a huge fighting game fan and a huge Kung Fu Panda fan this has been an awesome project to work on. The final product is going to reflect the talent and passion that the team has for Kung Fu Panda and games of this genre.

One cool thing about this game is that it manages to be approachable to beginners, but still remains complex enough that the best of the best can push it past the limits we imagined. Parents and kids can play together and have a great time, while the hardest of the hardcore can build a tournament community around it. I can’t wait to see how the online community gets behind Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends and what techniques and strategies form.

Vicious Cycle are currently working on Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends which is set for a launch on a number of platforms including the Xbox One and PC. The game is similar to other brawler games like Super Smash Bros. and will come packed with a ton of content including Tournament Of Legends, Team Play, Tag Mode and more.

GamingBolt recently got the chance to interview President and CEO of Vicious Cycle Eric Peterson to talk about how the game’s development is shaping up. In our in-depth interview with Eric, we asked his thoughts on DirectX 12 and whether he thinks it will improve games visuals and development on Xbox One and PC.

“We don’t really want to speculate that until we get our products running on DX12. But, we suspect that some performance improvements will occur on the Xbox One and more will be likely to occur on PC,” Eric said to GamingBolt.

He then explains how PC can gain more performance due to the upcoming API. “Additional performance should be visible on PCs simply because they can be upgraded to house more memory, run better processors and include higher end video cards; whereas the Xbox One will have the same standard hardware specs it has had since it shipped–therefore, the gains on the console most likely won’t be as noticeable compared to a high-end gaming rig. Either way, we welcome any improved efficiencies that can be gained on either system.”

What are your thoughts on DirectX 12? Sound off in the comments section below and stay tuned for our full interview on Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends in the coming days. The game is due for Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows later this year. In the mean time check out some footage from the game below.

Publishing the game is Little Orbit, a group that primarily targets the younger portion of the gaming demographic with titles like How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom. As a licensed product from Cartoon Network Interactive, the game is expected to launch in November 2015 on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations is being developed to serve as the fourth game in the Adventure Time series, set to follow Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom, though whether or not it’s a direct sequel isn’t yet known for sure.

It was first revealed to the media and public on April 4th 2015. Unlike the previous titles in the series, this Adventure Time game is being developed to be the first with 3D visuals. Speaking about this, Little Orbit CEO Matt Scott has said, “We received a lot of fan feedback asking us to bring our next Adventure Time game to next generation consoles in 3D, and we’re thrilled to be delivering that and a lot more.”

Expanding on this, he continues to say, “This new game is a complete departure from previous Adventure Time games. We have created an intriguing classic adventure game set in a richly-detailed 3D Land of Ooo where players can check out Land of Ooo locales, talk to characters, sharpen their creative puzzle-solving skills, defeat bad guys and just have fun.”

Story

At this time, the specifics of the plot aren’t entirely known. What we do know is that the game is based loosely off the sixth season of the television show. After the discovery of a Tickertype Assignment Printing Machine, Finn and Jake decide to try their hand at becoming detectives like the latter’s foster parents. Following a trail of mysterious events, the colourful duo will go through all manner of strange happenings and action in an attempt to become professional investigators.

Gameplay

Gameplay will see Finn making use of his trusted sword while Jake relies on transformations to help Finn bypass obstacles and otherwise unreachable heights. Enemies will drop a number of collectibles, whether or not these are in-game loot or not that will aid in level or character progression isn’t clear yet.

Characters

At this time, only two characters have been officially confirmed to be in Adventure Time: Finn and Jake, namely protagonists Finn and Jake. With this being said, many other characters from the exceptionally popular television series are likely to appear, though not in a playable way.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

The game’s publisher, Little Orbit, also has an extensive catalog of video games that are aimed at the younger demographic. This includes Adventure Time and How to Train Your Dragon.

Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends is being developed for a multi-generation, cross platform release. It will be made available on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U and 3DS some time in Q3/Q4 of 2015.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends is based on the popular DreamWorks Animation martial arts comedy movie series that began in 2008.

It was first announced to the public and the media on May 4th of 2015. The announcement was made by publisher Little Orbit and followed by a statement which reads, “We are very proud to team up with DreamWorks Animation to extend the world of Kung Fu Panda in a new exciting way. This is a perfect match-up to bring this extraordinary series to gamers who love a great multiplayer martial arts game.”

The game will include a cast of characters directly lifted from the main line films in the series, as it spans across all three films and focuses on a tournament where all warriors compete for a chance at glory.

Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends will sport both single player and multiplayer content. It has also been revealed that the game will receive future add-on content when Kung Fu Panda 3 launches in cinemas on January 29th 2016.

Story

Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends’s story focuses on a tournament in which all the renowned fighters of the DreamWorks universe take part. This includes Po, the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five of Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Viper.

Gameplay

At the time of writing, gameplay footage and details have not been revealed, but the game does appear to be a competitive fighter. This has drawn similarities between games like Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros. and Street Fighter.

Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends will support a variety of modes including Vs. modes, Team Battle, Team Tag Battle and the “Tournament of Legends” mode. Offline and online competitive play have also been confirmed.

Characters

The game’s full roster hasn’t been revealed just yet, but we do already know that it will include characters from all of the Kung Fu Panda films. At this time, these are the characters that have been confirmed:

• Po
• Tigress
• Monkey
• Mr. Ping
• Tai Lung
• Croc
• Vachir
• A member of the Wu Sisters
• Shen’s Gorilla Guard

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Young Justice: Legacy plays out as one long episode of the series will all know and love, and its supporting cast is pretty entertaining. Kid Flash is quirky, Aqualad is too serious, and Superboy is to chilled to care. The characters represent their TV counterparts superbly well and the transition from one medium into another where most would generally crash and burn, isn’t that bad here.

"Villains such as Cheshire, Sportsmaster, and Killer Frost pick up the slack and provide more enjoyability over the mediocre henchmen in the game, but more variety would have been welcomed."

Before initiating a mission the player is free to select a team of three from the heroes that are currently available. Each team member has their own on-screen HUD indicating their traits such as health, energy, and power, which is displayed when picking your team mates. Characters are unlocked as you progress through the game and come with a selection of costumes to choose from, assuming you’ve taken the necessary steps to unlock them. All characters from the television show are present here and do well to match their appearance, attitudes, and traits as seen on the show.

Noticeable villains make their way onto the set as enemy boss battles, while generic ninja knock-offs taken from Stephen Sommer’s G.I. Joe fill out the roster of killing time. As with most games of this type that are geared towards younger audiences, repetitive combat is a given. This is something you better get used to as variety is at an all time lacking, especially when playing the game in single-player. Villains such as Cheshire, Sportsmaster, and Killer Frost pick up the slack and provide more enjoyability over the mediocre henchmen in the game, but more variety would have been welcomed.

When you’re not taking part in a mission you are free to explore the team’s headquarters and speak to members of the Justice League. There’s not much to see or discover in the team’s headquarters, it’s a simple room that works as a base for accessing training missions, main missions, and character customization options. There’s also a fun trivia to take part in that throws a series of questions at you based on the TV show, as well as general knowledge from the DC comics universe. It’s kind of like DC’s answer to Mortal Kombat’s Test Your Might. I spent quite a bit of time coming back to this and it’s a nice addition and a good change of pace. The base itself is identical to the show but purposely lacks freedom and exploration as it’s not an important factor of the game.

"With the optimization techniques available on the console platform, the reason behind the graphical hiccups that this game suffers from is beyond me, not to mention embarrassing."

As you are tasked with controlling a team of three by which you can switch back and fourth from, Young Justice handles this aspect of the game very well. Unlike most games of co-operative nature where you’re left steering all members of the team when a human companion isn’t available, the computer A.I. didn’t suck. It wasn’t noticeably helpful but none of my team mates suffered at defending themselves, they attacked and held their own. Where most games of this nature would have you’re A.I. team mates taking part in what I like to call the “Gorgon Showdown” meaning that they behave as if they’ve gazed upon the eyes of Medusa, and are to stiff to take part in the action. I was quite satisfied with their contribution and had no problem when playing in single-player.

In an era where the majority of games only contain human involvement through the means of an online multi-player, I’m always pleased to see games that integrate co-operative gameplay locally. Young Justice: Legacy is a perfect game for this and will undoubtedly bring fan-boys and fan-girls of the DC Comics together, as well as those with an initial attraction to the game.

Young Justice: Legacy is without a doubt a fun and pleasing game, and it does well to satisfy its fan base and younger audiences, but it isn’t exactly the best looking of games. With the optimization techniques available on the console platform, the reason behind the graphical hiccups that this game suffers from is beyond me, not to mention embarrassing. Frame rate drops, glitching cut scenes, and blurry textures presents this game as a mess. The only attraction it visually holds is in its representation of the characters.

"Young Justice: Legacy seems to be another one of those games that fall victim to the idea that catering its control method to suit younger audiences, is an excuse to throw away fun and enjoyable combat, and replace it with dull, repetitive, four hit combos that you're left to repeating two to three minutes because there's nothing else available."

It doesn’t help that the game’s camera pulls away from the character at times in order to show off its environments, when the game isn’t that pleasing on the eyes to begin with. In a game that’s by no means graphically intense I had to question the screen tearing that was present. None of these issues are by any means game breaking but when they’re all together it becomes something that’s noticeable.

Young Justice: Legacy seems to be another one of those games that fall victim to the idea that catering its control method to suit younger audiences, is an excuse to throw away fun and enjoyable combat, and replace it with dull, repetitive, four hit combos that you’re left to repeating two to three minutes because there’s nothing else available. With the exception of Super-Power abilities which are initiated by holding down the top bumper in combination with one of the attack buttons, fighting becomes tedious and boring.

The only real joy I received from the game’s combat was in my own curiosity to see what each character can do, and how well it stays true to that character’s personality and abilities from the TV show that it’s based upon. Although the game doesn’t emphasize any character classes per say, anybody familiar with the heroes or the series will know what they’re getting themselves into when selecting the team. Superboy’s fighting techniques work on the advantage of his strength, Kid Flash is based around speed, and Artemis uses her bow for the majority of her attacks.

"With its lackluster graphics and combo-less control mechanics, Young Justice: Legacy would be more appealing had it been developed for a tablet device rather than a console."

The best way to describe the combat in this game is that it feels like a dumbed down version of DC Universe Online. The only problem with this is that, DCUO is an MMO, where in-depth combat and memorizing different attacks patterns from your enemy isn’t as much of an important factor when you’re picking your attack, rather than directly attacking in a game such as Young Justice.

With its lackluster graphics and combo-less control mechanics, Young Justice: Legacy would be more appealing had it been developed for a tablet device rather than a console. Frankly, it would have been more impressive in that form, and if not for enjoyability, then just for the sake of exploiting the graphical capabilities of modern day tablets and mobile devices.

Young justice: Legacy is a perfect example that no matter how much you may love something growing up, if it hasn’t adapted to your maturity later on in life, you will ultimately fail to enjoy it and see it its fullest potential as it may in fact be a work of amazement. With that being said older audiences may have trouble in enjoying a game which is actually quite entertaining, regardless if they’re fans or not.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.

The developer also stated that the Wii/Wii U versions will have “their own combat style”, which differs from other versions, in order to fit the control set-up. It will however, have the same story and assets as other versions. Screenshots showcasing the controls for Nintendo console versions are reportedly due to come out soon.

Based on the popular cartoon show of the same name, which features young heroes such as Robin, Kid Flash, Aqua Lad, Superboy and Miss Martian, Young Justice: Legacy is an action-RPG which will serve as an interlude between the first and second seasons of the cartoon.

The game acts like an action RPG similar to Icewind Dale, where you must choose a squad of heroes to face various threats. It even features the voice actors from the show reprising their characters, in case you were worried about authenticity.

Warner Bros. has already announced several DLC characters such as Wonder Girl, Lagoon Boy, Bumblebee and Blue Beetle, with more expected to be announced in the coming months. Young Justice: Legacy is expected to release on September 10th in North America and September 13th in Europe for Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, 3DS and PC.