The game may feel very much like the earlier World War games, but yet has a personality of its own and doesn’t seem hackneyed or redundant. Using the CryEngine 3, the game was released on both the consoles of the older generation as well as on the PC platform. The game fares modestly across all the platforms although with the CryEngine 3 mentioned, it does seem to be a disappointment.

" Particle effects and alpha processing are not neatly done, resulting in fires looking rather odd and having no element of transparency. Player animations are at times rigid and seem as if some characters in the game are having fits."

Enemy Front on the Xbox 360 does look enrapturing at first look, but it most certainly doesn’t utilise the full potential of the MS console. The game pits you in the midst of ravaged cities and country sides which are beautifully detailed, although the lack of high resolution textures is felt often. While most buildings and objects are carefully detailed, some very obvious elements like the ground and crenellations strewn here and there for cover have a dearth of detailing which is a disappointment.

Even so, the depth of field in the game is sufficient and there isn’t more one could ask for in this regard. Whilst great pains are taken to detail the guns and make them react to the worldly elements (like light) in the game, vegetation is a let down with trees and bushes looking like green planks stuck on huge toothpicks. Anti-aliasing is not much of complain if you discount the shadow outlines.

Particle effects and alpha processing are not neatly done, resulting in fires looking rather odd and having no element of transparency. Player animations are at times rigid and seem as if some characters in the game are having fits. The negatives aside, the game still does have really good shadows.

Lighting in the game has been exquisitely used to its advantage and lends the game a charm, supplemented by the shadows, even if somewhat marred by the lack of proper anti-aliasing techniques. Anisotropic filtering is missing and it quite wrenched my heart to see such a beautifully crafted game lack that. On the other hand, ambient occlusion IS in place, but not ubiquitously.

You may come across it here and there as you chance to scrutinise a certain bundle of planks, or a door you’re about to go through, or certain stone blocks lying about. It does help the game to look better, and even though there isn’t much of it available, better that little than none.

" . The lighting system on the PS3 retains the same brilliance like that on the Xbox 360. Ambient occlusion is present, but again, cannot be seen throughout the game and only certain objects flung about the map feature that. Soft shadows and texture mapping are almost at par with the 360 but at some points they don’t hold up against its MS counterpart somehow."

The Ps3 version of the game remains largely the same as the Xbox 360 version. The textures on the PS3 are the same as that of the Xbox, but it shoots ahead in particle effects and a very minute improvement in the alpha processing; the latter’s difference is almost invisible to the eye so the improvement counts for nought.

The shadows largely remain similar across the two platforms although anti-aliasing on shadows is seemingly better on the Sony console. The lighting system on the PS3 retains the same brilliance like that on the Xbox 360. Ambient occlusion is present, but again, cannot be seen throughout the game and only certain objects flung about the map feature that. Soft shadows and texture mapping are almost at par with the 360 but at some points they don’t hold up against its MS counterpart somehow.

Depth of field as is again at par with the MS console but the shading and texture mapping are marginally better. Anisotropic on the PS3 isn’t a great improvement but it is there nonetheless. All in all, there isn’t anything that makes the game radically different on either platform and hence there is no real rivalry about which console plays the game better.

Both consoles have no horizontal tearing problems or stuttering issues. frame rate problems are minimal, but still noticeably there on both the consoles, more so on the PS3.

"Reflections are pretty good and the water effects are excellent to behold in the PC version of the game. The 3D skybox in the game is brilliant and the depth of field and the detailing for the same does not give opportunity for many complaints. Even with the unkempt utilisation of the CryEngine 3, the game’s lighting and bloom effects are quite exquisite which makes roaming out in the open a delight."

On the PC, the game looks infinitely better; bear in mind that Enemy Front looks better in comparison to the consoles, but per se the game leaves one wanting a lot more. Discounting the fact that the game fails to touch the graphical benchmark of the time, it is decorous.

Whilst the texture mapping is visibly better in every aspect vis-a-vis the consoles, it still lacks proper detailing. Again, the lack of detail is felt most when looking down at the ground; it looks bland and unreal. The same is the case with some of the walls of buildings where they seem like painted cardboards.

Reflections are pretty good and the water effects are excellent to behold in the PC version of the game. The 3D skybox in the game is brilliant and the depth of field and the detailing for the same does not give opportunity for many complaints. Even with the unkempt utilisation of the CryEngine 3, the game’s lighting and bloom effects are quite exquisite which makes roaming out in the open a delight.

Character actions/animations occasionally suffer, evident from their clothes not being responsive to the elements around (to wind, movement etc.).Shadows on the other hand are good in the game and so is ambient occlusion. AO utilised in the game is not the best to be seen out there, but it’s not a damper at all.

That may be so, but the foliage is downright appalling. The trees and grass are not appropriately detailed and do not react to the player moving through them. The game has paltry system requirements with the game being capable of running on a PC with 2.5+Ghz dual core processor like the Intel E4700 with 3 Gigabytes of RAM and a low end card like the 8800 GT or even the Radeon 3850.There have been reported issues of card heating in some cases but it has been most common in PCs with SLI configuration.

Even with such low a system requirement, the game occasionally suffers from frame rate drops but it is nothing that would make you flustered. A few patches in due time should set the game right on track.

"The game’s soundtrack is brilliant and enrapturing and gels in with the theme of the game flawlessly. The story of the game is a little different with a solid gameplay. One thing that I really found appealing was the HUD of the game. It may be a trivial matter but it indeed does add to the aesthetics of the game."

Incontrovertibly, Enemy Front fails to attain the graphical touchstone set by the game industry’s current game. Just so. Even with the drawbacks, I quite enjoy the game as it is. There were times when I felt frustration as to the game lacking the necessary pre-requisites, but eventually I was engrossed enough to not mind that.

The game’s soundtrack is brilliant and enrapturing and gels in with the theme of the game flawlessly. The story of the game is a little different with a solid gameplay. One thing that I really found appealing was the HUD of the game. It may be a trivial matter but it indeed does add to the aesthetics of the game.

It’s definitely not a must play game, but if you’re into FPS games, are a fan of Nazi killin and the World Wars in general, this game is not like to disappoint, if you willingly forget that the game has been made on the CryEngine 3.

The PC version will include addons like high definition visuals, Steam achievements and will run at a solid 60 frames per second. Konami seems to be releasing PC versions of its popular games a bit later than their console counterparts. Metal Gear Rising Revengeance is also scheduled to be released on the PC.

I believe this will help Konami to gauge whether they can launch a successful PC version of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Kojima has expressed interest in bringing his latest game on the PC platform but right now they are focused on current and next gen consoles.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition will be available via Steam on August 27th for $29.99.

Well there are plenty of options out now and it’s easier than ever before to find older consoles, handhelds and PC hardware at great prices. Regardless of what you’re currently focused on;  old, new or you’re just working on a massive back catalog of titles until the new consoles come out  there is no need to rush into the future. With great older hardware available, or even the new and woefully under-appreciated Wii-U someone out there has whatever it is you might be looking for. We’ve got a whole industry’s history worth checking out before November.

The game was released on November 21st, 2013 in Japan, February 11th, 2014 in North America and February 14th, 2014 in Europe for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters
• 5. Limited Edition

Development

In September 2011 Square Enix registered a domain name for Final Fantasy XIII-3, but there was no mention of any development plans. The development details for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII were finally revealed after the release of Final Fantasy XIII-2. The game is taking a new direction in terms of design, and visuals as the developer is using newly designed resources to create worlds from the ground-up with drawings as references. In terms of combat, Lightning Returns director Motomu Toriyama stated in an interview that, ““I think when we talk about the visual side of the battles, if you think about the traditional RPG or JRPG, if you like, [driven] by command battle systems, you have to wait for your enemy to attack you, which is highly unrealistic, in order to pursue a more realistic depiction of combat.”

He further stated, “I think this is the way – the mainstream way, anyway – in an RPG in general. But on the other hand, that strategic element and command battle elements, which were the case with Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, is still there in this latest installment.

“In this game you can see three Active Time Battle bars on the screen and you can change into costumes for the best customization possible, so it’s not entirely an action game, it’s not action game enough to be solely intuitive. It’s more like you have to think about it – we believe that’s one of the great legacies from XIII and XIII-2 that we’re still sticking to.” [reference]

The costume design for Lightning was made by Tetsuya Nomura. In a translated Famitsu article he states that, “Lightning’s clothes are the clothes of a soul liberator, and the clothes and task are given by Bhunivelze – the maker.  New equipment can be bought from the various vendors in the game, or made if you have the right components, along with possible decorations like the sunglasses Lightning is seen with in the latest trailer.” [reference]

Story

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will see the conclusion of Lightning’s story and follow her pursuit to save the world as it comes close to seeing a destructive end. The game takes place five hundred years after Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning will be pushed to her limits against a fate brought about by a new entity of sorts.

While it may be the end of Lightning’s story, the Final Fantasy XIII universe will still continue. Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase stated in an interview, “When you say this universe, if you’re talking about the universe that we have been seeing in XIII, XIII-2 and this game, that includes Cocoon, Gran Pulse and the islands in this installment – that is definitely coming to an end. But if you’re on about Fabula Nova Crystallis and the mythology that these stories are based on, that may continue.” [reference]

Gameplay

The player will take control of Lightning herself, as the only playable character. She will have the ability to travel over a large variety of terrain in the game, as well as use the ability to climb, jump, crouch, take cover behind walls, climb over obstacles, hang off ledges and also employ stealth. The player has a choice to either walk between destinations or use the monorail for faster travel. The combat system has been revamped to move away from the semi-turn based nature of previous games to a more fast paced combat system. Chocolina will be present in the game to give support to the player. This time there will not be any QTEs (Quick Time Events). The game will allow players to put together a variety of weapons, shields and other abilities to create special skills.

The game is said to feature tougher bosses and enemies, as well as allowing the players to slice off different body parts of monsters. The game also makes an interesting feature which will include a time limit or more specifically a “doomsday clock” in which the player has about 13 days to prevent the world’s horrible fate. Defeating enemies or performing tasks will enable Lightning to turn the clock back and give her more time. Lightning will also have the ability to use magic and slow down time in the midst of battle to press the advantage.

Characters

Some of the characters that are making an appearance in the game are:-

Hope Estheim: He will be Lightning’s navigator; they will communicate continuously when you walk.

Snow Villiers will be an antagonist in one of the missions; he is a client in Yusnaan.

Chocolina – a time-traveling merchant.

Noel Kreiss – He tries to fight Lightning on the belief that she will end the world.

Lumina – She will sometimes help Lightning, but at other times get in her way.

Limited Edition

A special edition called Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Ultimate Box will also be released at around the same time. The box will contain the following: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2 as well as Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Blu-ray games. The player would also receive a Play Arts Kai figurine of Lightning, a soundtrack of the game which comes on 3 discs, Final Fantasy XIII Lightning artwork, and a Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Ultimate Box Special Stand. A special controller will also go with the game’s release.