As mentioned in an earlier post we now have a brand spanking new website – the address for which is www.gamingbytesuk.com. From now on all of our new posts will be going there so to enjoy our newest reviews of Brink, Duke Nukem and L.A. Noire please visit the link. We’d like to thank everyone who made this website such a big hit and hope that you will all join us on the second leg of our adventure.
Kindest Regards
The Gaming Bytes Team
Recently you may have noticed (Or at least our true fans would have) that we haven’t really posted much in the way of news gaming reviews, previews etc. The reason behind all of this is that we are moving to another website.
Either this weekend or next we will post a link to our new website on here and hope that you will all join us on that website. We will still be giving you the same amount of quality reviews and previews as always just on a better named website (I mean being honest gamingbytes.wordpress.com was a bit of a mouthful)
So please keep your eyes peeled and when the time comes you will be able to get all of your gaming news, once again on our new website.We hope you like the changes that we will be making.
Any fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies will love this game! I will admit I was already a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean but playing this game just made me want to see all the movies again (preferably with Lego characters instead of the actual actors).
Lego games have already become very popular around the world due to the likes of Lego star wars, Lego batman; Lego Indiana jones and even Lego harry Potter. So what makes this game different to any of them? Well in all honesty not much. This Lego game is pretty much the same apart from it being pirate rather than wizards or batman etc.
Lego Pirates of The Caribbean is available on X-Box 360, Playstation 3, Sony PSP, PC and Nintendo Wii
The Lego “movie clips” like previous ones are rather comical, for example, before the menu comes up on the screen you get an opening movies sequence which like the start of the movie is Will being pulled on board the ship and Elizabeth realising he is a pirate. In the Lego sequence she punches his parrot, throws away his eye patch and throws away his hook whereas in the actual movie she just hides his pirate medallion. After this opening movie sequence you get taken to the main menu which gives you the option of Story Mode of Free Play (unfortunately you can only play the Free Play once you have completed story mode since the Free Play mode allows you to go back over the levels you have played).
Story Mode takes you through the movies from the start with a lot of added comical movie sequences. Of course if you don’t want to watch the movie sequences you can just skip them and pay the game but I personally would recommend watching them as they are very funny.
For those of you who have played the Lego games before the gameplay is exactly the same. You can change between the characters around you to get different parts of the task done and build up broken Lego models around you too.
My favourite thing about this game was the way they have made the Lego Jack Sparrow just as brilliant as the actual character from the movies (the Lego version even walks the same as him). Clearly a lot of thought has been put into this game to keep the little Lego characters as close to the real characters as possible.
Graphically impressive regardless of it being a Lego game
So why play this game? Well really it is for anyone who is a fan of the Lego games and/or a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean. If you enjoyed previous Lego games I would really recommend playing this one too as it kept me hooked from the start.
This game deserves a high score for the thought of characters and because I really enjoyed it but for the originality I will be making it down as it is the same gameplay as previous Lego games (the only difference is the storyline).
If you haven’t played any Lego games or are still a bit unsure if you would enjoy it then download a free demo of the game now from the PlayStation Store, from Xbox Live or you can go on the Lego Videogames website to download a free demo for your PC (not available for Mac).
Game Score: 8/10
Review stolen from a bilge rat and soaked in rum by rainbow
Buy Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (Wii) from Amazon.co.uk
Buy Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (Xbox 360) from Amazon.co.uk
With today bringing news that sexist commentator Andy Gray has been axed from the next instalment of Fifa 12, I thought this was the best time to start talking about a hotly tipped, high impact, yearly franchised game such as…..well…..Fifa 12.
Fifa 12 has vast changes not just commentators
So yes Andy Gray has gone, but don’t worry the answer as to his replacement is at the bottom of this review. The other goodish news is that you can choose to have Martin Tyler and his new associate or you can have the comedy commentary of Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend. Now that is a shocker (Unless you owned previous Fifa’s) But onto the actual review
So other than the above statements what has changed in Fifa 12, well we will start with just about everything. The ‘Press’ button has been removed and that now makes defending an actual skill, no more will people be able to hold down a button and a defender nipping the ball away from Messi with virtually no skill needed. Attacking has also been altered with the ability to hold up the ball, closer control with dribbling has also been implemented and more importantly than all those put together is the new ‘Impact Engine.’ In the past a collision would send body parts into an almost laughable manor of limbs going through players, tackles not making a difference how hard you tried to destroy Christiano Ronaldo and you get the idea. Now tackles will make a difference, actual injuries will be made if you try and snap someone’s leg, a collision system that should detect even the best of bumps and concussions.
Andy Gray gets dropped by Sky first and now EA. What next?
But for me the best is yet to come, finally the Pro Player Intelligence system that ‘supposedly’ was implemented in Fifa 11 is apparently ready and waiting. So for instance, Peter Crouch will be ready to head the ball into the net, Messi will be able to closely dribble the ball, Drogba will have the strength to hold off opponents, and John Terry will be able to hit on friends girlfriends – Just like in real life.
Well the last one you may not be able to do, but you get the point. But all of this comes at a price, and that price is that if you fell in love with Fifa 11 you have to get used to a whole new different ball game (Pardon the pun). So what do you think? Looking forward to the challenge? Or do you expect a difficult relegation battle? Judging from previous years, I’m making Fifa 12 the bookies favourites and expecting Pro Evo to be relegated to the Bargain bin almost instantaneously.
P.S. The person who is replacing Andy Gray is Alan Smith discuss…
Fifa 12 will be available to purchase on 30th September 2012 for Microsoft X-Box 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP and PC
Use these Pre-Order links and get 18 Gold packs (3 packs per month for 6 months) to build your dream club in FIFA 12 Ultimate Team.
Pre-Order FIFA 12 – Special Edition (PS3) from Amazon.co.uk
Pre-Ordre FIFA 12 – Special Edition (Xbox 360) from Amazon.co.uk
We all know of LulzSec and their online antics such as hacking Nintendo and Sony and for hacking broadcasters such as Fox and PBS. Well, as of June 26th 2011 LulzSec have in fact disbanded. Yes you heard (or read) me right.
Lulz Security - Gone for good, or just until the heat dies down?
On June 25th LulzSec kept announcing on their Twitter account about how they had a surprise for everyone at midnight, which they then counted down to closer to the time. At midnight they released their ’50 days of Lulz statement’ for the world to read. The statement basically explains that LulzSec are people just like everyone else and that they only set out to do what they did for 50 days and part of the statement reads “it’s time to say bon voyage. Our planned 50 day cruise has expired, and we must now sail into the distance, leaving behind – we hope – inspiration, fear, denial, happiness, approval, disapproval, mockery, embarrassment, thoughtfulness, jealousy, hate, even love. If anything, we hope we had a microscopic impact on someone, somewhere. Anywhere.”
The full statement can be found at http://lulzsecurity.com/releases/50%20Days%20of%20Lulz.txt
LulzSec have not given any reason (other than that 50 days was their planned time) as to why they have parted but many feel that they have done this for now because of the latest police investigations, and that they may even return when the heat is off them.
Although LulzSec have disbanded they have urged their supporters to continue on without them.
So what does all of this mean? Has LulzSec gone for good or are they just taking some time out? Well there is no indication of whether they will be back or not but with everything they have done in the short time they were here I have a feeling we will be hearing from them again.
As of June 26th LulzSec have not posted anything else on their Twitter account nor have they updated anything on their website since their ’50 Days of Lulz statement’.
What are your thoughts on LulzSec? Do you think they were right to do what they did? Do you think they will be back, or are they gone forever?
After weeks of debate, weeks of wondering it’s finally here, the successor to the Wii…..The Wii U, and whilst it does sound like an infant making the noise of a police cars siren, it actually looks interesting.
Upon first glance, you could be forgiven for mistaking the Wii U as….well…..a Wii. It doesn’t seem too much different from the Wii, but then you turn it on and you see the difference.
For the first time ever Nintendo are upgrading to HD graphics, one of the big selling points of the more ‘serious’ game consoles. With HD graphics, even games like Wii Sports will look good, and it doesn’t stop at Wii Sports, Nintendo have more planned. Games such as Tekken, Batman: Arkham Assylum and Dirt are amongst some of the titles that are going to grace the Wii U. And for the less ‘hard-core gamer’ there are going to be new versions of smash brothers, and almost certainly an updated, upgraded version of Wii Sports amongst others.
Wii U console.......Huh!? Looks like a console I've played before
This now opens up a window that Nintendo have never really tried to break into and that is the hard-core gamer market. With titles such as Tekken (And almost certainly other games classified as hard-core) coming to the system this may attract a different type of gamer to the console. However, hard-core gamers may still feel as though the Wii U is still just as ‘kidified’ as Nintendo always have been. But who knows I may be wrong.
But the main selling point of the Wii U, in fact the main thing on show at E3 has got to be the controller. Now Nintendo are nothing new to having different, innovative controllers, and this has to go down as one of the best, whilst also annoying (Read on to find out why). The controller is a touchscreen, yes they have finally jumped on the bandwagon and released a touchscreen controller. So what can this baby do, what it can’t do is cook you breakfast, but apart from that it’s impressive. If your ‘friend’ or dad wants to watch TV you can take your game onto the controller, good yes, surprising, not really. It’s a motion controller, so you could use it like you did the Wii mote and use it to move your character, or drive a car or anything like that. It has a camera, so you can video chat, and I’m sure some games companies will come up with impressive uses for it too. And whilst this is all great and whilst the preview of what the controller can do is impressive (See it for yourself here) it opens up other questions. For instance, are hard-core gamers going to feel that this is an unnecessary add-on? How responsive is it going to be? Why does it look like an Apple I-Pad? And what the hell am I going to do with this, where’s my controller? And the big one…..How much is it going to cost me if I need another one?
Wii U Controller - Flashy, but potentially pricy
Which brings me nicely around to pricing. There has been no official word on pricing, just that it would be ‘competitive’ with the other consoles. Pundits reckon the console will start at $299, whilst the controller will start at $99. My guessing is that the console will start at $299, but I can’t see the controller, because of the touchscreen alone, being any cheaper than $150. And then you have to ask yourself, do you want something where the controller costs as much as the console? This is where most people will be put off. And with the latest attack from Lulzsec being on Nintendo, the only system to not have been infiltrated is Microsoft (But your time will come) and people may be put off by that too.
No actual specification was released by Nintendo, although looking around online we did find a supposed ‘internal’ document outlining the (Again supposed) specification which is (Once again supposedly)
CPU – Custom IBM Power 6 Chip (Codename Fox), Quad Core 3.5Ghz
Graphics – Custom AMD RV770 (Codename Wolf) 766Mhz
RAM – 512MB XDR2 DRAM (Main), 1024 GDDR5 VRAM (Video), 16MB eDRAM
Storage – 2.5″ 250/320GB SATA & Expandable storage via SD/SDHC card up to 64GB
Media – Custom Bluray & compatible with Nintendo GameCube Game Discs & Wii Disc
Display – Composite – 480i, S-Video – 480i, Component – 480/720/1080, HDMI – 480/720/1080
But I can’t guarantee that that is real, to look at the ‘actual’ document then click here.
So do I want one, actually, and quite surprisingly yes, but I also wanted one of the original Wii’s, and after 6 months of playing on it, got bored and bought a 360. I see the same being the case for the Wii U, and as always I am asking the same questions that most industry experts are asking.
Can it compete with the consoles that are already acknowledged as ‘serious’ games consoles? Is this the right time for a new console? Can it actually be ‘competitively’ priced? And are people going to switch from their favourite console to this, just because it is newer? And finally the biggie if the Wii only last 6 years, then what’s to stop this console from lasting only that long? Let us know your thoughts
The Wii U is expected for a release date between July and December of 2012
“Do I look ill to you?” “No Sony you’re just blushing”
After over a month out for the PSN (Playstation Network) and a little longer for the store a lot of people are angry at all that has happened and everyone has their own opinions as to who’s to blame and are all the freebies enough?
Lulz Security. Complete w@nk3rs or a security marvel?
Let’s start with where the blame lies – and this is where it gets very complicated… Most people are blaming Sony, saying that they couldn’t have taken enough security precautions otherwise this wouldn’t have happened. Well no security system is 100% secure and by law they must take steps to protect data so that’s not entirely true. With a little bit of research however Sony may be to blame, Hotz (better known to some on the internet as ‘Geohot’) found a way to jailbreak your PS3 and Sony didn’t like this so they took legal action and tried to sue him. To most this wouldn’t seem like something that would have caused all of this but according to a tweet by ‘Lulzsec’ (Lulz Security) on May 27“the beginning of the end” dubbing this whole anti-Sony campaign ‘Sownage’ (A combination of ‘Sony’ and ‘ownage’) and that this is being done in an effort to make up for what Sony did to ‘Geohot’.
It seems Sony could have took a lesson from Microsoft as a teenager from Ireland found a way to circumvent ‘Xbox Live’ and instead of doing what Sony did, they offered to train him further and give him a job at the end to discover any more security flaws they had.
Sony might wish that this latest attack was just make believe
The newest attck to Sony Pictures, Sony BMG and Sony BMG Japan/Netherlands they stole over 1,000,000 users’ data and around 79.000 download coupons, the worst part is that all of these items were stored by Sony as plain text (a .txt file) so as soon as LulzSec entered they got what they were looking for. A tweet from 3rd June “I hear there’s been some funny scamming with jacked Sony accounts. That’s what you get for using the same password everywhere. #LulzLesson” looking at the ‘release’ most of the accounts are from people who were born in the 20s to the 40s so if the tweet is true, it’s a shame someone is abusing people who may be more vulnerable.
This is what Lulz Sec did when they hit PBS.com
At this moment no-one knows how long this will last for or what may get hacked next and for some I’m sure this will be worrying; all I can say for the moment is change any passwords you may have with a Sony subsidiary (apart from one’s you’ve been forced to; unless you really want to) one of the more shocking tweets from LulzSec posted on May 31 – the start of all this and the first tweet with #Sownage is this: “#Sownage comes when we release the lulz. If you want it faster, go hack something yourself. Cruising at a steady pace, fresh and calm.”
Will we see more hacks in the next few days? Will LulzSec bring down Sony? Do you think that Sony’s lawsuit was the catalyst? We’d like your comments.
Written with a lot of Lolsearch by Adz
P.S. Since this article has been written Nintendo servers have also been hacked, not to the same extent as Sony but still. More can be read on the BBC website here Nintendo’s Blushes and soon we will also have an article on that so watch this __________
Yes it’s true the PlayStation Store came back online a few days ago, 1st June to be precise (In all markets except Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan). And also true is that Sony are now offering their widely covered and much talked about ‘Welcome Back ‘program but wait.
Before you deviate away from this post and onto the PS Store you may want to read our own troubles and tribulations with actually downloading our freebies. Firstly I turned on my Playstation 3, log in to the PlayStation Store and guess what……Error!!!!!
Which two do you choose?
It seems Sony has underestimated just how busy there store is going to be as on almost every click I get (After between three and ten attempts to actually enter the store) I get an error message. I mean did Sony actually think that they were going to give people freebies and for maybe ten or twenty people to take up the offer….. Well clearly, yes.
Once you get on though and actually find the freebies, it’s a pretty smooth ride (Or at least for my girlfriend it was). So within minutes she was downloading Ratchet and Clank, one of her favourites that were available and she was happy. However with me…
Some of the games that are getting offered through PlayStation Plus seem tame when compared to previous weeks.
Well as documented I got on to the store (Eventually) I tried to download the @Welcome Back’ app that you, for some reason need before you can download anything, and it crashed. So I exited the store, and tried to re-download the app and it vanished.
Yes, that’s right, it vanished. So searching online for anyone else who has had this issue and thankfully I’m not the only person. So as always on GamingBytes we like to try and give you help so if you do face this error and don’t get to download your first game, here’s what Sony tell you to do.
1. On your PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable navigate to the PlayStation Network icon on the XMB
2. Log into your PlayStation Network account and choose Account Management > Transaction Management > Services List
3. Choose “PlayStation Network Promotions” from the list of services displayed
4. Select either “PS3 Free Games” or “PSP Free Games” and then choose “Select Content”
Source – http://blog.us.playstation.com/
Now I’d love to tell you this works, but my girlfriend is currently using my PS3, so I will update the blog, if and when I get the chance to try this, but it does seem a common problem.
So it all seems to be generally working very well, so (For now at least) bravo Sony and let’s hope that when I get the chance to I too will be able to enjoy some free games.
How is your ‘Welcome Back’ content going down? Are you too having problems? Have you had no problems what so ever? And have you had a chance to look at the rather poor and tame selection of PlayStation Plus freebies? Whatever your reaction to the ‘Welcome Back’ program drop us a comment and good luck, you may just need it
UPDATE: I have now checked, this problem of errors during download can be resolved by using the method stated above – happy downloading.
Details are sketchy at best but Forza 4 is looking like it will go at the very top of my Christmas must have list. The game builds on the success of the Forza Motorsport franchise and reportedly adds lots more cars, lots more courses and appeals to hard-core drivers as well as the more casual gamer. But one has to ask the question if it isn’t broke, why are you trying to fix it?
Yes there were a few annoyances in Forza 3, but these small ‘annoyances’ were just that small. I mean honestly I didn’t hear many people complaining about the game, what I did hear were a lot of Sony fans complaining that GT5 had still not been released. So if they are going to increase its popularity or release a ‘polished’ version of Forza they were going to have to pull something out of the bag.
The cover car Ferrari 458 Italia is a slight change from the usual
As I said earlier, details are very sketchy, but a leaked internal only video has been on YouTube for us to all look at and analyse as much as possible. Firstly, it looks as though Microsoft are trying to entice those casual ‘Sunday drivers’ with the Kinect system. Basically it allows those who maybe don’t like to use the controller to control the car using just your hands (Ideal if your 12). That’s not all you can do with the Kinect though, this time you can actually look around the car, or even get in the car and look at the superb details that you’re obviously going to be noticing when you’re speeding through the desert doing 200MPH. Also when using the Kinect system and driving you can view your side mirrors to see who is behind you or to your right, useful, but really not going to appeal to the hard-core gamer.
So, if you are a hard-core gamer, what’s in it for you, well……. Not a lot. You can now play online with up to 16 mates in an all new online racing system, perfect so long as no-one hacks X-Box Live. More than 80 manufacturers are also going to be available in-game for you to tune and hone to your hearts content. There also appears to be more fully featured F1 support, although this may get overlooked as an addition that is not necessary, especially regarding the new-found love for the increasingly popular F1 yearly series of games. Other improvements are a supposedly new career mode, active aero on specific cars, and the exhaust pops when you decelerate quickly – amazing improvements!
Another noticeable addition is that of the Top Gear team, who along with aiding Microsoft in their development of the game have also seemingly given the rights to reproduce the Top Gear Test Track (Good Microsoft copy something else from Sony) and the Transfagarasan Road in Romania that was featured in the show.
Okay admittedly that looks impressive - The game is due for release in Autumn of this year
However, all in all I don’t see any major upgrades for the hard-core driver/gamer. I loved Forza 3 because it had ground breaking graphics and was as good a driving simulator as you could get for the 360. And whilst I will be buying it (I love my racing games) it will only be bought because Forza 3 is getting old and I have practically finished Gran Turismo 5. But at first glance (Which is what this is) I am fairly un-impressed.
Check back after E3 when hopefully more details will come to light and hopefully I will have changed my mind. For those of you who want to see the leaked trailer it is available via this YouTube link. Remember, its low res and Microsoft have stated that ‘The video in question was not intended for public distribution and may not accurately reflect features and functionality that ship in Forza Motorsport 4.’
The game will be available late 2011 (In time for Chrimbo)
After months of saying “No, I’m not going to review Killzone because everyone is” I got handed a copy of the Killzone demo and hence this review.
Let me first say this, I have never played any of the Killzone games, I found them to be either juvenile or games that juveniles would play. And me not being a juvenile I thought that this game would not get a fair review, so I went into this review with the clear and indefinite thoughts that I would not enjoy it.
The last first person shooter I played was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and even when I played COD I never played it for too long because I found it fairly boring. I can safely say that Killzone doesn’t have this effect on me, yes you read right, doesn’t. “But you said you were going to hate Killzone 3” I said I was going to try to, but playing this game made me realise what I possibly have been missing in life.
With graphics that are this good, it;s hard to wonder why I didn't review it before now
The gameplay was fantastic, took me a while to get used to it, but my god when I did get the hang of it, It was awesome. The graphics are absolutely amazing, graphics that, in my opinion would give LA: Noire a run for their money. And whilst the in-game graphics rival anything in its field, the cut scene graphics are out of this world. I cannot actually give the graphics its comeuppance because they are just a delight to look at. The control system, whilst not easy to just pick up and learn along the way, has buttons for everything. I mean seriously there is probably a button to make my tea; I just haven’t found it yet. Some may be put off by the thought of too many buttons, but after playing it (And dying quite a bit I must admit) for fifteen minutes you understand how it all works. It also has compatibility with the move controller, unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to review that, but you can almost guarantee that it’ll be similar to every other shoot ‘em up game that uses the PS Move (There’s also a 3D version, but knowing my love for everything 3D why don’t we skip past that). The game also comes with a co-op mode, which I’m quite sure may get people to stay in on a Saturday night and have a Killzone party. If I had friends I too would probably do that.
Killzone is available now on Playstation 3 Only
Obviously the game does have a rating of 18 which is understandable considering all the blood and gore that is complimentary in the game. Not to mention the fact that your killing….things with big guns and you actually get complimented on your shooting by your “Partner” (I can’t see many parents saying well done to their son or daughter for shooting someone in the head with a big machine gun can you).
If there was going to be a con it was that the control system, at first is very sensitive and has too many buttons and actions then are genuinely needed. That’s it, I can’t think of any other cons, this game is absolute genius, and I’m not a person who is known for playing games like this, that have “teh big guns”
So for what has to be the first time since starting to review games, I can fairly say that I was wrong to criticise this game. Whilst the storyline seems rather farfetched, the gameplay, and even to a certain extent the control system, more than make up for it. So if this game is criticised for being juvenile, then I too must be a juvenile. Just makes me sad that I haven’t played the first two, but I am happy in the knowledge that if I want too they are going for really cheap on the regular auction sites. This will be going on my shopping list, definitely.
Score: 9/10
Review done whilst riding a black swan by: parkergordon
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