The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - "Infiltration" Review

Note: Full spoilers for this episode follow.

This week's installment of Earth's Mightiest Heroes tended to wear its influences on its sleeve, drawing material from a number of comics involved in Marvel's Secret Invasion storyline. As in the Black Panther story  "See Wakanda and Die," Panther was charged with repelling an invasion of his homeland. As in several issues of Mighty Avengers, Nick Fury struggled to uncover which of Earth's heroes had been replaced. And as in Secret Invasion itself, a crashed Skrull ship revealed an entire crew of what appeared to be escaped Avengers. It was a packed episode, but luckily the end result was less choppy than might be expected.

Ms. Marvel of all characters proved to be the star of the show this time. She served as the voice of moderation between the crashed "Avengers" and Black Panther's forces. Her ongoing struggle to reconcile her duties to S.W.O.R.D. with her status as an Avenger is serving the show well. And seeing Carol unleash her powers later in the episode is a treat. As much as the character has suffered a rocky history in the comics, Earth's Mightiest Heroes continues to do right by Ms. Marvel.

The battle for Wakanda was also enjoyable, albeit not quite at the scale I was hoping for. What should have been a siege of a massive and highly advanced city instead played out as a brawl between a handful of Skrull impostors and Wakandan footmen, with a few tanks and cannons thrown in for good measure. One area DC shows like Young Justice continue to dominate Marvel's efforts is in animation quality. It's hard not to wonder what this battle might have looked like with Young Justice-caliber animation. Still, the individual character match-ups were fun. The only thing cooler than one Black Panther kicking ass is two Panthers battling each other. There was also something strangely satisfying about seeing Wasp revert to full size in order to deck the Skrull Giant-Man. Call it payback for the infamous spousal abuse storyline in the comics.

Iron Man also returned to the spotlight briefly for an unexpected team-up with Doctor Doom. This episode expertly captured the uneasy relationship the two have always shared in the comics. Doom may have disdain for all humans, but even he has to begrudgingly respect Tony's scientific acumen. It's also nice to be reminded that this show isn't limited by the same character rights issues as the Avengers movies are. That fact was further emphasized with the glimpse of Nick Fury's Skrull candidate charts. These charts offered a who's who of Marvel cameos, including everyone from Wolverine to Magneto to Luke Cage. Aside from fan service, the Fury scenes worked nicely as a means of tying some loose threads together. Fury revealed the myriad ways in which Skrull agents like Captain America and Mockingbird have been manipulating recent events towards the Skrulls' end. Unfortunately, Fury was taken down before he and his remaining allies could go on the offensive. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see his abbreviated Secret Warriors squad in action before this storyline wraps up.

Much in the same way Secret Invasion itself did, I felt this episode missed some potential with the impostor Avengers. It would have been exciting to see at least one of the characters revealed as the real deal. But with the invasion plotline still unfolding over the next couple episodes, there's plenty of time yet for more Skrull-related shocks and surprises. I only hope these next chapters do a better job of capturing the full scale and scope of this conflict.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Gamesplanet Lab Combines Kickstarter and Steam

Following the massive number of users on Steam and the success of Kickstarter campaigns in recent months, indie game distributor Gamesplanet has teamed up with crowdfunding site Ulele to join digital distribution with user-generated funding in the form of Gamesplanet Lab.

Gamesplanet Lab will allow developers to seek funding for potential projects, but will also provide tools and support for actual development. Once a game is completed, it can be sold through Gamesplanet Lab, and backers can have their pre-orders fulfilled directly, without the need for an additional distribution platform. Backers will also be able to check in on a game’s progress while it’s in active development.

All games will be checked by Gamesplanet Lab to verify that they’re up to expected standards and that “reward fulfillment, community communication and more is conducted professionally and honestly.” Devs will also have to agree to a 10-point charter, including providing clear information, maintaining a clear timetable, guaranteeing the delivery of rewards, prioritizing customer experience for DRM and more.

Gamesplanet stresses that all developers will retain control of their creations, saying in a statement that “This is not a publishing house. No matter what support Gamesplanet Lab offers, developers retain full control and copyright over their ideas. Gamesplanet Lab is also committed to putting the gaming experience first, by demanding not only good results but a gamer friendly approach to the issue of DRM.”

The first two Gamesplanet Lab projects are Day One, an adventure game featuring dark comedy by developer Pendulo, and first-person shooter Magrunner: Dark Pulse from developer 3AM Games. More information about both projects, as well as more details about Gamesplanet Lab itself, are available on the Gamesplanet Lab official site.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Diablo III: Post-Launch Changes

In a post on the Diablo III site Blizzard described a number of changes coming to its popular action-RPG. It appears the “first real game balance changes” will arrive in patch 1.0.3, which will include adjustments to damage “spikiness” in the Inferno difficulty setting, and make the blacksmith artisan a little less expensive to upgrade.

In terms of what Blizzard considers to be important when adjusting balance and skills, “If any single skill or rune feels absolutely required to progress, it means that skill is working against our goal of encouraging build diversity -- and those “required” skills need to be corrected.” This is in reference to the recent hotfixes that lessened the effectiveness of the Monk and Wizard.

Blizzard also noted the 1.1 patch will be the PvP patch, which will add a combat arena into the game where players can beat each other up. In addition, the 1.1 PvP patch will include numerous non-PvP-related changes, such as increasing the statistics of legendary items.

“Legendary items are not designed to necessarily be the best items in the game,” said the post. “They’re just one additional type of item as you level up, and they are not meant to be the primary items you’re chasing at the end-game. They can -- and should -- be exciting to find, but they’re not supposed to serve as the single driving force of the item hunt. Rare items, for example, have the possibility to roll up “perfect” stats that can, if you’re lucky, outpace the predetermined stats of a Legendary. That’s by design.”

Blizzard also listed some interesting statistics for Diablo III, revealing that so far only 1.9 percent of those playing have unlocked the Inferno difficulty setting, and that 80 percent of Diablo III characters are between levels one and 30. So far, the most commonly used runes in the game include Best Served Cold (Barbarian), Lingering Fog (Demon Hunter), Mirror Skin (Wizard), Peaceful Repose (Monk) and Numbing Dart (Witch Doctor).

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/29/diablo-iii-post-launch-changes

Blizzard Responds to Myriad Reports of Hacked Diablo 3 Accounts

Blizzard has said it is taking reports about a wave of hacked Diablo 3 accounts "extremely seriously".

Since Sunday there have been a growing number of reports that many people are logging into the game to discover their gold, items and even characters missing.

Community Manager Lylirra said, "Historically, the release of a new game - such as a World of Warcraft Expansion - will result in an increase in reports of individual account compromises, and that's exactly what we're seeing now with Diablo III.  We know how frustrating it can be to become the victim of account theft, and as always, we're dedicated to doing everything we can to help our players keep their Battle.net accounts safe."

Whilst issues like this have been plaguing World of Warcraft and other MMOs for years, what's most troubling is that some people have said Blizzard's authenticators haven't protected them.  The authenticators, which are available in physical form or as iPhone and Android apps, work by randomly generating a unique code tied to your account that expires within two minutes each time you try to log in.  It means only people with your phone or authenticator can ever log into your account... in theory.

When Blizzard changed the rules for authenticators late last year, it caused quite a stir; while you used to have to input a code every time you logged in, you now only have to do it if you log in from an unfamiliar location for the first time.  Many people are speculating that the recent wave is down to hackers managing to mimic IP identifiers and slip past Blizzard's authentication servers.

But Blizzard is refuting these suggestions, with Community manager Bashiok stating, "We've been taking the situation extremely seriously from the start, and have done everything possible to verify how and in what circumstances these compromises are occurring.  Despite the claims and theories being made, we have yet to find any situations in which a person's account was not compromised through traditional means of someone else logging into their account through the use of their password.  While the authenticator isn't a 100% guarantee of account security, we have yet to investigate a compromise report in which an authenticator was attached beforehand."

The good news is that Blizzard has over eight years of experience dealing with hacked accounts, so most players who contact Blizzard are getting swift resolutions.  Often Blizzard can 'rollback' the character to before the hack took place, but this can sometimes mean that progress or items are lost.

Blizzard is offering a wealth of advice for protecting your account over on its forums, but if you're yet to invest in an authenticator or register for the SMS protect system, with these reports flying around, it's a good idea to do so now.

Have you been hacked, or known someone who has been?  Let us know in the comments below.

Source : http://www.ign.com

Why Avengers Rocked

The Avengers has been out in the U.S. for two weeks now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The film is expected to remain number one at the box office this weekend, and has recently broken yet record -- it's now the film to make it to the $400 million domestic mark quickest. It did that in just 14 days (previous champ was The Dark Knight at 18 days). Additionally, it's now the sixth-highest worldwide grossing film ever at $1.07 billion, and has a strong 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

So clearly, people like the first combined adventure of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and the rest. After seeing the film, everyone seems to leave the theater with a bunch of "Wasn't it awesome when…" favorite bits -- and that includes the IGN staff. So let's talk about some of favorite parts from The Avengers, and then why don't you guys chime in below with your own most memorable lines/scenes/explosions/characters/whatevers?

Beware of spoilers if for some unfathomable reason you haven't seen the film yet!

Jim Vejvoda: The thing that rocked most about Avengers is that it simply worked at all. Everyone had a moment or two to shine, a standout line or fight, and the dynamic between all these disparate personalities was spot-on. The global scale of the threat, the final battle, all of the climactic elements that many felt were missing in the Marvel films leading up to this was addressed here to glorious effect.

Scott Collura: As Jim said above, every character gets their moment to shine, and the dynamic between them all is just perfect. A few of my favorite interactions:

Cap to Black Widow, about Thor and Loki: “There’s only one God, ma’am. And I don’t think he dresses like that.”

Iron Man to Thor: "Shakespeare in the Park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?"

Tony Stark to Pepper Potts: "Phil? His first name is Agent."

Bruce Banner to Tony Stark: "Are you saying that the other guy saved my life?"

Black Widow to Loki, abruptly dropping her facade: "Banner... that's your play."

Agent Coulson to Loki: "You lack conviction."

Cap to Hulk: "And Hulk… smash!"

Max Nicholson: Teamwork! There’s a particular shot during the Manhattan finale when we see all the Avengers sweeping through the city streets as they tag-team the Chitauri in one seemingly “single take.” (Blink and you’ll miss it, but there’s even one part where Iron Man fires his repulsor at Cap’s shield and it deflects into an alien soldier.) All stitched together, it’s perhaps one of the most technically impressive shots in the entire flick. Plus, it all builds up to the subsequent shot which provides the fan-favorite “Hulk punches Thor” moment.

And of course, there is perhaps no better example of “Whedonesque” than the final, final tag of The Avengers. It’s simple, sweet and downright hilarious. If you still haven’t stuck around until after the credits, do yourself a favor next time and kick back for a few more minutes. You won’t be disappointed. (And to think, this almost didn’t make the final cut!)

R.L. Shaffer: Shawarma. It's what the Avengers needed, and it's what we needed -- the icing on an already very tasty cake. Who would have thought such a quick last minute shoot, done after the film's premiere, would have such an impact... but it has. Shawarma sales have shot through the roof. Fans across the entire planet are discovering the tasty Mediterranean dish. If only Marvel could sell it in stores, they'd make billions. I even found myself firing up the grill to cook up some shawarma after seeing the movie. But beyond that, the scene was just a wonderful little moment, a quick glimpse of superheroes in their downtime, which is something we don't often see. And I thank Joss Whedon for providing the tastiest post-credit cookie of them all.

Jesse Schedeen: I was extremely excited to see the Thanos reveal during the mid-credits sequence. It wasn't necessarily a huge surprise to learn he was the villain pulling the strings given the character's usual motivations and penchant for sitting on floating space rocks. But it did cement the idea that Marvel isn't afraid to go full-on cosmic with these movies and celebrate the more fantastical characters in their lineup. Telling Thanos that to battle the Avengers is “to court death” is practically like handing the villain a hand-written invitation to crush the planet between his giant, purple fingers. I'm eagerly waiting to see how he responds in the sequel, and hoping that we'll see more of Marvel's cosmic characters in the interim.

Dan Iverson: If I had to pick just one single moment of the movie which I considered to be better than the rest I would have to say Bruce Banner joining the final fight in Manhattan. Sure, "Puny God" was shocking and one of the very best moments in comic-book movie history, but Banner stating that he's "always angry" and then taking the armored leviathan out of the sky with ease had the character come off as the most interesting and fun to watch in the film. Plus, this bit of mayhem confirmed that there is still a future for Hulk in cinema... we just want to watch more of Hulk smashing indescribably large targets.

Matt Fowler: In accordance with the brand new natural order of the universe, there is no other discernible time other than "time to watch The Avengers."

Right. Now go see Avengers. Again.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/19/why-avengers-rocked

TERA Review

TERA Review:
I’ve played a number of MMOs, but others may argue that I didn’t really play them. Indeed, with most traditional MMOs, my main goal is leveling, so the gameplay, quests, story . . . none of these are enough to keep me around. Most MMOs favor strategy over gameplay, grinding over action. As such, once my character is maxed out I lose interest; however, in TERA, I found an MMO that will hold my attention long after I reach the level cap. The unique combat system, variety of classes and frequent huge bosses all make for a game with not only lasting appeal, but appeal to gamers that may not be traditional MMO fans.

You stay classy, Arborea
TERA’s prologue starts the character off at level 20 with a variety of skills and attributes. This allows the player to get a feel for a class without sinking two days into it. Initially the game feels familiar for any MMO fan, with a traditional third-person camera and a fairly standard interface. However, once you enter combat it is clear that TERA is in a class of its own. My first character was a Slayer class, which meant she delivered massive damage with her two-handed sword, but wasn’t really equipped to take much damage. As such, she has a dodge roll type ability which allows her to escape danger. The game also features quick time events, allowing you to perform devastating combos if you react in time.
Instead of a typical targeting battle system, the game utilizes something that feels like a standard third person action title. My first character made me feel like I was playing a hack-and-slash game, not an MMO. Combat is simple and intuitive, although at higher levels, a single mistake against a big-ass monster (an actual in-game term—BAM for short) can lead to an immediate death. Slayers have a number of tools in their arsenal. Beyond their speed and agility, they can also knock down enemies, allowing friendlies to quickly deal a huge amount of damage while the baddie is down. Further, they have a sweeping area attack useful when mobbed by a slew of boars or whatever forest creature you’ve pissed off.

At no time did this battle system feel tired or boring. Though it’s easy to pick up, a fair amount of skill is required past early levels. Though I spent most of the time with my Slayer, I did play all of the other classes, and was for the most part impressed. The main tank class, called the Lancer, doesn’t deal as much damage as the Slayer and doesn’t move nearly as quickly, but his blocking skill is pretty damn cool. Replacing the Slayer’s dodge roll ability with a block button, the player doesn’t simply press the button to block an incoming attack. Like any proper fighting game, the block’s success depends on if you’re facing the attacker and if you’ve timed it just right. Replacing the typical stand-around-and-be-a-damage-sponge mechanic of other MMOs, the Lancer’s block is actually rewarding and takes some talent.
Most other classes are equally cool, including the Warrior—another awesome melee class—and the Archer, which was undoubtedly my favorite ranged class. Her special moves include a barrage of arrows from above and a rapid-fire arrow attack. Unfortunately, I didn’t have as much affection for the other ranged classes. Both healer classes (Mystic and Priest) along with the ranged magic damage class, called Sorcerer felt underpowered and designed for support and support only. Later on, when the game is too difficult to enjoy alone, these classes are invaluable and greatly appreciated. However, the process of getting a weak Priest to this point is arduous and not very fun. With my Priest, I struggled to even get through the prologue, which makes me doubt if I wanted to stick with her for sixty levels.

BAM! Right in the kisser!
At lower levels, you complete a number of typical quests, allowing you to both level and learn the game at a manageable pace. This includes collecting plants, killing pesky forest-dwellers and delivering messages. Some of these are laughably stupid, such as an early quest in which you take pork from one character, salt it in your inventory, and deliver it to another person not five feet away. Nonetheless, with the fun combat system, these mindless quests never grow old or hackneyed.
Where TERA really shines is in its use of huge, super badass enemies—the aforementioned BAMs. These baddies take myriad forms, but the common thread is that you’ll be slaughtering them wholesale for the majority of the game. After you put in your time killing troublesome hyenas for local farmers, you quickly move on to killing monsters ten times your size, and far too powerful to take on alone (although, if you are judicious enough with your dodge roll, the Slayer can get through most ugly situations). These monsters are ubiquitous and set the gameapart. Whereas in other MMOs you may have to spend an hour in a dungeon to fight a huge boss, in TERA, they wander the forest with impunity.
Instances, or the game’s dungeons, provide a challenging and delightful opportunity for players to throw everything they’ve accumulated at powerful baddies and BAMs alike. With a difficulty level that forces teamwork and a smaller more intimate party cap of five, I felt a constant pressure not to let my party down and that earned me new friends and a reason to keep playing. Lone wolves beware: TERA will not be kind to you.

It’s getting hot in here, but only if you’re female
The story in TERA is unique and fairly easy to follow. Your entire world exists as a dream of two slumbering titans, and is threatened by a mysterious race determined to wake the titans, ending the world. As in any RPG, you spend time helping a vast variety of people unconnected to the main storyline, but in TERA, their stories are actually worth paying attention to. Your character takes the role of a soldier and one of the few survivors of an expedition to a new island that mysteriously arose from the sea. Exploring the island and the rest of Tera was fascinating, but if you’re like the two friends I played the game with and don’t give a shit about the story, the game is just as good.
Visually, the game shines. A step above most MMOs, the environments are vibrant and beautiful, and the baddies (especially the BAMs) are some of the coolest and most distinctive you’ll find in a fantasy game. Similarly, the different races you can make characters out of are equally awesome, save one complaint. As you may have noticed, all of my characters were girls. In fact, in any game where I’m given a choice, my character is always a girl. So I was distraught when I found that in TERA, no matter what race or class I chose (even the burly reptilian one), every character seemed determined to redefine the term “scantily clad.”

I know that people always gripe about female characters’ skimpy and impractical armor, but TERA takes it a bit far. The most modest outfit I could come up with for my Slayer featured a belt that was about 50 percent the size of the poor girl’s shorts. I felt like a pervert every time I watched her run. However, I did find it amusing that she rode side-saddle on her horse. You know, “modest is hottest.” And as long as we’re talking about perverts, the Elin race (intended to resemble children) are dressed just as poorly, and every time I saw one running around I couldn’t help but raise an inquisitive eyebrow. In the end, however I got over it because you can also play as a bunny, panda, kitty cat, or any other such cute furry animal. Nice save, En Masse.

It may be time to move to Tera
As I mentioned before, MMOs usually fail to hold my interest for long. Whether it’s the gameplay or repetitive quests, I’m back to other games in no time. However with TERA, I may have found a game to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. The combat is fun and intuitive, the story is fresh, and the monsters are truly monstrous. Now if I could just find a pair of pants for my Slayer, I’d be set.


Source : http://www.g4tv.com/games/pc/63895/tera/review/