The pouch comes in four different colours and designs, with each colour representing one of the four kingdoms. These pouches are unavailable outside of Japan in other countries so this is a rare opportunity for fans of Dynasty Warriors to get an exclusive collectible.

In addition, customers will also receive an exclusive free DLC pack featuring Zhou Yu, Lu Xun, Cao Cao, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu’s outfits from Dynasty Warriors 1, plus outfits for Zhao Yun and Sun Shangxiang from Romance of the Three Kingdoms 12.

Both bonuses are available through Aussie retailers JB Hi-Fi and EB Games but don’t expect them to last long. If you’re after a particular design, it might help to ask around or pick up your pre-order early so you can pick and choose the smart-pouch you want.

Dynasty Warriors 8 launches July 12th across Australia for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

EB Gmes Australia – Dynasty Warriors 8 with BONUS DLC Outfits & Character Pouch (Xbox 360, PS3 – $88 AUD RRP)

JB Hi-Fi – Dynasty Warriors 8 with BONUS DLC Outfits & Character Pouch (Xbox 360, PS3 – $79 AUD RRP)

The Pokémon Company have this time captured one of the most popular Pokémon in the series, in all its basic glory. Sporting a pearl white colour with an Eevee inspired four colour top outer casing. The bottom of the console features a printed artwork of Eevee looking cute as always.

Once again only lucky participants plucked out during The Pokémon Center lottery will be entitled to purchase this limited run console. The Pokémon Eevee console will be priced at 18,900 Yen, available from June 22nd. As it stands, this will only be available in Japan with no word on whether or not it will be released outside of Japan. We’ll keep you updated should things change.

Thanks Serebii!

Previously announced as Ace Attorney 5, Dual Destinies is set eight years after the last appearance of Phoenix Wright. In his first case back, Pheonix Wright finds himself in a destroyed court room and it’s up to the inquisitive mind of the player to uncover the mysterious behind it all. Players will also face off against Gaspen Payne, younger brother of Winston Payne from previous Ace Attorney titles.

Shocking and surprisingly for fans, Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies will only be available as a digital download in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Although a physical boxed copy is available in Japan, Capcom have stated that no physical release is planned, pointing to the lack of “long term retail support” as the reason.

Granted, it has traditionally been harder to find localised copies of Ace Attorney titles and the idea of playing a game based in a court room isn’t everyone’s idea of fun must have been factors in coming to digital only conclusion.

There has already been backlash from fans at the announcement however at this stage, Capcom is yet to change their stance on the decision. Regardless, Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies will be available this coming Spring for the 3DS via digital distribution.

The Red Star Edition comes with vehicle skin combo pack which will unlock 24 historically accurate new skins for the game’s multiplayer mode as well as a unique Soviet Commander, giving players more options in multiplayer. It also includes a faceplate with integrated badge and the Commander Pass, which will unlock another five multiplayer Commanders post launch.

Those who purchase this special edition will also be rewarded with the Company of Heroes Complete Pack, including the original Company of Heroes and its two expansions, Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor.

The Red Star Edition will also come with access to post-launch Threatre of War mini-pack and two new multiplayer Commanders for each faction, previously announced as a global pre-order incentive.

Collectors will be pleased to hear all of the above contents is bundled together in an exclusive steelbook case. Company of Heroes 2 will be available for PC this coming 25th June, 2013 and will be available through all good video game retailers.

Following in the footsteps of Edward Kenway: The Assassin Pirate is the feared pirate of the Caribbean, captured in all his menacing glory.

As an additional bonus for this year, each “Blackbeard : The Legendary Pirate” figurine will come with three additional in-game items for use in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The digital goods are:

• Blackbeard’s Sails
• Black Bart’s Sails
• Hornigold’s Sails

Available through the UPlay online store, Blackbeard is priced at $49.99 AUD and will be available in October 2013, during the launch window of Assassin’s Creed IV. He will also be available through local retailers if purchasing in person is more your style.

For the price, Blackbeard is highly-detailed and would look perfect set next to rival Edward Kenway on display. Assassin’s Creed IV fans have plenty to look forward to in 2013.

Pre-order through participating retailers and you’ll receive a Jukebox Pack and/or a Special Delivery Pack, each pack loaded with different treasure:

The Jukebox Pack contains:

• Splendiferous iota and atoi Avatars for use on the PlayStation Network
• Resplendent PlayStation Vita wallpaper
• Audiolicious Tearaway soundtrack with bonus track

The Special Delivery Pack includes:

• Oppulent iota and atoi costumes for LittleBigPlanet
• Exclusive skin for the in-game rideable pig, and printable papercraft plan to match

The in-game rideable pig is going to be a hot item. Who wouldn’t love cruising around on their own piggy?

These bonuses will be available in Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe however depending on retailers, you may get one or both.

In Australia we’re quite fortunate as we’ll be getting botht he Jukebox and Special Delivery Pack, PLUS! an Iota Sackboy Keyring!

Pre-order bonus will be available through EB Games and JB Hi-Fi in Australia.

Tearaway is a buddy-movie action adventure in a living papery world, which you’ll go on with your new friend – a plucky messenger who has a unique message to deliver – to you! Check out the video below to hear lead designer Rex Crowle talk about the origins of the papery world of Tearaway.

Tearaway will be available in both physical and digital format (via PSN Store) on October 23rd, 2013.

EB Games Australia – Tearaway with BONUS DLC Packs and Keyring (PS Vita – $38)

JB Hi-Fi – Tearaway with BONUS DLC Packs and Keyring (PS Vita – $37.99)

Deoxys are available in Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 for the first time, and come with special move unique to the distribution event. Here’s a brief description of what potential trainers can expect from their new wrangled Pokémon:

Deoxys:

Trainers can torment their opponents with a balanced set of attacks and healing moves like Psycho Boost and Recover, then knock them off balance with Nasty Plot and Dark Pulse, two moves that Deoxys can’t normally learn on its own. If that balanced attack isn’t enough, raw power should be: for the first time, Deoxys arrives at Level 100.

Arriving in a Dusk Ball and holding a Life Orb to boost attack power at the expense of HP, Deoxys boasts the Pressure Ability, which can exhaust opponents by draining extra PP. Deoxys can also change Formes to suit any battle, altering its genome between the visually distinct Normal Forme, Attack Forme, Defense Forme, and Speed Forme if its Trainer brings it to a certain place in Nacrene City.

To have your very own Deoxys character, players will need the following:

• Wireless broadband Internet to access the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service
• A Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Nintendo DSi XL, Nintendo 3DS, or Nintendo 3DS XL system
• A copy of the Pokémon Black 2 or Pokémon White 2 game
• No more than 11 Wonder Cards in their possession

Details on steps to obtain Deoxys are available at http://www.pokemon.com/us/ex/bw9-plasma-freeze/get-deoxys

Best to get in quick as Deoxys will only be available until May 31st, 2013 making it one of the shortest Australian Pokemon distribution events in recent memory.

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platform: Xbox LIVE Arcade (Reviewed), Playstation Network, Windows PC
Players: Single
Genre: First Person Shooter
Released: (INT) May 1st, 2013

Actually, Blood Dragon isn’t precisely an expansion but a stand-alone title instead, which I personally think is a good thing. This means that gamers who missed out on the main game can still access this cyber shooter without having to splash out on the original release as well. Very few sacrifices have been made as it still feels like Far Cry 3 in essence. The game world is naturally smaller than the two islands in the original game and the main storyline is short, but these seem to be the only major differences between the two games, many of the other aspects remain the same.

The story is set in the post-nuclear world of 2007 (remember, this is inspired by 80’s sci-fi) and is told in comic book style cut-scenes after each mission. The plot follows Sergeant Rex Power Colt (fittingly voiced by Michael Biehn), a cyber-commando and one-man army. Sent in to take down his old commanding officer, Rex must battle through an island packed with cyborgs, mutant wildlife and of course, Blood Dragons to foil an evil plot. It revels in the majority of 80’s action movie clichés (most notably with a training montage cut-scene) and portrays the patriotic soldier sent in to save the world once more, winning a girls heart and defeating the villain in the process. It feels like playing through a film.

Humour is one of the games strongest points, which is refreshing given that many modern releases sometimes take themselves too seriously. On the contrary, Blood Dragon does not take itself seriously at all, and is packed full of pop culture references and quotes, with nods to Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Star Wars and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Even the tutorials and loading screen text are tongue in cheek, and the game will keep you chuckling until the end.

The game features bold and memorable set pieces, and can be played in a stealthy fashion or by making as much noise as possible. It is also apparent that the main focus of the gameplay is to be fun. The outlandish enemies and powerful weapons really make the player feel like a super soldier. Also, a lot of the mechanics from Far Cry 3 no longer have limits. Gun turrets do not have a cool-down, the player has unlimited breath underwater and there is no fall damage, encouraging fast paced fun. Given that Rex is a cyborg, faster and more agile than a human, the player can manoeuvre around the island with incredible dexterity and this helps keep the pace fluid and smooth.

There are seven story missions, and time can be passed between these by taking over enemy garrisons, much in the same way as in Far Cry 3. There are also side quests akin to those in the original game, which consist of either hunting down a rare form of animal or a certain soldier, or rescuing hostages. Through these, upgrades are unlocked for weaponry and xp is earned, enabling Rex to use more types of takedowns and gain more health bars, similar to how the player levelled up previously.

The enemies themselves are effectively cloned from Far Cry 3, just with a new look. Cyber Soldiers are the standard targets, and many of the animals from the original game now return in mutant or robotic form, though for the most part they remain the same except for aesthetic changes. The main difference, obviously, is the addition of Blood Dragons. These hulking beasts shoot lasers from their eyes and are capable of taking out entire garrisons by themselves. Defeating a single one can be difficult without certain weapon upgrades, and going against two at once can be punishing. Fighting these creatures adds a tactical element to the game, as the player can lure them with cyber-hearts into explosive traps to soften them up before aiming at their weak spot.

Blood Dragon also does a good job with the weapons and upgrades. There are not many guns in the game (only 4 of which are upgradeable) and some seem to start off weak and somewhat ineffective. However, after a few side missions have been completed or collectibles have been found, upgrades will become unlocked. This then morphs the sniper rifle for example from being a slow firing and clunky gun to a semi-automatic, anti-vehicle cannon which shoots explosive rounds. This means that taking down the tank like Blood Dragons becomes a breeze by the time the game finishes.

Animations are another strong point in the game. Healing Rex’s damaged bionic arm looks fantastic and reloading guns looks stylish. The environment for the most part looks great too. The lightning in the sky and the surrounding fog create the correct atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic island in the tropics. However, this is pretty much the only type of environment in the game, with the exception of some sections in indoor facilities. Therefore staring into the fog does become slightly bland and liberating similar looking outposts also gets repetitive after a while.

The game is unfortunately not without flaws, though many of these are problems which persist in Far Cry 3 anyway. For example, trying to open containers or loot corpses does not always cause the correct prompt to appear on screen, meaning that the player sometimes has to crouch and walk around the object to trigger it. This prompt issue can be particularly annoying when completing hostage rescue missions, as sometimes the prompt to talk to the hostage to end the mission does not appear, resulting in a mission restart. Also, the triggers occasionally become unresponsive, but this does not affect the gameplay a great deal.

Despite these trivial bugs, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is an exciting adventure from start to finish. There are numerous moments of genius and although it is short it can take a committed gamer 6-8 hours to 100% complete, not a bad length for an arcade title. It is not difficult to complete, even on the hardest setting, so this is an accessible challenge.

8.0 – Great. Although it may be over too quickly, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon does not lose momentum along the way and the soundtrack, visual style and laughs create an experience which many can enjoy and will remember.

Previously revealed for North America and Europe, Sony Australia broke the news on their official blog and comes with the following extra goodies:

• Exclusive steel book premium packaging
• Additional playable scene (30 minutes of gameplay)
• Behind the scenes videos
• Game soundtrack
• PS3 Dynamic Theme
• PSN Avatar Bundle

The Special Edition of BEYOND: Two Souls is exclusively available as a pre-order/first-print run. The high-light of the package is the additional 20-minutes of gameplay through a playable scene not available with the Standard Edition.

The Standard Edition will be replaced by the Special Edition for pre-orders, making it essentially a free update in some regard.

EB Games and JB Hi-Fi will be stocking the Special Edition, priced at $98 AUD. Pre-orders can be placed via the links below.

BEYOND: Two Souls is scheduled to launch sometime in October 2013, exclusively for the Playstation 3.

Thanks, Playstation Blog!

JB Hi-Fi – BEYOND: Two Souls Special Edition (PS3 – NA)

EB Games Australia – BEYOND: Two Souls Special Edition (PS3 – $98 AUD)

Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (Reviewed), Windows PC
Players: Single-Player
Genre: Action-Adventure, Stealth
Release: (INT) 17th April 2013

It’s no surprise that Daud is something of an unsavoury character, having earned his reputation as a blade in the shadows. What might surprise you is how he’s not just another psycho without reason, and while he never comes off as sympathetic, you won’t feel as if you’re playing the role of unspeakable villain either. You might get a sense of a warped moral code at work here, making Daud a more interesting lead than Corvo ever was. Unlike Corvo, Daud will actually speak his mind from time to time, breathing life into someone who could have been left as yet another silent avatar of mayhem.

This tale focuses on his quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious Delilah, with the odd twist thrown in to keep things moving. The story is far from exciting stuff, but if you’re playing Dishonored for anything other than the stealth and sense of empowerment then you’re asking for disappointment. We have to mention that this is only the first of a two part adventure featuring Daud, in which case there’s hope that the second part (entitled The Bridgmore Witches) might up the ante in this regard when it hits at a later date. With luck, we’ll see a few more experimental gameplay elements too, as Knife of Dunwall plays it safe by offering more of what we’ve seen before, albeit with a few extra strings added to its bow.

In some ways, Daud really does feel like more of a guard murdering expert than Corvo. The ‘Blink’ ability so key to the experience is even more useful this time as it freezes time; hitting the button in a panic won’t result in you zipping around the stage like a lunatic anymore, turning escape into a slightly more meticulous affair. Another power that you should expect to abuse is ‘Summon Assassin’, which proves indispensable should you find yourself overwhelmed. Runes and bone charms can be located in a manner similar to before (minus the beating heart), though you’ll want to think hard on how you spend these due to the high expense of upgrading.

Although his personal strengths might be ruled by collectibles, money talks in the black market, which is accessed before each stage. You can increase stability of the wrist-bow (which functions much like Corvo’s crossbow), buy healing items and add another charge to the arc mines, to name a few. Favours can be purchased in preparation for the coming mission, allowing access to certain areas and giving Daud a slight edge depending on your preferred method of approach. Taking things slow and scouring the environment is the best way to experience everything the download has to offer, probably making you rich in the process. Dishonored has always been a game of multiple options, making non-lethal runs a possibility with extra patience and effort.

For the price of a standard add-on you’ll be dropped into two major new locations teeming with enemies, items to loot and characters looking to strike a deal. It’s a price that feels just about right given the work that’s been put in, and while assets and art schemes have been recycled from the main release, areas feel fresh and distinct enough to stand as relevant places in Dunwall. That only goes for the two new sections however, as the third is a smaller stage which was first explored towards the core game’s climax. You may handle it differently, but it’s still a place you’ve been before.

Knife of Dunwall comes recommended to fans by simply being more Dishonored. It demands the same pacing, strategic thinking and curious eye, which might just be the formula that made the game such a hit to begin with. It really doesn’t play with things to such a degree that it’ll appeal to those who haven’t finished the full game, but this is an add-on that does exactly what it needed to for the fans. For all intents and purposes, Knife of Dunwall is the kind of story based content that was promised if nothing more. This first half of Daud’s adventure makes us eager to see things through to their conclusion, even if we already know how things turn out for the grizzled chap in the long run.

7.5 – Good. Entertaining but is held back by a couple of flaws. It will certainly capture its intended audience but it won’t appeal to everyone.