Gamescom comes out swinging

Suffice to say, there have been no shortage of tantalizing announcements coming out of Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany, which concluded this week.

Towering above the many others was Titanfall, leading the charge of trailers below.  Then, swaggering its way onto the show floor, and being as attracted to the spotlight as a drunk Captain Jack Sparrow would be to a wayward bottle of rum, was Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.

Another familiar entrant – with a new trailer – was inFamous: Second Son. Also catching our eye was the trailer for Murdered: Soul Suspect, while Command and Conquer was given a campaign add on.

Then, like an understudy finally given a chance to shine, PlayStation’s Vita was given some limelight (Borderlands 2 on the go, anyone?), not to mention a slew of indie game announcements, while the PS4 showed it hasn’t lost its Knack for entertainment and was joined by newly announced PS4 exclusive Rime.

Rounding things off, for us, was the mention of a ‘little known’ comic character called Batman, heading up the trailer for Batman Arkham Origins.

This though, is just a small taste of what Gamescom brought to the gaming scene and why it made the past week such a rewarding one for gaming in general. Nonetheless, feast your eyes on the trailer below.

Pelé and co to show Messi generation how its done

Electronic Arts has disclosed more of its soccer strategy for the upcoming FIFA 14 including plans to have legendary footballers the likes of Pelé, Patrick Vieira, and Ruud Gullit run out on the virtual pitch to join their modern counterparts.

As an Xbox exclusive feature, Xbox One and Xbox 360 gamers will be able to create a dream team roster composed of a mix of legendary players. Players can select from 39 legends, including Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola and Arsenal’s Dennis Bergkamp, as well as current football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Maradona is unfortunately not included.

A demo of FIFA 14 will be available for download for PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC on 11 September in South Africa and Europe. The full game hits local stores on 27 September for the Xbox 360 (with Kinect support), PC, PS3 (with PS Move support), Nintendo Wii, PS Vita, PSP, and PlayStation 2. The game will also be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and mobile platforms later this year.

Watch out for Watch Dogs movie

Watch Dogs already achieved top billing on our games to watch list after impressing us during E3 with footage of its innovative open-world action. The game takes place within a cyberpunk futuristic Chicago and puts players in the shoes of Aiden Pearce, who is able to hack into the city’s central operating system.

At Gamescom 2013, Sony Computer Entertainment revealed that Ubisoft’s film and television division, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, is collaborating with Sony Pictures Entertainment and New Regency on the development of a feature film based on Watch Dogs. The company did not reveal any more details surrounding the movie or possible actors who will get to fill the boots of Pearce, and only released a new trailer for the title posted below.

Watch Dogs hacks its way onto current generation consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U) and PC in November and will also be available on next generation systems (PS4, Xbox One) before the end of the year. Within the latest trailer of the game (posted below), Dedsec, the most famous hacker group in the universe of Watch Dogs is revealed.

More Battlefield 4 multiplayer action footage

EA-owned Dice has declassified more info surrounding Battlefield 4, revealing an exclusive membership for players called Battlefield 4 Premium. Battlefield 4 Premium members will receive five themed digital expansion packs, namely Battlefield 4 China Rising, Battlefield 4 Second Assault, Battlefield 4 Naval Strike, Battlefield 4 Dragon’s Teeth and Battlefield 4 Final Stand. In addition, players also net two-weeks early access to each of these packs.

Battlefield 4 launches on 1 November for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC. PS4 and Xbox One versions of the title will also become available at a later date. Gamers will be able to bring all their gameplay stats from the Xbox 360 version to the Xbox One as well as from the PlayStation 3 edition to the PlayStation 4. Thi, meaning that should you upgrade your console and game, you will not need to start off from scratch.

After blowing our FPS expectations away during E3 with footage from the Shanghai maps, EA showcased another map dubbed Paracel Storm at Gamescom. This video (posted below) reveals some intense naval combat scenes on swelling seas and stormy oceans, as up to 64 players shoot it out for FPS supremacy.

Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus gameplay trailer released

The forthcoming entry in the Ratchet and Clank franchise, called into the Nexus, has received a five minute gameplay trailer, which shows quite a bit more of the forthcoming game’s spookier setting and some of the new gadgets at work.

The game, releasing towards the end of this year, is not only set to continue the story arc from the Future series, (Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty and A Crack in Time), but also, as the trailer clearly demonstrates, marks a welcome return to the familiar gameplay style.

In the new trailer, Insomniac’s creative director, Brian Allgeier, explains that Into the Nexus takes place in an abandoned sector of the galaxy that is considered haunted, and showed how players will be able to experiment with gravity in the game. Jump and hover to the gameplayer trailer below to see more.  

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 combat explained

Another impending game receiving a tantalizing gameplay video out of Gamescon is Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 (confirmed for release in February).

This one though, shows the game’s combat intricacy. Part of this is the discovery and use of the Void Sword, which steals foes’ lifeforce. If you fear that will make the game a pushover, worry not, its implementation is more complex than that, requiring players to fight with a finesse to charge the sword.

Do be warned though, the trailer does contain a spoiler if you haven’t played the first title yet. For those that have, you can bare your teeth and stare daggers into the combat trailer below, and then feel free to curse the gods for making you wait almost six months for the action adventure game.

Latest chapter in the Final Fantasy series readies its launch

Square Enix continues to fan the PR embers for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, courtesy of the latest trailer (posted below) dubbed Dungeon Crawl, Part 2. This new trailer showcases some of the dungeons as well as the familiar Final Fantasy foes that fans of the franchise will cross swords with. A realm reborn launches next week Tuesday for the PS3 and Windows PC, with a PS4 version also on the gaming horizon for early 2014.  

Contributions by Hanleigh Daniels