It is, once again, more refinement than giant leaps with EA Sports’ latest entry into their hit football franchise in FIFA 16, with solid gameplay, a large selection of leagues and adequate gameplay modes.

The most touted addition in this year’s entry is the addition of women’s teams. This takes the form of the twelve women’s national teams competing in the Women’s International Cup. Not only have women been included but the commentary has been redone to reflect this. While arguably a little overdue, it is a nice touch by EA to include this.

The gameplay plays very much the same as recent previous entries. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, as movement is fluid, controls are very easy to pick up and overall matches are just fun to play, especially with friends.

The game is by far the most enjoyable when you are in offence. Who you pass to is based on how long you hold the button down and the direction. This system works surprisingly well and only on a rare occasion did I pass it to the wrong person which is a considerable feat considering how many players are on the field and their close proximity. Shooting for goal is similarly easy to do.

Defence is more difficult and less enjoyable than offence stemming from the fact that you have less control over what is going on. More often than not possession will change over, due to an intercept or a mistake on the opponents end. Few opportunities arise where you have the ability to tackle the opponent and even then actually pulling it off is difficult.

Featured in the game is an incredibly large variety of leagues and teams.

There is a noticeable difference in quality between playing on a poorly rated team and a highly rated team. Unfortunately this difference in quality is reflected in how enjoyable it is to play each one. Higher rated players have a significant effect on both whether they can actually pull off a move and how long they can run before running out of stamina. Needless to say playing as a lower ranking team can be quite frustrating.

The commentary is lacking in variety and overall sounds very unnatural. After playing a few matches you will begin to tire of the same lines being churned out game after game. They also too often resort to using very obvious generic words to replace player and team names.

While it may sound weird to say this, one of my favorite parts of the game is actually the loading screens. While waiting for the game to load, you are taken to one of many training mini-games aimed at improving one of your skills. This works as a great way to actually improve your skills by practicing those tricky moves.

The menu follows the same tile system as previous years. The downfall of this system is that some of the tiles are layered which results in many of the options being buried beneath other tiles.

FIFA 16 features a standard selection of game modes including playing as a Manager, as a player, an online card collecting game and playing in Tournaments. While there is no major deficiencies in any of these modes, they all feel rather plain.

I found the most enjoyment in playing as a Manager. Here you answer emails, scout for players and manage various other aspects of your team. If you have the patience, you can also set up a few training sessions each week for a few players of your choice using the previously mentioned training mini-games.

Doing so increases the stats and transfer value of that specific player. Participating in this training can feel rewarding and the effects it has on players gives you a bigger sense of control of your team.

If management isn’t your style, you can also play through a Career of a player, either an existing player or one of your own creation. Prior to a game you have the choice of playing as either the whole team or just your player. Playing just as one player though can be quite boring as for the most part, what you are doing at any one time doesn’t really matter.

Unfortunately though once you make a decision you can’t readily change it.

The most addictive aspect of the game comes from the card collecting online game called Ultimate Team.

Starting out with a team full of low rated players, you must obtain players through card packs or participating in the online transfer market to build your ‘Ultimate Team’. Improving your team becomes a slow iterative process as you play games to earn money, buy players or packs then jump back on the field to earn more money.

If it manages to hook you, prepare to sink countless hours into this mode.

With enough detail in the player’s faces and impressive looking environments, the game is aesthetically great. There is also a good selection of upbeat music that fits in well with the vibe of the game.

Boasting fun gameplay and a vast selection of leagues, fans of football are sure to find what they are looking for in FIFA 16. While FIFA 16 may not have made any significant changes from previous entries I guess there is no reason to go reinventing the wheel.

The post FIFA 16 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Xbox New Zealand pulled out all the stops to showcase a stream of new releases coming out on the Xbox One console in 2015 / 2016. To show their appreciation to the media and their loyal fans, Xbox hosted XONZ, an exclusive, invite only event where invitees were able to test out some exclusive games, chat to game developers and meet fellow gamers.

In other words, XONZ was the place to be for hard core gamers and those who enjoy testing out yet to be completed projects.

XONZ was broken up into two parts, spread across the entire weekend of 24th – 27th September 2015. The first two days were reserved for media only, followed by two days of epic proportions for Xbox fans who managed to get themselves invites through Xbox New Zealand’s Facebook page. I was lucky enough to head to the Friday event on behalf of The Vanguard, Shane the Gamer and PokeCollection.

Suffice to say, I had a blast and felt like a kid in a candy store. In fact, that description is quite possibly an understatement of how excited I felt. It helped that I was there with a few people from the PokeCollection team who made the experience even more so special (guys, you know who you are).

The day started with a bit of time playing Rock Band 4 (Harmonix) and mingling before we received a briefing from Jason Spiller, Category Manager for Games and Xbox Live, Steven Blackburn, Manager for Xbox New Zealand and a representative from game developers; Crystal Dynamics.

I managed to have a brief and pleasant chat with these guys who seemed to be just as excited about the event as we all were. I only wish I had a chance to really thank them for organising the event and to applaud them on their efforts.

After the briefing, we were split into groups and taken on a gaming tour of sorts. We managed to get an inside look as well as some game-play time on some of the following games:

• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy’s The Division (Ubisoft)
• Forza Motorsport 6 (Turn 10 Studios)
• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (The Coalition)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics)
• Halo 5: Guardians (343 Industries)
• FIFA 16 (EA Sports)
• Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
• Fallout 4 (Bethesda)

As someone who has never played on an Xbox console before, I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Halo 5 and Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Considering that these games were not the full release versions, the graphics were off the charts and gameplay was smooth (mind you, I’m not familiar with gaming lingo and my expertise is more on comics and anime than gaming, so bear with me).

What I really enjoyed about Rise of the Tomb Raider was the fact that there appeared to be an incredible story and was very different from the last Tomb Raider game I played, which was the original back in the old PS One gaming days.

After spending time playing games, I managed to take a few pictures with Fallout 4’s Vault Boy, which apparently started a selfie trend, followed by a discussion with one of the Xbox staff who was in charge of demonstrating the latest Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller.

I’d never seen anything more beautiful! Okay, I’m exaggerating a little, but that controller was one sweet, elegant and impressive device. It felt great in my hands. It had good grip, was lightweight, had some cool interchangeable parts and most of all, had features to make playing racing games a lot easier.

All in all, it was a good day that really celebrated gaming.

Xbox New Zealand did a fantastic job of putting together an event like XONZ and has me convinced that I need to get my hands on an Xbox One console. I can’t wait to hear about the fan days this weekend and the reactions of the general public. I’m sure it will be nothing but positive.

Shout out to my new friends at Leaping Tiger and AFK: The Webseries who do some amazing work themselves.

The post Xbox NZ Gives Back to Fans with XONZ Event appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Today Xbox opened Gamescom 2015, the world’s biggest interactive games and entertainment expo, with new game reveals for Xbox and Windows 10, extending the company’s greatest line-up in Xbox history into 2016.

They debuted world-premiere gameplay of anticipated exclusives Crackdown 3, Scalebound and Killer Instinct Season 3, alongside a new gameplay demo of the heavily anticipated Quantum Break.

Xbox also announced Halo Wars 2, an exciting new strategy game packed with fast-paced action, massive battles and an all-new Halo story, coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in spring 2016.

Shawn Ashmore, lead actor for Remedy Entertainment’s Quantum Break, surprised fans as he took the stage with Remedy’s Creative Director Sam Lake to discuss and showcase the game’s latest time-amplified gameplay features.

By popular fan request, Xbox announced DVR for Over-the-Air TV is coming to Xbox One as a subscription-free service in 2016. Once Xbox One is set up for over-the-air TV, Xbox One owners will be able to record their favourite TV shows, movies and sporting events and store them onto a hard drive, so the amount of recorded content is only limited by the size of the drive.

The Greatest Games Line-up in Xbox History Starts Today

The launch of Rare Replay on August 14th, 2015, kicks off the 2015 Xbox games line-up, which was the most awarded line-up in Xbox history at E3 2015. Today at Gamescom, the company revealed more 2015 games news and gave fans an in-depth look at the blockbuster games available this fall:

• 343 Industries signalled the return of Halo eSports with the Halo World Championship, kicking off this fall with the biggest investment in Halo eSports history: a $1 million prize pool.
• Crystal Dynamics gave fans their first look at one of the expansive hubs gamers will be able to explore in the highly anticipated Rise of the Tomb Raider, before showing off Lara’s new guerrilla combat skills and the awe-inspiring Prophets Tomb, filled with secrets to be discovered when the game releases this November, exclusively on Xbox.
• Turn 10 Studios announced four additional tracks coming to Forza Motorsport 6, each built from the ground up for this generation; Circuit of the Americas, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Sonoma Raceway and Germany’s famous Hockenheimring, as well as all-new Forza Race Leagues that offer competitive 24-player multiplayer on dedicated servers.
• Electronic Arts shared a look at FIFA 16, detailing the full roster and new features coming to FIFA Ultimate Team Legends, and reminded fans that EA Access members will get exclusive early access to the game beginning September 17th, 2015, only on Xbox One.
• Gamers who purchase Square Enix and Avalanche Studios’ upcoming open-world action adventure Just Cause 3 on Xbox One will exclusively receive Just Cause 2.
• Ubisoft provided a look at the German CTU featured in its upcoming multiplayer shooter Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. Gamers who purchase the game on Xbox One will exclusively receive both Rainbow Six Vegas  and Rainbow Six Vegas 2.
• Oxeye Game Studio, co-founded by Minecraft Lead Developer Jens Bergensten, Daniel Brynolf and Pontus Hammarberg, will launch indie title Cobalt as a console exclusive on Xbox 360 and Xbox One in October 2015.
• ID@Xbox showed several innovative titles at Gamescom, including Worms WMD, Thimbleweed Park, Train Simulator, Ark : Survival Evolved, Sheltered, We Happy Few, Bloodstained and more than 30 independent games coming to Windows 10. Fans have a lot more to look forward to, as more than 150 new ID@Xbox titles are coming in the next 12 months.
• Just in time for the holidays, two exclusive FIFA 16 console bundles, a limited edition Halo 5: Guardians console bundle and two new limited edition controllers from Halo 5: Guardians, are all available for pre-order starting today.
• Mojang announced that since the launch of Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition beta less than a week ago, players have traveled more than 826 million meters in-game; the equivalent of circling the earth 20 times.

Xbox One Backward Compatibility Launches in November 2015 with 100 Xbox 360 Titles and Games With Gold Support

• Since the announcement of Xbox One Backward Compatibility at E3 2015, fans have cast over 3 million total votes on Xbox Feedback for the Xbox 360 titles they’d like to play on Xbox One.
• Xbox One preview members have logged more than 83 years playing Xbox 360 backward-compatible titles on Xbox One.
• Gears of War and Shadow Complex are the newest titles playable on Xbox One today through Backward Compatibility.
• Xbox One will be the only next-generation console to offer backward compatibility for free this November. With more than 100 Xbox 360 titles and hundreds more to follow.
• All future Xbox 360 Games with Gold titles will be playable on Xbox One, meaning Xbox Live Gold members will have more free games to play each month on Xbox One.

Xbox Is Home to the Most Anticipated Exclusives and Blockbusters of 2016

Building on the greatest games line-up in Xbox history announced at E3 2015, including games like ReCore, Sea of Thieves and Gears of War 4, Microsoft revealed additional details on the exciting line-up of titles coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2016:

• Crackdown 3 (XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE). Stop crime as a superpowered Agent of justice in this hyperpowered sandbox of mayhem and destruction. Developed by original creator Dave Jones, Crackdown 3 delivers cooperative mayhem and an all-new multiplayer mode where destruction is your ultimate weapon, powered by the Microsoft Cloud. Multiplayer beta beginning in 2016.
• Dark Souls III. Known for delivering a high level of unrelenting challenge to gamers, the next chapter of the Dark Souls saga returns with Dark Souls III. Developer FromSoftware returns to create a new blighted world for players to explore. The embers of a once-proud kingdom set the stage for this new adventure. Players will battle against fearsome enemies and bosses with a variety of weapons and magic through a mysterious land riddled with secrets.
• Halo Wars 2 (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). An exciting new strategy game packed with fast-paced action, massive battles and an all-new Halo story, Halo Wars 2 is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in fall 2016. Developed by Creative Assembly, a SEGA company and the creators of the popular Total War series, in partnership with 343 Industries, Halo Wars 2 is the sequel to the game that redefined real-time strategy on consoles.
• Homefront: The Revolution. Homefront: The Revolution is an open-world first-person shooter where you must lead the Resistance movement and wage guerrilla warfare against a superior military force to ignite the Revolution. The dynamic, evolving world responds to your actions as an oppressed nation rises up in defiance against the occupation.
• Killer Instinct Season 3 (XBOX ONE AND WINDOWS 10 EXCLUSIVE). Launching in March 2016 on Xbox One and Windows 10, Killer Instinct Season 3 was announced at Gamescom and features eight new characters, including Rash from Battletoads. Killer Instinct and Rare Replay players can download and play a limited sneak peek of Rash on Xbox One starting August 4th, 2015.
• Quantum Break (XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE). From the makers of Max Payne and Alan Wake, Remedy Entertainment showcased new gameplay and footage of Quantum Break, the studio’s latest blockbuster game with time-amplified action and a suspenseful storyline brought to life in a way never done before in the gaming world. Quantum Break will be available on April 5th 2016.
• Scalebound (XBOX ONE EXCLUSIVE). Unite with a fearsome, noble dragon in Scalebound, the next great adventure from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames and renowned Game Director Hideki Kamiya. Available spring 2016.

DVR for Over-the-Air TV Coming to Xbox One

With DVR for Over-the-Air TV, you can stream shows to other devices, schedule recordings and take your shows with you on-the-go.

• Stream recorded TV shows to other devices in your home and schedule recordings while on the go, either via the Xbox app on Windows 10, or through Xbox SmartGlass for iOS and Android.
• Add, review and edit your scheduled recordings from your Windows 10, iOS or Android PC, tablet or phone while you are away from home with ease.
• Download shows to your Windows 10 phone, PC or tablet so you can watch them on an airplane, on a bus – really anywhere – even without an internet connection.

New Xbox One Consoles Offer Fans More Ways to Play This Holiday

In addition to the previously announced Forza Motorsport 6 Limited Edition Console and Xbox One Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle, Microsoft offers even more options for bringing home Xbox One at a great value this fall.

• Xbox One Halo 5: Guardians Limited Edition Bundle. Featuring a 1TB custom-designed console and controller, a full game download of Halo 5: Guardians, the Warzone REQ Bundle that includes 14 premium Requisition Packs, access to Halo: The Fall of Reach animated series, and more. The bundle is available starting October 20th, 2015 for an estimated retail price of $699 NZD, so fans will have the benefit of pre-downloading Halo 5: Guardians to be ready for launch day.
• Xbox One 1TB and 500GB EA SPORTS FIFA 16 Bundles. Pre-order the Xbox One 1TB EA SPORTS FIFA 16 bundle or Xbox One 500GB EA SPORTS FIFA 16 bundles today. The Xbox One 1TB EA Sports FIFA 16 Bundle includes a full-game download of FIFA 16, three Xbox exclusive FIFA Ultimate Team Loan Legends and one-year of EA Access for an estimated retail price of $599 NZD. The Xbox One 500GB EA SPORTS FIFA 16 Bundle includes a full-game download of FIFA 16, three Xbox exclusive FIFA Ultimate Team Loan Legends and one-month EA Access for an estimated retail price of $649 NZD. As an EA Access member, play FIFA 16 and other upcoming EA games on Xbox One for a limited time before they’re released.

Xbox Chatpad and Halo Limited Edition Controllers Take Your Gaming to the Next Level

• The Xbox Chatpad. A new Xbox Chatpad for all Xbox One controllers will let you compose messages to friends, enter codes and search apps in seconds. Two new programmable buttons available mid-2016 on Xbox One only will give you access to your favorite features like Game DVR, screenshots or apps at the touch of a button. The Xbox Chatpad is coming this November for an estimated retail price of $49.95 NZD.
• Xbox One Limited Edition Halo 5: Guardians Wireless Controller. Featuring a unique laser-etched design inspired by Spartan Locke and UNSC technology, the controller includes metallic blue accents, UNSC military insignias and a bonus Requisition Pack including the Resolute visor. The controller will be available starting in early October for an estimated retail price of $99.95 NZD.
• Xbox One Limited Edition Halo 5: Guardians “The Master Chief” Wireless Controller. Featuring the signature green and metallic orange accents of the Master Chief’s armour, the controller includes laser-etched designs and a bonus Requisition Pack including the Dauntless visor. The controller will be available starting in early October for an estimated retail price of $99.95 NZD.

The post Xbox Unveils More of Its Greatest Games Line-up in History appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and Real Madrid C.F. today announced that they have signed a three year partnership that will see EA SPORTS become the exclusive and official videogame partner of one of the world’s most popular football clubs.

“We’re honored to welcome Real Madrid as an official partner club and the opportunity to bring fans even closer to the team through unique experiences and authentic player likeness in the game,” said Jamie McKinlay, Vice President of Marketing, EA SPORTS. “Real Madrid is one of the most popular clubs in the world and that’s also true within our game; we are looking forward to building a deeper connection with the club in the coming years.”

As part of the partnership, EA SPORTS FIFA 16 will include updated 3D head scans of fourteen of Real Madrid’s most popular players. New player likeness for Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez, Luka Modrić, Karim Benzema, and others will enhance the authenticity of the FIFA franchise. Fans will also find out which of their favourite stars rules the virtual pitch when Real Madrid players compete in an exclusive FIFA 16 video game tournament later this season.

Emilio Butragueño, Director of Institutional Relations, Real Madrid C.F., said “We’re delighted to be working with EA SPORTS as our official videogame partner. They’re the market leading brand in football videogames and we can’t wait to start working together to give both our fans unforgettable experiences. Many of our players are big FIFA gamers and I know they can’t wait to play FIFA 16.”

The partnership extends into the Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s storied home pitch, on game day as the stadium’s big screen will occasionally display player celebrations rendered with EA SPORTS FIFA after home team goals. Those visiting the stadium will also have a chance to get a hands-on experience with FIFA 16 in a new experiential area at the Bernabéu. In addition, fans can expect to see EA SPORTS content in the stadium and on Real Madrid’s digital channels.

Real Madrid C.F. join other EA SPORTS partner clubs around the world from top leagues including Spain’s La Liga, the Barclays Premier League in England, and Ligue 1 in France, among others.

FIFA 16 will be available September 24th, 2015 in Australia and September 25th 2015 in New Zealand, 2015 on Origin on PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

The post Real Madrid C.F. Stars Get New Player Likeness for EA SPORTS FIFA 16 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

EA Australia hosted an E3 2015 replay at the Standard Bowl in King’s Cross last night to promote their upcoming games for 2015 and into 2016.

Attendees were treated to a special screening of the press conference, including a special introduction from the Australian EA CEO, and from the Matilda’s, one of whom will be on the cover of FIFA 2016 with Lionel Messi.

Read on below for some of the biggest highlights of their press conference.

First up Mass Effect is back. EA showed the newest entry into the franchise, Mass Effect: Andromeda in a brief clip to attendees, receiving a hearty response from the audience. Not much is known about the newest game in the series, but it looks to be more of what gamers have loved from the series. For once the term “epic” seems appropriate at E3.

EA’s flagship car game, Need for Speed is getting a reboot. After the disappointing Need for Speed: Rivals the series is stepping back, taking stock and moving in a new direction.

The reboot is focusing more on the urban car culture elements of previous entries, specifically about customising cars, and racing with friends in style against the law. The game’s video looked impressive and if the graphical fidelity of the demonstration can be maintained across consoles it will be a worthy entry into the increasingly-crowded car racing genre.

An extremely nervous Swedish man announced Unravel, a side scrolling platformer that looks to have similarities to Nintendo’s upcoming Yoshi’s Wooly World. Unravel seems to have more complex, physics-based puzzles though and perhaps a more mature theme to the story and gameplay, so it’s a game I’m extremely interested in checking out.

In one of the more exciting announcements of the night another reboot, that of Mirror’s Edge; Mirror’s Edge Catalyst was announced. More of an origin story for protagonist Faith, it looks to incorporate the same parkour mechanics of its predecessor without the gun violence that always felt a bit unfaithful to the main character’s persona.

In a sequel that nobody expected and perhaps nobody was really asking for, a follow-up to last year’s underplayed Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare has been announced: Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2. If you’ve ever wondered what was happening on the Zombie side of Plants vs Zombies then this is the game for you. Instead of the focus being on the plants,

Before the official FIFA 16 announcement there was a lengthy and awkward conversation with football legend Pele, which was a shame because FIFA 16 seems to bring with it some real enhancements, least of all is the inclusion of women in teams for the first time in the franchise’s history. This game will be bought and played by millions and the inexorable advanced in technology in this sort of game are always welcome.

Star Wars Battlefront finished up the presentation and was undoubtedly the highlight of the night. Despite the complaints on the internet about what isn’t in the game compared to its predecessors what was in the trailer was tense, fast paced and extremely good looking.

It was good to see the game introduced by a woman, breaking up the monotony of pale white men. Again, this was pre-rendered footage of pre-release code, so take everything you saw with a grain of salt.

But if EA can truly deliver what they promise with this game it will be a highlight of the entire year’s gaming calendar.

So the E3 conference is what you expected it would be. Sequels, reboots, attempts at pressing the same nostalgia buttons that Nintendo has hammered at for the last ten years.

With some of the biggest game series in its vaults now, EA looks to continue mining them for years to come. Nevertheless, quirky games such as Unravel, though admittedly an indie game simply published by EA, demonstrate the company is looking outside its comfortable AAA staples.

EA’s a bit like a Mazda 3, safe, reliable and everywhere.

The post EA Australia’s E3 Press Conference appeared first on Shane the Gamer.