Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Screenshots

Many people just did not believe that Far Cry 3 would have a 1980's themed arcade shooter with a sci-fi twist. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is indeed a thing. Thanks to a NeoGAF poster these screens are available for us to shove in the face of the non-believers. You can visit the website here where you can enter the Konami code and destroy the whole site. You can watch the trailer, and you can also view the achievement list.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon has not been officially announced, priced, dated, or mocked up for any platform, however we're led to believe this is an arcade title.

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Rumour: The Next Xbox Will Require Internet Connection to Play Games & Apps

After Sony unveiled the Playstation 4 the ominous sound of defeat seemed to overshadow Microsoft. An April event was scheduled by Microsoft to showcase their new console but was pushed back to May. We already know that Microsoft has dev-kits out and about with custom zebra printed cases and controllers; so that if leaked images surface Microsoft can track the leak. There are also reports that the next Xbox will have dual APUs.

Rumours have spread since the beginning of 2013 that the next Xbox would require constant online connection but now Kotaku has two more sources that can be added to the fold. The sources claim that Project Durango; the codename for the next console, will have to have internet connection to start games and apps but will be able to tolerate dropped connections.


The source told Kotaku, "Unless something has changed recently, Durango consumer units must have an active internet connection to be used."


"If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source continued. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time--currently three minutes, if I remember correctly--the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."

The PS4 will not require an online connection to start or run games, Sony has confirmed.
No gaming console ever has.

This rumour centers around a feature that is definitely a deal-breaker for most gamers so Microsoft needs to take careful consideration with this. If indeed this is a huge sodium overload then all could be well as the next Xbox is speculated to up-to-par to Sony's PS4.

What do you think? Would you buy the next Xbox console if you are forced into chains with your internet provider?



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GTA V Screenshot Breakdown

by Roger Havens

Have you been dying for more Grand Theft Auto V news? Well thanks to the fine folks over at Rockstar Games, we now have 10 new screenshots that we can analyse and comb through. Give em a look and enjoy. Please keep in mind that Rockstar clearly stated that these screenshots are all from current gen consoles. For one, this game looks awfully good for current gen. Secondly, is Rockstar making a next gen version of the game? Is that partly why the game was delayed until September? One can only hope.

Maybe I am just being picky, but Rockstar, where is the brake handles? That question aside, this might show a new gameplay mechanic. As you can see in the background the cops are chasing Trevor, and they are hanging off of the side of the vehicle. Will they be able to jump on to your car if they get close enough? Or will this be a new ability that the players can use similar to Just Cause 2? Either way this should be fun to have in game.

Now here is an interesting picture. There appears to be a filter on the photo giving it the color affect as well as the lens flare on the tail lights. Although this could have been done just for the heck of it, another possibility comes to mind. Will GTA V have a film editor where you can record gameplay and create your own pictures? Just imagine taking a screenshot of your awesome stunt jump and editing the picture to your hearts desire. Awesome.

Here is a great shot to show off the vast world of Grand Theft Auto V. You can see a dirt road trailing up the left side of the screen. A great hill for a bike ride I presume. As far as you can see there are no sky scrapers or big buildings. Which means that Los Santos is somewhere else, maybe over the farthest mountain. Remember Rockstar did say that this game map would be larger than GTA: San Andreas, GTA IV and Red Red Redemption all put together.

You all know how it goes. You hop into your newly acquired green Infernus and speed down the road. Burning cars litter the road behind you. Just another day in your GTA world. It looks like escaping from your carnage wont be any easier this time around. This time Police helicopters have attached spotlights to keep track of your every movement. As we saw in a previous screenshot, cops can also use laser assisted weapons to shoot from helicopters. Should make for some excited cop chases!

This isn't the first time we've seen a mini gun in a GTA game, but still this image gets me very excited. For one, look at the fire effect on the tree. Is there going to be a progressive fire system like Far Cry 2? The fire seems to have spread off of the cop car and is now engulfing the the tree in flames. This could be a new game changer. Also, it is important to note that Franklin is wearing a bandanna to cover his face. Could this be a new ability to help mask your identity from the police?

Skydiving. We've all be there before. But this time around it looks like it will be cranked up to 11. Maybe the sky level will be much, much higher. The plane above looks like there is a door in the back where you can jump out of. Will this be a new mini game? We shall surely see.

Scuba diving will be a new feature in GTA V, but how in-depth will it be? I can only hope that there will be a  plethora of hidden collectibles or treasures. Hopefully just treasures, because I feel that searching for 300 hidden sea mollusks in a coral reef would be a tad bit tedious. Either way I want the under water feature to be fleshed out.

Just look at those colors. "Would you just look at it?" Sunsets look to be a promising vista in this game. The lighting effects are superb. Also as you can see in the background, a couple of buildings are under renovation. I don't know if this will do anything to change up the gameplay or if it is just a part of their world but it will be interesting to see.

This is just an awesome screenshot. Here you can see the protagonist Michael leaning on his Buffalo. Is he waiting for the next mission to start, or will this be the Fallout 3 version of sitting on a chair? The only other thing here is the attention to detail. Random items litter the alleys, and electricity meters are on the side of the building. But this is nothing new to the talented people at Rockstar Games.

And we saved the best for last. Not only is this a beautiful shot of the pier and the buildings in the distance, but you can see the dynamic weather system is in full effect. Lightning strikes in the distance and the sea is being stirred up by the storm. That water sure is pretty. Looks like we will have waves this time. Maybe their will be a mini game for putting out fires from lightning strikes!

                                                                               ~
Thanks for reading through this analysis of a few GTA V screenshots. I hope you are excited for this game as much as I am. Please leave a comment of anything that you noticed and what your are hoping to see in the game.

Roger Havens- Reviews Editor
@Afro_Gear
Follow on Twitter
4/2/13

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Peeling Back the Layers of the Bioshock Infinite Onion

by Dexter Jaekel

Don't be sad my dear

Since completing Bioshock Infinite late last Friday night, I have been deep in thought about the stellar and mind blowing ending. Here in this Spoiler filled article I will lay all my theories out on the line for you to view. I had spent a significant amount of time trying to locate extra Voxphones to unravel more information about the story. So if you have made your way through the story without finding these Voxphones, then I will help to fill in the details for you. If you have not beaten Bioshock Infinite yet, please bookmark this page for future reading! I think you will like what you are going to read.


SPOILERS START NOW
First things first, Booker DeWitt is Comstock. The reason Elizabeth drowned you in the river was because Comstock was born from the Baptism in the river. In one universe, Booker goes to the river to be Baptised and rejects the Baptism. His lives with his guilt for his misdeeds towards the Indians, which leads to gambling, debt, he has a daughter and the mother dies during child birth, and in order to wipe away the debt he sells his daughter to Robert Lutece. Of course, we see Comstock taking Anna DeWitt into his own universe, and she loses her pinky in the closing portal.

Comstock is born from every universe where Booker chooses to be Baptised. He changes his course of life, meets Rosalind Lutece, and creates Columbia with her Quantum Levitation. His ego gets the better of him and he takes the basis of Christianity and twists it to his favor. This gains him many followers and he is able to populate Columbia. Comstock prophesies to all these followers that his child will pave the way to an even better world. Problem is that all his time working with Rosalind Lutece on her Quantum Levitation, and subsequent parallel universes, caused him to become sterile. It was at this time that he jumped into the Universe of Booker the gambler and took his daughter.

Comstock tries to murder the Luteces because they know the truth about Elizabeth. At this point, they go back to the other universe to get Booker in an attempt right this wrong that they have made. Booker is brought over and immediately looses his memory, due to the fact that in this universe he has no memories of what happened after refusing Baptism, since after that moment only Comstock existed. He then begins to make up an existence and purpose based on some small pieces of his old universe that he is able to hold onto, "Bring us the girl, wipe away the debt."

The Lutece twins are actually not twins. They are in fact the same person. In one universe, Momma Lutece has a boy named Robert Lutece. In another universe, Momma Lutece has a girl named Rosalind Lutece. Through their work with Parallel Universes, the two decide to live together in the Columbia Universe.

The reason why Elizabeth has the power to tear open rifts is because her pinky was left in a different universe. Rosiland Lutece said something about this in one of the voxphones.

The name Bioshock Infinite is a reference to the fact that there are Infinite universes within the game

The scar on Booker's right hand saying "AD" stands for Anna DeWitt. The Lutece's refer to it as his hairshirt. Back in the day, hardcore Christians would wear scratchy and uncomfortable shirts under their clothes to punish themselves for whatever they believe their sins are. They wore them as a painful reminder. So, DeWitt scared his hand as a painful reminder of the day when he gave his daughter away.

The constant use of the song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" is a pretty obsious metaphor for the whole game. When the game is over, the circle is finally broken.

When the Luteces have you flip a coin at the beginning of the game, you should assume that these Two have asked the other Bookers in other Universes the same question and marked it on the sandwich board. So, if you count the number of tally marks you will see that this is actually the 122nd time that they have tried to break the chain of events. Also, whenever you ring the bells at the top of the lighthouse in the very beginning of he game, you ring the bells once, twice, twice. One Two Two. 122.

The choice between which necklace Elizabeth should wear is an interesting thing. The game gives you this seemingly important choice, and makes you wait for that moment when the game reveals what effect this choice will have on the universe but it never happens. This is interesting. I think what Irrational Games was trying to portray is the illusion of choice. What you should take away from it is the idea that no matter what decision you make, all the parallel universes bring you to the same place. The outcome will ultimately not be changed.

After the credits, you see Booker back in his office. The newspaper indicates that it is the same day that he would have given Anna away. But there is no knocking at the door. The way Booker says Anna's name, like there is some question in his mind as to wether or not it is real, tells me that this is the same Booker that we have been playing all along. All the other Elizabeths faded away at the end of the game, so maybe Elizabeth brought Booker to the new universe that had been created where Comstock never gets to exist and never takes Anna. A world where Booker is now completely ready to be a good and loving Father after learning all the things that it means to be a Father while he was in Columbia.


------------
Rapture is another Parallel universe

This is a theory that passed me by until today. Of course I saw the Rapture part, but I thought that was a clever nod to the original game. However, Elizabeth says that this is "one possible universe." So if this is true, then in another universe, the Comstock version of Booker became Andrew Ryan and created an underwater version of Columbia. The parallels are too strong to ignore.

Rapture is created to feed Ryan's own ego, much like Columbia was created to feed Comstock's ego.

Plasmids are just Vigors by a different name, same as EVE is just like Salts.

Atlas/Fontaine plays the same role as Daisy Fitzroy.

Dr. Lutece plays the same role as Dr. Tenenbaum.

The biggest Mind Blow is that Elizabeth and the little sisters are the same. Elizabeth is like one large and powerful Little Sister. In the original Bioshock, the little sisters were protected by a bunch of Big Daddies. In Bioshock Infinite, Elizabeth is protected by nothing less than the Ultimate Big Daddy, Songbird. Just look at these two pictures of Elizabeth and a little sister. Even the clothing color combination correlates!

-------

Well that's all I can think of right now. Please feel free to leave any corrections or additions in the comments below.




Written by Dexter Jaekel
Editor-in-Chief of TheTechFixation.com
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Update to UE4 on Wii U Story

**UPDATE**
Engadget reports that Mark Rein has taken back comments that he previously made about UE4 not working on Wii U. According to Engadget Rein stated that if a developer wanted to scale a UE4 engine game to Wii U they could. UE4 is meant to be scalable to even mobile devices so it seems that it would even be able to be scaled to Wii U. Rein also indicated that UE4 could even be scaled to a current gen system.

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Telltale's Poker Night 2 is Official

Official Press Release:

Leading publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games - in partnership with studios spanning the worlds of games, television, and cinema - confirms the next entry in their high-stakes series with Telltale Games' Poker Night 2.  

Some of the biggest personalities in gaming, film, and animation are going all-in on Xbox Live Marketplace for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation Network, and on PC and Mac from Steam. Other platforms to be announced.
Taking the fifth seat at the table, players will be joined by an all-star cast 

• Claptrap from Gearbox Software's critically-acclaimed and multi-million selling Borderlands video game series
• Brock Samson from Adult Swim's animated series The Venture Bros.
• Sam from the Sam & Max video game and comic book series by Steve Purcell
• Ash Williams from the cult classic movie Army of Darkness. Groovy! 

 Players at the table will be assured of a fair hand dealt under the unblinking gaze of a Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System from Aperture Science research facilities. Otherwise known as GLaDOS from the Portal and Portal 2 games by Valve! 

Telltale Games' Poker Night 2 will offer the chance to win 'Bounty Unlocks': rewards for use within other games when special goals are achieved. With cunning and skill, players will unlock prizes including exclusive skins and heads for use within Borderlands 2, character accessories for Team Fortress 2, unique Xbox 360 Avatar Items, and Premium Themes for dressing up PlayStation 3. 

"It's great to revisit our roots after the success of The Walking Dead. People might not know that we have a strong history of humor in our games and players are going to find a lot of laughs in Poker Night 2," said Dan Connors , Telltale CEO and Co-Founder, adding "Poker Night 2 is another example of our ability to work with phenomenal partners and bring great characters to life in the gaming universe." 

Telltale Games' Poker Night 2 will be released late April on the PlayStation Network, PC and the Xbox Live Marketplace; other systems to be announced.

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Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Trailer

Seems Far Cry 3's arcade shooter is a thing and it's called Blood Dragon.
Story:

The year is 2007. It is the future. Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war and new paths for peace must be found. A U.S. cyborg army may have found a solution: a powerful bioweapon on a distant island. A Mark IV Cyber Commando, Sergeant Rex Power Colt has been sent over to gather information and figure out what the hell is going on.

Here's the main website.

Here's the achievement list.

I like the complete visual redesign of Far cry but I'm unsure if it will be a hit with fans. We'll post more info as it's released.

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Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 3 won’t be supported on Wii U

by Greg Woolston

Epic games co founder, Mark Rein, spoke quite candidly at GDC about the Wii U and Unreal Engine 4. When asked if Unreal Engine 4 would work on Wii U, Rein is quoted by IGN as laughingly saying: “No.”

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Retro Gaming at its Finest

Source: Hyperkin

by Greg Woolston

With all of the great news coming out of the Game Developers Conference about the PS4, a third party hardware developer, Hyperkin, recently announced their new console.

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Guacamelee! is coming soon to PS3 and PSVita

by Greg Woolston

Guacamelee! is a game that I have been very excited about ever since I heard that it was in production. Drinkbox Studios is known for their Tales from Space series. I played Mutant Blobs Attack extensively, and it is one of my favorite games on the Vita.

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NVIDIA Shows Off "Ira" Tech Demo; Best Graphics to Date

NVIDIA spoke at the GPU Technology Conference in California this week about their much-vaunted Titan graphics card, and showed off what they can do with it. We've already told you its plan for release and why it is one of the most powerful graphics cards ever built but this video just shows why the graphics card costs a cool grand.

The whole video is interesting, but the best part is virtual Ira, who you can see above. Terrifying/awesome/creepy/impressive.

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Steam Launches new Early Access Program

by Greg Woolston

Source: Steam

Gamers looking to get early access to new games, and take part in the games development process will be excited to learn about Steam’s new early access program. This new program offers individuals the ability to purchase games that are still in development to play before it’s final retail release.

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Durango Rumors: Next Xbox to be “Always On, Always Connected”

by Greg Woolston

New details regarding Microsoft’s next home console “Durango” have been revealed according to new screen shots from the Durango XDK developer package. This information was posted to vgleaks.com, and according to an article on IGN this seems to be accurate. The screen shots shown from vgleaks.com show the setup wizard for the XDK as well as some details of what the next Xbox will offer.

Source: vgleaks.com

The hardware overview details many things about the new Microsoft console including performance updates over the Xbox 360, and that development architecture will be very similar to what developers are currently used to working with. The most interesting points for me included the details of the system being “Always On, Always Connected”, the “new high-fidelity Kinect Sensor, which will be required for the system to operate”, and the mandatory game installs. The entirety of the notes can be read below in the screen shot from vgleaks.com.

Source: vgleaks.com

The idea of an always on, always connected console is a little troubling. We are familiar with the always-on feature, which will also be similarly featured in the new Playstation 4. The ability for the console to quickly transition from sleep to game is a very exciting new console feature that I am looking forward to. However, I am not as excited about an always-connected console. The biggest problem with this setup is that if you don’t have an Internet connection than you’re out of luck if you want to play any games. Even though we live in a fairly advanced society where Internet is readily available in most areas there are some parts of the world where Internet access is still unavailable. Not to mention countries where there are home Internet data caps, which could lead to higher Internet bills for those affected. I hope that there will be a work around of some kind, because if the console is inoperable without an Internet connection than Microsoft will alienate a portion of their consumer base. This feature could also confirm that Microsoft is planning on eliminating the use of used games.

Used games could also become obsolete for this new system based on the fact that the system will always be connected, and that games will have to be installed onto the hard drive. While “disc media will be used for distribution” games will not be played from the optical drive. Games will, however, be able to be played while they are installing so that gamers don’t have to wait for the entire game to install. Mandatory game installs could spell an end for used games just like PC games have done for decades. Many gamers rely on buying used games to save their hard earned money. This is a topic that I don’t really want to explore at this time, but I feel that prohibiting the use of used games in the coming console generation could be a deadly strategy. Given the right amount of hard drive space I really like the idea of having all my games on the hard drive ready to play, and having a hard copy for my game collection.

The new Kinect sensor is going to be a mandatory accessory boxed with every console according to the notes. This is similar to what we expect from the PS4 with the Playstation Eye. I bet that the new Kinect will be heavily integrated into the console’s operating system, as well as most games that come out in some way or another. Like it or not motion gaming on the new Xbox is coming. The improvements to the sensor will hopefully make the experience with the new Kinect better, and be able to deliver for all of those that are pumped about the inevitable new Dance Central game.

I am eagerly anticipating the reveal of the next Xbox. Even though I have been a Playstation gamer since the days of the PSOne, competition in this industry is essential for driving it forward. A lot of features detailed in this leak are very exciting and if implemented correctly could be differentiating. But, some of them could spell disaster for one of the big three console manufacturers. We will have to wait and see.

Written by Greg Woolston

Junior Tech Editor

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*CONFIRMED* Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut coming to Wii U

by Dexter Jaekel

UPDATE
Square Enix has now confirmed the existence of Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut for Wii U. Although there was no confirmed release date, Square Enix did elaborate on some of the new features of the Director's Cut.


With the GamePad's touch screen, players will be able to hack, interact with the map, augmented snipe, throw grenades back, and "other neural hub enhancements." Of course, I am most excited about being able to hack with the GamePad. Hacking actually took some level of skill with a regular controller, but should be a much smoother process with a touch interface. Also, having a full size map always on display will be helpful when navigating the large hub worlds.

Other features include: in-game guides, developer commentary, Tong's Rescue DLC, Missing Link DLC, overhauled boss fights (the boss battles were point of contention for many gamers and the developers inevitably apologized for the way the boss battles played out), AI tweaks, and visual enhancements. It's pretty easy to see that this is the definitive version of the game. I urge anyone with a Wii U who has not played this game to purchase it when it releases. It just might be the best Core game on this fledgling system.


ORIGINAL STORY
One of my favorite hidden gems of the current generation is rumored to be coming to the Nintendo Wii U.
That's right! Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut is coming to Wii U on May 7th for $49.99, according to Amazon. Although Square Enix has yet to officially announce this title's existence, we can think of it as all but confirmed. Amazon has revealed the cover art and some of the Wii U Only features.

"Ultimate Deus Ex: Human Revolution experience : take advantage of a multitude of improvements, features and additional content that bring this already critically-acclaimed adventure to whole new levels"

"Tap into the Wii U's GamePad true potential: Adam Jensen's newest augmentation, the Neural Hub, offers an immersive and empowering experience, right at the tips of your fingers"

Although I have no idea what this "Neural Hub" will actually do for the game, I'm excited to have a reason to go back and re-experience the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. If you happened to have missed this game, it's worth playing regardless of what system you own. The high level of customization, diverse play styles, and action packed RPG elements are something that must be experienced by all Core Gamers. Personally, I felt that Deus Ex: Human Revolution did a far better job at being a stealth espionage action game than Metal Gear Solid 4 did. That is saying a lot since I am a die hard Metal Gear Solid fanboy.

Written by Dexter Jaekel
Editor-in-Chief of TheTechFixation.com

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Assassin’s Creed III The Tyranny of King Washington 'The Betrayal' Available Today

Today, Ubisoft announces the launch of The Betrayal, the second episode in the three-part Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington downloadable content series, on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs. This episode will be available for PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system starting tomorrow, March 20.

The Betrayal continues the next chapter in hero Ratonhnhaké:ton’s war against the mad King George Washington, taking gamers to Boston to find an unlikely ally. Ratonhnhaké:ton will discover a new ability- the power of the eagle, which empowers him to quickly fly across short distances and hone in on enemies for precise and brutal assassinations.

The final episode of Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption will release on April 23 for the Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs, and April 24 on PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

All episodes of the Tyranny of King Washington are available through the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass, which is available for purchase for 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or £23.99 on the PlayStation Network and Windows PC. Season Pass provides access to all Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs. Each episode of The Tyranny of King Washington will be available for purchase separately as a single DLC pack for 800 Microsoft points or $9.99.

All Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs will also be available on the Wii U through the Nintendo eShop.

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Deus Ex: Human Revolution Coming to Wii U

by Dexter Jaekel

One of my favorite hidden gems of the current generation is rumored to be coming to the Nintendo Wii U.

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PlayStation Plus Round-Up

by Dexter Jaekel

This weeks round up of Playstation Plus perks hitting the servers on 3/19/13 for the United States.

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Mars: War Logs Website Live Plus Screenshots

If you wished to know more about this RPG for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, this is the perfect opportunity to satisfy your lust for information by visiting the website today! The updated website has also been optimized for smartphones and touch tablets, allowing players to access all the information about Mars War Logs, wherever they are.

In the past few weeks, we presented parts of Mars War Logs with screenshots and videos showing its combat system and some of its story and locations. On the official website, you will not only find this information in even more detailed, but also new information about all the other aspects of the game: details about important characters of the story, information about its crafting system, the game mechanics, timeline, companions, and much more!

You will of course find all the screenshots and videos of Mars War Logs, along with new artworks, in the big media gallery that we will be sure to fill up in the weeks to come. Finally, the website is also the place to find all the latest info: read all the news, follow the activity surrounding the game on your favorite social networks in real-time, as well as the Dev Blog from Spiders Games, who will regularly release exclusive information!

In order to celebrate this grand opening, we offer you 5 new screenshots of Mars War Logs, screenshots that you will of course find in the media section of the website!

Mars War Logs will be released in Spring 2013 on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC.

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