Farewell-Credits

This is the final episode of the TechFixation Podcast.

We would like to send our sincerest apologies to the fans who will be left behind, we truly have loved our time with you all. And we would like to send our fondest thanks to all those who have contributed to the site and podcast.

Matt Holt - Games/Tech Editor

Caleb Smith - Tech Editor

Daniel Goad - Tech Fixation Jedi

Cameron Skayman - Entertainment Editor

Roger Havens - Reviews Editor

John Schwarts - News Editor

Greg Woolston - Junior Tech Editor

Mitchell Morgan - Former Co-Host

Morgan Powell - Former Co-Host

Connor McKervey - Contributor

Clinical Andy - Contributor

Our Families and Loved Ones who put up with our crazy dream for so long

You will still be able to find us on twitter @lordbritish and @hodgepodge42

Check out this episode!

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Hitman HD Collection: Has Agent 47 become ripe with old age?

This isn’t a review.  I thought about doing that, but then realised that I’d be writing about games that are 10, 8 and 6 years old that have been reviewed to death already, and aren’t in need of another internet page telling you what the stories are about.  Instead I’m going to recap my time with the HD collection and aim to give an idea on how I felt playing these again, and also how they stack up by today’s standards, especially as we now have the Hitman Absolution in the mix.

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The Sticky Floor Ep10 - D/V/D

The panel is reunited for an epic tenth episode, in which our protagonists review V/H/S, pitch the perfect BioShock film, and complain about Michael Bay, Tyler Perry, and Anne Hathaway.

Check out this episode!

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A Closer Look at the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Map

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is hitting shelves this October 29th and members of the guild are shouting yo ho! In ACIV: BF You'll sail as Captain Edward Kenway on your vessel, Jackdaw, and ravage the Caribbean in 1715. In the Golden Age of piracy you'll spend forty percent of the game on the water with many cannon battles. The game will feature three main cities; Havana, Kingston, and Nassau, which reside under Spanish, English and pirate influence respectively.

 Players will be able to experience the true Assassin's Creed with a more non-linear approach to completing missions and objectives. Assassin's will be prompted with many different options to overcome their quests.
The player will encounter jungles, forts, ruins and small villages and the world is being built to allow players much more freedom, such as allowing players to engage, board, and capture passing ships and swimming to nearby beaches in a seamless fashion.In addition, the hunting system has been retained from Assassin's Creed III, allowing the player to hunt on land, and harpoon in the water.

Your ship, the Jackdaw, will be a very important upgradable character throughout the game. With Captain Kenway at your fingertips you can now explore the depths of the ocean in a new underwater experience added to the series. The player will also have access to a spyglass, similiar to the camera of Far Cry 3, that will let the player examine details of distant ships, such as their cargo and strength, and help determine if an island still has animals to hunt, treasures or high points to climb. Kenway will also be able to recruit assassins and crew as Ezio once did in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

Enjoy the screenshots and how current gen and next gen versions will differ.

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'Cowboy Bebop:' Great Series, or Greatest Series?

The series Cowboy Bebop has always had a presence in my life. My older brother was a huge fan of it when it came out, and growing up I always marveled at the few glimpses I could catch staying up late to watch Adult Swim or perhaps when they were airing the movie.
I had never watched all 26 episodes, however, until last weekend. I enjoyed the series so much that I told myself; "If I don't see the last episode, I never have to stop watching." Last weekend I found myself on an especially long bus ride, and after watching episode 24 and 25 on my Kindle, I decided, what the hell, might as well. And so I finished one of the best anime of all time.

And, arguably, one of the greatest shows of all time. It's short and sweet, 26 episodes, not too much to oversaturate the characters but just enough that you can get a real feel for them and their relationships. It's a very comforting and satisfying feeling - you never feel that the series is getting stale, each episode has it's own unique quirks that make it amazing. With things like Ubisoft's plan to release an Assasin's Creed each year and, you know, every episode of the office since Steve Carell left, Cowboy Bebop is a shining example of a team of creators wonderfully accomplishing their goal, and leving it at that.

The film, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, is less polished than the rest of the series. Rather than following the formula of the show of a simple, yet engaging plot, the Cowboy Bebop movie has so many plot points that missing one line of dialogue can leave you confused with the rest of the movie. It also gets a little long in the tooth by the time Vincent and Spike have their final showdown, clocking in at about an hour and 47 minutes, but feeling much much longer.

If you haven't watched Cowboy Bebop, I highly recommend it. It's perfectly crafted - each episode has a musical theme and every one of the series' fight scenes is coordinated to match the music playing. It's incredibly subtle, and works to make every episode worth watching over and over again, if only to listen to the audio.
If you find yourself all dried out on Game of Thrones or Doctor Who or House of Cards, or you're just trying to fill the gap between now and the new season of Arrested Development, please please please take the time to enjoy this shining example of television. You won't regret the decision.
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John Schwartz
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Box-office Death Match March 29-31 2013

Actuals
Gi Joe - 40.5 million
The croods
Tyler Perry Trash
Olympus has fallen
Oz

Roger
Gi joe - 46 million
The croods
The host
Olympus has fallen
Admission
Order - 3
Place - 3
Bonus - 0
Total - 6
Place - 2nd

Caleb:
GIJoe - 40mil
The host
The croods
Oz
Burt wonderstone
Order - 1
Place - 3
Bonus - 2
Total - 6
Place- 2nd


Daniel:
GIJoe 2 - 51mil
Croods
Host
Olympus
Trance
Order - 3
Place - 3
Bonus - 0
Total - 6
Place - 2nd

Cam:
Gi joe - 55
The croods
The Tyler perry movie
Olympus
Host.
Order - 4
Place - 4
Bonus - 0
Total - 8
Place - 1st

Cam Sky wins, triple tie at second.

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Lets Breakdown Thief's Screenshots

This could easily be assumed as a still from a cinematic. Could be the opening of the game or a monumental plot point.

We're unsure if your bow can be upgraded or not but that arrow sure looks fancy. Stealth-based games like Hitman and Assassin's Creed require a certain essence of patience, strategy, and coordination. Eidos has stated that Thief will take those skills to a new level. This screenshot is taken at a moment where Garret is aiming at the fire-pit; could those fancy arrows manipulate the flame somehow? Water-arrows?

Patience goes hand=in-hand with timing so taking out more than one foe at a time will be inevitable. Memorize how the guards act and the patterns they follow. Your wit is sure to help you.

Many places to hide and many things to steal. The only problem is how you're going to fit all of it in your satchel. 

Watching NPCs will take up quite a bit of gameplay as Garret has to learn who his targets are without getting too close. He'll have to time his movements precisely and figure out ways of distracting his targets.

Agile and acrobatic has a cat-burglar Garret will be able to take out victims from up above Sam Fisher style. The only worry is finding the right moment to strike. Be wary of nearby opponents as you could be in their line of sight.

Learning crucial information is all in a day's work for Garret. Being in the right place at the right time could prove very rewarding.

Lock-picking is as crucial as breathing for a thief. As Garret you'll be up to your neck in broken lock-picks and fickle tumblers. The harder the lock the better the spoils.

This image looks like it is from a cinematic; possibly the opening of the game. Garret makes a leap of faith to evade pursuers. In his right hand it looks as though he is wielding a grappling hook.

Pay close attention to the movements of your enemies. Learning what they do or listening to what their plans are could be life or death.

This hazy image could be a special ability Garret posses in order to see specific items, quest markers, or enemies.

Close quarters hand-to-hand combat looks prevalent in Thief. Stealing an enemy's weapon could serve useful but timing is everything. You can clear a room with your skill in murder or sneak through without a whisper.

Garret seems to be taking to the rooftops in this image. There is no doubt that Eidos will take cues from Assassin's Creed but the real question is how much will they imitate?

Gold. Everything is always better with gold. Whether this is a mission item, a personal conquest, or a potion this object is important.

There is no telling what Garret is unleashing and learning in this image but the object definitely reminds me of stars and galaxies, but looks like a cipher. I'm assuming this piece belongs to a larger puzzle of the main quest.

Could be another cinematic image. Same with the one below.

Shadows and blind corners are a thief's best friends. There is no doubt that many missions you are tasked with will place you in highly populated rooms and areas. It's your challenge to overcome such impossible possibilities.

From the looks of it cinematic executions could be used to add a bit more flare in your homicidal gameplay. Different weapons would trigger different methods.

Thief Previews:

Destructoid | DigitalTrends | OPM | IGN | EuroGamer | Joystiq | Polygon | CVG | GameSpot | ShackNews | VideoGamer 

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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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Call of Duty: Black OPs II "Uprising" DLC Details and Trailer

Official Press Release:

Call of Duty fans are set to receive another premium offering of Downloadable Content with Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising on April 16. The game`s second, epic DLC pack of the year from award-winning studio Treyarch and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, will be available first, exclusively on Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft beginning on April 16, with other platforms to follow. Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising will include four new exotic multiplayer maps, plus an exciting new Zombies experience called "Mob of the Dead" that takes players to Alcatraz with four of the actors behind some of Hollywood`s most iconic mobsters, including Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen.

"With Uprising, the team has really outdone itself again," said Mark Lamia, Treyarch`s Studio Head. "In addition to creating four amazing new multiplayer maps, the Studio has been hard at work on the Zombies front to surpass what we accomplished with `Call of the Dead.` What they`ve done this time around is nothing Zombies fans have seen before - and if you don`t believe me, just wait until you get into Purgatory."

Following tradition of the original Call of Duty: Black Ops fan-favorite Zombies mode "Call of the Dead," Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising`s wildly creative new "Mob of the Dead" Zombies experience finds the four prohibition-era mobsters, Billy Handsome (Liotta), Al "The Weasel" Arlington (Pantoliano), Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca (Palminteri), and Michael "Finn" O`Leary (Madsen) serving time in Alcatraz Prison, only to discover that being behind bars is the least of their problems. With plans to break out of Alcatraz foiled by the rise of the undead, the quartet of inmates will have to lean on their mob-derived skills with firearms, blunt instruments and improvised weaponry as they battle the zombies infesting and overrunning the island. In order to survive, players must work their way through the steel cells and aging concrete buildings while fighting off a multitude of zombified prisoners and guards trapped on the island with them. Additionally, if a player becomes an unfortunate victim, "Mob of the Dead`s" new feature known as "Purgatory" sends players into the afterlife. This new twist on Zombies gameplay is ripe with its own set of objectives, and offers fans a truly new and unique experience.

Uprising also delivers another four new, exotic and diverse multiplayer maps set around the globe for fans to jump into. "Magma" is a modern Japanese village with volcanic eruptions carving multiple paths throughout the town. "Encore" takes place in the aftermath of a deserted London music festival and leaves numerous opportunities for run-and-gun, close quarters combat. "Vertigo" is a futuristic high rise in India housing a high-tech lab featuring dizzying vistas and multi-tiered pathways. Finally, "Studio" is a contemporary remake of "Firing Range," a fan-favorite multiplayer map from the original Call of Duty: Black Ops. "Studio" is a Hollywood movie back lot with a variety of cinematic themes that range from Sci-Fi to the Old West.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprisingwill be available first, exclusively on Xbox Live for 1200 Microsoft Points on April 16. The Uprising DLC Map Pack is also included in the Call of Duty: Black Ops II DLC Season Pass*, where fans can purchase all four epic DLC Map Packs planned for the year, and also receive the Nuketown Zombies bonus map, and an exclusive in-game calling card as part of the discounted bundle offered at a suggested retail price of $49.99 or 4000 Microsoft Points.

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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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Would You Kindly Watch this Bioshock Tribute Video

*SPOILERS WITHIN*

The above video is my take on a tribute to the Bioshock Trilogy set to "Back Where I Belong" by Baroness. After completing Infinite earlier this week I was addicted to its ending and what it meant for the series. I took it upon myself to create this video in honour of the stories laying within its gameplay and the conspiracy theories concerning its latest entry. I love Irrational Games' world and I hope this video open up a few eyes. *SPOILERS WITHIN*
Please comment below and tell me what you think.

Enjoy our review of Bioshock Infinite and some very interesting ideas on how our very own Dexter understood Infinite.

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Google to release new Nexus 7 this summer

by Greg Woolston

Google’s Nexus 7 was quite the hit when it was revealed last year. The small powerhouse was a pleasant surprise for most. I am personally fond of the 7 inch tablet, and have been very happy with mine since launch. Reuters reports that Google along with hardware manufacturer ASUS are planning to release the next Nexus 7 this July.

The revised Nexus 7 is likely to feature a larger screen than its predecessor by reducing the size of the bezel surrounding the screen. The new screen could even come with a higher resolution than the previous model in an effort to differentiate themselves from other tablet giants Apple and Amazon.

According the Reuters the new Nexus 7 will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor instead of an Nvidia sourced chip like the previous model’s Tegra 3 chip. The reason for the switch was mainly due to power reasons as reported by Reuters. Could this mean that Google is also trying to gain greater battery life than similarly sized and priced tablets, or will they be trying something more aggressive to entice new users to their hardware?

Google is also expecting the new Nexus 7 to sell far better than the previous generation. Google expects to ship around 8 million Nexus 7s in the second half of the year. The estimate of sales from the current device in that same time period is about 4.6 million. The Nexus 7 is a very capable device that delivers on all fronts. It is exciting to see that Google is getting serious about this platform, and they will most likely detail this hardware at their annual I/O event.

Article Source: Reuters

Image Source: google

Written by Greg Woolston
Junior Tech Editor

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Bioshock Infinite Review

Bioshock Infinite is the third game in the series that’s previously had us explore the underwater delights of the city of Rapture in 1960 as Jack, a plane crash survivor who discovers the city as it’s experiencing a civil war.  It gave gamers the opportunity to experience the notions of choice and freewill through its lauded story telling, as much as through its approach to environmental design and combat.  It is, rightly, one of this generations classics, only narrowly beaten to the top spot by Aliens: Colonial Marines (kidding!).

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Disney Closes LucasArts; Stars Wars 1313 Cancelled

In horrific news today that is sending a huge rift through the Force Kotaku reports that Disney has shut down LucasArts studio indefinitely and has laid off all of its staff.

Star Wars: First Assault and Star Wars 1313 are cancelled, however Star Wars 1313 can still be saved with licensing (here's your chance Obsidian). Disney will still use the LucasArts name to license games, but the studio is no more.

An exerpt from Disney's statement:
“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games. As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles.”

Disney acquired LucasArts last fall and ever since then rumours began of LucasArts enacting a hiring-freeze and holding off on project announcements; which many staff saw as the beginning of the end. Today, it's official: the studio that brought Jedi and Sith so many adventures and much entertainment is no more.

May the Force be with all of the staff and their families. We wish them luck in their futures.

I hope this is worth it to Disney because this action is certain to turn long-time fans to the Dark Side; myself included. I was/am extremely excited for 1313 and I wish for it to be picked up by a studio with Star Wars experience. It is sad to see such a great studio end so abruptly.

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"New DOOM 4" Confirmed; RAGE 2 Cancelled

With some good and bad news today Bethesda has confirmed that they are in the process of developing a "new version" of Doom 4. This new version has been rumoured for next-gen consoles and appears to be in its alpha stages.

Sources claim development is "not going well" although Bethesda and id Software remain strong behind its project.

"An earlier version of Doom 4 did not exhibit the quality and excitement that id and Bethesda intend to deliver and that Doom fans worldwide expect," Bethesda's marketing boss Pete Hines said in a new statement.

"As a result, id refocused its efforts on a new version of Doom 4 that promises to meet the very high expectations everyone has for this game and this franchise. When we're ready to talk about the Doom 4 id is making, we will let folks know."

This good news comes with some heavy baggage as Zenimax has cancelled RAGE 2 and "downsized" its future DLC releases for the original because of poor sales.

Now, all id staff are working on Doom 4.

I loved RAGE. It had a great atmosphere and design that was conceptually synonymous with id software. I believe RAGE failed because of poor marketing and a cluttered release window. It was a solid FPS but ulimately it was too grand of an idea and felt empty at times.

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'Torchlight 2' releases new modding tools

After a long hiatus from updating, Torchlight 2's developers Runic Games have released mod tools for their beloved ARPG.
Nicknamed GUTS, the new development tool lets you modify almost everything about the game, "from item and skill balance, to level layouts, animations, quests, and much more," according to a post on Runic's website.
"GUTS mods can be shared with your friends, and multiplayer games using mods can be found in the modded games lobby," the post continues. "In addition, A new launcher lets you customize which mods are currently active."
The new patch also contains in-game content such as new monsters, new weapons, and new pets - including the "Headcrab!"

The Headcrab's name is, irrevocably, Lamarr.

In celebration of the release of GUTS, Runic has dropped the price of the game 50% to 9.99, which you can purchase either on Steam of through Runic's website.
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John Schwartz
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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
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4/2/13

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