NEWS: Rocksteady Discuss Arkham Knight's Villain Redesigns

Whilst memorable villains are taking part in Arkham Knight, they might look a little different.

In a feature with Game Informer, Arkham Knight's Art Director David Hego, has discussed redesigns of three very well-known villains within the Batman universe, including Penguin, Two Face, and The Riddler.

When speaking on the Penguin, Hego said:

"We took the coat off, and the concept of Penguin was more of a dirty dude. Obviously his shirt is rolled up and sweaty, and he food stains on it. But still, he's really powerful. He's got a golden chain, as well. We had to be a bit crazy with this character, and working with his design. And we shaved his head. He's proper filthy, you know. It makes you want to punch him even more."

It seems not much was altered with the appearance of Two Face besides giving him a new next-gen sheen:

"We just rolled up his sleeves and made him look really next-gen. We took some references of really filthy, burnt flesh - which is what we do most of the time, which is quite cool - and tried to make him look as badass as we could."

Finally, Hego speaks on the infamous Riddler, who has a habbit of constantly changing appearance:

"If you had to work overtime, for example, you would start the night with your jumper on and everything, and as the time went by you'd probably take your jumper off, open your shirt, take your tie off, have a coffee. The Riddler is a character who has a cool framework, and we didn't want to change it too much - we like his shirts with question marks and silly glasses and greasy hair."

Batman: Arkham Knight is to hit shelves October 14 on Xbox One, PS4, and Windows.

NEWS: DICE Details Battlefield 4 Naval Strike DLC Maps

The latest Battlefield 4 DLC will include four new multiplayer maps.

Developer DICE has spoke in-depth on each map that is to be available in the upcoming Naval Strike DLC pack - a set of new multiplayer maps which are based on the ideologies behind naval warfare. 

Lost Islands

"Starting with Lost Islands, this map focuses around a crashed airplane located near the center of the map. The map itself contains several small islands surrounding the crash site that can be traversed using quad bikes around the whole map, or by using boats (including the new hovercraft) to take shortcuts across it. The key to master this map is to control the plane at the crash site, which can be blown open to give infantry some much needed cover. Another special area of this map is the cave blanketed by a waterfall, as it provides visual cover for patrolling boats and helicopters."

Nansha Strike

"Nansha Strike is a very boat heavy map with several bases spread out in the water to battle it out on, while at the same time allowing total infantry control of the middle areas. The central area provides a lot of cover for infantry and is a death trap for water vehicles if they try to enter it via the small rivers. The surrounding bases can be captured from the water, with some offering big bases in the middle of the sea for infantry. This is where the more powerful vehicles spawn, which makes them key to own and control."

Wave Breaker

"Wave Breaker has a unique submarine base hidden in the middle mountain which allows for tight close quarter combat, but it also has wide canals where it’s possible to do drive-bys with the attack boats to add extra mayhem to the mix. The middle area has many different Levolution possibilities. You can for instance bring down a submarine from its support and turn off the lights in the surrounding corridors. It’s also possible to stop boats from entering the area by closing the four flood gates and blocking the direct path from the bases on the two sides. The middle island will give players intense fights in Deathmatch modes."

Operation Mortar

"Operation Mortar is our vacation paradise turned into a war zone, with wooden huts surrounding the islands. There is an old fort on the top of the mountain, which provides a great overview over the whole map. It also gives the team owning it a fast way to capture the other bases on the main island. In Rush, this levels starts from the bottom of the islands and goes up towards the fort, providing interesting and fun vertical gameplay which will provide a big challenge for attackers."

Naval Strike will be available at an earlier date of March 25 exclusively for premium players, whilst April 8 marks the release date for general purchase. 

NEWS: Child of Light Developer Diary Released

The first installment in the Child of Light development diary shows off artwork inspiration and gameplay.

Ubisoft has uploaded the first development diary (see below), which gives a behind-the-scenes look into the game's art direction, the narrative, and numerous pieces of gameplay. 

Various people working on the project discuss their own contributions to the game, including Creative Director Patrick Plourde and Writer Jeffrey Yohalem. 

Yohalem has described the game as a "playable poem that chronicles the journey of a  young girl - it's a coming of age story"

Artists such as Edmund Dulac and John Bauer are highlighted in the video as inspirations behind the art and visual style seen in the game. 

Ubisoft has given the game a release date of April 30, and will be available on Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and Windows.

NEWS: Murdered: Soul Suspect Limited Edition Revealed

Square Enix has released details regarding what players can expect in the limited edition release of the supernatural thriller.

The latest trailer (see below) for the upcoming Murdered: Soul Suspect has been released today, and shows off various hints of the game's narrative as well as the dark themes expected throughout. 

But more notably is the end of the video, which displays all of the extra content that's to be available upon purchasing the limited edition version of the game.

These bonuses include a real physical journal, which is used in the game to help track down the killer and other various murders taking place in Salem. 

An interactive digital strategy map will also be available, which will help the player find collectibles more easily, seek out additional side quests, and locate numerous landmarks within Salem. A computer or tablet is needed to access the map.

A release date of June 3 has been given to North America, whilst June 6 marks the European release, and will be available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows.

NEWS: EU Nintendo eShop Update - March 17 2014

Nintendo has detailed this week's eShop update throughout European territories.

Whilst this week's update is nothing to brag about, it does give players the chance to experience one of Shigeru Miyamoto's not so well known NES title; Devil World. For a full list of updates, including prices, see below.

New Releases

Pure Chess

Wii U / 3DS

£4.99 / €5.99

Castlevania

Wii U

£3.49 / €4.99

Devil World

3DS

£3.59 / €3.99

NEWS: Koji Igarashi Leaves Konami

Castlevania producer has decided to leave Konami in search of more creative freedom.

Koji Igarashi, famously known for his works within the Castlevania franchise, has decided to disband from the company as he wants to start his own small studio in order to achieve a sense of freedom in making other video-games.

Igarashi has sent out a letter describing why he has made the decision to leave Konami:

"I've decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make - the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well."

"Leaving Konami was a big decision, and not one I took lightly - I've spent my entire career there, made many friends, and had a lot of great opportunities - but I hope all the gamers and fans who have supported me in the past will join me in being excited about what comes next. Wish me luck!"

Notable works of Igarashi include Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, among others. His last day working for Konami was March 15.

NEWS: Gauntlet Reboot Revealed

Warner Bros. Interactive has announced a reboot of the arcade classic.

The newly established publisher WB Games Vault is to release a revamped version of the 1985 arcade game, featuring all four character classes players have come accustomed to over the years. A release date has not yet been specified, but the game is expected to hit Steam during the summer.

Each character has their own respective traits, strengths and weaknesses - the Wizard has the ability to cast powerful magic whilst lacking the high defence of the Valkyrie, who is able to sustain large amounts of damage. 

The Warrior can deal the most melee damage, whilst finally the Elf can maneuver through the game at rapid speeds, making him the fastest member of the group.

As seen in the video below, the game will provide numerous procedural dungeons equipped with tons of enemies, all taking place in a hack n slash environment.