Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes is a turn based strategy game crossed with a country management sim. It’s difficult to not compare this game (and its UI) to Civ 5. There’s many differences, though, especially when it comes to the RPG elements. Instead of just running single units, you instead have heroes, your main character and champions you attract with a fame level, who command packs of units under their command. Each unit is customizable, as is your hero and your city. You can equip items to each hero, and upgrade their skills as they level up. There’s a problem with oversaturation in Fallen Enchantress, especially in the skill menus. If the skills were explained correctly, it would’t be an issue. However, the amount of spells and stats you can raise with each level is staggering and confusing, especially when you have no idea what most of them do. A well versed fantasy buff might be able to decipher this better than I could, but I have no goddamn idea what I’m supposed to be doing with my initiative. The game’s tutorial is as bare bones as you can get, and does not help in explaining anything past “you can cast spells, it’s a thing you can do”.

During your expansionary adventures, you will stumble upon quests scattered across the land. These quests mostly involve walking from one place to another, killing an enemy, then walking to the original area. None of these quests stood out as exceptional or interesting, each was an excuse for you to move your unit slightly across the map to where a fight would be. The flavor text for each quest is bland fantasy fare, with witches asking for brewing ingredients and knights asking for help killing a monster. It’s boringly safe writing all around. Combat is where Fallen Enchantress gets interesting, as during quest fights, you are obligated to enter the turn based grid battle mode. Here you can cast spells for or against your foes as you move back and forth in the grid. This is easily the most fun part of the game, even though it is very simple. The variety of spells actually becomes a boost instead of a detriment. There’s more room to experiment instead of the huge list of odd stats the game drops on you in the main overworld. 

The game is slow. Load times are finicky and uneven. The game will sometimes start immediately, and other times it will load on a black screen for two full minutes before entering the logos/title screen. Moving your character will often take longer than it should, as the game catches up with itself to allow you to perform actions or change turns. Shadows and characters disappear at odd times, and the game’s music will turn off by itself periodically. These bugs don’t kill the game experience completely, but I’d rather them not exist at all while I’m managing my heroes across the battlefield. 

Legendary Hero’s main objectives – conquering the map, allying with everyone, casting an ultimate spell (basically the science victory in Civ), or completing the “Epic Level Quest” – initially appear to be lofty goals, but are perfectly reachable if you put enough hours into the game. There are “scenarios”, which reveal some of the main characters’ backstories, but most of it is through small animations and text. If you’re invested in the story of these seemingly random characters, be my guest to try the scenario mode. As for myself, I found it incredibly boring, as I find most fantasy writing stale, personally. (Please, friends, stop trying to get me into Game of Thrones. I can only read about dragons and castles enough times before I want to jump off a cliff.)

There’s fun to be had in Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes. If you’re a turn based strategy buff who’s been itching for a new game, this is an easy buy. The combat alone makes the bugs ignorable. But if you can go without, then go without. This game won’t attract newcomers to the genre or casual fans. Legendary Heroes is for someone who wants a strategy game and wants one now.

Velocity Gamer) For those who don’t follow the eSports scene, how would you describe your role as a shoutcaster?

Christopher “Panky” Pankhurst) The best way I describe my job to people who don’t know the world of eSports is that of a sports commentator for any of the worlds “mainstream” sports.

VG) How did you go about becoming a professional shoutcaster?

Panky) I started by doing this for fun, I was taking part in some starcraft 2 Tournaments and losing in the early rounds (I was quite bad) so took to casting the later rounds of the cups. From here I developed my passion for it and after doing it for nearly a year I was noticed by the right people and was lucky enough to make this a full time job.

VG) What tips you would give to an aspiring shoutcaster?

Panky) Just get out there and do it. Too many aspiring casters spend all their time tracking down advice from people already in the business. The best way to get things going for you is just to start casting, there are more than enough ways to spectate league games right now and if you are doing it yourself you will improve with time and people will notice you if you are good enough.

VG) How much preparation goes in behind the scenes before casting a game?

Panky) More than most people realize  the prep behind a game includes tracking down Team history, Player History, Past Encounters, Player Preferences, Voice exercises and many more little things.

VG) What is the most difficult part of your job?

Panky) Most Difficult part of my job would be… erm…. Nope, can’t think of anything. Once you find a job you love this much it stops being difficult, I’m not saying there is nothing I can do better, just that I wouldn’t call it a difficulty over a challenge.

VG) Which game and tournament was your favorite to cast?

Panky) Dreamhack Winter 2012 were some of my favorite games, I don’t think I can pick 1 specific game though.

VG) How do you think the Spring split of the EU LCS went and were you shocked by where some of the teams placed?

Panky) The Spring split of the EU LCS didn’t really surprise me, the teams finished up in very respectable positions based on the way they were playing at the end of the season. I think its a shame aAa had the team issues they did during the relegation week but other than that I think the next half of this season will be huge!

VG) What do you think of the EU All Star team and their chances of winning the tournament?

Panky) I think we need a strong showing in the first round to keep the spirits high, after that yes they can win it.

VG) Finally, what do you make of people claiming that NA LCS is treated better than EU LCS?

Panky) The proximity to Riot HQ is always going to mean quicker access to new toys. Running EU LCS through ESL as a contractor always means its going to be a very different feel but I would not use the words “Treated better” they are just putting on different shows.

All at Velocity Gamer would like to thank Panky for taking the time to answer our questions. You can follow him via his Facebook or Twitter pages and you can also find him on the web series, Who’s League Is It Anyway?

John Reseburg, senior director of corporate communications for the controversial publisher, confirmed in an email to GamesBeat today that “None of our new EA titles will include [online passes]“, a move that causes me to wonder if this is secretly the version of the Matrix that was too happy for humanity to accept. Sadly, Reseburg attributes this development to gamers, all of whom will almost assuredly miss the point entirely and use this as an excuse to complain more.

“Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services [HA HA HA HA HA HA HA - ed], many players didn’t respond to the format. We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward.” Reseburg did not comment on whether the company would continue its other disliked business practices, like microtransactions up the wazoo, homogenization of all its franchises, or Army of Two sequels.

The optimist might say this could be indicative of EA trying to improve its public relations standing after the SimCity debacle and exodus of Riccitiello. The cynic might say an even worse business practice is waiting in the wings – like one-use discs. Personally, I can’t wait for Battlefield 4 and its Internet Access Code. EA is probably just trying to wring the last drops of goodwill out of this generation while it can, and this is the quickest possible way. It’s a shortcut, plain and simple. 

All the gorgeous pictures we see in the video are, in fact, not an actual model of the upcoming PS4, which has been heavily kept under wraps since the announcement. So far, the only thing gamers have had to look at in terms of hard ware has been the controllers. Other than that, the public have been left in the dark.The console shown in the video does have some unique features that might be worth taking a closer look at, such as how big and bulky the thing is, as well as the light that runs straight through the center – though it might seem like a fun and somewhat futuristic feature, wouldn’t the light become distracting whilst gaming? Or even more so when the console is on standby?

However, from the quality of this fake video, it might be wise for Sony to take some inspiration from it for their first official showing of the console itself.

Project Shield will (hopefully) give the handheld industry some much needed air.  PC gaming will now be accessible through a handheld device rather than needing a gaming rig at home. The best part is that you can take this with you anywhere while taking a PC tower with you is a bit of a nuisance. Shield will release in June of this year for $350 with pre-orders going on-sale through the website on May 20th.

Here are some specs for you to digest:

SHIELD SPECIFICATIONS

Processor	NVIDIA Tegra 4 Quad Core Mobile Processor with 2GB RAM
Display	5 inch 1280×720 (294 ppi) Multi-Touch Retinal Quality Display
Audio	Integrated Stereo Speakers with Built-in Microphone
Storage	16GB Flash Memory
Lid Color	Silver
Wireless	802.11n 2×2 Mimo Wi-Fi Bluetooth 3.0 GPS
Connectivity	Mini-HDMI output Micro-USB 2.0 MicroSD storage slot 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with microphone support
Motion Sensors	3 Axis Gyro 3 Axis Accelerometer
Input controls	Dual analog joysticks D-pad Left/right analog triggers Left/right bumpers A/B/X/Y buttons Volume control Android Home and Back buttons Start button NVIDIA power/multi-function button
Battery	28.8 Watt Hours
Weight & Size	579 grams 158mm (w) x 135mm (D) x 57mm (H)
Operating System	Android Jelly Bean OS
Software	Google Play TegraZone Sonic 4 Episode II THD Expendable: Rearmed Hulu Plus TwitchTV

Sold yet? Let us know what you think of Shield in the comments below and if you’ll be picking one up in June.

If you’d like to know what my thoughts are on handhelds, check out an editorial I wrote a while back about the state of handhelds.

*specs courtesy of the Project Shield website

No pricing has been set for the game, but hopefully it’s not a full priced release. With the costs of manufacturing and shipping removed from the table, I’d be very upset if we have to pay the full price, but at the same time, it’s a blessing we’re getting this game at all, seeing how the last entry in the series, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, was completely skipped over when it came to release outside of Japan.

These announcements came with a new English trailer for all us law-nuts to fawn over. The game is set eight years after Phoenix last took the stand, and includes old characters such as Apollo Justice and new ones including  Athena Cykes, his new partner in law. As more news is revealed, I’ll keep you guys posted so we’ll know how mad to get.

Velocity Gamer: For those who haven’t heard about them, how would you describe both Ben There Dan That and Time Gentlemen Please?

Dan Marshall: They’re like love letters to the old LucasArts game, with an anarchic, rude, sweary sheen on top. They’re fun little point and click adventure games designed to bring all sort of fuzzy emotions flooding back, and introduce one or two new ones you’ve never felt before!

VG: How did you come up with the name Ben There Dan That?

DM: Hah, I think Ben came up with that. Once he’d pointed out that our names slotted perfectly into a well-know phrase, how could we not call it that?! It’s brilliant!

VG: What was your inspiration for Time Gentlemen Please?

DM: Ben There Dan That did so very well, I thought a longer, more involved, more polished sequel would be fun. BTDT kind of ended on a cliffhanger, so Ben and I went to the pub to talk through where we could take it. We were giggling so much over the idea of ruining history so much Hitler wound up with an army of Nazi dinosaurs, I think we were sold.

VG: You have another game upcoming, Swindle, how would you describe that game?

DM: I’ve described it as “Sonic Meets Deux Ex”, and that still feels apt. It’s a platform game,  full of running jumping and exploring, but there’s a ‘breaking int building however you like’ mechanic that feels very Deus Ex-y. All this in a glorious Steampunk/ Cyberpunk world!

VG: How different do you feel Swindle is from your previous titles?

DM: It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever worked on. It’s a pure platform game experience, I’ve never really done anything like it. Hence why it’s taking FOREVER.

VG: Your previous games have had interesting art designs, will Swindle follow the same style or are you trying something new with it?

DM: I’m not sure Ben There Dan That or Time Gentlemen Please had ‘art design’. I was working a full time job when they were made, so the art was deliberately cheap and scrappy. Now I’m working on The Swindle full-time, I can afford to take some care. It’s a beautiful looking game, I think.

VG: With your previous titles, Ben There Dan That and Time Gentlemen Please, you offered the games at a significantly low price point of just £2.99 via Steam, why did you chose to offer the games at this price and has it worked out well for you financially, moreover is it something you are looking to continue with?

DM: I didn’t really know what I was dong. Time Gentlemen Please was a voiceless game in a dead/dying genre, I thought anything more than £3 would be a really tough sell. It worked, in that people take a punt on it, but I definitely regret not starting the price high and being in a position to lower it over time. Live and learn, I guess…

VG: With the next generation of consoles coming soon, what do you think Sony and Microsoft can do to help indie developers on their platforms, and what do you realistically think they will do?

DM: If they want indies to come flooding, they probably just have to ape what Steam does. No signup costs, no lengthy review processes, no fees for patching. Basically indies have very little time or money, so shaping the service to reflect that is a good idea.

VG: The indie scene really seems to have produced some real gems over the last few years, do you think that this is in part down to the lack of innovation from triple A developers leading to perception of indies becoming better?

DM: I think indie developers are getting better at what they do, and now it’s a viable career path really talented people are taking the plunge. As a result, we’ve seen some incredible stuff…

VG: Finally, where do you think gaming can go in the future?

DM: I have no idea. I’d like to see more freedom in game worlds, stories that bend around my actions rather than leading me down a path. Let’s use some processing power for something other than trendy graphics, eh?

Velocity Gamer would like to thank Dan for taking the time to participate in this interview!

Flash forward 7 years later and both the highly anticipated PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 are slated for holiday 2013 releases. This time there will be no head start for Microsoft and in Sony’s eyes, hopefully no struggle right out of the gate. Sony already gave a presentation at an event in New York back, unveiling the name of the console, specifications, new controller, features and even some new games. Sony stated that they had learned from previous mistakes and this new console would be more developer friendly at the same time giving people the full PlayStation experience they’ve been longing for. Overall the presentation was impressive but it left me wanting more, questions that needed answering. Answers that we’ll likely get at E3.

Which leads us to Microsoft, who have finally announced that on May 21st “A New Generation Revealed” which comes as no surprise since it was expected sooner rather then later. While The company isn’t diving into specifics at this stage, the event is taking place on its own Xbox campus and should offer players and media alike a “real taste of the future,” according to Xbox Live programming director Larry Hryb. A few weeks later at E3 Hryb also promises that his firm will “continue the conversation” at the show, focusing attention on its game lineup. Players will have a chance to stream the event through both Microsoft’s services (including Xbox Live) and Spike TV, but you can be sure we’ll be on the ground to share the news first-hand.

Sony came out and had a great showing of the PS4. Say what you want but they handled it very well and gave enough to make us want more, yet not enough that to satisfy myself or anyone else for that matter. With that said, Microsoft certainly needs to come out with a good show of their own. I think we’ll see more emphasis on Kinect, integration of more applications such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc likely also with some form of Windows 8, which I’m fine with honestly. However like the PlayStation 4, the deciding factor will be it’s cost, what the specifications are, what are the launch titles, how will Xbox Live be handled, achievements, friends and so much more.

It’s important to note that not everything will be shown at the event and that’s okay. I’d rather have a tease and a taste of things to come which would lead right into E3. My point is that Nintendo is struggling with the Wii U right now, Sony has people’s attention but there is a lot of uncertainty, so what better way to capture some of the market share then with a great event to show people why they should go with Microsoft.

Either way it should be one heck of a press event don’t you think?

Velocity Gamer: What you do at ESL?

Matthew Nellis: I am primarily a video editor for the EU LCS, editing match ups (the hype videos before teams play each other), although I mainly work on features such as the Wick vs sOAZ 1v1, People Behind the Pros and most of the playoff/relegation features we saw over the last 2 weekends. On match days I conduct interviews with players for the next weekends games.

VG: How did you get the job?

MN: I actually saw a tweet from someone who works for ESL, saying they were in need of another video editor for the EU LCS. The job wasn’t listed on their site, so I got in touch to find out more. After sending over links to my work they wanted to speak to me further, which led to several Skype interviews with members of the production team and eventually the ESL CEO, Tobias Grieser. I never actually thought they’d bring me over from England when they could have just got someone local, but they wanted me, so I went!

VG: How do you think the Spring split of the LCS went and were you shocked by where some of the teams placed?

MN: The Spring split was absolutely incredible, with plenty of upsets and drama right up until the end of the promotion/relegation series. Unfortunately I wasn’t there when they did the Lille road trip, but everyone says that was the highlight of the split. I watched it on stream and I’ve never seen anything like that French crowd, it was amazing. 

I’m not surprised that Fnatic and Gambit placed 1st and 2nd. Based on the end of Season 2, these were the 2 in-form teams since EG (CLG.eu at the time) had already begun to enter a slump with some poor results. However, the big story of the Spring split was without a doubt the Copenhagen Wolves. From starting 0-9 and finishing 13-15, everybody is really excited to see how they perform in the Summer split.

VG: Were you surprised at the outcome of the promotion matches with 3 LCS teams going out to be replaced by 3 amateur teams?

MN: To be honest it wasn’t all too surprising. Dragonborns had been on a terrible run of defeats and they were perhaps a little bit over confident facing MeetYourMakers who they had previously beaten in the Spring qualifiers. I think the Giants v Alternate game could have gone either way, as the series showed (Alternate coming back from 0-2 to win 3-2). And aAa, well my heart goes out to them. We’d known for a few weeks before that Dioud would not be able to play and you could tell from that moment that their confidence was just shot. That’s to take nothing away from Sinners Never Sleep, an incredibly talented and really nice bunch of guys who I’m excited to see play in the summer. People forget that they beat Samurai in Jeans in the qualifiers which gave them a better seeding for the promotion tournament, which just goes to show how deep the pool of talent is in the EU scene. 

VG: How you come up with the ideas for the videos?

MN: I work with a really talented team consisting of 2 editors, a content producer and a live producer. The live producer will decide how many match ups  bumpers and features we’ll need over a weekend and he’ll work with the content producer to decide the rough outline for each video. The editors then work with the content producer to refine the ideas and eventually we end up with the finished videos you see on the EU LCS.

VG: What has been your favorite video that you made?

MN: It definitely has to be the Wickd v sOAZ video (below). This was something that wasn’t at all planned, but when it happened we knew there had to be a feature video about it. The day after the event, the Riot guys in the US recorded reaction videos and sent them over, we got Wickd and sOAZ in to do an interview and then I just put it all together. It was a fantastic team effort and I think the LCS fans really enjoyed it too.

VG: What is the most difficult part of your job?

MN: Generally the job is pretty easy, in the sense that I love League of Legends, I love the scene and so none of it ever feels like work! The hardest part of the Spring split though was preparing content over the playoff and relegation weekends. Because we didn’t know which teams would make it through to the next day, we couldn’t start a lot of the video work until the games were done, which meant working through the night till around 5am.

VG: What do you make of people claiming that NA LCS is treated better than EU LCS?

MN: I’m not so sure it’s ‘treated’ better per se. One main difference though is that the NA LCS is completely operated by Riot, within driving distance of the Santa Monica head office. So naturally any issues they have are likely to be resolved far quicker than any in the EU LCS, which is run by ESL. I don’t know for sure, but I believe they run games in NA on the offline LAN server eliminates any tournament server issues which have been the cause of a lot of issues in EU.

However, I think where the EU LCS has the advantage is in our studio. The atmosphere on match days is incredible and I know the players love the buzz that comes from having a live audience.

VG: Finally how much footage do you have of Ocelote screaming?

MN: A lot Now that we’ll have Ocelote (SK Gaming), Aranae (Alternate) and Noonia (Sinners Never Sleep), the Summer split is going to be incredibly vocal!

Velocity Gamer would like to thank Matthew for taking the time to participate in this interview via Skype. You can watch all of the video features created for the League of Legends Championship series here.

Assassin’s Creed IV will come out towards the end of the year. Keep an eye on Velocity Gamer for more news on the game.