Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #15 Review

Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman have been dragging more and more classic TMNT characters and elements into the new series in recent months. Issue #15 throws Leatherhead into the mix. Though the book hardly needs another villain at the moment, Leatherhead nonetheless enjoys a solid introduction into this new continuity.

The writers briefly establish Leatherhead's origin as another of Baxter Stockman's out-of-control experiments before shifting back to the present. The Turtles are currently searching for a new base of operations, which seems like another unnecessary addition considering how recently they moved into April's antique shop. In any case, issue #15 winds up offering a fun little blend of intrigue, horror, and levity. In the case of the latter quality, Splinter is given the opportunity to stop being so dour all the time and bond with Casey Jones. As far as horror goes, the creators offer up a cool sequence that sees Leatherhead stalk the Turtles in the shadows.

That fight sequence is expertly rendered by Andy Kuhn. While Kuhn's facial work is a bit bland compared to Dan Duncan's, his work is packed with kinetic energy and enough light and shadow to really pop off the page. The series continuously sets a higher visual standard for IDW's licensed comics.

One downside to this issue is a familiar complaint with the series -- it more or less requires readers to have read the April O'Neil micro-series one-shot to fully appreciate the events within. I understand that IDW is paying homage to the classic Mirage series by resurrecting the micro-series format, but in many cases these stories would have been better served by being integrated with the main book. After eight one-shots, maybe it's time to give it a rest and focus squarely on this series.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

NYCC: Soul Sacrifice -- Spells and Specialization

Magic makes the drama of battle much more interesting. Wielding a sword has its own exhilarating charms, but wielding the elements, even the dead, dazzles in a way that wood and iron fail to do. The battles waged in Soul Sacrifice are driven entirely by magic. And you define the magic you sling and summon, which in turn defines you as a sorcerer and your subsequent style of play.

But why is all this magic crackling at your fingertips? As it turns out, you've been imprisoned by a rival sorcerer at the start of Soul Sacrifice. During your imprisonment, you find a strange (talking) journal that once belonged to a powerful spellcaster. You live out this sorcerer's memories in Soul Sacrifice by completing quests, which in turn unleashes new magic into your catalogue and inches you closer to freedom.

Before embarking on a quest you select which spells you bring into battle. These aren't your ordinary, everyday spells, mind you. These are dangerous, unstable, and often grotesque techniques that torment your body and unleash destruction on the creatures that snarl and bark before you. You can distort your hand into a seething hammer, or wield a sword wreathed in fire. Perhaps you'll coat your arm in ice and spew a frigid wind at the opposition, or summon a golem from beneath the dirt to do your bidding.

There are hundreds of spells to unlock as you journey through the dark. And by playing with up to three other friends you are encouraged -- and in some cases required -- to select spells that complement each other. Questing with an aggressive lover of blades? Select supportive magic to heal his wounds or hold his enemies in place while he whittles their flesh away.

With each monster vanquished, a choice must be made: do you save the soul of the defeated, or sacrifice it? Saving souls restores health and graces you with icy light, while sacrificing an enemy enhances your strength and bathes you in a glow as red as blood. These choices alter the appearance of your sorcerer, and purify or twist their physical form over time.

All these choices mold each sorcerer into a different conduit of mystical devastation, including the option to sacrifice your avatar's body to unleash a terrible attack onto enemies of immense power. But once this spell fizzles to a halt, you're forced to wander the battlefield as a ghost while your allies finish the quest alone. You can only heal them or hamper their foes, but you have little direct control over what's left of the battle.

The spells of Soul Sacrifice power its charm and hum with potential. While an English-version build has yet to be shown, the diversity and unique quality of the magic vouch strongly for the whole experience, which will arrive this coming spring.

Ryan Clements writes for IGN and gravitates towards ice magic. It's always so cool. Get it? Cool.

Source : ign[dot]com

SEGA Announces Football Manager 2013

SEGA has revealed the latest game in its Football Manager series, Football Manager 2013, developed by Sports Interactive.

A range of improvements to the game's existing elements have been announced, including an improved 3D match engine, new staff roles such as specialist coaches, enhanced training and worldwide leaderboards.  Additionally, the game will make full use of the Steam system’s network functionality, increasing the ease with which games can be set up against other managers.

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In recent years it’s become clear that there’s a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can’t devote the time required to get the most out of the game.

Alongside all this is the introduction of the all-new 'Classic' or FMC mode, which promises to offer a streamlined managerial experience for those players who wouldn't otherwise have time for a full season. By only focusing on the nuts and bolts of taking a team to the top, players should be able to play out a full season in just eight to 10 hours.

Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson explained, "In recent years it’s become clear that there’s a large group of people who would like to play Football Manager, but simply can’t devote the time required to get the most out of the game.

"We decided, therefore, to try to find a way to accommodate players with limited free time, without significantly diluting the experience. We believe that FMC achieves this beautifully.

“I would, however, like to stress to our many, many fans around the world that the introduction of FMC will not impact in any way on the game that they’ve come to know and love. For those who still want the full, ‘hands-on’ experience, FM13 offers exactly what they’re looking for – a bigger, better and even more immersive version of the world's greatest football management simulation.”

FMC mode can either be played as an open-ended career, or through the new Challenge mode that was first introduced in the handheld version of Football Manager 2012. Challenge mode tasks players with overcoming a particular scenario which is designed to test his or her management skills over a set period of time. These range from achieving success with a squad of kids to getting your team from the bottom of the table to the top within half a season.

FM13 will ship with five challenges with more made available over time. FMC mode will also offer ‘unlockable’ features which can be used to make the game a bit easier, such as removing the need for work permits.

Football Manager 2013 will be released on PC and Mac before Christmas 2012.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and regularly struggles to manage, as well as cope. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Nightwing #12 Review

Between the Dick Grayson-related revelations that came out of Night of the Owls and various other elements Kyle Higgins has seeded over the past year, Nightwing has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, the series too rarely seems to nail the execution. Issue #12 is another frustratingly uneven installment that nonetheless suggests some pretty cool things are coming on the horizon.

It's mainly the final clash with Paragon that disappoints in this issue. I'm rarely a fan of the types of hero/villain showdowns where the characters embark on long-winded conversations even as they trade blows. There's a lot of exposition flying about during the extended fight scene. But to his credit, Higgins successfully ties some threads together and showcases just how far back he was planning Paragon's rise. But ultimately, like so many of the new villains that have debuted in the Bat books with the New 52, Paragon lacks that special punch needed to stand alongside the classic rogues.

One area where Higgins succeeds relative to a series like Catwoman is in building up an effective supporting cast that actually feels vital to the book's success. The relationship between Dick and Detective Nie takes an interesting new turn, as does Dick's civilian relationship to Sonia. I'm also very keen on some of the later plot twists Higgins introduces after the Paragon battle wraps. I would be amazed if the series doesn't immediately start to improve as  this new material comes into play.

Sadly, the ongoing art woes continue to plague the series. Andres Guinaldo is back again. His work shines best during the fight scenes, and he shows a particularly deft grasp of Nightwing's fighting style and acrobatics. It's more the facial work that drags down the issue. The expressions run from being merely bland to downright weird and silly. The facial work really works against the tone of the script in the final encounter between Dick and Sonia. What should be a serious, dramatic moment reads almost like a comedy instead.

Nightwing needs a more suitable and consistent artist if it's going to live up to its potential. Luckily, Higgins seems to be maneuvering the book into a more compelling place in the coming months, so the visual woes aren't an insurmountable problem.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com