New Games |
- Take a look at Dragon Quest X's new beasts and classes
- Live show: The Albion revolution lives on Backlog
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations PC pushed into December
- Big names behind Dark Souls soundtrack
- One more shot? Mortal Kombat film in the works for 2013
- PC vs Console Gaming infographic: PC is making a comeback
- Guild Wars: Winds of Change part two is live
- Amazon deals: PS3 dual packs, Diablo Battlechest, more
- COD: Modern Warfare 3 Billets 9mm ltd edition earphones
- Live show: Battlefield 3 beta all up in Mash Tactics
- Modded PC case looks right at home in Rapture
- First look: The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
- Have some more Cities XL 2012 screenshots
- Study says 51 percent of gamers are against 3D consoles
- Psychonauts gets Mac version, new patch, and a free app
- Hands-on with L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition on PC
- There's a Puss In my Boot in my game
- Final Fantasy XIII-2 theme song now up on iTunes
- Preview: PixelJunk SideScroller
| Take a look at Dragon Quest X's new beasts and classes Posted: 29 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Writing that headline made me want to create a game called "Beasts and Classes: Beat some Asses!" where you play as a human-type teacher who has to discipline-spank different Pokemon-like students; the ones who didn't do their homework or talked too much in class or whatever. Anyway, here's the latest report on Dragon Quest X; the game that may simultaneously be the Wii's last big name release, and the Wii U's first must have title. Here in the gallery, we have a look at six of the game's job classes; Warrior, Martial Artist, Mage, Thief, Monk and Minstrel. What job you choose and which of the five tribes your character belongs to determines your look. You can play against type all you want, so if you'd like a cute little green warrior, or a muscle-bound, red skinned, lute-loving Mistrel, that's your call. As always, Akira Toriyama's designs are spot on. Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball fans aren't likely to be disappointed. We also get a look at three of the game's new monsters, including "thieving bunny" and "smiling lizard." Smiling Lizard won't be smiling once I'm done that ass! Dragon Quest X Jobs [AndriaSang] |
| Live show: The Albion revolution lives on Backlog Posted: 29 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT [Backlog is the ongoing quest to rid Conrad Zimmerman's collection of unfinished games. As voted on by the Destructoid community, Conrad plays each game from start to finish live on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel every weeknight at 8pm Pacific] Tonight on Backlog, the people of Albion rise in revolt. We're storming the castle in Fable III and bringing an end to the reign of my wicked brother. Soon, I will be able to forget about everybody who helped me get to this point and begin my own oppressive reign which will shroud the world in darkness for all time. You can tell I've been watching the Republican primary debates, can't you? Come tune in as I hang out and play more Fable III and hang out with the goons in our live chat. Backlog has almost reached its conclusion as a series, so let's have some fun. It's all going down right now over on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel.
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| Assassin's Creed: Revelations PC pushed into December Posted: 29 Sep 2011 01:30 PM PDT Ubisoft seems to be having quite a bit of trouble getting PC releases of its multiplatform titles out on time. The latest game to be struck with a delay is a rather big one: Assassin's Creed: Revelations. While the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions are on for November 15, PC gamers will have to wait until December. Truth be told, I'm much more bummed about the Batman: Arkham City slip than this, given that title's significant graphical upgrades and also Ubisoft's track record with the PC crowd as of late. Still, disappointing news for those who were looking to get Revelations on time. Assassin's Creed: Revelations delayed until December on PC [Joystiq] |
| Big names behind Dark Souls soundtrack Posted: 29 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT Demon's Souls featured what was arguably one of the best soundtracks of 2009, and after playing the demo build of Dark Souls at E3 this past June I was pretty certain I was hearing the return of composer Shinsuke Kida with his powerful orchestral score. As it turns out, I was wrong, and a rather big name composer from Japan took over composition duties for Dark Souls and even managed to bring in a familiar vocalist in the process. |
| One more shot? Mortal Kombat film in the works for 2013 Posted: 29 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT With Mortal Kombat seeing its current level of success, it shouldn't come as too shocking a surprise that New Line is working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to make a full-blown movie. The film, set for release in 2013, will be directed by Kevin Tancharoen, the same guy who did the MK: Legacy videos. "The new game and the online shorts prompted us to consider a reboot of a brand we hadn't been actively thinking about," explains New Line president Toby Emmerich. Similar to what we saw from the latter, this movie is said to be a take on the franchise more grounded in reality. After the pilot episode of the web series, I almost immediately lost interest. Really hopeful the same doesn't happen again with this big-screen project. New 'Mortal Kombat' movie coming via partnership of Warner units [LA Times -- Thanks, de5gravity] |
| PC vs Console Gaming infographic: PC is making a comeback Posted: 29 Sep 2011 11:30 AM PDT Woah. I thought it was just me. Just two days ago I settled in on a nice new PC gaming rig and started dumping all the games I've missed these past few years as a console-only gamer on it. I used to be PC-only waaaaay back in the day, so coming back felt good. It felt good, man. It also feels good to see the information in Ignite Game Technologies' infographic. It says that PC gaming is making a strong comeback; it already pulls down larger revenues than console gaming. The infographic goes way beyond bragging about dollars, though. It goes into so much detail that even the haters might learn something from it. Here's some of the pro-PC gaming goodies I've pulled from it:
Better GPUs, better selection...the list goes on. There's also info on the future of PC gaming pointing to gamers' platform preferences. It seems they want to say that PC's top-selling games could beat out console's top sellers, but I don't think we're quite there yet. One thing's for sure: Consoles come and go. They push the envelope, glow brilliantly and then die. They do their part for gaming, keeping innovation alive. PC, on the other hand, will always be there, ever reliable. I think they both play their part in a well-rounded gamer's diet. See the full infographic after the jump. PC gaming vs. consoles, the infographic [ExtremeTech] |
| Guild Wars: Winds of Change part two is live Posted: 29 Sep 2011 11:15 AM PDT Guild Wars launched the second chapter in the Winds of Change trilogy today. The previous installment added 17 new quests and this chapter will feature 11 more on top of that, which also makes Winds of Change the largest combined free content update in the history of the Guild Wars franchise. Win! Along with the new quests, this content update will feature five new respawn zones: Bukdek Byway, Shadow's Passage, Shenzun Tunnels, The Undercity, and Sunjiang District. There are also some additional hidden scenes players have the opportunity to unlock as well. Personally, I cannot wait for Guild Wars 2, although being caught between the Ministry of Purity, The Jade Brotherhood, and the Am Fah is good times as well!. Anyone out there planning on exploring this content? |
| Amazon deals: PS3 dual packs, Diablo Battlechest, more Posted: 29 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Few deals worth highlighting today on Amazon, the first of which is $20 off orders of two PlayStation 3 dual packs. The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection is applicable, in addition to God of War: Origins Collection and the Uncharted and Resistance Greatest Hits Dual Packs. Great way to build up your PS3 library. Next up is the deal of the day: $19.99 for the Diablo Battlechest. I simultaneously love and hate that Blizzard games can get away with commanding such prices so many years later. If, like me, you aren't in the Diablo III beta, this might not be a bad pick-up. And finally, for us jerks who didn't have time or money to buy Shadows of the Damned at launch -- sorry about that, industry at large -- the game is down to $36.99 on both platforms. |
| COD: Modern Warfare 3 Billets 9mm ltd edition earphones Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:45 AM PDT MUNITO has made slick special edition earphones (earbuds) with COD in mind. The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Special Edition Billets 9mm earphones are machined from aircraft-grade billet aluminum, reinforced with Kevlar, laser etched with the Modern Warfare 3 logo and come with an in-line mic for both call and gaming use. If they sound as good as they look, we're in for a treat. You can pre-order their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Billets 9mm Special Edition Earphones now from Best Buy, GameStop and MUNITIO.com/MW3Billets. These 'phones will be available on October 23 at an MSRP of $89.99. Check out the images of the Billets in our gallery.
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| Live show: Battlefield 3 beta all up in Mash Tactics Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:30 AM PDT [Not sure what Mash Tactics is? I've included a clip from a recent episode to show you just a glimpse of what you've been missing, you daft fool! You can see all of Destructoid's previously aired live shows in our archives.] Today, Mash Tactics is playing the Battlefield 3 beta! While some have had early access, it's only now become open to the public. Mash Tactics invites you to jump on PlayStation 3 to help Carnage and Pico drop debris on the heads of their enemies! Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Pico Mause let loose with off-the-wall humor and discuss the issues of the day in the live chat on Destructoid's Twitch.tv channel. Also, there are videogames being played. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to industry guests, and witness all of the glorious antics.
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| Modded PC case looks right at home in Rapture Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:15 AM PDT The setting of the first two BioShock games was arguably the best part; the sleek art deco and art nouveau styles were something gamers hadn't really seen before, especially not in this console generation that seems fixated on dull, brown industrial settings. Now Hungarian case modder Gregory Mórocz has taken Rapture's sense of style and designed himself a rather lovely case mod for his PC (via Super Punch). Rather than making a Big Daddy-shaped case or something silly, Gregory has made a tasteful case that looks like you would find it in Andrew Ryan's office. From its smooth curves to the wooden finishes, it's a class act. There's some nice touches, too: the illuminated Fontaine Futuristics logo and the plasmid symbol on the front latch show a lot of care went into this design. You can read a brief interview with Gregory, thanks to Google translate, where he reveals a little about the process of building the case and the PC's specs. |
| First look: The Testament of Sherlock Holmes Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT The Sherlock Holmes series has been more or less off of my radar completely, and they've been around for several different iterations (six games in total). The series has always been strictly PC, though the most recent title was also a late port to consoles. I love adventure games and have fond memories of many of the really old ones, but it's rare that we see many examples of the genre with its generally slower pacing and plodding story development that turns off many console gamers. When L.A. Noire hit store shelves and managed to top the sales charts in the first month of its release, it became apparent to developers that the face of the market had finally changed. Console gamers had grown a little weary of twitch-based shooters and were willing to try something different. Granted, L.A. Noire didn't exactly carve the niche on deep adventure games as it still relied on driving and shooting segments to keep the interest of console gamers -- though surprisingly the greater number of players grumbled about these segments and found the actual sleuthing and narrative twists and turns of the story to be much more appealing. Those same players may find a lot to like in Frogware's The Testament of Sherlock Holmes; it's being developed as a much deeper adventure experience than anything seen on consoles yet. The Testament of Sherlock Holmes (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) The first item of interest I noticed on this hands-off demo is how incredibly detailed the environments in the game are. Frogwares CEO Waël Amr explains to me that in the past, the team has always been limited in reaching the PC market by trying to aim for a middle ground with PC owners, so that the specs have been lowered to match the greater share of the market. With this latest game that is being developed with the current generation of consoles in mind, the development team has finally been able to really focus on polishing the graphics and creating the adventure game they've always wanted to. As Waël takes the controller and guides Sherlock Holmes around the first environment, so many little details are difficult to ignore. A fish tank sits near the center of the room, and light plays across it beautifully. The arched doors leading into the room are intricately woven and incredibly accurate to the era. Everything about the environment demands a closer look, which is certainly a good thing as this is a game all about sleuthing. The character models are quite detailed as well, down to Holmes' layered wardrobe and bemused expression. Waël shows me a hint system that recalls the help system in L.A. Noire. With the press of a button, small question mark icons pop up in areas where more clues can be found. The hint system cannot be pressed all of the time during an investigation, and it generally takes 15 seconds until it can be refreshed. This is in the interest of bringing the series to a wider audience, as previous Sherlock Holmes games were at times incredibly challenging. The gameplay generally progresses as you gather clues and evidence in every form you're able to discover, from written material and environmental cues to actual objects that you gather in your inventory. As you gather clues, you eventually piece together the evidence to come to a deduction. After briefly meeting an Inspector Banks who is replacing Lestrade as the main competition to Holmes, the case that we've been exploring involving a stolen necklace is wrapped up. Waël skips the game ahead to the next day, in which the first clue to where the story is heading comes about in a newspaper article calling into question Holmes' character by way of the proper return of a stolen pearl necklace. The main premise of The Testament of Sherlock Holmes comes in the desire of the Frogwares development team to truly explore Holmes as a character. In previous games as in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books, the cases were always about truly devious criminals. In this game, as you get further into the storyline, Sherlock Holmes takes increasingly darker approaches to solving crimes, up to a point where he commits murder. Waël tells me that you actually play the game as both Holmes and Watson, and as more events happen that call into question the nature of Sherlock Holmes' character, you take on the role of Watson and are required to figure out if the famous detective is capable of such brutal actions or if something deeper is at play. As this storyline is entirely original, the characters and events found within are also not necessarily canon. This also gave the development team more freedom to depict grisly murder scenes, as the murdered characters are entirely fictional as well. During the next sequence, Holmes tells Watson he has an immediate appointment with a famous bishop. Upon arriving, he discovers that the bishop has been the victim of a murder most foul. This part of the demo also shows where the game has potential to really shine. The grisly murder of the bishop is so incredibly detailed that I almost had to look away. The bishop's fingers were smashed and bent, and that was only the beginning of the torture put upon him. Yet I continued to watch in fascination as Holmes gathered clues and went about his usual sleuthing business. Waël opened up the inventory at one point to show me how you can closely examine every object that your character collects, and I found myself a bit squicked out at the fact that Holmes had collected a mysterious lopped off finger. It hovered in the inventory space with such realistic detail that I really had to wonder who would keep an errant finger just sitting in their pocket. Though this is still a work in progress and not all of the voices have been put into the game, the voice acting that I did hear was fairly decent. I'm no expert on Sherlock Holmes or on British accents, but nothing the characters uttered stuck out as odd or grating, and fell pretty much in line with how you'd expect the characters in a Sherlock Holmes story to speak. The demonstration was relatively brief and Waël skipped through a lot of dialogue and cutscene material to get to the key elements of the game that he wanted to show. Despite this quick whirlwind of a walkthrough, everything from the game's intricately detailed environments to the intriguing storyline convinced me that this game is definitely a game to keep an eye out for. If you enjoyed the adventure and discovery elements of L.A. Noire's campaign, you will find a lot more to dig into in The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. |
| Have some more Cities XL 2012 screenshots Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:45 AM PDT Focus Home Interactive's upcoming Cities XL is looking really nice. The developers have just released additional screenshots of the sequel to the the rather good Cities XL 2011. I like the variety here; there's a homely looking Alpine town, a gleaming European city, and what looks to be a fairly close approximation of Sydney, all high-rise buildings close to the ocean. It all looks rather lovely, if a bit too clean -- no pollution in these cities? Book me a ticket there then! What's going to be really interesting is the new modding tools that will be built into Cities XL 2012. We all know how inventive PC modders can be, so let's start our mod wishlist now shall we? What famous franchises d'you think lend themselves to Cities XL 2012's metropolis building tools? |
| Study says 51 percent of gamers are against 3D consoles Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT I'm not against 3D consoles; I just don't want one. You can have one -- sure. If it doesn't hurt your eyes and scramble your brain like it does for me, enjoy. Games comparison and marketplace site Playr2.com hit up 1,001 gamers and found that 51 percent of would not welcome 3D consoles in the future. 47 percent said that they would, though. The undecided 2 percent needs to try the tech out just once -- that's all it takes to make a decision on it. On the 3D TV front, 73 percent of those polled said that they were not for 3D televisions. 65 percent said that they would purchase the next Xbox product, 3D or no. The fundamental problem with 3D and gaming is that you can't ensure that every gamer has the required hardware. They could build 3D into every console and game, but people still have to have a 3D TV and those silly glasses. Or! Or you could do something like the 3DS. We know how everyone loves that, right? I have 3D displays and consoles in my home, and I'd rather not use their 3D features. Are you the same way? Or are you in the minority that really digs 3D? |
| Psychonauts gets Mac version, new patch, and a free app Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:15 AM PDT What's this? Double Fine getting its hands on Psychoanuts again? Better alert the Internet. The beloved game has been updated on Steam, and is now a Steam Play title (buy one version, get both) to coincide with the new Mac release, which is also available on the Mac App Store. The update adds cloud saving (hooray!), achievements, and scales back the difficulty of the Meat Circus. As for the iOS app, it's a free download which offers the Memory Vaults from Psychonauts and audio commentary from Tim Schafer and Scott Campbell. I think the real story here is the funny press release:
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| Hands-on with L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition on PC Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT When Team Bondi and Rockstar Games set out to make the great undertaking that was L.A. Noire, they chose to explore many gray areas of gaming which are most often hidden away from the all-consuming hype and limitless budgets of your average AAA production. Choosing the path less followed, Team Bondi opted out of the normalcy of today's inundated market with fast-paced action gaming. The final product being a slow and methodical yet harrowing detective tale interlaced with frequent police chases which often culminated in a crescendo of violence worthy of the Rockstar name. Given the success, it came as no surprise to me that it would be receiving the inevitable port to a PC near you. So how does the Cole Phelps experience fare when brought to a keyboard and mouse? L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition (PC) Not too long ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rockstar Games to put L.A. Noire through the paces on their seriously beefed up PC. Given that the system I was able to play the game on could most likely be used as a down payment on a mortgage, the game ran smooth and stutter free -- but how will it run on a PC which exists in the realm of reality? If Rockstar's recently released system requirements are to be believed, it should run quite well provided your graphics card meets or exceeds the minimum of a Geforce 8600 GT 512MB, Radeon HD 3000 512MB or better. If you still need some extra incentive, L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition will come complete with a multi-use code which will unlock all previous downloadable content for the game at no cost to you. The case which was available to me, entitled "Nicholson Electroplating," started off with a bang. Literally, with a bang followed by a large mushroom cloud in the distance. After stealing a fire engine, I raced to the scene of the disturbance with my partner who continuously reminded me of how idiotic we looked cruising the streets of Los Angeles in a giant red fire truck. Upon arrival, a scene of chaos and carnage would herald the beginning of my first investigation sequence. As if I had never missed a beat, that familiar L.A. Noire jingle brought out the super sleuth in me. With that, I was ready to make a fool of both my self and Cole Phelps by failing every interrogation from here on out. Visually, the experience is just as engaging as the game's console counterparts, though the lips and ears did, at times, have a slightly blurred appearance to them. I would normally pass this off as a minor nuisance were it not for the fact that the clarity of facial expressions is so paramount to the gameplay. Those of you with access to a 3D-enabled monitor are in for a special treat as L.A. Noire not only supports 3D, but it implements it beautifully in a manner which succeeds in the subtle application of 3D imagery in nearly every scene without shoving it down your throat. The 3D visuals truly shine, especially during your time at the arson desk where the smoke spewing ashes of every crime scene jump out at you quite brilliantly. When I first begin a game which has been ported to PC, I generally begin my journey in the options -- specifically, in the settings menu. If I find myself staring at a picture of an Xbox 360 controller and it boldly informs me that my left mouse button is in fact a pressure sensitive trigger, I often take it as a portent of the not so good times which likely await me beyond. In short, does the I/O scheme properly represent that of a PC, can I customize my keys, and will it inform me that my PC's subscription to Xbox Live has expired (I'm looking at you Modern Warfare 2)? After initially inspecting L.A. Noire, I nearly launched myself from my seat in raucous revelry as my concerns were not only abated but downright obliterated when it became apparent that Rockstar had scrubbed nearly all heretical references to the dark console origins. It's not that consoles are bad, there's just been this almost lazy habit where console versions are influencing the UI design of their PC counterparts with limiting results. If you have had the pleasure of groping dead people on either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, your first hour or so on PC will most likely be spent familiarizing yourself, yet again, with the ins and outs of the controls. Admittedly, I had a rough time coping, especially in regards to the cover system and driving, with the new keyboard and mouse control scheme. Once that obstacle had been defeated, I fell back into the role of Cole Phelps as if it were a perfectly fit glove. For many PC gamers, the gun play will have improved with this version since you are no longer required to free aim with your thumbs. Conversely driving using the WASD keys has always been limiting; keen maneuvers requires the precision offered by a standard controller. All in all, if your preferred method of gaming is by PC you will be pleased with the final outcome of Rockstar's lone toiling. Regardless of your individual feelings for L.A. Noire, the game represents a milestone in facial performance for videogaming which will contribute tremendously towards mainstream recognition of games as more than the products of the musings of men who sell electronic toys to adult children. It's breakthroughs such as these which help cement modern gaming's claims as this generation's great art form. |
| There's a Puss In my Boot in my game Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:45 AM PDT Some of you may not know that they're making a Puss in Boots movie, and a coinciding video game will release alongside it. THQ has announced that they're working on the licensed title, and it will be a motion-controlled title. That means we'll be seeing it hit the 360 using Kinect, the PS3 with Move, as well as versions for the Wii and DS. Key features are going to include being able to wiggle around to escape enemies with the Kinect version, dance battle mini-games on the DS, or swashbuckling sword fights via Move. That last one actually sounds decent, but the rest of the features are thoroughly silly. Puss in Boots will release at the same time as the film. |
| Final Fantasy XIII-2 theme song now up on iTunes Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:30 AM PDT I'm a sucker for the sappy Final Fantasy theme songs. I've been hooked since Final Fantasy VIII's "Eyes On Me." If you're not allergic to female pop ballads with expensive string arrangements, Final Fantasy XIII-2 theme song "New World" by Charice makes for an enjoyable listen. The music alone conjures images of pink-purple soft focus cutscenes, wispy hair and longing glances -- nice fit. My dream in life? Dead serious about this, now. Don't laugh. I want to write a pop ballad theme song for a game like this. I'm freakin' overqualified for the job. I could do it better than anyone out there. Someone try me. I will make people cry with string tremolos, chimes, bells and piano tinkling. Serious. |
| Preview: PixelJunk SideScroller Posted: 29 Sep 2011 08:15 AM PDT The title of PixelJunk Shooter was a bit misleading. It was much more of an exploration and puzzle game than an actual shooter. It was a great game (along with its sequel), but not exactly what genre fans wanted. Sidecroller, however, is very much a straight-forward shmup and there is nothing wrong with that. PixelJunk SideScroller (PlayStation Network) Konami’s late-80s shmup-sidecrollers (Salamander, Gradius) are the most pronounced influences on Q-Games’ latest, but if you dig deeper you may be surprised by what else you’ll find. The first comparison my mind made was one to Harmful Park. I’ve gushed about that game elsewhere on the site, so I won’t go into too much detail on its history. Like the weapon system in Harmful Park, SideScroller gives you unlimited access to four primary weapons which you level-up individually.
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