New Games |
- Johann Sebastian Joust attempts to jostle our hearts
- Worlds collide: Dungeon Defenders gets TF2, Portal items
- Dead Island 'Bloodbath Arena' DLC aiming for mid-November
- The DTOID Show: It's our 1-year anniversary!
- CCP executive producer talks about Dust 514
- A World of Keflings to receive Alien DLC
- iPhone 4S sells one million units in 24 hours
- Villains: The other guy
- New remix album: Super Dodge Ball: Around the World
- Gears of War 3 freezing glitch causing big problems
- The consequences of Binary Domain
- Microsoft's new Dashboard redesign release date announced
- Europe gets a blue Wii console bundle
- Preview: NASCAR Unleashed
- Live show: Finishing RAGE on Mash Tactics
- Save on THQ games all this week on Steam
- Review: The Dark Meadow
- Capcom plans to go nuts at New York Comic-Con
- Sonic Generations confirmed for PC
| Johann Sebastian Joust attempts to jostle our hearts Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Depending on your gaming persuasion, Indiecade can be one of the most exciting events of the year. With the likes of LIMBO, VVVVVV, Machinarium, and The Misadventure's of P.B. Winterbottom (among other notable winners) becoming the indie equivalent of a heavy hitter, it's definitely a big deal for these developers. With all the buzz surrounding Fez and The Sword & Sworcery EP, it's nice to see something like Copenhagen Games Collective's Johann Sebastian Joust pop up and nab the festival's award for best technology. You know those games you played at camp (the one you didn't really want to go to but went anyway because you'd rather be there than home with your nagging parents) where you stand in a circle and try to tag one other while also protecting yourself from another competitor? That's the basic idea of Johann Sebastian Joust. Using the PS3's move controllers, players circle up and try to eliminate each other by tapping others' remotes, protect their own from nefarious taggers, and maintaining stability while dodging. Ozzie Mejia at Shacknews spent some time with the game this weekend and apparently it was "some of the most fun [he] had at IndieCade this year," despite losing incessantly. Conceptually, it sounds like a blast. The really interesting part however, is the development process. Being an indie developer often means that you have frustrating limited access to development kits. TO circumvent that issue, Copenhagen Games Collective tried their hand at Wii development with a modified unit, but found the controller connection unreliable. Anyone with a modded Wii can attest to the drop in controller response when using installed software. Douglas Wilson, one of the brains behind the title, then wrote his own API for Sony's Move remote and gave it another shot.
I'm definitely excited to see this come to fruition in the near future, and finally use my Move remotes again. Johann Sebastian Joust is on its way to PS3 eventually... after Wilson gets his lousy PhD taken care of. IndieCade 2011: Johann Sebastian Joust [Shacknews]
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| Worlds collide: Dungeon Defenders gets TF2, Portal items Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:30 PM PDT
Yeah, Dungeon Defenders still hasn't managed to release on PC, though that'll be happening soon enough. Ahead of this version's Wednesday, October 19 release, Trendy Entertainment is giving a shout-out to the Steam-exclusive goodies. First, there's the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, usable by the Huntress class. It allows you to open and use portals as you would expect, although it's restricted by a limited energy reserve. So no, it's likely not going to be as overpowered as it initially looks. Also included are Team Fortress 2 familiars: the Heavy, the Engineer, the Medic, and the Pyro. This seems like a solid fusion of game properties rather than a quick attempt at pulling in Valve fans, but then again, I do have a fairly high tolerance for that sort of thing. |
| Dead Island 'Bloodbath Arena' DLC aiming for mid-November Posted: 10 Oct 2011 02:30 PM PDT Those waiting on Dead Island's first downloadable content, "Bloodbath Arena," can continue sitting patiently while the elevator music drifts onward indefinitely. The add-on is now looking at a mid-November release, according to the Facebook page for the game. Similar to what was said earlier by Deep Silver about how improving the experience for current players was the immediate goal before putting out follow-up content, the announcement message reiterates Techland's objective to work on quality across all platforms. As has been said by many people, I think that's a respectable way to go about it. Not like we won't have plenty to play on the build up to November, anyway. |
| The DTOID Show: It's our 1-year anniversary! Posted: 10 Oct 2011 02:05 PM PDT That's right folks, it was a year ago today that we debuted with our first ever episode of The Destructoid Show. I don't remember much about back then, but I do recall a strange man who wasn't Max hosting with me. I also remember there being talk of boners. I could be wrong, though. Anyway, we're celebrating our anniversary by giving away tons of awesome sh*t. That's not all, though - oh, no. There's also NEWS! First up, it's been confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will have multiplayer, if there was still any doubt. The world map for Skyrim has been released, gameplay footage for Hitman: Absolution is coming tomorrow, and The Darkness II is unmistakably awesome. On top of all that, we've got your releases of the week for October 11th. Before I forget, I want to thank each and every one of you who has ever watched our show (even if you didn't like it). The past year has been a crazy, insane ride and it wouldn't have been possible without your support and encouragement. You guys are awesome. <3 |
| CCP executive producer talks about Dust 514 Posted: 10 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT
Recently, executive producer Brandon Laurino at CCP has spoke up about some of the design decisions behind the studio's upcoming first-person shooter MMO Dust 514. He talked about developing Dust 514, with EVE Online as its backdrop: "EVE Online is an incredibly deep MMO and, for better or worse, that comes with a typical perception that it is complicated...Part of the thinking behind Dust 514 is to address those preconceptions; we accept that there is a barrier to entry with something as deep as EVE Online and we wanted to make it more accessible, providing another portal and dimension into the EVE universe." Brandon also mentioned that battles won't take place on a few large maps, but rather on entire planets. Major events that can occur in Dust 514 or in EVE Online will cause repercussions for the other. One example given by Brandon, the actions taken by EVE Online players can turn the tide of battle for Dust 514 players planet side. CCP has even gone so far as to include its beta testing of Dust 514 as canon in EVE Online. Brandon states: "...so the setting is that the first small group of players that get access to the Private Trials will be the first trial of this new mercenary technology in the context of EVE Online. Just as you’re helping to test the game in the real world, in the EVE world you’re taking part in war games organized to test this new mercenary technology." Beta testing is an essential part for developing any game and developers are now offering little incentives for helping them, but most beta testing can feel very unfulfilling. But with "Private Trails," CCP is giving EVE Online players a chance to really be a part of the history of EVE and that might just be worth more bragging rights then a little badge next to your characters name. I am very interested in seeing what CCP will do with this new gigantic universe that they have built and what new forms of gameplay can emerge from it. Dust 514 the "biggest multiplayer FPS" [EuroGamer -- Thanks de5gravity!] |
| A World of Keflings to receive Alien DLC Posted: 10 Oct 2011 01:30 PM PDT You could read all the time management books in the world and all that knowledge and effort would simply be rendered null and void in the face of more Keflings action. Adding insult to injury, A World of Keflings will be getting 'It Came From Outer Space' DLC on Xbox Live Arcade, which will add an alien-themed kingdom to the game. From the sounds of it we'll be getting an entirely new environment thanks with a new economy and new buildings that come with it, effectively costing you yet another 4-8 hours of your life. Bring it! There's no mention of a release date and price as yet, but the DLC will be released "in the coming weeks." If you can't wait for that and already played Kingdoms of Keflings and A World of Keflings to death, you could always give Akimi Village on PSN a try -- it's basically the same thing by the same devs, just with a non-Keflings name. |
| iPhone 4S sells one million units in 24 hours Posted: 10 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT As if you needed further proof that people go mental over Apple's stuff, the company has proudly revealed that it sold over one million iPhone 4S units in just 24 hours, beating its previous record of 600,000 for the iPhone 4. "We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S," said Apple's Phil Schiller. "The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do." Well ... good for them, I guess! |
| Posted: 10 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT [Last week, I asked you to write anything you wanted about videogame antagonists. Our first promoted blog on our Villains Bloggers Wanted topic comes from 2plus2isjoe, who takes a more abstract approach and discusses multiplayer opponents as modern "villains". Want to see your own blog on the front page? Write a blog on the current topic: Integration. -- JRo] He stands before you, momentarily. That unmentionable bastard with the flaming head, the lurid, gleaming carbine, whatever. I say “momentarily” because in the second you form the recognition and the subsequent tremulous assignation of fury, he’s already killed you. Cleanly, admirably, professionally. But of course you’re back again seconds later, determined to recognise the threat quicker this time, a stomp of the foot the audible assertion of your newly-resurrected resolution. But deep down you know it will happen again and again, for all eternity. Or at least the next twenty minutes or so. After that, he’ll either be on your side, redrawn as the shining paragon of the Kill/Death ratio or he’ll be gone, forgotten as quickly as he was reviled. Villains are mercurial things these days. Back when games (and gamers) were young, villains were well-drawn, visually and metaphorically. They were most often the cartoon bad guys of the title sequence, stealing your princess, enslaving the land or re-belonging all your base. They were simpler times – villains were both an obstacle and a goal, the “big boss” a harbinger of victory or frustration and a story to be told to other, less incredible schoolchildren. As much as this generation (or at least my generation) has grown up with the heroes of video games, we have grown up with the villains, and we enjoyed them just as much, if not more. I always played as Ganondorf in Super Smash Bros. – not because I thought he was specifically better than anyone else (although my childhood self would loudly proclaim so) but because he was an interesting villain, the kind of character you never got to play as ordinarily, but who became so much more alluring as a result. These are villains characterised by their villainy. But one other facet characterised all of these villains – they were singular, alone in their position as big boss, goal and ultimate conquest. Every gamer was hunting the same man, woman, cyborg or sexualised metaphor. With the advent of truly global-scale online multiplayer, the parameters of the villain have shifted inexorably towards a more fluid depiction. Anyone can be your arch-enemy nowadays. This is most obviously prevalent in the current rash of first-person shooters, and for obvious reasons. When the same member of the opposing team kills you over and over for an entire match, it’s hard not to cast them as the villain, the mastermind of the opposition, skilfully manipulating their minions whilst carving out a particularly unwelcome vendetta against you personally. This self-inflicted psychological torture (as it most often manifests itself) is borne out by the very genre of game you choose to play – a first-person game presents itself as your eyes in another world, and if those are your eyes, then it’s that other person that’s so casually popping them with high-calibre rounds from his FUCKING CAMPER’S HIDEY-HOLE EVERY SINGLE TIME I SPAWN who must be the villain. Because you can’t be the villain, obviously. But herein lies the issue of the new villain of gaming. More or less everyone (unless you’re as bad as me at Modern Warfare 2 and thus offer no true threat to anyone) is now the villain at one point or another, and we don’t even know it. Someone, somewhere in the world is cursing our very Gamertag, creating a fictional backstory for us, with a fictional future that involves us being horribly maimed by whatever weapon, virtual or otherwise, is at hand at that particular futuristic moment (hopefully a chainsword). The villain is no longer the final hurdle on a linear track, the final, tricky boss of Arcade Mode or even a man’s arm. It’s you, it’s me, it’s that guy’s particularly dexterous dog. Anyone who can pick up a controller is now a villain. This is vaguely terrifying, a feeling compounded by last week’s story of a man so possessed by the idea of an opponent’s villainy that he choked a 13 year-old, but also amazingly interesting - narratives are being drawn and redrawn thousands of times a day. The fact that games like Halo now include post-match information as to who you killed and were killed by most only deepens this idea. That information not only strengthens your resolve to do better in the next game, but does the same to someone else towards you, a never-ending cycle of enemy-assignment. We are all heroes and villains all of the time whilst we play these games, a huge web of mostly contradictory stories that are strengthened by statistics brought to us with a click of the Back button. At the risk of sounding like one of the tinfoil-hat collective, watch your backs. The next villain of the piece could be anywhere at any time. It's probably you. You bastard. |
| New remix album: Super Dodge Ball: Around the World Posted: 10 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT My friends over at OverClocked Remix have launched their latest project, Super Dodge Ball: Around the World. Around the World is the 28th album published by the game music community. It arranges music from Super Dodge Ball, released in 1987 for the NES. It features 19 tracks from 25 artists from the community. You can pull down the music and track notes here, and you'll find some great project art here. I'm a big fan of the Dodge Boobs work. They say that this album was made to honor the vast cultural roots and diversity of the game's music, originally composed by Kazuo Sawa. This reminds me of a similar project created by my friends and I, called No Balls, No Glory. Nice work, OCR. |
| Gears of War 3 freezing glitch causing big problems Posted: 10 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT A new bug has reared its ugly head in Gears of War 3, and it's causing some severe problems for fans of the cover-shooter. The issue's cause is currently unknown, but it's causing consoles to lock up and preventing affected players from joining any game mode. Epic Games has been collecting data from players on its official forum, hoping to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. It's asking users to fill out a questionnaire, in hopes of nailing down the problem swiftly. This is a pretty brutal flaw and it's caused a number of gamers considerable distress. Hopefully Epic can pinpoint the root cause soon and get a patch out, because this game was looking set to break the series' reputation for glitches. [Thanks to all who sent this in] |
| The consequences of Binary Domain Posted: 10 Oct 2011 11:45 AM PDT
In SEGA's new squad based shooter, Binary Domain, your team mates are not mere slaves to your whims. Players will have to gain the trust of their squad and act in ways that appeal to their varied personalities to get the most out of them. The AI and gameplay elements will also change depending on how you approach certain situations. The game's latest trailer details this potentially interesting mechanic. What we know of the game's plot and setting hasn't really grabbed me. It's Tokyo, it's the future, climate change has caused sea levels to rise and the rich live in relative safety above, while the poor contend with rubbish conditions below. Artificial Intelligence rears it's ugly head and the protagonist -- Dan Marshall -- and his team are sent to investigate. Jim and Maurice were not convinced in their previews. Whenever I see developers promoting consequence mechanics I worry about how organic it's going to feel, they tend to end up feeling rather arbitrary. The video doesn't alleviate any of my concerns. The squad's responses to commands sound awkward and out of place. I can also imagine getting very sick of them pretty quickly, as it looks like they will repeat themselves a lot. I do like that SEGA has attempted to allow players to respond to their team mates, but just shouting "YES!" in response to a criticism makes Dan Marshall look like a complete idiot. There seems to be some good ideas in Binary Domain, but at this point the execution does not impress. |
| Microsoft's new Dashboard redesign release date announced Posted: 10 Oct 2011 11:30 AM PDT The new Xbox 360 Dashboard, which was first announced back during E3, was given a Fall release window. We now know that Microsoft is expecting a November 25th launch date. The new dashboard will be much cleaner and easy to navigate, and will also feature new partner services such as Bing search (don't even pretend to be surprised), YouTube and Lovefilm. According to the same source that spilled the release date, Xbox apps will run using a modified version of Silverlight. Great. The new dashboard looks much better than the nightmare that is the current Xbox experience, and added perks like YouTube and a search engine are nice, all I can think of is Silverlight? Really? I don't know about the rest of you, but Silverlight has never worked very well for me. It crashes on a regular basis and is, quite frankly, annoying. Hopefully 'modified' means fixed. It would more than just 'a shame' if not, since all the new apps will be using this software, and if its broken, then more trouble for everyone involved. Microsoft readies Silverlight for Xbox Live update [Gigaom via CVG] |
| Europe gets a blue Wii console bundle Posted: 10 Oct 2011 11:15 AM PDT This is really close to my favorite color. This upcoming Wii console's shade is just off from the light blue DS Lite they released some years ago. That one was spot on. The Europe bundle for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games contain a blue Wii, a blue Wii Remote Plus, a blue Nunchuk, the game, and a sticker sheet. This is the newer Euro-only non-Wifi unit that also lacks Gamecube support. Lame. At least it looks nice. Siliconera says that the bundle has been confirmed for European release on November 18. If this also becomes a North American product, would you be interested in one? |
| Posted: 10 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT
I’m no Dale North when it comes to my love of racing games, but that doesn't mean I don't fancy the occasional white-knuckle thrill ride. NASCAR games in the past have tended to be more about bumping and rubbing and making left turns rather than the adrenaline inducing action of say the Burnout series. That changes this fall when NASCAR Unleashed crashes its way onto store shelves. NASCAR Unleashed (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [Previewed], Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS) Typically NASCAR games have stayed true to the sport by following the simulation path with real tracks, real drivers, and all the team sponsorships one could handle. Fans of NASCAR shouldn’t fear too much that their beloved pastime has been mangled though with this more lighthearted take on the sport. Fifteen of NASCAR’s most prolific drivers lend their likenesses and cars complete with sponsors in Unleashed. Whether you favor the winner of the last five Sprint Cup Series championships Jimmie Johnson or up-and-comer Joey ‘Sliced Bread” Logano, you will have to save the debate of who’s the best for the tracks as each drivers car handles and performs the same. There is no advantage from whom you pick and even the unlockable upgrades acquired for each ride are merely cosmetic.  At it’s heart NASCAR Unleashed is about fast fun-filled racing, that encompasses the soul of NASCAR -- bumping and rubbing -- and the white-knuckle action of turbo boosting and car checking that made the Burnout series what it is today. It doesn’t need to get caught up in the semantics of car specs and customization to be a fully enjoyable racer, which is indicative by the games graphics. The car design feels slightly Pixar-esque and the bright and wild course designs will have fans who were expecting all left turns in for a treat. Without the pressure of having to figure out who was the best driver, I chose what any gamer would drift towards. From the moment the first green flag waved, my Mountain Dew powered car bolted out like a caffeine fulled firecracker off the line. The controls strike a balance somewhere between Burnout and the classic Daytona USA, making powersliding into my first corner as natural as should be. The mechanics behind NASCAR Unleashed are easy to pick up and the constant action that unfolds throughout keeps the racing highly entertaining. The key to winning is aggression and slipstreaming which builds turbo boosts for the all important tactical advantage. Drafting opponents is the safest way to acquire turbo, but the more tenacious will prefer slamming opponents off the track in the attempts to take the checkered flag. Checking the opposition comes with risks though. The rough bumping and rubbing will eventually accumulate damage on both you and your enemies, leading to one’s momentary demise and the release of some slick hazardous oil.  Spinning out of control from a wrecked racer is probably the lesser of two evils that comes from the dastardly defense. When the smoke clears the returned racer becomes your rival with desire to even the score. It’s sometime unavoidable to not create a few rivals during a race, with the aggressive nature of the A.I. and the often congested nature of the tracks. NASCAR Unleashed keeps the racing tight throughout do to some rubber banding. While I’m not a fan of this sort of design, I will say it keeps things interesting when you can go from first to last and vice versa all on the final lap. The majority of the racing in NASCAR Unleashed takes place in its Championship mode. The path laid before, while not completely linear -- as it offers order selection and optional side events -- puts racers through six legendary tracks. Daytona International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway are just a few tracks that lay the foundation for some of the game's courses. While six tracks definitely falls on the short side, each available track offers multiple variants to help decrease the repetitiveness. One moment you’re hugging the walls of Talladega, the next you’re drifting through some beach chairs at Daytona. Beyond the excitement of the race, NASCAR Unleashed keeps its virtual drivers busy with a progressive award system. Each race completed earns points that overtime unlock different aesthetic enhancements for each driver and car combo in the game. The higher placed finish, amount of drafting, and rivals created all add the points accumulated at the end of each race. There are also in-race challenges such as smashing a certain amount of road obstacles or completing “x” amount of drifts that further enhance ones score. It’s a nice dynamic that helps keep makes each race a little more than just finishing first.  Outside of Championship mode, a time trial and quick race mode can be selected to hone one’s skills on any given track. Seamless two-player support is as well accessible from any one of the race modes allowing heated competition amongst friends without the need to back out into another menu. I got a quick chance to test out the split screen multiplayer -- which unfortunately is the only form of multiplayer across all versions -- and the game played just as fast and smoothly as it did in single-player. The lack of online multiplayer is perhaps my biggest concern for NASCAR Unleashed. The game will be budgeted at $40, but I’m not quite sure if that is cheap enough. My time was not long enough to pass final judgement on the game, but from what I gathered NASCAR Unleashed may be better served as a PSN and XBLA title. I’ll let the reviewers make the final call, because regardless of price NASCAR Unleashed is a fast and energetic ride that both hardcore and casual fans can like. |
| Live show: Finishing RAGE on Mash Tactics Posted: 10 Oct 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 will be jumping into id Software's new post-apocalyptic shooter RAGE. The excitement over RAGE seems to be matched only by its data size. Here's your chance to get an in-depth look at the game and see if it's the ride through the wastes for you. Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage 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. |
| Save on THQ games all this week on Steam Posted: 10 Oct 2011 10:15 AM PDT As if your wallets weren't gouged enough when it came to discounted downloads, now you've got a chance to save on a selection of THQ games on Steam, with a different daily deal up until the weekend and a big discount on a THQ bundle. Today's daily deal is 75% off Metro 2033, a game I sadly bailed on after only a few hours of play. I think it may be ripe for revisiting, maybe on an easier difficulty setting to get around the sub-par shooting and stealth so I can enjoy the setting and story. Oh, and I should go and read the Metro 2033 novel I bought back in January... Also on offer this week is a 50% discount on a tempting THQ bundle, including titles like Company of Heroes, Dawn of War II, Saints Row II, and Darksiders. I think maybe we're at a point where unless there's some new games added to them, Steam bundles aren't as appealing as individual deals. What do you guys think, is buying bundles still enticing after so many sales? |
| Posted: 10 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Phosphor Games is a studio pulled together from the ashes of Midway. When the company went under, it left behind an open-world superhero game, one that the developers didn't want to see die. They reformed as Phosphor, and rebuilt the game as Awakened. We've only seen conceptual footage of Awakened, but Phosphor has something a little more substantial for us until the game's ready to be shown in detail. The studio has taken to the iOS platform, armed with Unreal technology and looking to tell a story. It's a story that's well worth being told. The Dark Meadow (iOS) The Dark Meadow's similarities to Infinity Blade are numerous and obvious, needing to be mentioned. Like ChAIR's smash-hit iOS title, The Dark Meadow takes the form of a timed combat game in which players must dodge or block incoming enemy attacks and swipe the screen to hit back once the opponent's exhausted itself. It's a tested system, one that still works very well, although Phosphor doesn't include parry attacks as Infinity Blade does. As well as melee combat, The Dark Meadow throws in ranged assaults. Each enemy starts at the end of a corridor and staggers toward the player. During this time, players must dodge incoming projectiles while aiming and firing a crossbow using very simple touch controls. Once the enemy gets close enough, the crossbow is automatically replaced with a sword for close quarter dueling to take place. Obligatory role-playing elements are on offer, with experience earned at the end of each battle and forty levels to gain. With each level increase, stat points can be sunk into various attributes, improving ranged or melee damage, crossbow reload speed, defense or health. A huge variety of swords, crossbows, and health-augmenting amulets can also be bought with gold found scattered throughout the environment. Exploration is a big part of the experience. The Dark Meadow is set in an abandoned hospital consisting of rooms connected by corridors. Rooms contain loot and background story elements, while monsters spawn in the corridors. Pulsing green icons on the floor indicate the next position players will move to once touched. It's a very simple navigation system, and while some may not appreciate the on-rails nature of movement, I find it perfectly suited to the all-touch control scheme. As stated, the game owes a lot to Infinity Blade, but where it really stands out is with its exemplary story and atmosphere. The game starts with players waking up in the ruined hospital and meeting a mysterious man in a wheelchair. This man becomes the only guiding voice in the game, constantly communicating with the player via loudspeakers set up in each room. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that he isn't all that he claims to be, and his increasingly mad commentary -- as well as his instructions that you are to kill the beautiful "witch" who barricades important sections of the hospital -- paints a picture of an insane and malicious individual. However, he's also an incredibly funny character, one very reminiscent of Portal's GLaDOS. Each of his broadcasts is a treat, as he regularly struggles to win your trust while pathologically demonstrating just how untrustworthy he is. He'll thank you for being smart enough to invent the Internet before taunting you by claiming to have just found a huge amount of food. He'll claim the mysterious woman of the hospital is pure evil while admitting that half of what he's said about her is a lie. He is, at times, utterly hilarious, and sometimes he's rather creepy. This focus on storytelling is the real drive of The Dark Meadow, making it something more than a slightly less polished Infinity Blade and giving it something truly special. As players uncover notes from torn diaries, newspaper clippings, or the insane doodles of madmen who seem to know what's going on, a very strange and eerie world is created. It's a funny game, but an altogether foreboding one. A mysterious world that never gets too convoluted or obtuse, and provides just enough information to keep one hungry for more. There are definitely some issues that hold it back. Loading times can be lengthy and the frame rate sometimes gets spotty. The combat system isn't quite as refined as the game it's borrowed from, either. The dark visuals can make incoming attacks a little difficult to see and the dodge button seems incredibly forgiving, with attacks that should hit the player passing through so long as a dodge was activated at some point in the enemy's animation. My other big problem with the game is the store. Every single item of equipment is available from the start, provided one has the gold for it, and it seems to defeat the object of collecting any loot. Furthermore, this seems designed to encourage in-app purchases of gold. Players can buy their way to the top with gold purchases starting at $0.99 and climbing to an outrageous $49.99! Of course, these purchases are totally voluntary and gold can be achieved through simple grinding, but it will take a lot of time to save up for the most powerful gear. The best equipment isn't needed to experience the full game, and it's still a very fine game indeed. Designed very well around the limitations of iOS and featuring some of the most disturbing creature designs this side of Silent Hill, Phosphor has created a very atmospheric and engrossing game with a delicious streak of dark humor coursing through its veins. The Dark Meadow is worth picking up for anybody with an interest in iOS gaming. |
| Capcom plans to go nuts at New York Comic-Con Posted: 10 Oct 2011 09:45 AM PDT Capcom is coming to New York Comic-Con this week. They have four panels, a bunch of games, and a strange event that features producers Yoshinori Ono (Street Fighter) and Katzuhiro Harada (Tekken) in football garb. What? SFXT BOWL MMXI! Street Fighter X Tekken fans will get to cheer on Yoshinori Ono and Katzuhiro Harada as they don full football gear, and draft fans from the crowd to join them in a series of football challenges on a custom indoor SFXT football field. Cheerleaders will lead the crowds, says Capcom. This strange event goes down on Saturday, October 15, level 1- Exhibit Hall 1B, Noon - 1pm. I'll definitely be there. Capcom will also have most of their 2011/2012 game line-up at their booth, so expect to see Dragon’s Dogma, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Resident Evil Revelations, Street Fighter X Tekken, Asura’s Wrath, Dead Rising 2 Off The Record, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Street Fighter IV: Volt. At that same booth you'll also find tournaments, giveaways, producer visits and the Capcom store. Hit the jump for details on the four panels Capcom has lined up for the show. • STREET FIGHTER – Legendary Street Fighter producer, Yoshinori Ono will provide the latest update on the highly anticipated fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken - the ultimate fighting game team up! Come hear, firsthand, just what is in store for your favorite Street Fighter and Tekken characters in this explosive genre defining game. Street Fighter fans are encouraged to come in costume as Capcom deems Friday to be "Street Fighter Day!" Some lucky fans may be called onstage to demonstrate their mad fighting skills firsthand to win awesome prizes! Followed by a Q&A session plus some special surprises! Friday, October 14, 5:15 – 6:16pm in the American Airlines Theater 1A06 • Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – The wait's almost over as the much anticipated follow up to last year's monster fighting hit is only a month from launch. Come to this panel to hear the latest news about this legendary fighting game franchise straight from producer Ryota Niitsuma. Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek as well as a chance to come onstage to showcase your fighting skills against each other for fantastic prizes. Followed by a Q&A session. Saturday, Oct 15, 2:45 – 3:45 pm in the American Airlines Theater 1A06 • Resident Evil – Share in the joy of Resident Evil! 2011 marks the 15th anniversary of the legendary video game franchise that gave fear a face and horror a home. Capcom declares Saturday to be "Resident Evil Day," so please come dressed as your favorite classic and new RE characters! Come find out the latest information about the newest entries to the Resident Evil franchise: the brutal truth behind Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City with producer, Rey Jimenez, Resident Evil Revelations for the Nintendo 3DS, the gorgeous re-imagining of Resident Evil 4 HD and Resident Evil CODE: Veronica X HD, plus some surprises! Followed by a Q&A session. Saturday, October 15, 6:15 – 7:15pm in the MTV Theater 1A10 • World of Capcom – Capcom continues to entertain its fans with the best games in the industry. Fans won't want to miss this opportunity to learn firsthand about Capcom's newest hit properties, Dragon's Dogma and Asura's Wrath, as well as the latest on the just released Dead Rising 2 Off The Record Executive Producer, Jason Leigh. Followed by a Q&A session. Sunday, Oct 16, 12:15 – 1:15pm in the American Airlines Theater 1A06
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| Sonic Generations confirmed for PC Posted: 10 Oct 2011 09:30 AM PDT Sonic the Hedgehog regularly prefers consoles to PC, but Sonic Generations has been rumored to hit computers for a while. Those rumors have been given a dose of confirmation thanks to Direct2Drive and Green Man Gaming, who have pre-orders up for the game right now. The upcoming platformer celebration is priced at a modest $29.99 and has the following system requirements:
Cool stuff! The Hedgehog Engine is a beautiful thing and I'd like to see it running on my computer, for sure. |
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