New Games |
- Schilling auctioning bloody sock to pay 38 Studios debts
- Here's the debut trailer for Suda51's Killer is Dead
- PC-only characters confirmed for Sonic & All-Stars Racing
- Far Cry 3 Deluxe Bundle DLC now on sale
- Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi hits PSP next month
- Legend of Grimrock clears 600,000 sales milestone
- Valve may resubmit Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia
- Razer giving away the first Edge Pro gaming tablet
- Trials Evolution: Gold Edition finds home on PC in March
- Tackling Temple Run 2 for iOS at a full sprint
- Arma devs freed on bail after 130 days in prison
- Review: Krunch
| Schilling auctioning bloody sock to pay 38 Studios debts Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:30 PM PST Former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling is selling his personal effects to pay off the debts of 38 Studios. Last year, the company released Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning only to file for bankruptcy and shutter months later. Among the items to go up for auction will be Schilling's prized bloody sock from the 2004 World Series. That year Schilling pitched through injury to win one of four consecutive elimination games in the American League Championship Series. Schilling underwent tendon surgery in his ankle prior to a critical Game Six. The hobbled pitcher managed to throw seven effective innings and force a winner-take-all game with the New York Yankees. This, however, is not that sock. Schilling had to have his ankle stabilized repeatedly that year. The sock in question comes from his Game Two World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. While the original sock was lost following the ALCS victory, Schilling kept the second and later donated it (on loan, apparently) to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The sock is expected to fetch in excess of $100,000 at auction. |
| Here's the debut trailer for Suda51's Killer is Dead Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:45 PM PST Yesterday Famitsu brought us new info and screens on developer Grasshopper Manufacture's next big game, Killer is Dead. Was that not enough to satisfy you? Well how about the debut trailer for the game then?! Yup. Sure looks like a Suda51 game alright. That's not a bad thing at all, of course. I love Suda51's brand of entertainment, and seeing the gameplay in action for Killer is Dead has me pretty pumped. The visual style looks damn impressive, and it seems the combat system will be pretty fun. Expect Killer is Dead for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this Summer. 『KILLER IS DEAD（キラー イズ デッド）』のPVをファミ通.comで先行公開！【動画あり】 [Famitsu] |
| PC-only characters confirmed for Sonic & All-Stars Racing Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:30 PM PST While word had already gotten out long ago, Sega was able to confirm today that the PC version of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will contain a few familiar faces not playable on other platforms. From Team Fortress 2, we're getting the Pyro, Spy, and Heavy; from Football Manager, "Manager Man"; and from Total War: Shogun 2, the Shogun. I don't know how this was all able to get greenlit, but boy am I glad it was. All-Stars Racing Transformed will be hitting digital distribution channels on January 31, 2013 for $29.99. This is one of those sequels that I ignored prior to release, foolishly unaware that beyond being a solid game in its own right, the cast of featured characters was wonderfully unexpected. Resistance is futile now; there's no way I'll be able to avoid grabbing the upcoming PC release. |
| Far Cry 3 Deluxe Bundle DLC now on sale Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Far Cry 3 might have been one of last year's biggest surprises, what with its return to the tropical setting of the original and its late-in-the-year release. Despite the seemingly ham-fisted approach to gaming satire, its open-world chaos was really compelling. If you've been left wanting more Far Cry 3 then this new DLC bundle will help fill that void. The Deluxe Bundle DLC pack is out now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC and contains the DLC from the Deluxe Edition of Far Cry 3: six single-player missions, new weapons for both the single- and multiplayer parts of the game, new animals to hunt, plus a new character Hurk who is accompanied by his bomb-carrying monkeys. Which is something I really want to see. Also included in the bundle is the soundtrack for the game and a digital art book. The Deluxe Bundle will cost $9.99 on PSN, 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live, and $9.99/£6.99 on Steam. Adding some new missions into the single-player is going to help extend the game for sure; anyone buy the digital deluxe version at launch? What did you think of the extra content you got -- is it worth the extra cash? |
| Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi hits PSP next month Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:30 PM PST The PlayStation Portable just won't go away. Aksys Games has announced that Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi is coming to North America on February 19, 2013. Unlike previous entries in the series, this is a hack-and-slash action game rather than an otome visual novel. That means you'll probably spend more time killing samurai than you will romancing them. While all retail copies of the game come with a 16-page full-color art book, players that pre-order the game through Amazon will receive a decorative bandanna featuring the game's eight playable characters. |
| Legend of Grimrock clears 600,000 sales milestone Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Seeing good people make good games that go on to become wildly successful really does make my day. That's exactly what has happened with Almost Human and its dungeon crawler, Legend of Grimrock. In a recap post, the studio has announced that over 600,000 copies have been sold so far, saying: "We would've been happy with just one tenth of the sales numbers, so needless to say we're very happy and the future of our company is secured for a long time." Released last April, the Windows (and now Mac and Linux) game has since gotten a life-extending Dungeon Editor. Looking ahead, Almost Human has offered up two teaser screenshots, one of which is viewable above, and commented that "this is only the tip of the iceberg." |
| Valve may resubmit Left 4 Dead 2 in Australia Posted: 17 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST The cuts made to Left 4 Dead 2 on its release in Australia were another example of the country's inconsistent rating system before the recent introduction of an R18+ rating. Valve is now considering resubmitting the co-op zombie shooter to the Office of Film and Literature Classification to try and have the game changed from its current MA15+ rating. On a Steam forum post, Valve's Chet Falizek has said "...this is something we want to do" and "We have been exploring the options here and what we can legally do." This will be good news for any Australian gamers who haven't managed to get the full version of L4D2 through many of the workarounds in Steam. I played the MA15+ version and it was weird; I never thought I needed gore or dismemberment in a game, but the lack of any feedback from the zombies (who would simply vanish and not even display a death animation when shot) meant the game felt like there was no weight to the shooting and melee system. Also, this might be the last time we use that image header. Sadface. Valve Considers Resubmitting Left 4 Dead 2 for Australian Classification [Kotaku] |
| Razer giving away the first Edge Pro gaming tablet Posted: 17 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Hot on the heels of the recent news that their Edge gaming tablet won the Best of Show award for CES 2013, our friends at Razer are celebrating with a pretty sweet giveaway. From now until January 22, you can hop on over to their website for a chance to win the very first Razer Edge for yourself! Normally retailing for $1,299, the Edge is being touted as the first tablet catered to the gamer's every need. Our own Dale North labeled it a "do want" item after his brief hands-on preview, so you'd better plan on letting him (and me) borrow it if one of you wins! To enter, all you have to do is vote for your favorite way to use the Edge. Mobile console mode seems like the best bet for my needs; what about you? |
| Trials Evolution: Gold Edition finds home on PC in March Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:30 AM PST
RedLynx is finally returning to PC after a well-received stint on Xbox Live Arcade with Trials HD and Trials Evolution. On March 21, 2013, Trials Evolution: Gold Edition -- which includes all tracks from the prior title recreated in the latter's engine, in addition to the full game of Evolution itself -- will see a PC release. I enjoy Trials quite a bit, and so do many of you, but 4 million units sold for the series? Who knew so many people were willing to take that kind of punishment? I'd love to see completion data; for instance, the percentage of players who cleared all tracks. Maybe then I'd feel better about my own (in)ability. |
| Tackling Temple Run 2 for iOS at a full sprint Posted: 17 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST When I got my iPhone in 2011, I immediately started snatching up as many free games as I could to get a feel for mobile gaming before making any actual monetary investment. One of those games was Imangi Studios' Temple Run, an auto-runner that adopts a 3D behind-the-back perspective instead of the 2D side-scrolling view found in most other runners. It's simple, fun, and can eat up time like you wouldn't believe. So yeah, I dug it. Yesterday, we learned that Temple Run 2 would be dropping this morning. Like its predecessor, it's free, so I decided to give it a quick spin to see what has been changed and improved. Short version, Temple Run 2 is more of the same but with some welcome tweaks that slightly change how you play. Long version... well... here we go! If you've played the first Temple Run extensively, you are pretty much a master at Temple Run 2 right off the bat. Tilt the device to move your explorer side to side and pick up coins, then swipe the screen in any of the cardinal directions to jump, slide, or take a sharp turn. Controls are as tight and responsive as ever, and the view of the terrain gives you plenty of time to react. Once again, you are a temple explorer trying to escape with a stolen idol, only now you are being pursued by one giant demon monkey rather than a whole gang of smaller ones. Also, the temple is no longer in a marshy jungle but floating way above the clouds. With the change of scenery comes a sharper, more polished presentation -- your character's movements are fluid compared to the stiff animations from before, and your path is dotted with gentle slopes and curves instead of perfectly straight corridors. Aside from the cosmetic differences, the obstacles you face are essentially the same, save for zip lines and mine cart rides. Zip lines aren't really "obstacles" in the truest sense -- more like roller coaster eye candy (WHEEE!). On the other hand, mine carts sections demand your focus. Instead of swiping at forks along the track, you tilt to ski on two wheels and force the cart down a specific path -- preferably one not blocked off by boulders. The familiar selection of power-ups -- from coin magnets to temporary speed boosts -- make a return, with the addition of green gems. These gems are a secondary currency that can be used to instantly revive yourself should you die; each time you fail, the revival cost increases for that particular run. You can reduce that cost in the shop, where you can once again upgrade your stats by spending coins. In addition, you can equip a permanent item which you then activate by double tapping the screen. These are more or less identical to the single-use items you find during a run, only they can be used repeatedly once you've filled up your coin meter. You begin with the shield, then later acquire the coin magnet, boost, score bonus, and others. You can also use your gems to improve the effectiveness of any of these items. You still accomplish objectives (collect X coins, run for X m, etc.), only now they are presented in sets of three; similarly to Jetpack Joyride, completed tasks are immediately replaced by others, one at a time. Clearing objectives fills up an experience meter, and every time you level up, you are awarded with coins, gems, or unlocked power-ups. While on their own these changes are minor, taken together they make Temple Run 2 just fresh enough to get you back in the saddle. And considering that you don't have to pay squat to play, there's no reason not to at least download the game. Temple Run 2 is available now for iPhone and iPad, and it will appear on Google Play and Amazon Marketplace for Android devices in the near future. |
| Arma devs freed on bail after 130 days in prison Posted: 17 Jan 2013 09:30 AM PST After spending 130 in a Greek prison, Bohemia Interactive developers Martin Pezlar and Ivan Buchta have been released on a €5000/$6,672/£4160 bail. The charges against artist Pezlar and creative director Buchta still stand, however, and they will have to return to Greece later in the year to appear in court. There was initially some confusion as to why Pezlar and Buchta were on the Greek island of Lemnos, where they were arrested after allegedly photographing military installations. Bohemia Interactive downplayed the visit to the island by claiming this was a genuine vacation, rather than a research trip despite the fact that the still-in-development Arma 3 will be set on Lemnos. A community website titled helpvianmartin.org campaigned for the pair's release and they have some photos and videos of the Pezlar and Buchta leaving Greece. As stated earlier, the two will have to return to appear in court but a current strike by Greek judges means that date is unclear. |
| Posted: 17 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST It's going to be tough to talk about Krunch without also mentioning games like Super Meat Boy or VVVVVV, so I'll get it out of the way now: Krunch is similar to these titles in that you will die. A lot. You will also, however, quickly learn from your mistakes and rarely blame the game for cheap deaths. While the inspiration is clear, Krunch is unique enough to separate itself and stand on its own two…err, to suspend itself and float on its own. Krunch (Windows [reviewed], Mac, Linux) While there is some semblance of a plot, nothing is made very clear. What is clear is the goal -- to run away and escape from whatever destructive hellhole the round protagonist begins in. On this journey, he'll encounter plenty of obstacles and dangers whose sole purpose is to destroy him and his stupid little circle face. At least, that's what I imagine they think of the protagonist, since it's all too clear that everything is out to obliterate him. The controls aren't as tight as something like Super Meat Boy, but in this case it is intentional as the character is floating, not standing. There is an ever-so-slight drift to the character as you let go of a direction. It takes a while to get used to, but the skill in Krunch comes with understanding and controlling the character as finely as possible. The character can boost by holding down the spacebar, but doing so will slowly reduce the character's health allotted for that level. The health bar also acts as the time limit to complete the level, and is constantly depleting at a slow rate. Boosting is not always wise, either, since boosting around a sharp turn is sure to result in death. Boosting into a hazard is even worse, since both of those actions reduce the allotted health and, likewise, the amount of time left to complete the level.
There are four worlds to get through in Krunch, which will take a couple of hours to complete, though it is entirely dependent on the player's mad skillz. For the record, it took me 86 minutes from start to finish. Though the timer will continually increase as you go through the game, it’s the orbs -- or "Krebs," as the game calls them -- that you collect which will solidify your spot on the leaderboards. The difficulty curve is spot-on, easing into new mechanics by introducing them gently. Not sure what the glowing square will do? You'll find out real quick once you touch it and explode into pieces. Even during the fourth world, I found myself finding and working on intricacies in order to complete each level to the best of my ability. Although completing the game without caring about collecting Krebs may prove to be an easier feat, collecting all or most of the Krebs provides an intense challenge. Some of them are so deviously placed that, at first glance, you may deem them impossible to collect -- but the truth is you're just not good enough to get them. Yet. Perhaps the biggest game element to get used to is bouncing. After making contact with a wall or a non-lethal hazard, the character will ricochet off of it and lose any sort of momentum. Recovering from one of these bounces is often difficult and sometimes impossible. Any single mistake, depending on the level, could mean death. The obvious solution is "don't hit the walls or non-lethal hazards," to which I say GOOD LUCK! Sometimes it is possible to bounce on purpose and use it to your advantage. Sometimes. After a slip-up, it may become evident that the level is going to win. Plain and simple. It is not a bad thing, but it may take a while for the level to actually kill you and restart. In this vein, the absence of a quick-restart button is a bit of an oversight. Sure, it takes no more than 3-5 seconds most times for the level to kill you and then restart, but in a fast-paced game like Krunch, it can feel like an eternity. There are a few boss levels throughout Krunch, which don't overstep their bounds or feel out of place. They don't change the formula at all -- escaping quickly and efficiently is still the name of the game, and that's a good thing. In fact, these few levels are probably some of the most well designed of the entire bunch and easily the most exhilarating. The only real issue with the level design in general comes in the form of what I'm calling teleport-tubes. It's a small issue, but when you enter one of these tubes, they instantly take you somewhere else on the map. Most of the time, you will still be holding the direction you were to enter the tube and the character will keep going, resulting in an instant death and it won't immediately be clear what destroyed you. It only takes one mistake to realize, but it's slightly frustrating nonetheless. The game looks good during all of the pixelated death. I'll go ahead and recommend playing in full screen, since it is easier to see each and every pixel in a game in which a single pixel in the wrong direction can mean death. The visuals may not blow you away, but the music is likely to get all up in your brain. Created by Disasterpeace, known for his work on Fez, and DirkRugged, the music absolutely fits the tone. It has a bit of old-school sound courtesy of Disasterpeace and yet brings in an industrial feeling thanks to DirkRugged. It's really great. The sound effects are also worthy of note, created by Jordan Fehr, who worked on Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Meat Boy, and even Hotline Miami. Some serious talent worked on this game, and it sure does leave an impression. Created by two guys, Krunch is an excellent and exciting romp to escape from near-certain death. It's short and doesn't really entice the player to return unless they're interested in leaderboard scores, but it is still a great way to kill an afternoon. It isn't perfect, as certain level design elements are a bit jarring and the lack of a quick-restart level option can make five seconds feel like forever. That being said, Krunch is a title that is sure to please anyone who stayed up late completing the Skyscraper Warp Zone in Super Meat Boy or ripped their hair out completing the Veni Vidi Vici room in VVVVVV. Fellow masochists, rejoice! |
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