New Games |
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection shines in some spots, has problems in others
- Elite: Dangerous has bold plans for the future
- Call of Duty developer Activision showing off Fun at GDC
- Dyscourse is a survival game that's light on survival
- Volume is a more thoughtful approach to Metal Gear Solid VR Mission-like stealth
- The Destructoid Guide to Community Podcasting
- Review: Crimsonland
- Destructoid's PAX East 2015 schedule is here!
- One last look at GTA Online heists ahead of next week's launch
- Steam now lists Steam Machines and other hardware
- GDC 15 DLC #2: Oily hamburgers and Cranberries
- RollerCoaster Tycoon World looks rough
- These are the 2015 Independent Games Festival winners
- Paradise Never brings some Majora's Mask to a revolutionary action RPG
- Xbox One and PS4 bundles get Black Friday prices at Groupon
- Nintendo Download: Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
- Square Enix is streaming its Final Fantasy XIV expansion PAX East panel
- Guild Wars 2 is getting a streaming client soon, getting you into the game faster
- The Best Buy Gamers Club discount program is now $30
- Evolve is getting a free 'Observer Mode,' I'm surprised it's not DLC
- Rock Band 4 is coming, and it's bringing the party back
- Runbow for the Wii U still looks amazing, is still nine players
- Beautiful shmup Söldner X-2 is coming to Vita this month
- Ether One confirmed for PS4, holy crap I still need to play this
- It looks like Tekken 7 got confirmed for PS4 and Xbox One
| Borderlands: The Handsome Collection shines in some spots, has problems in others Posted: 05 Mar 2015 12:00 PM PST Traditionally, Game Developers Conference is a very busy show. After what seems like a three-month hibernation, the game industry slowly creaks back awake and GDC is the first time everything's in full gear again. As always, this conference is packed with games worth lookng forward to. However, that doesn't mean we can't look back if the circumstances are right. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one title that warrants such treatment, as it bundles Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel together on PS4 and Xbox One. It's a big ol' pack of content, but while it promises a wealth of things to do, there are some worrisome snags. |
| Elite: Dangerous has bold plans for the future Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:00 AM PST Things have been going well for Frontier Developments. With the success of Elite: Dangerous, which features a sizeable and passionate community of space explorers, and having won the prestigious Audience Award from the 2015 Game Developers Choice Awards, the creators are already hot at work on new updates and expansions. And with players still hungry for more content, there's already a clear vision for the future of the massive space sim. Coming after the announcement of the Xbox One, PS4, and Mac releases for Elite: Dangerous, game creator David Braben spoke with Destructoid on the GDC show floor about the team's plans for the future of Elite: Dangerous. It's looking like the sprawling universe will get much bigger soon. |
| Call of Duty developer Activision showing off Fun at GDC Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:30 AM PST We are very busy at the Game Developer Conference eating hamburgers and erecting edifices, but between those activities we are hunting for hot scoops. Ducking behind corners of the Moscone Center's corporate labyrinth, we stumbled upon an apparent behind-closed-doors meeting for a yet-to-be-announced new title from Call of Duty developer Activision called Fun. I pressed my ear to the door, but couldn't hear any details on Fun. It's possible that Activision hasn't even done enough development on Fun to produce a playable build, so a formal announcement could be far off. Or they could choose not to make Fun now that it's been revealed ahead of schedule. Maybe it would have never gotten into production at all. We are not sure how long Activision has been trying to make Fun, or if Fun is a financially viable product in today's market. This wouldn't be the first time we've discovered unannounced Activision games (or gotten subsequent world exclusives). |
| Dyscourse is a survival game that's light on survival Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:00 AM PST Owchemy Labs’ Alex Schwartz is one of the bravest men I know. In the midst of GDC, perhaps the most inside baseball-heavy of all conventions, he told a member of the press that Dyscourse was a "survival game." Of course, that phrase was immediately followed by caveats, but to use a genre descriptor that has become an enormous red flag takes an enormous amount of courage. It also takes a great deal of faith in your game, which, as it turns out, is well-earned. Dyscourse is like Telltale's The Walking Dead filtered through old-school LucasArts. There are branching narratives, witty dialogue, an eclectic visual style, and choices that will affect whether a character lives or dies. But there’s also survival. Except it’s not actually survival. Follow me so far? |
| Volume is a more thoughtful approach to Metal Gear Solid VR Mission-like stealth Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:30 AM PST Volume is a fitting name for a polygonal, Metal Gear Solid VR Missions-looking stealth game with enough rectangles to feed a geometry class for the entire year. In the case of Mike Bithell's Thomas Was Alone follow-up, however, "volume" is more about sound than shapes. Lead Locksley can't kill or attack. It's all about being a sneak. Noise, then, becomes an important weapon for luring guards from their posts, and every bit of noise fractures the world so you can nicely see its effect, along with the ever-present enemy fields of vision. It's about sight, too. Sound, sight, shapes. These things come together to make a readable stealth game with enough abstraction that it feels more puzzler than sneaking romp. Think Hitman GO compared to Hitman. |
| The Destructoid Guide to Community Podcasting Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:00 AM PST So you wanna be a podcast superstar? And live large, a big house, five cars, you're in charge? Comin' up in the world, don't trust no body, gotta look over your shoulder constantly? Well, it probably won’t happen unless you diversify your financial portfolio, but at least I’m here to guide you through the white-knuckle joys of community podcasting at Destructoid. Why me, you ask? Well, I've drunk more beer, and banged more quiff (ay?!), and pissed more blood, and stomped more ass than all of you numbnuts put together! And by that, I mean I’ve been on a few podcasts in my time. Podcasting might sound like a daunting prospect, but it’s really not that hard. So whether you’re a first-time guest or finally taking up the reins as host, hopefully this guide will allay your fears and steer you right. That or you end becoming a fugitive killing machine. In which case, all these ’80s video rentals I’ve been using as reference are a complete waste of time. Anyway, this guide will be broken down into three primary sections: Pre-Production > Recording > Post-Production Excited? Me, too! Let’s get started! |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:00 AM PST Last year, a remake of Crimsonland debuted on the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4. For whatever reason, we never got around to reviewing it. Now that it's debuting on the PlayStation 3 just this week (with Cross-Buy for all three platforms), this is the perfect time to fix that. |
| Destructoid's PAX East 2015 schedule is here! Posted: 05 Mar 2015 07:00 AM PST PAX East 2015 is TOMORROW! And just like years past, the Destructoid community will be there in a big, big way. Are you making the trek to Boston this year? Then check out our daily meetup schedule below! And be sure to join our PAX East Google Group to stay up-to-date on community happenings, and follow @mrandydixon, @tronknotts, @DtoidKyle, and @Dexter345 on Twitter to stay abreast of any last-minute changes! Oh! And if you want to have your avatar adopted by community member Nanashi, then click here! |
| One last look at GTA Online heists ahead of next week's launch Posted: 05 Mar 2015 06:30 AM PST For as long of a wait as it's been, I'm still enthusiastic about heists in Grand Theft Auto Online. Rockstar previously said that coming up with missions in which every player in the crew feels important at all times "turned out to be a lot more difficult than we originally thought [and] took several passes from scratch." Console players will find out if the studio succeeded come Tuesday. Until then, here's a bunch of new screenshots, some of which show the heist planning stage. |
| Steam now lists Steam Machines and other hardware Posted: 05 Mar 2015 06:00 AM PST In its push to expand the "Steam universe," Valve has added store listings for Steam Machines as well as the finalized Steam Controller and also Steam Link, a PC-to-TV streaming device. All of this stuff will become available in November. The controller and Link are priced at $49.99 each, while the various small-scale PCs range in price from $479.99 to $4,999.99. The form factor is nice, but you're paying a premium by going this route. Even if you think you can't build your own PC, you probably can, but go ahead and do what you want with your money. |
| GDC 15 DLC #2: Oily hamburgers and Cranberries Posted: 05 Mar 2015 05:30 AM PST The second lunch of GDC was much messier than the first, which you can watch here. Today (well, two days ago, actually) we went with an American staple, the "Hammed Burger," so named for the first woman who ever went totally ham on a burger. Eating with me is our cameraman and editor Kenny Redublo (of A la cartridge fame). We talked a bit about HAL Labs' BOXBOY!, but I was a bit too entranced by food and embarrassed by spilling ketchup all over myself to follow any particular train of thought. |
| RollerCoaster Tycoon World looks rough Posted: 05 Mar 2015 05:00 AM PST Mmm. There's no getting around it: RollerCoaster Tycoon World looks bad. I thought my expectations for the graphics were reasonable -- I've seen screenshots and they seemed adequate, if dated -- but in motion everything has become clear. You'd think this would be more of an upgrade from RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 considering that released over a decade ago. How disappointing. |
| These are the 2015 Independent Games Festival winners Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:30 AM PST The winners of the 17th Annual Independent Games Festival were revealed last night in San Francisco and, my goodness, I've got names to Google today. I hardly recognize any of these!
We had Steven and Brett at the awards show. Here's, uh, here's what they sent back: |
| Paradise Never brings some Majora's Mask to a revolutionary action RPG Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:00 AM PST Kitty Lambda, the developer behind The Real Texas and Paradise Perfect Boat Rescue has just announced his next game: Paradise Never. Taking place on an island colony of France during the Revolution of 2027 (complete timeline here), Paradise Never looks to bring a unique combination of gameplay elements into the mix. There's a three-day cycle like in Majora's Mask, but each time the world resets, the layout is different. However, everything stored on the player's phone will stay. NPCs and object interaction will play a large part, as will combat. Don't get too carried away though, since killing too many people will force the timeloop to restart. The Real Texas is a game I think about pretty much every week. It left a huge impression on me since it's easily one of the smartest game I've ever played. With so many mechanics I already adore, Paradise Never might take that title for itself! Calvin French, the developer, will be at PAX East, so expect some more news this weekend! |
| Xbox One and PS4 bundles get Black Friday prices at Groupon Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:30 AM PST We've mentioned similar deals before in the past, and these days it seems the only way to get a discount on a PS4 or Xbox One is to take advantage of Groupon's 10% off coupons (today's code is TRIPLE). Until midnight Central Time, you can grab a PlayStation 4 bundle deal for $386, which includes The Last of Us Remastered and a one-year subscription card for PlayStation Plus. Or if Microsoft strikes your fancy, there's a refurbished Xbox One + Kinect bundle clocking in at $314.99 that also includes Ryse: Son of Rome (a so-so title). Or you can grab a brand new unit of the Xbox One Assassin's Creed Unity bundle for $314.99. In terms of availability, we're pretty sure there are plenty of the AC Unity bundles still in stock across the country. |
| Nintendo Download: Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Posted: 05 Mar 2015 03:00 AM PST The Wii U and 3DS are getting something interesting today -- two Cross-Buy games. Cross-Buy has existed on Nintendo platfoms for about a year now, but it was very rarely used. Today, it's going to work on Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and OlliOlli, first and third-party games respectively. Cool deal. On the 3DS side there's Proun+, Best of Casual Games, Hollywood Fame: Hidden Object Adventure, and Zombie Incident. Azure Striker Gunvolt is also getting a nifty new update and a demo. There are also three new Kirby 3DS themes and one for Azure Striker. |
| Square Enix is streaming its Final Fantasy XIV expansion PAX East panel Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:30 AM PST Final Fantasy XIV's Heavensward expansion is coming this year, with a host of new classes, dungeons, and changes. On March 7, Square Enix will share more information about what's to come as part of the PAX East festivities. It will be at 9AM PST, and you'll be able to find it on their official Twitch channel. As usual, producer Naoki Yoshida will be providing details first-hand, and will likely be answering some questions from fans. |
| Guild Wars 2 is getting a streaming client soon, getting you into the game faster Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:00 AM PST Blizzard did a great job with its streaming game hub, allowing players to jump into titles while they were downloading. Every feature may not be available and it might not look the best, but during particularly slow download sessions it was nice to not wait hours on end to actually get in and play the game you paid for. ArenaNet is following suit soon with the beta version of their streaming client for Guild Wars 2, set to arrive in the near future in North America and Europe. In essence, you'll have a progress bar, same as always, but once it reaches a certain point you can start playing early. Streaming options will also be available for fans who have ISP cap issues or slower connections. Coming Soon: Beta Version of Streaming Client [Guild Wars 2] |
| The Best Buy Gamers Club discount program is now $30 Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:30 AM PST A few weeks back, Best Buy ran a week-long promotion for its "Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked" program that priced it out at $30 for two years. It basically nets you 20% off new games and 10% off used titles, as well as a number of coupons and extra trade-in incentives. The company has just announced that the deal is now permanent. The site specifically mentions that amiibo (erroneously referred to as "amiibos," c'mon Best Buy!) are also part of the 20% off deal. I can confirm, having just ordered the new Luigi and Peach amiibo from its site. The new price will go into action on March 8, in-store and allegedly online. Previously, it wasn't possible to activate the service online, as Best Buy forced you to go into the store to be enticed by endcaps and up-selling -- hopefully on that date it will only be a few clicks away. |
| Evolve is getting a free 'Observer Mode,' I'm surprised it's not DLC Posted: 05 Mar 2015 12:30 AM PST I've been playing Evolve off-and-on for the past few weeks, and I have to say I agree with Nic's middling review. I mean, I saw the warning signs very early after having a string of very boring matches, but I decided to give it more time just to see if that was a temporary rut. No, it's inherent to the design of the game -- at least for me. If you're still enjoying it though Turtle Rock Studios is putting out an "Observer Mode" function soon for all platforms for free. It will allow you to watch full matches will adding in livestream and commentary options. A "sixth player" can now join games and take control of every camera option. |
| Rock Band 4 is coming, and it's bringing the party back Posted: 04 Mar 2015 11:30 PM PST Five years after the latest installment in the seminal music/rhythm franchise, Harmonix is going on a proverbial reunion tour. Rock Band 4 is in development for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and it's currently scheduled for a 2015 release. But, Harmonix doesn't want to put out Rock Band 3.5; the Boston-area developer acknowledges that it can absolutely improve upon past iterations. In a conversation at GDC in San Francisco, project manager Daniel Sussman told Destructoid that Harmonix revisited Rock Band 1, 2, and 3 while brain-storming for the direction of the next game. Sussman readily admitted that Rock Band 3 was too much of a sprawl -- a bit unfocused to the point that it clouded the game's identity. In hindsight, it was somewhat off-putting to fans that couldn't get a definite feel for how seriously it took itself. That's what Harmonix wants to change with Rock Band 4. The focus is purely on creating an accessible, social experience. There's a certain harmony that comes from playing and listening to your bandmates, a bonding sense that shines simply because of the format. Harmonix just wants to get back to that and make another title that people enjoy playing in the company of others. Granted, we have to take Harmonix at its word for now. There's no playable build of Rock Band 4, and the team isn't even ready to talk about a lot of the features. That's all coming later, likely sometime around E3. But, it's worth noting that the word "evolution" kept coming up to describe the next steps in the series, a sign that Harmonix plans for Rock Band 4 to be a platform with a long-term vision, not just a precursor to sequel after sequel. |
| Runbow for the Wii U still looks amazing, is still nine players Posted: 04 Mar 2015 11:00 PM PST After announcing a metric shit-ton of indie games during GDC week, Nintendo put out a new trailer for Runbow, the upcoming nine-player Wii U action platformer. There are seven modes available, including one that allows a player to act as "Color Master," changing the track around at will. The developer notes that it will launch with a bunch of solo content as well to keep you interested if you don't have friends available locally. Either way I'm really digging the aesthetic, and the platforming looks clean and hectic. It reminds me of Raskulls, one of my favorite platformers in recent memory. I'm in. |
| Beautiful shmup Söldner X-2 is coming to Vita this month Posted: 04 Mar 2015 10:00 PM PST The Söldner X series has had a home on the PlayStation 3 for years, hosting two titles, the newest of which released in 2010. Now, Söldner X-2 is heading for the PlayStation Vita this month on March 17. It'll launch with the base game for $9.99, an extra DLC chapter for $4.99, or a bundle for $12.99. It's confirmed to be Cross-Buy between the PS3 and Vita. I already have it, so I think I'll just download it when it hits in a few weeks -- the beauty of Cross-Buy. |
| Ether One confirmed for PS4, holy crap I still need to play this Posted: 04 Mar 2015 09:00 PM PST Ether One reviewed wonderfully with our own Steven Hansen, and even though I wanted to try it, I put it at the back of my mind at the time. It looks like I'll get the chance to experience it once again on consoles, as developer White Paper Games has confirmed a PlayStation 4 version. There's no release date set yet, but you can watch this new GDC trailer while you wait for one. Oh, and it will launch digitally and physically. |
| It looks like Tekken 7 got confirmed for PS4 and Xbox One Posted: 04 Mar 2015 08:00 PM PST We knew Tekken 7 would be coming to consoles, we just didn't know the exact platforms yet. Based on this Epic Games sizzle reel for Unreal Engine 4 (that was taken down, but re-uploaded by user GenEnemy), it looks like we have confirmation on the PS4 and Xbox One platforms. Right now it's set to arrive by way of a wide arcade release in Japan, after its early soft launch. There's no word on the console timelines yet, and Bandai Namco has yet to officially confirm them. GenEnemy [YouTube via Shoryuken] |
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