New Games |
- Fallout 4 has been beaten without killing anyone, but it didn't go smoothly
- You can help the creator of Monkey Island test his new game's...voicemail?
- Comments of the Week: CHRISTMAS IS OVER!? Goddess damn it!
- This modder made his own Killing Floor 2 Christmas map
- Making Bayonetta almost destroyed Platinum Games
- The Elder Scrolls Online will launch in Japan in June of 2016
- Transistor sells over a million copies
- Samurai Warriors invades Dead or Alive
- Minecraft is doing well on Wii U
- Waves 2 is out on Early Access, looks to channel Geometry Wars
- Awesome Games Done Quick 2016 starts next week, benefiting the Prevent Cancer Foundation
- Don't worry, those classic Pokemon 3DS releases will take up practically no space
- Azure Striker Gunvolt is getting a new speedrun mode on PC
- Japan is getting a Touhou Project RPG in February
- Slipstream looks like it channels Out Run in all the best ways
- Nintendo Badge Arcade seems to be doing well for Nintendo
- Splatoon is getting the new 'Piranha Pit' map soon
- Check out this fan-made Fallout 4 ammo box and Gwent set
- Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is out in Japan, digital version is preferred
- Michael Fassbender on Assassin's Creed film: 'The fans are really passionate'
- These Dragon Quest wedding invitations are adorable
| Fallout 4 has been beaten without killing anyone, but it didn't go smoothly Posted: 28 Dec 2015 02:00 PM PST Fallout 4, more so than its series predecessors, is a game that relies on combat. Unlike the other Fallout games, talking only goes so far, and, when push comes to shove, diplomacy gives way to violence. It's almost impossible to not spill blood in the wasteland. Almost. Kyle Hinckley has done in the unthinkable in that he has managed to clear Fallout 4 without killing a human, mutant, or anything else. That's right -- straight zeroes across his combat stats. Kotaku first reported on the remarkable run and interviewed Hinckley. "I'm a little disappointed in the lack of diplomatic solutions in this game, it's a lonely departure from the rest of the Fallout series. My version of pacifism isn't really diplomatic, it's more exploitative of the game mechanics to achieve a zero-kill record," Hinckley said. What Hinckley means is that even with a high charisma stat, he was more often manipulating the game itself rather than the characters in the game. One of the essential set of perks for his run is an ability where you have a chance to pacify an enemy by pointing a gun at them, sometimes convincing them to fight on your side. He often found himself saving and reloading time and time again to get the desired effects from these perks, as there's never a guarantee that they'll work. To make things more troublesome, there are parts in Fallout 4 where it's necessary to kill to advance the plot. Hinckley's solution was to weaken the boss-type enemies so much that his brainwashed cronies could finish them off. One example took him five hours to pass. And, he couldn't rely on a companion to do his dirty work because Fallout 4 counts those kills toward your kills. Compounding things further, Hinckley says that being too non-violent causes the game to start breaking at points. He cited one instance where audio the failed, dialogue wouldn't continue, and Nick Valentine absolutely refused to carry on his path. The only solution was to pick a violent option and hope the enemies would accidentally kill one another, which is exactly what happened. To be honest, Hinckley's attempt was far from ideal. It was less of a pacifist run, and more of a "get the other people to do your dirty work" run. But, that might be as good as it gets in a combat-crazed Fallout 4. "I'd love to ask [Fallout 4 director] Todd Howard why pacifism is so difficult," Hinckley commented. If it were easier, Hinckley could've played peacefully and managed to not leave a pile of bodies in his wake. Guy Beats Fallout 4 Without Killing Anyone, Nearly Breaks The Game [Kotaku] |
| You can help the creator of Monkey Island test his new game's...voicemail? Posted: 28 Dec 2015 12:30 PM PST Ron Gilbert, the writer and director of Secret on Monkey Island, is teaming up with Gary Winnick, the art director of the LucasArts games of yore, to create Thimbleweed Park. The Kickstarter began last year, and one of the backer rewards was your name being found in the in-game phone book. Gilbert says that "During the Kickstarter, someone in the comments suggested that it would be neat if they could also record a voicemail message. Not being above stealing a good idea, we quickly added that and pretended we thought of it all along." But now that they have to actually go about collecting the voicemails, they have their work cut out for them. If you go on the Thimbleweed Park blog page, there's a link you can follow to help test the voicemail system. You don't have to be a backer to help them out, either. Are you a Good Samaritan with a microphone and a few minutes? Don't say anything too dirty. Voicemail Testing [Thimbleweed Park] |
| Comments of the Week: CHRISTMAS IS OVER!? Goddess damn it! Posted: 28 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST So the holidays are over, which means we're all probably hung over from partying so much. However, in case you're so badly drunk that you have no idea what kind of things happened last week, then allow me to remind you of all your embarrassing moments by bringing you Comments of the Week! Yes, that community showcase where I stalk EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU and take humiliating screencaps of your endeavors so I can post them all in one spot! Well, not ALL of them. I'LL be keeping the naked photos and orgies to myself. :3 However, I still recorded all of the wacky things that came out of your mouths (:3), which you can check out below! As always, you can expect comments to fall under three categories: TRUTH: Christmas trees are also known as a Yule-Tree. LOL: YULE-TREE? I HARDLY KNOW YE! WUT?: Someone had to make the joke, dammit! I know, we're all sad Christmas is over. It seems like just last week, Santa was coming and I was praying to the Goddess that I'll finally get laid this year. While I didn't, at least last week's edition was featured on the front page! That's ALMOST as good as sex, right? RIGHT!? :3 *twitches* |
| This modder made his own Killing Floor 2 Christmas map Posted: 28 Dec 2015 09:00 AM PST The Killing Floor Twisted Christmas events (in which the enemies wear costumes, Christmas music jubilantly plays in the background, and maps like Santa's lair become available) hold a special place in my heart. Tripwire Interactive isn't going to be doing one this year, since Killing Floor 2 is in Early Access and it's abstaining from holiday events until the full launch. That ruins my holiday plans a 'lil bit, but it's also understandable. Luckily, a modder by the name of -MGSa- Sniper has saved Christmas. He's the creator of the popular KF-London-Day/Night map, which is a reimagining of the West London level from the first game. It won fourth place in GameBanana's Killing Floor 2 mapping contest. Last month, -MGSa- Sniper decided to modify his map to give it a Christmas theme. A week ago, I stumbled upon it with a few buddies and we had a blast. |
| Making Bayonetta almost destroyed Platinum Games Posted: 28 Dec 2015 08:30 AM PST Back in September, GameSpot submerged itself in the depths of Platinum Games. It has now emerged with a treasure trove of details about all of the work going into the studio's upcoming games, such as Nier: Automata, Star Fox Zero, and Scalebound. Executive Director Atsushi Inaba also spoke about the developer's history and the trials and tribulations that led to its previous titles. When reminiscing about Bayonetta, Inaba does not look back with rose-tinted glasses: "At the end of development on Bayonetta, nobody was happy. Everybody was really frustrated and angry, and we pushed really hard to finish that game and asked too much, and then asked even more of the team and of each other." Inaba continued: "At the end, nobody was like, 'Oh yay. We got it finished.' Everybody was like, 'We're never doing that again,' and at each other's throats. It was a very negative vibe that I still remember to this day." GameSpot added that "[Inaba] looks a bit lost as he tells the story. The concern for his team is evident in his voice; Bayonetta's development nearly broke Platinum Games." After playing Bayonetta, it's easy to imagine how difficult it would be to make something so airtight without becoming bitter. Knowing this, it's even more incredible that the company decided to go on and make a (somehow even better) sequel. Inaba says that Platinum "compromised on nothing...[and] aimed for the moon," which feels pretty evident to me. Anyway, check out the rest of that Platinum article. There's some good stuff in there. Inside Platinum Games: Japan's Most Unique Game Development Studio [GameSpot] |
| The Elder Scrolls Online will launch in Japan in June of 2016 Posted: 28 Dec 2015 08:00 AM PST The Elder Scrolls Online has found a decent niche as a subscription-free game (several of my friends on all three platforms play it), but will it find success in other regions? ZeniMax is seemingly hopeful, as publisher DMM has acquired the rights to the game in Japan, and will launch it on June 23, 2016. It's going to go for 7,949 Yen (roughly $65) and 12,744 Yen (roughly $100) for standard and deluxe editions respectively. There's no subscription fee just like other regions, but an optional monthly stipend will grant players extra rewards. I really wish all of the servers were cross-play, or that ZeniMax just went the way of Square Enix and allowed PS4 and PC users to play together. As it stands, the community is too fragmented for me to really get involved, given the small amount of people I know who play it. The Elder Scrolls Online – Japan server launch date announced [MMO Culture] |
| Transistor sells over a million copies Posted: 28 Dec 2015 07:30 AM PST In a blog post recapping its year, Supergiant Games gave updated sales figures for Transistor and Bastion. The former has officially passed one million copies sold, while the latter has cleared over three million sales. If you haven't contributed to those numbers or are thinking of double dipping, know that both games are heavily discounted right now on Steam and iOS. "As we look ahead to 2016, our goal as a studio remains the same as when we were just getting started in the living room of a house in San Jose back in 2009: to stick together as a small team, and keep making games that spark your imagination." Wonderful to hear. I hope to continue playing and enjoying this group's games for years to come. Happy Holidays from Supergiant! [Supergiant Games via NeoGAF] |
| Samurai Warriors invades Dead or Alive Posted: 28 Dec 2015 07:00 AM PST I haven't been big on Dead or Alive in years, but the sheer roster of Last Round entices me at times. It's about to get even bigger too, as Koei Tecmo has announced that Naotora Ii will join the cast, hailing from the Samurai Warriors series. She'll arrive sometime in March, and it seems like there may be more DLC in store in the future. |
| Minecraft is doing well on Wii U Posted: 28 Dec 2015 06:30 AM PST We could have predicted Minecraft: Wii U Edition would be a hit. It may be a late arrival compared to other console ports, lack GamePad inventory management, and cost $29.99, but it's Minecraft. Even the knockoffs have done well for themselves on the eShop. Demand was and still is there. In Japan, the game has already claimed the ninth spot on the list of best-selling Wii U eShop titles to date. It hasn't even been out for two weeks yet. Among recent releases, it's number one. North American gamers are also into the port. It's at the top of the recent best-sellers list there, too. |
| Waves 2 is out on Early Access, looks to channel Geometry Wars Posted: 28 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST It's sad that Bizarre Creations was shut down after Activision's purchase of the studio, especially considering the circumstances behind the situation. Whatever the case may be, Lucid Games has been doing a good job of recapturing the series' magic however, with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. It looks like another indie developer is also carrying that torch, as Squid in a Box's Waves 2 is now out on Early Access on Steam. It's a sequel to the 2011 original that a lot of people likely missed, but it looks promising enough with its focus on arcade action and procedurally generated enemies. Waves 2 [Steam] |
| Awesome Games Done Quick 2016 starts next week, benefiting the Prevent Cancer Foundation Posted: 28 Dec 2015 05:30 AM PST Awesome Games Done Quick is one of my favorite events of the year. It gathers some of the best speedrunners all across the globe to complete games as quickly as possible, benefiting charity in the process. The next event is slated for January 3, kicking off with a Splatoon Any % (no parameters or requirements other than beating the game) campaign clear. It will then conclude in the morning of January 10, with a Final Fantasy IV Any % completion run that's expected to take three and a half hours. You can check out the full schedule here. |
| Don't worry, those classic Pokemon 3DS releases will take up practically no space Posted: 28 Dec 2015 05:00 AM PST While Japan might be getting a badass 2DS set with all of the original Pokemon releases, the west is still on track to acquire Red, Yellow, and Blue sometime early next year. Thankfully, Serebii has uncovered that the Virtual Console downloads will clock in at a mere 11MB each, which will likely assuage the fears of those of you with low space. For reference, Amazon has them listed at $9.99 each, a price that seems to have grown out of placeholder status after over a month. Serebii Update [Serebii.net] |
| Azure Striker Gunvolt is getting a new speedrun mode on PC Posted: 28 Dec 2015 04:30 AM PST Speedrunning is one of my favorite things in gaming right now. It's not so much the rush you get from actually doing it well, but the journey you embark upon -- learning just about every facet of a game along the way to truly master it. Azure Striker Gunvolt is thankfully making it easier for fans to do just that, as they are introducing a new Speedrun mode in the Steam version. It's called Perma-Anthem, and grants you unlimited energy resources at the cost of battling one-hit kill spikes. The game is also currently 50% off on Steam until January 4. |
| Japan is getting a Touhou Project RPG in February Posted: 28 Dec 2015 04:00 AM PST I was lucky enough to find out about the Touhou Project series in the early 2000s, when I discovered Perfect Cherry Blossom. It was a match made in heaven, but the franchise has been going strong for roughly two decades now, with a variety of titles under its belt. One such game is Adventures of Scarlet Curiosity, which is an action RPG of sorts that will arrive in Japan on February 10. It'll go for 2,500 Yen (roughly $20), and is set for a full PS4 release. If more Touhou games come over, I hope they get more love in terms of the localization. |
| Slipstream looks like it channels Out Run in all the best ways Posted: 28 Dec 2015 03:30 AM PST I'm not one to generally cover Kickstarters (there are so many, and a lot of them have zero working game footage in tow), but occasionally select concepts catch my eye. Slipstream is one such project, as it looks like it would have been perfectly at home in the late '80s or early '90s. It's asking for a modest amount of $6,000 to fund a PC release with four modes, 30 tracks, four cars, and eight original songs -- a demo is available now. Slipstream [Kickstarter] |
| Nintendo Badge Arcade seems to be doing well for Nintendo Posted: 28 Dec 2015 03:00 AM PST I'm still fiddling with Nintendo Badge Arcade, earning free icons whenever I can, but I totally get the backlash that's been happening in some regions. I mean, the game is rather aggressive with how it monetizes players, which can cause all sorts of issues for younger kids. All the same, Nintendo seems to be doubling down on it, offering up Badge Arcade themed point cards in Japan, and heavily advertising it on its official site. Usually when Nintendo isn't happy with something it slowly backs away from it, but I doubt Badge Arcade will be slowing down anytime soon. Nintendo [Twitter] |
| Splatoon is getting the new 'Piranha Pit' map soon Posted: 28 Dec 2015 02:30 AM PST It's crazy how much Nintendo has added to Splatoon over time, and it's easy to see why it earned our Wii U Game of the Year award. It's about to get even more packed too, as the Piranha Pit map will be added to the game soon -- either tonight or tomorrow, depending on your timezone. It has a distinctly vertical feel to it, and the isolated feel of the surrounding water really adds to it. From an aesthetic standpoint this is one of my favorite maps yet. Nintendo of Europe [Twitter] |
| Check out this fan-made Fallout 4 ammo box and Gwent set Posted: 28 Dec 2015 02:00 AM PST Although I pride myself as a collector, I have limits, and I generally don't craft anything as ingenious as a lot of other gamers out there. That goes double for Waffleguru, who has created both a fully laminated Gwent set (from The Witcher 3), complete with a playing mat, and a Fallout ammo box, with tons of themed trinkets. Although all of the Fallout paraphernalia looks fun to rummage through, I'm definitely interested in actually playing Gwent with that set. Waggleguru [Imgur] |
| Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is out in Japan, digital version is preferred Posted: 28 Dec 2015 01:00 AM PST If you were curious about Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem, the game just launched in Japan this week, so expect lots of impressions to flesh out this rather weird project in the near future. One such revelation is that the game actually loads nearly twice as fast in digital form, beating out the disc version quite handily. Personally I think I'm going to go with the disc, just in case it fails stateside and becomes a collector's item. |
| Michael Fassbender on Assassin's Creed film: 'The fans are really passionate' Posted: 28 Dec 2015 12:15 AM PST So, the Assassin's Creed film seems to be coming along. Principle photography began a few months ago, and if everything goes according to schedule, it'll be out in December of next year. Although I have no hope for this project on paper, the attachment of Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard shows promise, partially because of how much of a powerhouse that duo was in Macbeth recently (which was also directed by Justin Kurzel, funnily enough -- are we getting a Macbeth sequel?). According to Entertainment Weekly, who caught up with Fassbender recently, he hadn't played an Assassin's Creed game prior to getting the gig, which then spurred him to check out the series. According to the Fass, he wanted the role to get into the "physicality of the character." You do you, dude. Michael Fassbender never played the video game before signing on to Assassin’s Creed [Entertainment Weekly] |
| These Dragon Quest wedding invitations are adorable Posted: 28 Dec 2015 12:00 AM PST Planning a wedding is one of the toughest things I've ever done (with help, of course), but finding fun ways to get through it is one of the best parts. That's just what one Japanese couple has divined, crafting PS2 box invitations themed around Dragon Quest. Dubbed "Wedding Quest," the art is pretty badass, and I dig the reworking of the Square Enix logo as well. NobuChinShoki [Twitter via Buzz Net] |
| You are subscribed to email updates from destructoid. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
