Monday, February 29, 2016

New Games

New Games


Wait a minute, how's Young Conker know that's a couch?

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 03:00 PM PST

Here is a claim made in the video for Young Conker, one of the three pieces of software that comes with Microsoft's $3,000 HoloLens (that's development kit prices, not necessarily for public consumption, come its March 30 release): "Conker's a much beloved property that has a huge following."

Here is my counterpoint: No, that's not true.

More people are probably familiar with Gex than with Conker and the foul-mouthed rodent hasn't even starred in a game in 15 years (or 10, with the Xbox remake; 1 if you count that Project Spark...thing).

But I don't think Microsoft is selling reality along with its $3,000 hat. It's just hilarious the tone of this video, which stylistically apes, say, a Pixar behind the scenes. I actually laughed in the first 20 seconds with the "Wait a minute, how do you know that's a couch" line cutting to a title card and upbeat music like we're supposed to be impressed by goofy-ass augmented reality tech.

Or like we're supposed to be impressed with this weird corpse of Conker, -- a dated, one-game-wonder mascot character -- Microsoft trots out anytime it needs to sell some dumb idea or remembers it owns Rare. It doesn't even look like Conker. And good lord, I get Muppet Babies or Tiny Toons or even Scrappy fucking Doo, but how unearned is "Young Conker," conceptually? No one really wants another Conker, let alone a spin off. Just make a new cute mascot if you must.

This doesn't even look like Conker anyways. Everything about this feels like something Conker would actively mock. On the other hand, if I ever get my hands on a HoloLens and some free time, it will be funny (and appropriately juvenile) to watch Young Conker platform his way over anal beads and nipple clamps at a sex shop.

Wait a minute, how's Young Conker know that's a couch? screenshot

15,000 Vives were sold in the first 10 minutes at $800 a pop

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 02:00 PM PST

For all the talk about how expensive virtual reality is, it hasn't stopped people from spending their cash on it. The excitement is palpable, as Oculus quickly sold through its first Rift shipment last month. It seems as if the more expensive HTC Vive is doing just fine too.

The HTC Vive went on sale for pre-order this morning at a price point of $800. It didn't sell out like the Oculus did (at time of writing, it's still showing as available) but we have no idea what either company's stock quantities were. What we do know is that 15,000 Vives were sold in the first 10 minutes. That's according to Shen Ye, a product specialist at HTC.

At $800 each, that's a quick $12 million revenue. That's a good start. It's not enough to make the device profitable. It's not enough to prove that VR has mainstream potential. It's not enough to be a success story. But, it's a good start.

@shen [Twitter via GamesBeat]

15,000 Vives were sold in the first 10 minutes at $800 a pop screenshot

That's, uh, that's some bad racing

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 01:00 PM PST

My time spent with Project CARS was largely made up of staring at other cars' bumpers and rapidly-approaching barricades. This GIF has half of that in spades. Remember: Slow racing is safe racing.

Oh shit... Rush Hour in Monte Carlo -.-' [reddit]

That's, uh, that's some bad racing screenshot

Heck yes, Knights and Bikes is happening

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 12:30 PM PST

I should've taken Darren's advice. He told us to watch the pitch video for Knights and Bikes, an action-RPG from some of the talented folks behind Tearaway and Ratchet and Clank, but instead I only read a bit, then glanced at a few (rather wonderful) screenshots and gifs. Bad move.

Now that the game has secured funding through Kickstarter for a release on Windows, Mac, and PS4, I've gone back for another look, and I'm even more impressed the second time around. He was right: Knights and Bikes looks super good, of course, but it also sounds phenomenal.

Here. I'll even embed the video again for your convenience.

The crowdfunding campaign has garnered just shy of £105,000 at the time of writing. The next milestones are set at £120,000 for online co-op and £150,000 for voice acting. With a couple of days left to raise money, the former goal seems attainable. We'll see about the latter.

"Not only do we get to make our dream game thanks you all of you, but we know that we have the loveliest group of backers to make it for," wrote creators Rex Crowle and Moo Yu in an update. "Thank you all, you wonderful people!"

Game makers regularly strive to capture the magic of heartfelt adolescent adventures like EarthBound and The Goonies, as they should, but such lofty goals aren't easily met. While it's far too early to predict how Knights and Bikes will turn out, it shows real promise.

WOOOOHOOOO!! 100% FUNDED [Kickstarter]

Heck yes, Knights and Bikes is happening screenshot

All the cool stuff Alien can do in Mortal Kombat X

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 12:00 PM PST

When Alien eventually comes to Mortal Kombat X, it won't necessarily be the exact Alien we've come to know and love. It's a species cross-bred with Baraka, meaning that it's different. It's more upright and bipedal, and it has blades on its arms. It's not quite the perfect organism that H.R. Giger created decades ago.

But, its special moves are wonderfully Giger-esque. NetherRealm held a stream last week to show off the Xenomorph, including its Fatalities and Brutalities. There's a lot of poke, poke, poking with the tail before it gets you with the little mouth. Also, a Facehugger Brutality with a much-quicker gestation period.

Oh yeah, the Queen seems to show up just for the Fatality. Not sure where she was hiding. I like the idea of her cheering in the background with a two-sprite animation like she's an extra in Guile's stage.

All the cool stuff Alien can do in Mortal Kombat X screenshot

Come April, you won't be able to access the PlayStation Store on PSP

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:30 AM PST

As of March 31, 2016, PlayStation Portable owners in the United States, Canada, and Latin America will no longer be able to access the PlayStation Store directly through the handheld. SCEA is ending native support (but that's not as big of a deal as it initially sounds).

Before you rush to drop an angry drive-by comment, it's important to note that "users will be able to purchase PSP content from the web-based PlayStation Store, and also access past purchases from the Download list on their PSP system. Users will continue to have the ability to make in-game purchases from their PSP system."

I'm trying to think back to the last time I used the native storefront. I can't. Even for newer consoles, I usually buy and queue game downloads via web browser.

That said, I did get good use out of the PSP store way back when. Within weeks of owning the handheld, I dropped it on a hardwood floor and the poor disc tray was never the same. Even though it still worked after the accident (mostly), I tended to buy games digitally, depending on the file size, rather than stock up on a bunch of UMDs. What strange little things those were.

Closure Of PlayStation Store On PSP [PlayStation]

Come April, you won't be able to access the PlayStation Store on PSP screenshot

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Review: Gurgamoth

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:00 AM PST

Imagine if bumper cars boardwalk-wide was played on a platform with no guard rails, where children could go careening off the edge in a justified, driving-focused bit of natural selection. Coney Island would end up more Mad Max than The Warriors as America finally reverts to whimsical gladiatorial combat to the death to bookend 30 years of precipitous decline.

This is the world of Gurgamoth, a four-player competitive multiplayer arena that, like Smash Bros., relies on ring outs in the form of environmental kills, rather than fighting with moves and health bars. In fact, there are only a few moves. Attack, dash, and stun (double tap dash). Two buttons plus an analog stick to orient your flying characters.

Review: Gurgamoth screenshot

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Still playing Fallout Shelter? 'Cause it has a whole bunch of new stuff

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 10:30 AM PST

Fallout Shelter has been out for almost nine months, but it's just now getting its largest update ever. That's probably a good thing for the people who are still playing virtual vault overseer. A little shake-up has to be widely welcomed by now.

The biggest addition to Fallout Shelter is a crafting system. Junk can be turned into items through the weapon and armor crafting rooms. Also, there's now a fifth card in lunchboxes (junk) that should make for more frequent item-making.

Other changes in version 1.4 are less substantial. There's a barbershop for hair stylin', some new cats and dogs because they're cute, and a parrot for squakin'. Here's the list of updates straight from Bethesda, but any good overseer would already know exactly what has changed in their vault.

Fallout Shelter Update 1.4 – Crafting, Barbershop, New Rooms and More [Bethesda]

Still playing Fallout Shelter? 'Cause it has a whole bunch of new stuff screenshot

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Third-world gaming in the Dominican Republic

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 10:00 AM PST

[Hearing how gamers from other regions play is always interesting, so I found how DominicanGlory plays games in none other than the Dominican Republic a fascinating story to read. ~Strider]

Hey, all. I'm kinda new to this blogging stuff so let's see how my first entry goes.

I have been gaming my whole life. My earliest memories are of me and my siblings passing the controller with NES classics like Super Mario Bros., Boulder Dash, and Codename Viper (seriously, this game is overlooked). My whole family except my older brother and sister moved from New York to Dominican Republic when I was eleven. I was slightly pampered by my older siblings since my sister would often buy me games and every few years a system of my choice (first a SNES, then a PlayStation). I also inherited a Saturn from my brother with a bunch of games. I was good.

Third-world gaming in the Dominican Republic screenshot

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Ubisoft prepares to defend itself from Vivendi hostile takeover

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 09:30 AM PST

Remember when French conglomerate Vivendi gave up ownership in Activision Blizzard? You might struggle to remember the exact moment for a while -- three years is a long time -- but I assume you'll have a flash of realization once you remember my perfect headline for the article about Activision splitting off from Vivendi: Active fission: $8.2B to split Activision from Vivendi. Pretty great, huh?

Well, Vivendi might've let Activision buy back control of itself, but, apparently, that was not some video game-dumping strategy by the conglomerate, which seems to be setting itself up for a hostile takeover of Ubisoft.

Last year, Vivendi invested $183 million in buying a 6.6% stake in Ubisoft and 6.2% of Gameloft. Ubisoft was founded by five members of the Guillemot family, including Michael, who is the president and CEO of Gameloft (Yves Guillemot is the Chairman and CEO of Ubisoft). Shortly after, Ubisoft called the investment 'unsolicited and unwelcome'

The next day, Vivendi nearly dropped an additional $111 million buying up Ubisoft and Gameloft stock, ending up controlling 10.39% of Ubisoft and 10.2% of Gameloft. Last month, Vivendi sold off its remaining shares in Activision Blizzard (it had let go of controlling interest, but still owned a bunch) for $1.1 billion.

Ubisoft prepares to defend itself from Vivendi hostile takeover screenshot

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Here are some all-new Shenmue III images

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 09:00 AM PST

Yu Suzuki has shared a selection of new screenshots of the upcoming Shenmue III

The pretty pictures come hot off the presses from MAGIC (which stands for Monaco Anime Game Interview Conferences, but is less fantastical sounding).

The images (via Eurogamer) were sent out to over 71,000 Kickstarter backers who have collectively put down $6.5 million to see the Dreamcast classic in current-gen glory. 

If you missed out you can still throw money at the project -- just head on over to the Slacker Backer campaign.

Here's a video, too:

Shenmue III is scheduled to release at the end of next year on PC and PlayStation 4. 

Here are some all-new Shenmue III images screenshot

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Looks like there will be another Uncharted 4 beta this weekend

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 08:30 AM PST

Naughty Dog's not intent on giving Nathan Drake any rest before his final chapter. Sony storefront leaks indicate that the developer is holding another beta for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and it's happening this weekend.

This second beta event seems to be taking place from March 4 through March 6. It's meant to test the multiplayer component of the game, and will feature three maps in the Team Deathmatch mode. Unlike the first beta, this is open to everyone with a PlayStation 4 and Internet access.

While Sony has been quick to take down any sign of this beta's existence, it has been documented and memorialized on NeoGAF. A page for the event was found on storefronts across different regions, but all of them in Europe. Still, it's probably likely that the beta would be a global event.

We'll have to wait until Sony officially confirms this weekend's beta. Given the short timeline, it can't be too far from now. After that, it's a mere seven weeks until we learn what Naughty Dog has in store for Drake.

Another Uncharted 4 beta coming up? [NeoGAF]

Looks like there will be another Uncharted 4 beta this weekend screenshot

Review: Razer Firefly Chroma

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 08:00 AM PST

When Razer reached out to Destructoid's UK team last week about reviewing a selection of its new products, I was oddly curious about reviewing the Firefly. It's a $60 mouse mat that connects to the rest of Razer's coloured-light-infused Chroma family.

Considering for the last few years I have forgone a mat in my gaming setup altogether, I was curious what benefits there would be to switching to a pricey mouse surface. Turns out the difference made with this $60 option is minimal at best, but it sure does look flashy.

Review: Razer Firefly Chroma screenshot

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Uh, it's a little early to pre-order Titanfall 2, GameStop

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:45 AM PST

Everyone knows Titanfall 2 is a thing that is happening. EA and Respawn Entertainment have confirmed as much. But the thing is, we haven't seen so much as a teaser trailer or even a piece of concept art for the new game. So, GameStop, you may want to cool your jets with all of the promotional boxes with placeholder cover art and website listings begging for pre-orders. 

Maybe let the people see the damn game first. You'll get your pound of flesh eventually.

Niall Maher [Twitter, GameStop via NeoGAF]

Uh, it's a little early to pre-order Titanfall 2, GameStop screenshot

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10 years of Destructoid, and ... new Destructoid shirts!

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:39 AM PST

Sup, Dtoid peepers. To commemorate 10 years of Destructoid (March 16!), @Niero asked me to make some t-shirt designs based on some of default c-blog headers we created. I don't think I went too off the deep end with these, BUT it's always nice to have external opinions beyond your own. I'm usually my own worst critic, anyway. I blame my overbearing mom for that.

Without further adieu, here are the ideas I had in mind. 


Look, a mock-up!

 

 

Please let us know what you think. Would you buy one? Two? A hundred? Would you wear one while eating green eggs and ham, or would you change something about them first, and then eat them, Sam I Am?

P.S. Regarding 7, yes that is a Fast and Furious reference. RIP PW.

10 years of Destructoid, and ... new Destructoid shirts! screenshot

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It's the last day to guarantee yourself access to the Gears of War 4 beta

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:30 AM PST

The tacked-on final day of February is proving to be a stressful one. It's a day of last chances, like in the event of the discounted Fallout 4 season pass. There's a similar urgency with regard to one of Xbox's biggest properties.

Today's the last day to guarantee yourself access to the upcoming Gears of War 4 beta. Doing so is simple enough, but it involves a prior investment in the series. Those who play Gears of War Ultimate Edition while signed into Xbox Live by March 1 have themselves a spot on the COGs' roster of mostly man-tanks.

The specifics of this beta are still hiding behind a chest-high wall. We're unsure when it will take place, how long it'll run, what will be included, and if there are other ways to gain access. Still, it's happening and you can be a part of it. Just take a few minutes to relive some classic Gears in order to see the future of Gears.

@MajorNelson [Twitter]

It's the last day to guarantee yourself access to the Gears of War 4 beta screenshot

Review: This War of Mine: The Little Ones

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:00 AM PST

Iskra, our little sad-eyed girl, gets the canned food. She doesn't like it and complains about the taste, but she's small and the tiny portion will carry her further than anyone else. Marko, who risked his life the night before scavenging in Rebel-held territory, is rewarded with a proper bowl of home-grown veggies and rat meat. Emilia gets one, too. She hasn't eaten in days and the long nights of standing guard are making her edgy. Christo, Iskra's father, goes hungry and puts on a brave face. He spends the day hacking apart the chairs and recliners of the shelter for fire wood. The cold is settling in.

This War of Mine: The Little Ones excels in depicting these fragile moments of raw humanity. Inspired by the siege of Sarajevo and originally released on the PC in 2014, this console port/expansion is a grim look at the side of war that usually gets overlooked in video games. The typical eye-popping explosions and bitchin' guitar riffs are replaced with ruined homes and shivering people huddled together, listening to the static popping of a half-busted radio for any updates on when the siege will end. War is depicted as a monstrous force that chips away at humanity through a combination of savagery, cynicism, and desperation.

It's a powerful message that is, occasionally, expertly delivered. Unfortunately, that heart-wrenching message is undercut by shaky mechanics and a console experience that picked up a few wounds traveling from the PC to the living room.

Review: This War of Mine: The Little Ones screenshot

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Mortal Kombat XL patch up on PS4 and Xbox One

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 06:30 AM PST

The compatibility patch for MKX's XL expansion is live on both PS4 and Xbox One. Even for users who haven't purchased MK XL, the patch has a few goodies. Chief among them is a new stage (or rather a new version of an old stage), The Pit. Finally, this MK staple is back, and yes, there is a special Pit fatality where kombatants are sent careening off the ledge and into a nasty bed of spikes. I'm told there is also a special stage fatality for the Kove, but I haven't seen it yet.

The patch also applies the netcode changes seen in the online beta over the last month. Now running a GGPO-ish rollback system, the felt lag only is reduced considerably. I snuck in a few matches earlier today and I have to say I was mighty impressed. I've played hundreds of online matches over the past month, and none of them were as smooth as the fights I had this morning; it was like playing a friend on the couch. I'll want a larger sample of fights just to make sure those great connections weren't a fluke, but so far it seems like they FINALLY nailed the online experience. I only wish the game had launched like this.

Mortal Kombat XL patch up on PS4 and Xbox One screenshot

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Potential HTC Vive customer wonders how much kidney will fetch on the black market (Fauxclusive)

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 06:00 AM PST

Following the announcement of international pricing for the HTC Vive, Brighton resident and VR gaming enthusiast Aaron Finnick began poking the left side of his body trying to guess how much his kidney would be worth on the open market.

The highly anticipated device will begin shipping this April. Finnick says he’s been saving his brass and bread for months to get the VR device, but admits he isn’t even close to raising enough money. While trying to picture how his body would look with a bathtub-surgery scar, Finnick says the idea of going under the knife just to pay for a piece of gaming tech has caused quite the collywobbles.

Potential HTC Vive customer wonders how much kidney will fetch on the black market (Fauxclusive) screenshot

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First screenshots of Dontnod's action-RPG Vampyr are especially dark

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 05:30 AM PST

We've already seen a little bit of what to expect from Dontnod's upcoming action role-playing game Vampyr, through both a teaser video and some concept art. Both showed a dark world, in both the feasting-on-the-blood-of-humans and the it-is-night-time-and-there-are-few-lamps senses. With the first set of screenshots released today, the Life is Strange developer is really sticking to that idea.

Maybe it's just my setup here with a lot of natural light bouncing off my screen, but these screens are so dark I can hardly tell what's going on in them without pressing my face up against the monitor. There's a dark silhouette walking down a dark alleyway. There are some dark figures in front of a dark version of Monty Python's "bring out your dead" cart. There are some dark monsters with what look like fungus growing on their arms? I don't know; the point is that things are dark.

First screenshots of Dontnod's action-RPG Vampyr are especially dark screenshot

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Playing sports video games increases the risk of playing real sports

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 05:00 AM PST

Most gamers scoff at the suggestion that video games can influence real life behavior. "I've been playing violent video games my whole life and I turned out all right!" we say, citing anecdotal evidence as fact. Well, sorry to say, a new study has come out linking video games with engaging in risky behavior.

As stated in an article in the Journal of of Youth and Adolescence, Brock University psychologists Paul J. C. Adachi and Teena Willoughby followed a group of adolescents for three years, surveying their gaming habits, self esteem, and participation in youth sports. The study found a long term predictive effect correlating sports video game play in youths to real life sports engagement as older adolescents.

Parents should always be aware of what kind of media their children are consuming. The ESRB system is in place for that. Even if a child argues for Madden or FIFA by saying "it's just a video game; I would never do this in real life," know that the games can have lasting effects, acting as a gateway to undesirable behavior.

[via Inverse]

Playing sports video games increases the risk of playing real sports screenshot

Rumor: Bravely Second English localization has lots of edited costumes

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 04:30 AM PST

Bravely Second is now available in Europe and it looks like more costumes have supposedly been edited from the original Japanese release and not just the Tomahawk outfit.

An unknown person has data-mined the game's files and compared costumes and characters between the versions using a model viewer and posted a list of changes on Pastebin. From looking through the list of rumored changes, it looks like a hell of a lot of "crotch shadows" have been removed, as well as an enemy characters' "vagina bones." A few of the supposed edits are shown in the video above.

The real question is can Bravely Second still be enjoyed without such important features as crotch shadows and vagina bones -- whatever those are? I guess us Yanks will find out when the game releases here in the US in April

Rumor: Bravely Second English localization has lots of edited costumes screenshot

Review: Pokemon Red

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 04:00 AM PST

Over the course of the past few weeks, I've been interviewing people regarding their first Pokémon experience, and it usually involves finding out about it a few months, or even years after it launched in the US (like Laura's first intro to Yellow). As for myself, I still remember the night I picked it up, on launch day, September 28, 1998. After getting off work, my parents drove me to Toys"R"Us to spend my allowance money on Pokémon Red, which I picked out exclusively because it had a badass dragon on it. The rest was history.

Even though it was a school night, I played it for hours on end, until I was stumped on Mt. Moon and had to call it a day. I'm talking flashlight (backlight, even!) under the bed, the whole kid shebang. I was addicted. To an extent, that's still how I play a lot of games today, including Pokémon Y (which I also picked up because it had a dragon...thing on the cover).

While it's clear that age is a factor in my recent playthrough of the first generation re-releases, a lot of that same spark is still there.

Review: Pokemon Red screenshot

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Drew Barrymore is now the Pokemon fashion ambassador

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 03:30 AM PST

The Pokémon Company has announced a new (was there an original) "fashion brand ambassador" in Drew Barrymore. Wait, what? I'll try that again. Drew Barrymore is now Pokemon's fashion brand ambassador. This is definitely real.

According to Barrymore, "there's a playfulness that we're now allowed to have in fashion," and that she "likes happy things. And Pokémon is happy." She also notes that "branding is all I think about right now,” so this seems like a perfect fit.

I uh...don't know if anything will actually come of this. Endorsements often rise and fall like the sun, so we'll see if this will stick. In the meantime, please contact Drew Barrymore for all of your Ekans fashion related needs.

Inside Drew Barrymore’s Posh Pokémon Party: ‘I Like Things That Are Colorful and Happy’ [The Daily Beast]

Drew Barrymore is now the Pokemon fashion ambassador screenshot

Link to the Past in Unreal 4 is mesmerizing

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 03:00 AM PST

CryZENx is at it again with another Unreal video -- this time, he's targeting The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Naturally it highlights one of the game's most dramatic moments, the stressful beginning of the game, where Link is thrust into action almost immediately and infiltrates Hyrule Castle.

A lot of these Unreal videos are fairly lifeless, merely injecting nostalgia into a lifeless arena, but for this one, I think it's the music and the mood that does it. We often see "touch-ups" with certain games that were already in 3D, but more full-blown remakes of 2D games would be exciting.

Link to the Past in Unreal 4 is mesmerizing screenshot

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Dissidia arcade is getting a Final Fantasy IX themed update in March

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 02:30 AM PST

I don't hear a lot of talk about Final Fantasy IX in general, but there really should be. It's one of the most memorable games in the series, from the colorful cartoony cast of characters to its locations. That includes Alexandria, which is going to make an appearance in the arcade edition of Dissidia Final Fantasy soon.

Exclusive in Japan at the moment, the new stage will be available in March, which will apparently evolve while the fight is happening. You can also see the lovely airships flying around randomly on the battleground. Zidane is the only character representing the IX crew at the moment, but more characters are going to be added by way of updates like this.

Dissidia [Famitsu]

Dissidia arcade is getting a Final Fantasy IX themed update in March screenshot

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Review: Pokemon Yellow

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 02:00 AM PST

The first time I played Pokémon Yellow, I was nine years old. My older brother had taken me with him to a nearby snooker hall where a friend of his gave us a floppy disc. It contained a PC emulator for Yellow, which broke reliably any time you tried to progress past the end of the Viridian Forest. My earliest experience with Pokémon was playing nearly to the first gym, tracing my steps back and forth, slowly training my team as much as it is possible to without any real game progression. Getting a Pikachu above level 30 while still in the forest is a laborious task!

This infatuation is what convinced me to ask for a Game Boy for Christmas. I wanted to actually play Pokémon the whole way through, and Yellow was how I was going to do it.

Review: Pokemon Yellow screenshot

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PSA: Today is the last day to get the discounted Fallout 4 Season Pass

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 01:00 AM PST

Today is the last day. Bethesda is hiking the price of the Season Pass from $30 to $50 to account for its "increased value" from tomorrow on, so if you really, really want it, grab it today. However, I wouldn't suggest doing so. Right now, there are two micro-DLCs on offer, as well as a larger area called Far Harbor. There's "more on the way," but we have no idea what that actually entails. In fact, all three announced add-ons are still sight unseen, so even $30 is a bit much on good faith.

I think it's fine to choose however you want to spend your money, but as we know from history, there may only be $15 worth of good add-ons anyway. Especially if the price hits $50.

Fallout 4 [Steam]

PSA: Today is the last day to get the discounted Fallout 4 Season Pass screenshot

Review: Attractio

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST

Almost 10 years ago, Portal showed us what a first-person puzzle-platformer can be. It was built on an incredible gameplay mechanic at its heart, but it also excelled in art direction, writing, voice work, and pretty much every other department. It set the gold standard to which other puzzle-platformers would be compared.

Attractio clearly takes influence from Valve's romp, but it only gets half the equation right. From a pure gameplay perspective, it's a smart take on the genre through gravity manipulation, featuring some puzzles that prove to be real doozies toward the end. Almost everything else about it is dreadful.

Review: Attractio screenshot

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Nintendo officially announces new Nintendo Selects for the US

Posted: 28 Feb 2016 11:00 PM PST

Due to a retailer leak we knew it was coming, but Nintendo officially announced the new US Nintendo Selects program today.

On March 11, specific Wii U and 3DS games will be marked down to $19.99, which, as we know, is a rarity for Nintendo titles. Super Mario 3D World, Ocarina of Time 3D, Tropical Freeze, Pikmin 3, NES Remix Wii U, Yoshi's new Island, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Mario Party: Island Tour, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Super Mario All-Stars will join this roster.

A couple of things to note, Pikmin 3, and to a lesser extent, Ocarina 3D, are hella rare physically, so this is great news for those of you who haven't picked those up yet. Fantastic, the both of them.

Nintendo officially announces new Nintendo Selects for the US screenshot

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MMO News

MMO News


Weekly Recap #279 Feb. 29th – HeroWarz, Aura Kingdom, DFO & More!

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 07:00 PM PST

MMOHuts Weekly Recap #279 Feb. 29th – HeroWarz, Aura Kingdom, DFO & More!

A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Smite, Neverwinter, Dungeon Fighter Online, HeroWarz, Elsword, Aura Kingdom, Black Desert, Paragon, Paladins, Fable Legends, Skysaga, Portal Knights & Armored Warfare!

Weekly MMO News summary for the week ending February 29th, 2016 (Feb. 22nd – Feb. 29th).

Smite has a leap year sale because Chronos was drunk:
http://mmohuts.com/video/smite-leap-year-sale

Neverwinter: The Maze Engine Launches on March 15:
http://mmohuts.com/news/neverwinter-the-maze-engine-launches-on-march-15
http://mmohuts.com/news/neverwinter-the-maze-engine-interview

Dungeon Fighter Online reveals a new but nostalgic dungeon, The Plane: Mirror Arad:
http://mmohuts.com/video/dungeon-fighter-online-the-plane-mirror-arad-trailer

KOG Games finally reveals gameplay for the western version of HeroWarz:
http://mmohuts.com/video/herowarz-gameplay-trailer

Add & LuCiel are the final character revamps for Elsword season 2:
http://mmohuts.com/video/elsword-tracer-and-demon-duo-teaser

Aura Kingdom raises its level cap for players and Eidolons:
http://mmohuts.com/news/aura-kingdom-level-cap-raises-90

Daum Games announces launch activities and contests for Black Desert:
http://mmohuts.com/news/black-desert-online-announces-launch-events

Paragon shows off downloadable gameplay footage for several heroes:
http://mmohuts.com/video/paragon-steel-gameplay-highlights
http://mmohuts.com/video/paragon-feng-mao-gameplay-highlights
http://mmohuts.com/video/paragon-gideon-gameplay-highlights
http://mmohuts.com/video/paragon-muriel-gameplay-highlights

Paladins teases a new sniper/bounty hunter character:
http://mmohuts.com/video/paladins-kinessa-teaser

Fable Legends spotlights the various outlaws commanded by the villain:
http://mmohuts.com/video/fable-legends-outlaws-spotlight

Skysaga heads into alpha 7 with a new game mode:
http://mmohuts.com/video/skysaga-alpha-7-trailer

Portal Knights beats Skysaga to the punch and hits early access on steam (B2P title):
http://mmohuts.com/video/portal-knights-steam-early-access-launch-trailer

Armored Warfare launches update. 0.13 introducing a new map and arms dealer:
http://mmohuts.com/video/armored-warfare-patch-0-13-trailer
http://mmohuts.com/news/armored-warfare-new-tanks-and-map-available

The post Weekly Recap #279 Feb. 29th – HeroWarz, Aura Kingdom, DFO & More! appeared first on MMOHuts.

Street Fighter V Launch Review

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 03:44 PM PST

Disclaimer: Despite any and all hurdles Street Fighter V has had, I'd like to give a special thanks to Peter "Combofiend" Rosas for his hard work on Street Fighter; having a pro player guiding this project in any manner is definitely a boon. And to Evil Geniuses' Kenneth "KBrad" Bradley for both teaching me "The Pose" and for consenting to an interview about the FGC and SF5 as a whole. That interview will be coming a little later on, when we have the time to sit down and chat!

 

I love Street Fighter. I've been playing since I found a moldy, dusty theater that had a cabinet for "Street Fighter '87". It's a wonderful series, and though there were some naysayers, the Street Fighter IV run was pretty fantastic. There were drawbacks, though. Too many characters [and only about ten worth playing], too many iterations that we had to keep buying, et cetera. But I have hope for Street Fighter V. I say that I have hope because that's the only feature that's bloody open to be used right now! I understand offering more features as the game goes on, but I'm a little put down about the Battle Lounge not working, for example. We here at Bottom Tier are going to record a video review to go with this game, just as soon as the feature becomes available! The gameplay? Phenomenal. The mechanics of the game are sound, solid and all around amazing. It feels like we went back to the more aggressive days of Street Fighter III when everyone could parry, and damage was everywhere. None of this turtling, eternal blocking garbage from IV.

But there are so many things we're waiting on right now: More than three or four story missions per character. The Shop. DLC characters [that's understandable]. The servers were incredibly unstable to boot! That's not all, either but I'm so glad to have this game in my hands anyway. I can't do challenges to learn characters, so it's all Youtube videos, experimenting, and talking with the community. But the gameplay I cannot get enough of. Some of the characters' unique abilities [V-Skills] are very similar to each other’s. For instance, Ryu has his traditional Street Fighter III parry. By pressing both Medium buttons he can parry any attack coming in at him, including multiple hits if his timing is on point. However, [Charlie] Nash has a parry of sorts too. His absorbs projectiles, making it very easy to build his meter. But if the V-Skill does nothing? You get nothing. V-Triggers are another cool mechanic new to this game. Instead of the Revenge Gauge/Super Gauge, we have the V-Trigger to replace Revenge, and the EX Gauge for the Super Gauge. Same principle in EX gauge though. You can use that meter for EX versions of moves, or save it for your Critical Art. But meter gain is so fast in this game, you can be pretty damn liberal with it.

There are some pretty amazing mechanics hiding in this game. Alpha Counters are back, in a sense. The V-Reversal replaces the old-school counter. If you have at least one bar of V-Trigger, you can [at the right time] press forward and all three punches or kicks while blocking. Each character has a different V-Reversal, and you can see them in the character move lists in game. It's not a big secret. It's not like Blazblue's counter system, where you have at least one guaranteed counter built up. Street Fighter also now has the "Fatal" system of Blazblue, speaking of which! Certain counter hits can enter the "Crush" state, allowing a pretty unique stun. Crush Combos can do ridiculous, obscene damage if you can get fortunate enough to pressure an enemy into that state!

Let's talk story for a bit. Fans have been clamoring for a better Street Fighter story; something that ties characters together, shows backstory, things like that. Well, we got that. Sort of. The characters each have their own story, and they tend to start with the origin [or close to] of the character. Ryu and Ken are dressed in their Alpha attire, Nash is pre-death, Necalli is freshly risen and not a bulky mass of murdering machine yet. But! There's a catch. Most characters only have three to four stages total. The expanded story won't be done til June. This upsets me a great deal, because in about an hour, I completed all the story missions. However there is something very good about them. There's no "Ref", no "Round one!", no best two out of three. These feel like actual fights. They occur outside of the Street Fighter tournament, and it feels more organic this way. This is probably the best story set up I've seen in any fighting game. But I won't know for certain for a few months yet, and that is troublesome to say the least.

Final Verdict: Great (4/5)

I want to rate this 5/5, because I love Street Fighter V, and it's probably the most mechanically sound fighter I've played in recent memory if ever. But it's just not done yet. There have been pitfalls, delays, deterrents. Servers don't work, lobbies can't be created, Ranked/Casual matches couldn't even be played except brief moments on day one. Lots of in-game content can't be accessed yet. Controller woes [though the folks who developed Skullgirls are responsible for us having Legacy Controller support at all!], you name it, this game has probably gone through it in such a short period of time. Street Fighter IV might be done with, but V's time has only just begun. Capcom's letting us purchase DLC without spending real money if we want to put the time in, something that hasn't been done with any current fighting game that I can think of. Sure, older games could unlock stuff, but that was when we had "unlockables" and not "DLC". But at least Capcom acknowledged the problems and is working diligently.

Denjin Hadouken!

+ Incredibly sound mechanics, new systems, revamps of old systems. Faster pace than SF4, definitely a throwback with new look and feel. Crush Counters, V-Triggers, Crisp, clean, everything that is here works the way it should. I'm pretty glad Option Selects appear to be gone, and links/combos are less stressful to master.

So much has changed on the character front. At least half the returning characters have kits that have completely changed and move inputs that are different. The tutorial doesn't really cover the game as strongly as I'd like. Not having challenges day one made it a little frustrating to not be able to see examples of combos/inputs in the game, outside of the "command list"

Option Select:

+ The stuff that is here, as I said, works phenomenally. Except Battle Lounge. Tons of content that's coming to the game, and quality content to boot.

But most of the content that SHOULD be in the game is NOT in the game yet. The story is half-done or less, server issues are everywhere, just as bad as they were in the beta. Being able to buy content through in-game money is great, but having to wait on basic functions of the game is not okay.

Meat and Potatoes of Combat:

+ Footsies are way better, damage is higher. It's very much a high-risk/high-reward situation going into fights. Characters are all unique and interesting, lots of throwbacks and brand new faces into the game.

Hit Stun is INCREDIBLY easy to get, and quite a few of the Crush Counters are pretty worthless. Not all of them have good enough follow up. Some character walk speeds are pretty damn horrible.

Street Fighter V Launch Review Screenshots

The post Street Fighter V Launch Review appeared first on MMOHuts.

Magfest 2016 Indie Games Recap

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 01:36 PM PST

Two of the biggest worlds in the entertainment industry have collided once again at the Washington Metro Area to usher in the 14th annual MAGFest convention. As a celebration of music and video games, MAGFest 2016 featured a large open video gaming room, a hall of arcade cabinets, concerts by various artists featuring rock, rap, jazz, chiptune and video game cover bands, a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Party and so much more.

Since this was my first year attending MAGFest, I really didn't know what to expect. Most of the pre-event promotion was surrounding a ton of daily concerts, but otherwise I was in the dark. My expectations were blown away upon entering the convention center for the first time; the floor was an indie devs dream!
This was a gaming hipster’s wonderland as booth after booth offered small times with big innovation. While most we’ve covered at previous PAX conventions, there were a few notable premiers that really drew me in.

MAGFestFor this showcase, I'll be going over some of the titles that really caught my attention this year.

First up: Just Shapes and Beats

MAGFest

Just Shapes & Beats is a simplistic action and music game created by Berzerk Studio. As the title suggests, the game is simply about controlling various shapes while dodging other shapes to the beat of various songs. While it sounds simple, the game quickly shows its players that they will need very quick wits and timing in order to dodge and master each song available in the game.

MAGFest

This game is filled with a handful of unheard of tunes such as Chronos by Danimal Cannon & Zef (as heard in the teaser trailer) and popular tunes including the original Mortal Kombat Theme Song. When I first played through the demo at their booth, I didn't think much of it at first, as the challenge of dodging red shapes didn't seem that hard. Plus the music was average at best. But as the demo progressed, the challenge started to get more and more intense, as well as the music selection. Once I got up to the final boss of the demo, I really got into it, as there were so many shapes flying on the screen, narrowly escaping hit after hit was a total rush for me.

We’ve been following this game since PAX East 2015 but for quite some time it’s been a static demo as funds to continue development dried up. However thanks to recent investors at the end of last year, we saw actual progress towards completing the game at Magfest. Hopefully we can see this game launched later this year! It really is a simple concept, but an addictive one once into it.

MAGFest

Next game is called Default Dan.

Now this is a popular title by the YouTube community, because this is a game that just screams Ragequit potential. Imagine a game the takes everything you know about platform games such as Super Mario and turns them into one big lie? Well that game is Default Dan in a nutshell; a game where everything that looks harmless like coins, mushrooms and power ups will actually kill you, whereas bad things like spikes, pitfalls and intimidating monsters are actually good things to help you complete a course.

Just from the first stage alone, it took me five minutes longer than the course should have, all because I couldn't stop trying to pick up coins or avoid pitfalls. This is a game that really plays with your head, because it's so hard to just ignore years of platform game knowledge that has been burned into my brain. However, when I finally managed to get past the first stage, the game slowly started to get easier, but only slightly because new things were constantly being thrown my way, like happy clouds, fire flowers that actually set you on fire and other things that should be harmless but will wreck your whole day. And once I got to the third stage, I just had to call it quits at that point.

Overall, this is a challenging game for all the wrong reasons, but in a good way (if that makes any sense to you.) I'd say if you have a friend who has never heard of Default Dan before, I would urge to have them play the game blindly; don’t let them watch footage ahead of time. Trust me, it will be a lot more fun that way.

MAGFest

Next up was Combat Core, a beat 'em up fighting game by Micah Betts. Inspired by gaming classics including Power Stone and Custom Robo, Combat Core features a colorful roster of eight starring characters, each with their own unique fighting styles. These fighters can bring different core abilities with them into a match that will alter their strengths and weakness, as well as give them one unique special move that can either give players a huge buff in stats or a damaging blow that will scrape a huge chuck of health off of opponents. With that said, as a previous backer of the game on Kickstarter, I was really excited to meet Micah in person to learn more about the game.

With the game's presence at MAGFest, he was there to spread awareness about the game and give attendees more details into the upcoming Early Access version that will be on Steam very soon. Since I had plenty of time to spare, I managed to get a ton of rounds against Micah as well as some random attendees. The combat was fast-paced and chaotic as players can attack, guard, dodge, parry and perform all sorts of attacks. Along with the core system that can be mixed and matched between characters, the level of depth in Combat Core makes the game much deeper than Power Stone in terms of its gameplay mechanics.

After winning a few rounds, Micah was actually quite surprised at how good I was at his own game, until I told him that I was actually one of alpha tests from the Kickstarter campaign, that is…

MAGFest

Last up was Camelot Unchained

Conveniently located right next to the Just Shapes & Beats booth, this Kickstarter sensation by City State Games was also shown off at MAGFest this year. For anyone in the know, this should be quite a surprise as City State Games is extremely protective of sharing footage of anything alpha for this massively funded Kickstarter title, unless you’re a backer of course. As I’m outside the loop and our Portal Manager has stayed perfectly loyal to the cult of alpha backers inside the game already, this was my first chance to understand this RvR PVP focused MMORPG. As a spiritual successor to the original Dark Age of Camelot, Camelot Unchained pushes PvP and only PvP as the driving force behind all things from crafting to horizontal progression. With several unique races, a fully customizable skill system, sandbox tools to create your own environments and more, this game plans to set a new standard for the MMORPG genre as a whole.

MAGFest

As I got a chance to sit down and play the game, it was quickly apparent to me that the game was in a very rough but playable state – far closer to an engine test than an actual game. When most games these days like to spread the words "Alpha Test" or "Beta Test" or "Early Access" around, it usually amounts to the game already being in a fairly finished state using buzz words for marketing. Not the case here. Camelot Unchained’s demo was as raw as it gets. Many of the items and features in the game do not even have their text or icons properly labeled, which such items being seen as "file_itemset_armor1" or something similar.

MAGFest

Regardless, the staff at the booth showed me a handful of possibilities that the game has and will offer, such as completely meaningful open world PvP, a freeform skill creation that allows players to literally create any kind of abilities they want with their own strengths and weaknesses, vast open worlds to explore and many other features currently in the pipeline.

Recently, many development breakthroughs have been made, such as the new and improved lighting system that’s managed to recreate real world light reflection and bending with various shades of shadow in a dynamically not pre-rendered world. The C.U.B.E. system has also gotten tons of love as beta 1 approaches, in the hopes that player structures will be just as satisfying to build as they are to destroy. When I asked the staff on deck regarding these new features, I was told that the lighting system was so new that they sadly had no new details to give on its current develop status. C.U.B.E. on the other hand is one of the most advanced testable features in the game, but still only available via an offline client as it had yet to be implemented into the alpha game on a regular basis. Soon they’re hoping to release a system for players to post their achievements in C.U.B.E. online to showcase to others. With all that said, it became clear to me that City State Games was here to raise more awareness for the game, but I was left fairly impressed by what they had to show off, as well as the live demonstration they had with both 3D and 2D modeling arts showing off their creations in front of a live crowd.

MAGFest

If you’re on the east coast and looking to start a career in game programming, they couldn’t emphasize enough that they’re hiring. Be sure to hit them up for a job!

With so many indie games shown off at MAGFest, it just goes to show everyone that the indie gaming seen is alive and well, and will continue to grow for years to come

.
For more info on the games featured in this article, as well as a few other games that were shown off this year and MAGFest this year, check out our upcoming game profiles here at OnRPG/MMOhuts.

The post Magfest 2016 Indie Games Recap appeared first on MMOHuts.

Battleborn Whiskey Foxtrot Let’s Play

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:54 AM PST

An official Battleborn let’s play of Whiskey Foxtrot, a recently revealed Rogue, in a story campaign mission.

The post Battleborn Whiskey Foxtrot Let’s Play appeared first on MMOHuts.

Tom Clancy’s The Division NVIDIA GameWorks Trailer

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:38 AM PST

Ubisoft showcases how it uses NVIDIA GameWorks to bring Tom Clancy's The Division to life.

The post Tom Clancy's The Division NVIDIA GameWorks Trailer appeared first on MMOHuts.

Battlefield Hardline Alcatraz Behind the Scenes

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:17 AM PST

A showcase of the new Alcatraz map in Battlefield Hardline: Betrayal, inspired by the Californian island prison.

The post Battlefield Hardline Alcatraz Behind the Scenes appeared first on MMOHuts.

Total War: Warhammer Azhag’s Quest Battle Let’s Play

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 10:56 AM PST

An official Total War: Warhammer let’s play featuring Azhag’s Quest with a focus on key battle mechanics and Greenskin units.

The post Total War: Warhammer Azhag’s Quest Battle Let’s Play appeared first on MMOHuts.

Failure Kickstarter Video

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 10:14 AM PST

Failure, a blend of CCG and RTS, launches its Kickstarter campaign with this promotional video.

The post Failure Kickstarter Video appeared first on MMOHuts.

Dungeons & Robots Early Access Trailer

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 09:50 AM PST

Dungeons & Robots begins its Steam Early Access today, offering an online action shooter RPG for solo, co-op, and more.

The post Dungeons & Robots Early Access Trailer appeared first on MMOHuts.

Paladins Kinessa Teaser

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 09:10 AM PST

Paladins teases a short animation for one of its new champions, Kinessa, coming soon.

The post Paladins Kinessa Teaser appeared first on MMOHuts.

MMORPG News

MMORPG News


WildStar: The Arcterra Assessment

Posted: 28 Feb 2016 03:19 PM PST

Destination: Arcterra hits WildStar's test realm, bringing a new zone, new story, and shiny new rewards. We tooled up columnist Gareth Harmer with a scarf and gloves, before sending him on a trip to this wintery wasteland.

Black Desert Online: Freshly Launched MMO has a Couple Issues. News at 11

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 05:19 AM PST

The Black Desert Online team has posted a short note regarding issues with one of the North American servers. A limited number of players on who had created characters on Serendia had been incorrectly placed in the wrong channels causing issues with claiming preorder items. As a result, players can either leave their character on Serendia or they can create a character on a new server. The team is working to ensure that the issue is cleared up and that all items can be claimed.

General: Slashy Souls: Dark Souls Inspired Mobile Spin-Off

Posted: 28 Feb 2016 02:23 AM PST

Bandai Namco in partnership with Gamestop is releasing a new mobile RPG called Slashy Souls that is based on Dark Souls series.

ASTA: The War of Tears and Winds: Latin American Version To Begin OBT On March 8

Posted: 28 Feb 2016 02:12 AM PST

Axeso5 has sent word that the open beta test for the Latin American and Brazil version of ASTA will kick off on March 8th. This version of the game will be localized in both Spanish and Portuguese.
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