Tuesday, March 22, 2016

New Games

New Games

Half-price Fallout 4, $12 Elder Scrolls Online in GMG's PC Spring Sale

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 04:00 PM PDT

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, rain is turning the ground into a muddy sponge, and Fallout 4 is now at its lowest price ever for the digital Steam copy. It's that time of year... time for the spring PC gaming sales.

The first one off the bat from a major retailer is Green Man Gaming, which launched its Spring Sale with discounts up to 80% off Bethesda, Nordic, Valve, Warner Bros., and other publisher titles. Best of all, GMG has its signature 20% off coupon to mark prices down even further, resulting in new lows of a few titles like Fallout 4's Steam key at $29, or Elder Scrolls Online Imperial Ed. for $16.

Check out the full sale here or browse our list below for best picks.

Use Coupon Code: DEALZON20

Bethesda

Valve

Warner Bros.

Nordic Games

More Picks

What we do know is that this is part numero uno of GMG's Spring Sale. While it hasn't been outright spelled out, based on promotional material it's likely these deals will run through Sunday, March 27 -- which is when Part 2 of the Spring Sale will start.

Just a final note that while there is also a SPRING20 coupon for 20% off, this code has a $10 minimum threshold to work. Our code listed above has no such limitation when you buy a game priced under $10.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

Half-price Fallout 4, $12 Elder Scrolls Online in GMG's PC Spring Sale screenshot

Chronos looks like the gritty Legend of Zelda we have been waiting for

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 03:00 PM PDT

The Legend of Zelda fans have been wanting a gritty, realistic game for what seems like forever, especially since Nintendo showed off that beautiful tech demo at E3 2011, and now it looks like they are going to get it, just on Oculus Rift.

Chronos may not be made by Nintendo or on a Nintendo console, but it wears its LoZ influence on its sleeve. A hero is tasked with entering a labyrinth to save their homeland from evil. Each time the hero is cast out by the beings within the labyrinth, they must wait a year for the entrance to reopen and try again. Thus, every failure costs the hero a year of his life, forcing players to adapt to their advancing age. Talk about being a hero of time, am I right?

The first game I'm going to play on my Oculus Rift (right after I finish watching my first porn), Chronos, launches alongside the VR headset in under a week on March 28.

Chronos looks like the gritty Legend of Zelda we have been waiting for screenshot

Podtoid 329: Tom Clancy's The Division Special

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 02:00 PM PDT

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or download it here.

The Division. It's out. And we have opinions about it. Unfortunately, those opinions aren't hot takes, as we had to delay the recording of this podcast due to GDC shenanigans, but they're still warmish.

If you've been playing Ubisoft's new shooter, how do your feelings about the game match up against ours? What do you enjoy about the game? And what parts of the experience get your goat?

Podtoid 329: Tom Clancy's The Division Special screenshot

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Drawful 2 will finally realize the dream of drawing with two colors at once

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:30 PM PDT

Out of all the Jackbox Party Pack minigames, Drawful quickly established itself as a favorite among the group of degenerates I occasionally get drunk and stupid with. It offers the perfect potential chance for whimsy and obscenity to make any Saturday night better.

It seems the Jackbox crew agrees. A full sequel (divorced from the Party Pack format) in the form of Drawful 2 is coming to every platform under the sun (yes, including Amazon Fire TV) this spring. According to the trailer, Drawful 2 will feature drawing in two (TWO!) separate colors per player, robust online support (including ways to deal with trolls), and some extra features they're playing coy about. Why even bother though? I mean, TWO colors? This thing sells itself already.

Love to laugh but the act of drawing causes you physical pain? Then you'll be glad to hear that a Jackbox Party Pack 3 is also in the works. No details as of yet, but the pack will apparently contain five new games, so I'm sure at least one of them probably won't involve drawing. 

 

Drawful 2 will finally realize the dream of drawing with two colors at once screenshot

Xbox One bundles are $50 off and include a free game at the Microsoft Store

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:00 PM PDT

We've mentioned this briefly in the weekend deals roundup last weekend, but the sales event is noteworthy enough for its own post. Until March 28, all Xbox Ones will be $50 off at most major retailers (think: Best Buy, Target, Walmart). If you must get an Xbox One in the near future for upcoming exclusives such as Quantum Break... then this is as good of a time as any.

Just as before, the best place to pick up an Xbox One during a sales promotion is at the Microsoft Store. At the retailer, when you pick up an Xbox One bundle, you'll also receive a free game of your choice from a selection of three: Watch Dogs, The Crew, and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate.

In our opinion, the best offers here are the Quantum Break and The Division bundles as they are newer titles. The 1TB Holiday Bundle is also a good choice as it includes collection of games such as Gears of Wars: Ultimate Edition along with Rare Replay.

For hardcore gamers who want that extra performance (and if your pocket is just that much deeper), the Xbox One Elite bundle is also a good deal, given discounts on the unit are few and far between.

Xbox One bundles are $50 off and include a free game at the Microsoft Store screenshot

Subnautica comes to Xbox One on April 1

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 12:30 PM PDT

The last I heard about Unknown Worlds bringing its underwater survival adventure game Subnautica to Xbox One was that it may or may not happen, and if it did, we'd probably see the port arrive in March. Close estimate! It's coming to the console's Preview Program on April 1, 2016.

The basic idea of swimming in an exotic ocean speaks to me, even if I'm not so into open-world survival these days, and I'd love the developers to support the game for years to come. What's playable already on Steam Early Access is pretty good. It's not hard to imagine it eventually becoming great.

One of us will have to let you know what the performance is like on Xbox One (which is just a polite way of saying "I hope we aren't looking at another Ark situation here").

Subnautica Xbox One Release Date [Unknown Worlds -- Thanks, Shaun]

Subnautica comes to Xbox One on April 1 screenshot

Fire Emblem Fates fan-translation cancelled

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 12:15 PM PDT

You might have heard about Team If's fan translation effort of Fire Emblem Fates, a response to what some fans saw as a poor localization job by Nintendo's Treehouse. Amid a flurry of criticism, accusations of everything from censorship to laziness, and a weirdly defensive interview with Kotaku, Team If set out to provide fans with the direct Japanese-to-English translation they said Nintendo was keeping from them.

Today they canceled the project.

According to a forum post by one of the team's translators, luyairis, the group has discontinued all translation efforts due to a combination of burn out and disinterest. Rather than translating the entire game, Team If will only be releasing their take on a few of the controversial support conversations while “Everything else we've done will be kept for our use only.”

The group seems to be downplaying the censorship-fighting aspect of their translation effort, saying “I'd like to clarify right now that the original point of this project was only to translate the menus and make the game playable. Anything else beyond that was and is completely extra” while also assuring fans that the content-restoration project will continue under the direction of other team members.

Seems like a lot of sound and fury was kicked up over nothing. Whether the team just decided to focus on their initial goal, lost interest after the North American launch, or simply found that the changes made in Nintendo's localization weren't that bad after all, at the end of the day this internet dust-up ended with a whimper.

Fire Emblem Fates fan-translation calls it quits [Go Nintendo]

Fire Emblem Fates fan-translation cancelled screenshot

Curse of Strahd seems like good goth-y D&D fun so far

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT

Shame on me. I made a mental note to write about Curse of Strahd the day it came out last week, but GDC's chaos complicated my plans. I read about half of the new adventure book for Dungeons & Dragons while on Steven's futon between appointments, but still forgot to write a post about it.

So here it is! Curse of Strahd marks the first foray into the Ravenloft setting for Fifth Edition. It's all about Count Dracula Strahd Von Zarovich, a vampire lord residing in the gloomy land of Barovia. I'm particularly excited to run this book because it's horror-themed, replete with hags, werewolves, and spooky fortune-telling. Said divination also brings a unique mechanic to D&D: by using either a regular deck of playing cards (or the fancy set made by Gale Force Nine), you can do a tarokka reading that determines certain parts of your campaign. This can lead to different artifact and enemy locations, or decide which NPCs players should seek out to join forces with. 

Curse of Strahd also comes with a huge, perforated map that you can easily fold up and hide in the book. One side of it shows the whole of Barovia, and the other shows cutaway views of Castle Ravenloft, which seems huge. The map has already been a convenient reference for all of the plans I'm formulating prior to this Friday's game. Since this adventure is for players level 1-10, my regular group will be rolling new characters.

I'm still trying to figure out how I want to cover this. Huge allotments of time are required for D&D in general, and providing on-going coverage is another challenge in and of itself. So I ask you lovely folks: what do you want to know about the book? Do you have questions about the bestiary, the general content of the storyline, whether it's too rail-roady? Would you like me to do quick summaries of each game, whenever I wrangle my friends all together in the same place for long enough? Let me know how you want to see this play out.

Curse of Strahd released on March 15 for $49.95.

[This coverage is based on a retail copy provided by the publisher.]

Curse of Strahd seems like good goth-y D&D fun so far screenshot

Star Ocean 5 is coming west this summer

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 11:30 AM PDT

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is heading west this summer, Square Enix announced today.

Before then, the role-playing game will debut in Japan on March 31 for PlayStation 4, followed by a PlayStation 3 port on April 28. Of course, since other countries embraced current generation platforms more quickly than Japan, the publisher only plans to release the PS4 version internationally. 

For more on Star Ocean 5, you can check out our interview with producer Shuichi Kobayashi.

Star Log 1 [Square Enix]

Star Ocean 5 is coming west this summer screenshot

Hands-on with Insomniac's crack at metroidvania, Song of the Deep

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 11:00 AM PDT

If you're going to make a metroidvania, getting your acronym (SotD) as close to the gold standard (SotN) is a good a start as any, I suppose. Song of the Deep is the surprise, GameStop-published (the store and Game Informer magazine owner, yes) new game (PC, Xbox One, PS4) from Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games.

The studio is still working on its PS4-exclusive Ratchet & Clank game to tie into the upcoming animated film (Sly Stallone is in it! And typical series humor, like the rude "kick some asteroid" tagline) as well as a VR project, Edge of Nowhere. Still, the studio that pumped out PlayStation-defining series (Spyro, Ratchet, Resistance) is in a weird spot -- it only pumped out mobile games last year, for example, following up the Xbox One-exclusive Sunset Overdrive with phone games.

So maybe it makes sense that Insomniac's pitching it on the basis on familiarity, "what would happen if Journey and Ori and the Blind Forest had a baby underwater." Bold gambit.

Hands-on with Insomniac's crack at metroidvania, Song of the Deep screenshot

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Don't forget your Stretch Armstrong UFC 2 cheat codes

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:30 AM PDT

Do kids still have Stretch Armstrongs or is it all iPhones, sex boxes, and designer drugs for today's tots? Well I'm sure they can play UFC 2 on their Nintendos or whatever.

Don't forget your Stretch Armstrong UFC 2 cheat codes screenshot

Sega's new Humble Bundle has lots of great strategy games

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:00 AM PDT

By now, you might own quite a few of the games featured in this Humble Sega Strategy Bundle, but there's enough here, at such a low price, that it may still be worth considering. I know I am.

Pay $1 or more:

  • Company of Heroes Complete Edition
  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Master Collection
  • Medieval II: Total War Collection
  • Sega Genesis Strategy Pack: Shining Force, Shining Force II, Gain Ground, and Columns

Pay more than the average:

  • Valkyria Chronicles
  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Grand Master Collection
  • Eastside Hockey Manager
  • Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai Collection

Pay $12 or more:

  • Total War: Attila
  • Company of Heroes 2: Master Collection

Seriously, Dawn of War for a dollar? Not to be that devil on your shoulder encouraging you to add more titles than you need to your Steam library, but that deal is stupidly good.

Sega's new Humble Bundle has lots of great strategy games screenshot

Star Wars star in talks to play Lara Croft

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:30 AM PDT

Star Wars. You know they actually made another one of those bad boys last year? Taking bets on how soon they start going straight to VHS like other milked childrens' franchises. Maybe a Land Before Time crossover?

Well, the lead from latest Star Wars, Daisy Ridley, is aiming for top billing elsewhere, according to The Hollywood Reporter. There "have been conversations" about Ridley filling Angelina Jolie's beige short shorts in the upcoming film series reboot that's been talked about for five years now. Ridley hasn't been offered the role yet and there isn't even a script, but, "I’m waiting for someone to say ‘I want you, let’s do it,'" she said.

Ridley’s co-star John Boyega thinks it's a perfect fit. "I played Tomb Raider the game, it's a new take and I think the movies are going to be based on that version," he said. "But I texted Daisy [and] was like, ‘this is you!’ and ‘you need to get on that because you could be Lara Croft.’ She should be."

Daisy Ridley Confirms Talks About Playing Lara Croft in 'Tomb Raider' Reboot [The Hollywood Reporter]

Star Wars star in talks to play Lara Croft screenshot

Review: TrackMania Turbo

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:00 AM PDT

Like its predecessors, TrackMania Turbo is an arcade-stye racing game built around small victories. At first, it's just a relief to crawl past the finish line, no matter how embarrassingly long it takes. Then, after developing a working familiarity with a level's layout and building muscle memory for the abrupt twists and turns, earning that first bronze medal feels pretty good. But it's not enough. It's never enough.

To shave off the seconds needed to get silver, much less gold (or beyond!), there's little if any margin for error. Waiting slightly too long to start drifting for a U-turn and scraping up against a guard railing, even for a split second, can spell disaster. Better hit that restart button again.

There are mid-level checkpoints, but I sure as hell didn't use them. It's all or nothing.

Review: TrackMania Turbo screenshot

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Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 5 releasing March 29

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:30 AM PDT

After playing the previous episode, A Block and a Hard Place, I said it felt like the true end of the season. Not only did it wrap up the main story arc, it also ended Telltale's string of quick releases for the series. The shortest wait between episodes was just two weeks, but at this point it has been three months since Episode Four. One more week and we'll have the fifth episode on March 29.

It sounds like the season assessment was pretty spot-on, as the description for Episode Five: Order Up has Jesse and the new Order of the Stone starting up a fresh adventure. This one will lead into what comes next for the group: three new journeys, each with its own episode.

Rather than saving these up for a Season Two, Telltale is packaging these as Episodes 6, 7, and 8 of Season One. From the description, it sounds like each episode will be self-contained, focusing on a new peril for the Order of the Stone to take on. Given the Saturday morning cartoon feel of Minecraft: Story Mode, this new direction might be a better fit for the series.

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 5 releasing March 29 screenshot

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Capcom puts forth nebulous interest survey for Mega Man

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 08:00 AM PDT

Ha! Capcom is at it again, trying to "gauge" whether or not Mega Man is still a viable franchise outside of the mountain of merchandise they've been pushing.

According to Rockman Corner, Capcom of Japan has been putting out surveys recently, asking fans what they want to see out of the series. Choices include options for a potential Mega Man 12, and more collections. The survey allegedly ends on April 30.

After that date ends, can Nintendo just buy the property and start making these dreams a reality? I'll never stop asking.

Capcom Survey Asks About Mega Man 11 and More Collections [Rockman Corner]

Capcom puts forth nebulous interest survey for Mega Man screenshot

Rise of the Tomb Raider gets its last DLC next week

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:45 AM PDT

Rise of the Tomb Raider's final piece of downloadable content, Cold Darkness Awakened, is infecting Xbox One and PC next Tuesday, March 29, Square Enix just announced.

The story takes place in Siberia, where a mysterious affliction emanating from a decommissioned weapons research facility begins transforming men into mindless killers. Naturally, it's kill or be killed for Lara, who must discover a way to cure the sickness before it spirals out of control.

In addition to new story bits, the add-on content includes a melee-resistant Ushanka outfit and a fancy new shotgun, which sounds like appropriate gear for killing things that basically sound like zombies.

Cold Darkness Awakened is included along with Endurance Mode and Baba Yaga: Temple of the Witch, amongst other ancillary things, in Rise of the Tomb Raider's $30 season pass.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is expected to release for PlayStation 4 this holiday season.

Cold Darkness Awakened Coming March 29 [Tomb Raider]

Rise of the Tomb Raider gets its last DLC next week screenshot

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Godzilla, and possibly Evangelion, coming to City Shrouded in Shadow

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:30 AM PDT

City Shrouded in Shadow is an upcoming PS4 and Vita collaboration between Bandai Namco and Granzella, the developer currently working on the renewed Disaster Report 4 project.

The story centers around a couple trying to escape the city as it's being destroyed by shadowy giants. The last time we saw City Shrouded in Shadow, Ultraman was introduced as a potential mischief-maker along with a subtle hint towards Godzilla.

According to the latest issue of Famitsu, Godzilla will indeed be making an appearance, and now we have another hint at a different giant. In the bottom right corner of the page... could it be an Evangelion?

I wonder what other monstrosities we might see? Ghidorah? Mothra? A Titan? Personally, I'm rooting for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

PS4/PSVita『巨影都市』ウルトラマンやゴジラに続いてエヴァンゲリオンが登場！？主人公の目的なども明らかに [Hachima Kikou]

Godzilla, and possibly Evangelion, coming to City Shrouded in Shadow screenshot

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Get $15 off Steam, GameStop, and other gaming gift cards

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:15 AM PDT

Update: Deal is now dead. Read below for what you missed out on :(

Spring deals are in full force, and the best deals are unfortunately time-sensitive. Until 2:00pm Pacific, you can get $15 off all types of gift cards over at eBay (whether buying physical or digital copies). The only caveat is that you'll need to spend $100 or more. This means $100 worth of Steam Wallet, PlayStation Store, or Xbox Live gift cards are only $85.

Unsurprisingly, eBay along with PayPal Digital Gifts is being hammered right now. If you're having issues adding the gift cards to your cart, keep trying and you should get through eventually.

Use Coupon Code: C15SPRING

Gaming Cards

Store Cards

Note that when you buy from PayPal Digital Gifts, you can't use a credit card to make these payments (so bank or PayPal funds only). For the physical gift card deals from other eBay retailers such as Best Buy, there's no such restriction. In fact, you can pick up your gift card TODAY if you purchase select gift cards from Best Buy on eBay. Nice, right?

If you're reading this after 2:00pm... uh, sorry?

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

Get $15 off Steam, GameStop, and other gaming gift cards screenshot

Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season 3 is due out this year

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 07:00 AM PDT

Telltale Games is picking its episodic adventure series The Walking Dead back up for a third season this year. We knew it was coming, but not necessarily so soon. Better hang onto that save data.

Speaking to Mashable, Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner said that "From a role-playing, interactive storytelling point of view, it is not from the bag of tricks that we've ever shown anybody before. The way that we're dealing with and validating and retaining all those different playthroughs is really cool and unexpected and, I think, pretty innovative from the storytelling point of view."

According to Bruner, there will be some sort of solution for folks hoping to easily bring in their choices from Season 1 and Season 2, but he didn't share specifics. The story is said to respect "all of the various end points" in S2, but also leave room for new players to "get up to speed really quickly."

Having not played The Walking Dead: Michonne, I feel like I could maybe go for this third season, but conceptually, I'm far more interested in the studio's other projects.

Telltale plans 'The Walking Dead: Season 3' for a 2016 premiere [Mashable]

Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season 3 is due out this year screenshot

Nintendo might stop making new Wii U by year's end

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 06:48 AM PDT

Among all the rumors about Nintendo's new home console, code named "NX" (I like "Wii Too," personally), we might be forgetting about the poor 'ol Wii U, Nintendo's long-flagging gap hardware that seemed DOA and has since seen a lifespan close to the Dreamcast or original Xbox.

According to reports in Japanese newspaper Nikkei (translated by Serkan Toto), Nintendo will halt production of the Wii U sometime in 2016 and will properly announce NX this year, though it doesn't necessarily mean the company will release its new hardware in 2016 for sure. There are still plenty of Wii U sitting in warehouses and they're still making more for a while yet.

But the assumption that Legend of Zelda Wii U will be the console's swansong (with a near simultaneous NX release) seems likely.

任天堂、主力機「Ｗｉｉ　Ｕ」生産終了　年内にも [Nikkei]

Nintendo might stop making new Wii U by year's end screenshot

Yakuza 0 is coming west in early 2017

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 06:45 AM PDT

Yakuza 0 is coming to western shores in early 2017, Sega announced today.

The prequel is set in the 1980s and lets players see what Kiryu and Majima's lives were like as foot soldiers, long before they became the renowned yakuza we've seen in previous games.

While the title was released on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 when it came to Japan last March, Sega only plans to publish the game on PS4 in western territories. And while that may be a disappointment for some, others will be glad to know the company has confirmed plans to release the title in both physical and digital formats across Europe and the Americas.

Sega also wants you to know that, unlike Yakuza 5, this entry is being localized "100 percent as a Sega initiative, clearly asserting "PlayStation isn't involved on a production level with this title."

And speaking of Yakuza 5, it's is currently on sale at a 25 percent discount (now $30) through April 5. If that sounds intriguing, you can find more information in our review (Spoilers: It's really good!).

Yakuza 0 is coming west in early 2017 screenshot

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Watch the latest Podtoid...as a video!

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 06:30 AM PDT

You might've noticed something strange about Podtoid 328: Buckwild GDC Party, and if your guess is my beautiful floral shirt, then get the heck out of town. No, it's that the call was coming from...inside the house! In so far as we actually all got together live and recorded for once, on account of pals being in town to help cover GDC.

So Kenny rigged up a set, readied the light, set up the mics, and then shot the whole thing on my old Mini DV camcorder just for kicks. If you haven't listened to the episode yet, or would like to see it in slightly-more-watchable-than-golf video form, well, here's that, then. Back to your regularly scheduled Podtoid next week.

Watch the latest Podtoid...as a video! screenshot

Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator demo arrives in April

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 06:00 AM PDT

Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator is coming west in June, but you'll get a chance to try the demo out before then. Aksys Games has announced that the demo (which is a pre-order bonus) will hit on April 5. It'll feature three new characters (Jack-O, Jam, and Johnny) and multiple modes.

It sucks that people will have to pay all over for this upgrade (I really hope Capcom follows through with Street Fighter V and keeps it as one SKU), but Xrd was so fantastic that it makes the wound a bit less deep.

Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator demo arrives in April screenshot

Fallout 4 mod lets you play as Dogmeat

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:30 AM PDT

Dogmeat ran away with that "best dog of the year" award huh? [Extremely nerdy voice] DD was better and you know it, award ceremony! Ahem. Where were we?

Oh yeah! Fallout 4 continues to add to its mod pool on PC (which is coming to consoles "soon"), and someone up and made a Dogmeat mod. This isn't any add-on either, as this one actually lets you play as the 'meat himself (herself?). It restricts you to dog-specific gear so you can't go crazy here (no guns!), but yeah, it's a thing you can do if you want.

Be the Dog [NexusMods]

Fallout 4 mod lets you play as Dogmeat screenshot

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In the face of multiple delays, Uncharted 4 has finally gone gold

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 05:00 AM PDT

I used the "gold, Jerry!" joke once already in the past week. Did you spot it! You win one free pat on the pack.

This gold has a bit more meaning than a lame Kenny Bania Ovaltine joke though. Naughty Dog has announced that Uncharted 4 has finally gone gold, which means that the game is a done deal and it's ready to ship.

This is significant because the game has seen multiple delays, with its original launch date as March 11, 2015, before being pushed back to March 18, and then April 26, and eventually, May 10. So yeah, you're good to go now, I think!

Neil Druckman [Twitter]

In the face of multiple delays, Uncharted 4 has finally gone gold screenshot

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Lucky's Tale shows us how third-person games work in VR

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 04:30 AM PDT

Lucky's Tale is the cute platformer included with every Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and many people have scoffed at the idea of it being third-person game that requires VR, but this new gameplay trailer aims to address those feelings. As the camera is controlled mostly by the Rift's head tracking you'll see a few instances in the above trailer where players will have to lean in, turn their heads, or look towards the sky to have better viewpoints to play the game.

I, for one, am still not convinced. While moving your head to control the camera certainly makes for a more immersive experience, the thought of leaning in and turning my head seems like it could be tedious. Do neck movements add to the game, or is the feature tacked-on to justify it being on VR? We will be finding out soon enough when Lucky's Tale launches alongside the Oculus Rift on March 28.

Lucky's Tale shows us how third-person games work in VR screenshot

It took 12,987 Pokemon cards to create this giant mosaic

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 04:00 AM PDT

British artist Quentin Devine is a madman.

He's created a few mosaics in the past, but this one involves Pikachu and a partnership with The Pokemon Company. he used 12,987 Pokemon Cards, in fact, to create the "largest trading card mosaic ever." It clocks in at 71.54 square meters, and is currently available to peruse in Paris.

Art! A lot of you will probably think it's lame, but I can respect a promotion that takes effort, even if it's a promotion all the same.

British Artist Quentin Devine Creates a Gigantic Pikachu Pokémon Card [Hardcore Gamer]

It took 12,987 Pokemon cards to create this giant mosaic screenshot

Sony shuts down Driveclub developer Evolution Studios

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 03:45 AM PDT

After all of the issues with Driveclub, a lot of folks were probably waiting to hear some bad news out of Evolution Studios, and today, it happened. Sony has announced that it's closing the developer, who also handled the MotorStorm series. Just last year there were massive layoffs at the company, and Sony has announced that "where possible" they will try to reallocate some folks within Sony. Evolution was a part of SCE Worldwide Studios for 10 years.

It's always sobering to me to remember back when a developer is on stage, talking about their vision, and then fast-forwarding to the moment of their closure. It's unclear as to what will happen with the Driveclub franchise, as Evolution was just showing off a VR version as of last week. It stands to reason that this news came suddenly for those affected.

Sony confirms closure of Evolution Studios [Gamesindustry.biz]

Sony shuts down Driveclub developer Evolution Studios screenshot

Wow, several Heroes of the Storm characters just got reworked

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 03:30 AM PDT

Blizzard just put out a PTR (public test realm) patch for Heroes of the Storm, and the community is pretty happy with it.

Not only does it add Dehaka and the new map into the mix, but it also adds ranked bans (!), a number of new quality of life changes (death recaps mid-match), and of course, reworks! The lowly Illidan, Tychus and Gazlowe have been severely buffed, to the point where they're not only viable, but you'll probably see a lot of them soon. Kael'thas has also seen some changes, and their efficacy are probably up for debate. The same goes for Sylvanas, which now has a kickass mind control heroic instead of the useless possession (which is now just a talent).

Thankfully, Rehgar's recent nerf hasn't drastically altered his winrate in the past week, although it does impact how fun his playstyle is. And in any case, I'm happy to see these changes take effect sometime in the next week or so.

Heroes of the Storm PTR [Battle.net]

Wow, several Heroes of the Storm characters just got reworked screenshot

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Stardew Valley Game Review

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 04:25 PM PDT

There's always been an unexplained charm to the Harvest Moon series. Perhaps it lets us live a more simple life, albeit in video game form. The problem is the game has only ever been for Nintendo consoles. Seeing a demand, Concerned Ape developed Stardew Valley all on his lonesome over the course of about four years. A one man team, you say? That can't possibly be quality, you might cry. So, how exactly does Stardew Valley, with its 16-bit sprites, hold up in an era of blockbuster AAA titles?

Farmin' Ain't Easy

When you first create a character in Stardew Valley, it seems so generic. Where are the sliders? Where are any advanced options? How can I possibly create a unique character with such a limited selection of choices? Then you see how many options there are. Tons of skin tones (including the wacky and wild), hair styles, and shirt choices are available. Hair color, eye color, and pants color can all be edited on a simple Red-Blue-Yellow scale complete with contrast to create as light or as dark a color as you want. In fact, the game boasts 24 skin tones, 32 hair styles, 112 shirts, and 20 accessories to choose from, which is astounding for ANY game, let alone one developed by a single person.

Stardew Valley Game Review

A basic at first glance character customization panel holds some serious options.

You can name yourself anything you choose, barring certain names that belong to NPCs in the game. Additionally, you can name your farm anything you choose, and select what your favorite thing ever is. Be careful with that last one; you may find the references to your favorite thing will make you cry if you choose something silly (whether out of sadness or laughter, however …). Choose your gender and whether you'd prefer a cat or a dog, and you're off to the crippling world of office work … wait, what?

Plant Crops, ???, Profit!

Once you've gone through the initial story sequence, you're free to move about the game. There's a very rudimentary tutorial that appears in the upper left on your first real day of playing. WASD to move about the world, left-click to use your selected item, right click to perform various other actions, and Escape to pull up the menu. There are a variety of keyboard shortcuts as well, and you can play the entirety of the game using the keyboard if you so choose. There are also controller options should you prefer to play using one. While some prefer the controller exclusively, I’ve found that it has a few limitations, such as tool use and hotbar selection, that are awkward compared to the mouse and keyboard combo.

Stardew Valley Game Review

Nothing gets Harvest Moon fans going like the geometry of perfectly planted crops.

You are also given a housewarming gift of 15 parsnip seeds to start your farming adventures if you so choose. Note, however, I said if you so choose. In fact, that's one of the glorious things about Stardew Valley: you're not forced to do anything. Want to sleep every day instead of accomplishing anything? Go for it. Feel like just wandering around the map to see what you can find? Absolutely! Head into town every day only to chat with the townsfolk because you're feeling particularly social? Feel free! It's that freedom to do whatever you feel like that makes Stardew Valley so special. It's a casual game without the connotations that "casual game" usually conveys, a sandbox game that doesn’t feel too “hardcore”.

The Five 'Fs' of Stardew

If you do decide to start farming, it's going to be a little rough. You see, your farm hasn't been lived in for a long time. Trees, weeds, rocks, and bushes have overrun your property. So it's up to you to clear the land to make space for your grand design. Thankfully, the game gives you an axe to chop down trees and logs, a pick to bust open rocks, a scythe to clear out brush and grass, a hoe to till the soil, and a watering can to ensure your crops stay hydrated. However, how much you can accomplish in a given day is governed by your energy, which is located in a convenient bar on the bottom right of the screen. At first, chopping and tilling and watering is going to take up quite a bit of energy — you're starting out as a city slicker with no knowledge of farming outside of the basics.


Fishing is its own little mini-game.

This leads us to the "Five F's": Farming, Foraging, Fishing, Fighting (combat), and … um, Finesse Mining? Each time you chop down a tree or sell an item you find in the wild, you get more skill at foraging, which reduces your energy drain while swinging an axe. Break open enough rocks, and you learn to use your pickaxe better. Grow, nurture, and sell crops and animal products, and your farming level increases, meaning your ability to hoe the ground and water your crops improves. Catch fish to help you learn to fish better. Defeat creatures to learn how to defeat creatures and improve your defenses against them. It works eerily similar to real life: the more you do something, the easier it becomes and the better you get at it.

Specializing for Fun and Profit

When you advance to level five in a skill, you get your first branching path option. Each skill gives you two different selections to take, which can be as simple as increased money from items related to that skill, to something a bit more complex such as reducing or changing the items required in crafting. At level ten, you're presented with yet another set of two skills, which depend on what selection you made at level five. Thankfully, you can also raise each and every skill up to level ten, so feel free to engage in any activity you choose. You won't be hindered on your ability to farm if you decide to work on your combat skills, for example.

Stardew Valley Game Review

The RPG elements and branching skills really set Stardew Valley a step above Harvest Moon.

You can also upgrade your tools at the blacksmith to make them more efficient overall. Not only is this a convenience, but it can have even more effects depending on the tool upgraded. Watering cans and hoes, for example, can water/till multiple spaces if the use button is held down a short period of time. Better axes and picks require less strikes to break their respective objects. For the most part, you can stick with your basic tools, but the energy cost will hurt, and there are a few things that will require the upgraded tools to break down.

Making a Living by Making a Living

There should be no surprise that the game also features a fully-fledged crafting system. Thankfully, much like the rest of the game, it's incredibly simple: select the item in the crafting menu, and if you've the requisite items on hand, you make the item. You don't start with much in the way of what you can craft at first, but you gain plenty more just by leveling your other skills.

Stardew Valley Game Review

No intimidating crafting system here.

Crafted items also have varying degrees of use. Paths, for example, are used to add a bit of decoration to your farm, while fences are used to keep animals in, and grass out (or in!). Others even have multiples uses, such as the keg and preserves jar. There are almost 100 items you can craft in the game, so have fun designing and creating a farm only you could dream of.

Crafting also includes cooking, which is not considered a skill of its own. Once your house is upgraded, you can cook anything you have a recipe and ingredients for. Recipes are unlocked in various ways, from TV shows to friendships with NPCs. The food itself is rather useful – while perhaps not profitable, the food carries serious health, energy, and even skill boosts.

Who Runs this Town, Anyway?

One of the key parts of the game’s progression, besides your own character’s skills, is town development. While this isn’t Animal Crossing and you’re not the Mayor, you have the unique capability to change and shape the town and the areas around it. Early on, you’ll be given a choice: side with the townspeople and their ‘simple’ life, or side with the ‘evil’ corporation Joja. Your choice will impact whether the town’s community center is rebuilt or destroyed.

Stardew Valley Game Review

There's no beating around the bush that the corporate progress here is or isn't evil.

Whichever side you choose, you will be able to unlock additional areas and perks in the town, either through ‘bundles’ of goods you earn through hard work, or through gold which you also earn through hard work. Both options are mostly the same, but with minor differences. Each improvement you unlock will offer some good benefits, including the hot springs where you can restore your energy for free.

You're Not Supposed to Eat That!

Remember, you're also not alone in the world of Stardew Valley. Each of the villagers can be talked to, and many have some interesting (and often sad) backstories to them. Every single villager has a schedule, too. This makes the town, however small it is, feel that much more alive. With two exceptions, every single NPC can also be given gifts to raise their affection. Raising affection to certain levels unlocks various cutscenes that provide the aforementioned backstories and various views into what goes on in their lives when you're not around. Some NPCs will even send you recipes in the mail.

Stardew Valley Game Review

Thankfully being a farmer is still incredibly attractive to all single ladies.

There are also five men and five women you can attempt to romance in Stardew Valley. The game conveniently tells you which they are by appending (single) next to their name in your menu screen. When you raise their affection up high enough, you can even ask them to marry you and move into the farm. Once there, they will randomly do tasks such as take care of animals, water your crops, or even make you breakfast. Keep in mind, you may romance any of them regardless of gender, so you don't have to pine wistfully for someone you cannot have.

Achievement Hunter

There’s still more to Stardew Valley, and it’s hard to cover everything equally. But if you love collecting and achievements, there’s systems for that too. Achievements are sparse, but momentous, and each rewards a new hat at a secret shop. It’s a game on Steam, of course it needs a hat collection!


Rocks, gems, strange dolls. The usual museum fare.

You can also collect artifacts and books, hidden items found randomly as you explore and work your farm. These can be turned into the museum and put on display, even rearranged. The more you turn in, the more rewards you unlock.

Finally, you can also customize your own home in addition to your farm. You can decorate the space with wallpaper, flooring, and items. This feature does lack some features I’d like, such as the ability to rotate items, but it still lets you get a little more settled in to your new life as a farmer.


It’s not much, but it’s home.

Final Thoughts: Excellent (5/5)

It might just be me, but I can't seem to put the game down. It gives a nice blend of simple, no-stress gameplay with that addictive, one-more-day-and-I'm done style. Stardew gives you plenty to do, but you're never rushed to do it. In fact, the game has an ending, of sorts, which then lets you continue on your farm as long as you want to anyway. The colorful world, the way it changes with the seasons, and many other, little touches (like petals floating on the breeze in spring) just make the world vibrant and alive. The NPCs having lives of their own certainly helps that living world feeling as well.

One of the biggest things to me is how much the developer cares about his game. He's even gone so far as to fix people's corrupted saves manually after a bug fix caused the problem in the first place. It's rare and refreshing to see such a level of care and commitment in game development these days. Stardew Valley is an experience that has taken hundreds of thousands of people by surprise — myself included. Its charm may be exactly what you're looking for too. And if the developer’s enthusiasm holds out, we might even see co-op play in it in a future update!

Full Gameplay Image Gallery

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Warframe Celebrates Third Anniversary

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 01:34 PM PDT

Today, Warframe is celebrating its three year anniversary with all players with gifts and a special discount.

All Tenno will also receive the first and second anniversary gifts, the Dex Furis and Dex Dakra. Each is equipped with a Catalyst, includes a Weapon Slot and is ready for action. These can be claimed by logging in and accessing your inbox by March 29, 2pm ET.

DEX SYBARIS – This Lotus-themed lever action rifle, is equal parts elegance and executioner.

DEX DAKRA — Bring swift and heavy damage to your enemies with the Lotus-themed Dex Dakra.

DEX FURIS — This dual version features a Lotus-themed skin, high fire rate, high accuracy, and low recoil.

As an added bonus, until March 29, receive an additional 15% off on Excalibur Proto Armor Skin and Nyx Nemesis Skin, as well as 25% off the Proto Glaive Skin.

Console players will get their rewards with the next console update.

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Forsaken World Mobile Reveals Epic Dungeons

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 12:37 PM PDT

This week, Fedeen Games takes their fans into one of the most exciting new additions in the upcoming expansion for Forsaken World Mobile: the Epic Dungeon. In a thrilling new video showcasing the new challenge, Fedeen has provided players with an in-depth look at just how these Dungeons will work – and what’s to be found inside.

Epic Dungeons are massive server-wide events that will call upon all players on a single server to unite together as one gigantic team. And they’re no walk in the park, either. These global events will only be triggered when there are at least 50 players of level 65 or higher active on a server at any given time.

Once this condition is met, players will begin a series of challenges in the pursuit of legendary rewards and titles. In the dungeons, the 50 strongest players on the server will confront increasingly powerful Bosses face to face. They’ll need the support of the rest of the community, however, as the other players must perform quests on the outside in order to keep the Epic Dungeon open. The journey to the final boss will be a deadly one, but Fedeen promises the rewards will be more than worthwhile.

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SMITE 2nd Anniversary Raffle and Giveaway!

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 11:53 AM PDT

Our promotional partnership with Hirez Studios continues this week as we celebrate 3rd person MOBA, SMITE‘s, 2nd birthday with both a raffle for SPL Season Ticket codes (good on Xbox, PS4, and PC!) and a giveaway event of Bellona Battle Maiden codes you can claim right here!

Two Ways to Win!
Hit up our forum event page and leave us your feedback of your favorite and least favorite part of Season 3 changes so far! We’ll raffle off our SPL codes to the entries at the end of the week, Friday March 25th!

If you’re here early, you may have already won! Sign into your account with us to claim your Battlemaiden Bellona skin below!

Want to have so much winning, you’ll get tired of it? Follow JamesBl0nde and Bottom Tier on Twitch.TV this week for a series of various skin and SPL code giveaways!

Of course just logging into SMITE this week has some serious benefits, such as 33% off gem purchases, 50% off the God Pack, double log-in bonus, and more!

The post SMITE 2nd Anniversary Raffle and Giveaway! appeared first on MMOHuts.

Heroes of the Storm Bans and Draft UI Developer Update

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 11:46 AM PDT

Heroes of the Storm‘s Dustin Browder talks about the major changes coming to draft lobbies in the game’s next patch, along with the introduction of hero bans.

The post Heroes of the Storm Bans and Draft UI Developer Update appeared first on MMOHuts.

SMITE Enters Open Beta on Playstation 4

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 11:26 AM PDT

Hi-Rez Studios announced that the mythology-themed action game SMITE is now officially in open beta for Playstation 4.  The closed beta exceeded expectations as players rushed to experience SMITE on Playstation for the first time. SMITE has over 14 million players worldwide and now the popular 3rd person action MOBA is available for anyone to download and play for free on the Playstation 4.

This week also marks SMITE's 2nd anniversary and to celebrate, Hi-Rez has a series of promotions lined up, with a new event each day through March 28th. During this time, the Ultimate God Pack, which gives players all current and future gods, will be 50% off for the first time in SMITE history.

OnRPG and MMOHuts are hosting a special giveaway here!

This is an exciting week for SMITE players everywhere! To keep up with the latest news on this week's promotions be sure to check out www.smitegame.com and follow SMITE on Twitter and Facebook.

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Wakfu Raiders Announces Easter Event

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 11:07 AM PDT

Wakfu Raiders now has a new Easter-themed hero in the midst: Esther Firegale. Players are able to recruit this hero to their group by completing daily quests set within the week of March 18th until March 27th. Check out the brief description of the new awesome heroine below:

A fiesty leader of the Sacrier class with monstrous strength, she deals out harsh punishments to those who cross her path. Her temperament makes her an ideal melee-focused warrior who dishes out a lot of pain in the frontlines.

To further celebrate the last few weeks of March, Wakfu Raiders will also feature loot drops for players via the Premium Easter Eggs Drop in Heroic Dungeons during Easter week, as well as a reduced energy hot time during the Easter weekend. Furthermore, Heroic Dungeon resets will be applicable for non-VIP raiders from March 25th to 27th so that they can run through dungeons multiple times for additional rewards.

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World of Warships Update 0.5.4 Overview

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:20 AM PDT

The new Russian Cruisers line appears in World of Warships update 0.5.4.

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Warface Bag and Tag Overview

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 10:11 AM PDT

Warface introduces its new Bag and Tag game mode, a 16 player free-for-all pitting each player in a hunt for dog tags.

The post Warface Bag and Tag Overview appeared first on MMOHuts.

Total War: Warhammer Master Necromancer Overview

Posted: 22 Mar 2016 09:47 AM PDT

An overview of the skills and tactics of the Master Necromancer, a unit of the Vampire Counts in Total War: Warhammer.

The post Total War: Warhammer Master Necromancer Overview appeared first on MMOHuts.
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