The hour grows late, the Blood Moon is rising and the Wolf Pack is on the hunt once again. Tonight, noone is safe from its slavering jaws as ravenous beasts roam the countryside, ready to devour man and machine alike. Introducing the WOLF Edition vehicles - the relentless killers of Armored Warfare! Learn more about the WOLF Edition: https://goo.gl/zZlssN The WOLF Edition vehicles all share the following features: - Unique Camouflage (unavailable by other means) - Premium Status (bonus
Global Head of Production and Foundry 42 Studio Director Erin Roberts takes 10 questions from our development subscribers. 00:58 - Job Duties 02:15 - Exploring Shubin 03:23 - Features of SQ42 04:40 - Keeping Up with the Roberts 06:57 - Interaction with Wingmen 08:31 - Landing Zone Pipeline Vs. Ship Pipeline 10:52 - Dream Big Mentality Vs Be Realistic 12:50 - After Squadron 42 14:09 - Previous Development Experiences 16:08 - What's Next ------------------------------------------
A lot of shovelware makes it onto to Steam, but Watch Pain Dry, a game literally about watching paint dry, seemed a bit over the line. In fact, that was the point. Watch Paint Dry was never designed to be a real game, an art project, or even a “screw you” to other bottom-feeder titles. Watch Paint Dry was a prank designed to expose a security vulnerability in the Steamworks Developer Program.
And here I was kind of hoping for Frog Fractions 2.
Playful programmer Ruby (who I can't help but picture as a lovable scamp like Matthew Broderick in Wargames) used some fairly simple tricks to bypass Steam's authentication process and get the game on the new releases board. Not at all shy, Ruby describes all the steps he took in a post on Medium, including making fake cards and emoticons for the game.
I'm no Hugh Jackman in Swordfish, but the actual “hacking” involved here seems pretty rudimentary, kind of surprising really. Don't bother running off to push your own prank to the front of Steam storefront, since the loopholes have already been plugged by Steam's elite (and probably a little embarrassed) security team.
Still, it makes for an interesting read while you wait for Frog Fractions 2. Still waiting. Always waiting...
Bonk: Brink of Extinction had been planned for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii before being canceled due to a tsunami in Japan, among other reasons. YouTuber PtoPOnline gives us the inside scoop on what exactly happened to the game with a behind-the-scenes look at its making, and some gameplay of an incomplete build.
As I'm a huge fan of dinosaurs, unreleased games, and Bonk, it pains me to watch this footage. I've always wanted to get my hands on a build, since it looked rather finished, and I've even heard rumors that someone has a complete version on the Wii, but it never leaked to my knowledge.
I miss Hudson Soft games; Bomberman, Adventure Island, and Bonk were all huge parts of my childhood.
Publisher 2K Games has added a handful of games (Windows only) to GOG.com's catalog and they're even on sale to start. Between Railroad Tycoon 2 & 3, Sid Meier's Railroads!, Pirates! (the mid-'00s remake), Freedom Force, and Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich, the list is a who's who of titles I've started but never finished. Typical me. Just the worst.
There's also an X-COM "Classic Bundle" with UFO Defense, Terror from the Deep, Apocalypse, Interceptor, and Enforcer for $7.45 which, uh, not all of those games were created equal.
If you're hovering over the add-to-cart button for any of these oldies, do note that you have until April 5, 2016 at 5:59am Pacific sharp to take advantage of the discounted pricing.
A fresh patch went live for MKXL today and it was a bloodbath. As foretold in my prophetic impressions piece at the beginning of the month, the day of reckoning has come for the DLC characters introduced in Kombat Pack 2. While the patch includes the perfunctory bug fixes, optimization rounds, and tweaks one would expect, the real fun is in the character-specific changes. Specifically, the autopsy reports for Alien, Triborg, Leatherface, and Bo Rai Cho.
The changes are numerous and almost all designed to bring the characters down a peg. Alien lost a lot of his free damage and rush-down potential in his Acidic and Tarkatan variations, Bo Rai Cho's combo damage has been significantly decreased, it looks like Leatherface lost his easy vortex in Butcher, and Triborg was taken back to the garage and dismantled. Various nerfs hit all of the cyborg's four variations, but Cyber-Sub-Zero and Cyrax got it the worst. Many of Cyber-Sub's combo extenders now scale the damage way down while several of his moves were adjusted to be riskier options. Cyrax has completely lost his big bomb and net combos, which will now misfire depending on what moves have already been used in a combo (which honestly isn't as bad as it sounds; those combos would take DAYS to finish and only do slightly more damage than less flashy options).
While there is certainly much gnashing of teeth in the MK community today, none of this should have come as a surprise. NetherRealm did the exact same thing with Kombat Pack 1 (with the exception of Jason). It's a cynical move, but it's not the first time a game has introduced DLC characters that are slightly more powerful than the rest of the cast to encourage sales (just ask the MOBA crowd). Frankly, I'm hoping the nerfs will help stem the endless tides of Triborg and Alien players washing up in online matches. It would be nice to fight other characters again.
Data miners have torn into the Japanese field test for Pokémon Go, non-disclosure agreements be damned, and uncovered a bunch of miscellaneous details about the augmented-reality mobile game. A user on reddit, Juxlos, has rounded up the pertinent information, speculation, and screengrabs.
It sounds like, at least to start, only the original 151 Pokémon will be up for grabs -- though you have to imagine that list will balloon with future updates; Pokémon Shuffle only recently hit the 500s.
The data miners have come across files for 232 moves, 7 natures (e.g., "Assassin" and "Stoic"), all Pokémon types, and 52 trainer customization items, among other things. As for monetization plans, there will seemingly be in-app purchases for Poké balls, medicine, food, and gem packs.
While all of this stuff is subject to change, and some of the details leave room for interpretation, the info does give us a better sense of what Go might look like at launch, content-wise. After reading through the bullet points, I'm more interested in the game than I was even a week ago.
CyberConnect2's 3D fighter Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is getting DLC on Dark Souls Day, April 12. My birthday, incidentally. You only have a couple more weeks to shop.
The second $10 DLC piece contains "Gaara’s Tale Extra Scenario Pack," a Gaara-focused story line set after the main game. It also comes with a Sasuke Uchiha Wandering Shinobi costume, as well as 10 more from previous games and other in-game items. There are also four new Combination Secret Techniques.
Taiko Drum Master is good, clean fun, but you know what it isn't? Metal. I mean, not just the material the game is made out of (plastic) or what actual taiko drums are built from (wood). But also the chipper J-pop just doesn't appeal to the same crowd that bites the heads off bats and ruins Rock Band pedals. Enter Double Kick Heroes.
Described as a "post-apocalyptic rhythm metal'em all," Double Kick Heroes features a raging metal band surviving on a zombie-infested highway, with only the manager's Cadillac and a weaponized drumset at their disposal. Check out the video; it looks rad. I love that demon train at the end, slowly creeping closer and closer to the car. It's so ominous.
Double Kick Heroes originally began as an entry to Ludum Dare 34 and is currently seeking approval on Steam Greenlight.
Quantum Break hits next week, April 5, on PC (Windows 10 only) and Xbox One. Remedy's time travel shooter didn't sit right with me for years dating back to when I saw the game at E3 2013, but a recent preview event allayed those concerns, because the game is fun as hell. Remedy can still make a tight, slick shooter.
But one of Quantum Break's less conventional hooks? Live-action, TV-like episodes between each of the game's five acts (so there are four of these bad boys in total). It's worth knowing these are streamed to your console rather than on-disc, but you'll have the option to bulk download them if you don't trust your internet connection minute to minute.
You'll see by the trailer that the "show" portion really does feel like throwing a dart board at any adequate, milquetoast network TV drama with a closer lens.
Bethesda has released a beta version of Fallout 4's new Survival mode on PC. If you're ready and willing, you can now download the update through Steam (instructions here).
With the mode enabled, you're only able to save after sleeping on a bed for an hour or more ("Manual, quicksaving, and almost all autosaves are disabled"), fast travel is gone, you dish out and take more damage, and you have to stay on top of pesky concerns like hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
Those are just the basics. Bethesda has also tweaked a bunch of other mechanics -- including illness, healing, how much you can carry, companions, and the rate at which enemies and loot repopulate -- that will come together to make life in the Commonwealth even harsher.
I'm not typically a self-imposed hardcore, permadeath, survival-mode kind of guy for open-world games, but these changes sound like they'd make for a far more tense, exciting Fallout 4 experience. Once this update makes it through beta and lands on consoles, I'll have to start a fresh run.
A lot of parents give their children curfews. Mine certainly did. They advised me to return home before dark, lest risk being eaten by one of the mountain lions that patrolled our neighborhood after dusk.
That grim warning, the memory of which I've successfully managed to suppress for twenty years, bubbled to the surface during my time with Nights of Azure, a new role-playing game whose cast of characters risk life and limb every time they dare set foot outdoors after sunset.
In an interview with 4Gamer (translated by NicheGamer), members of the Star Ocean 5 team spoke about Western game critics and sexuality in Japanese games -- specifically, how it relates to Star Ocean character Miki. Even more specifically, how it relates to her underwear.
"Recently, there’s been a lot of flak from overseas countries saying that if you put teens in 'sexual' underwear, it's not good. So we increased the amount of clothing," said Star Ocean 5 producer Shuichi Kobayashi. You can see the original version here and the revised version here. Game director Hiroshi Ogawa jokingly referred to the change as "distressing."
"Recently there's been a trend in games where if you put out a character that shows a lot of skin, later on you might have to make a lot of revisions, 'although she's erotic, there's not a lot of skin showing' is the feeling you get. In fact, [Star Ocean 5] got a rating of C [ages 15 and up] by CERO," said character designer Akira Yasuda.
Destructoid chatted with Kobayashi at E3 2015 about Star Ocean 5, where he spoke about his determination to get the game made. "I hope this isn't going to sound arrogant -- I thought if I couldn't produce it, nobody else could," Kobayashi said. "If this hadn't come about, I wouldn't be working for Square Enix now."
The Internet's Big Thing Today isn't as exciting as The Internet's Big Thing Today usually is because today's topic is utterly predictable. The likes of Nintendo controller tree conspiracies and the arrival of virtual reality are interesting because there's an air of mystery surrounding them. Hearing leaks of a Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor sequel isn't as thrilling because is there anyone who thought that a sequel wouldn't happen?
Yet, here we are, "debating" an all-but-sure thing. The way we arrive at this news is by a premature entry on stuntwoman Lauren Mary Kim's résumé. As discovered by NerdLeaks, Kim lists "Shadows of Mordor 2" as motion capture work that she has performed at Blur Studios -- a visual effects company that's revered in the video game industry.
Whether or not this report is true is anyone's guess. People on the Internet have faked things before; there's precedent. But, let me offer this eloquent counterpoint: It's probably true because why the fuck wouldn't Warner Bros. make a Shadow of Mordor sequel?
Seriously. Shadow of Mordor was a runaway hit in 2014. It received near-universal critical praise. It won several game of the year awards. It made a lot of money. Also, it made a lot of money (this fact is extra important because it's the one Warner Bros. rightfully cares most about).
So, yeah -- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will get a sequel, and the résumé entry shouldn't have been anyone's first inkling that it'll happen. There will probably be an E3 reveal and a holiday release. Maybe someone's even working on the early stages of a third Shadow of Mordor already. Players in the video game industry rarely leave money on the table, and this is one of the most obvious instances.
Heroes of the Storm has added the Zerg Warrior Dehaka today, and even though he's enjoyable, I doubt he'll shake up the meta much.
Dehaka's kit is enticing. His Q can pull enemies like a more effective Stitches hook; his E burrows to avoid ultimates like Pyroblast and Triple Tap; his W is a fun area-of-effect whirlwind that can walk through enemies to avoid bodyblocking; and every 45 seconds, he can warp to any bush or vent on the map at the cost of not being able to mount. But his talents leave much to be desired.
There will always be cookie-cutter builds, but Dehaka's doesn't feel all that diverse, mostly focusing on raw defense. By that token, Diablo, who has a lot of similar traits (peel ability, a large health pool) is more enticing right off the bat in nearly every category, and is probably the most direct comparison. Johanna also is more effective on paper, with the ability to mount and take a more proactive (rather than Dehaka's reactive) stance on bursty teams.
I want to see where he ends up winrate-wise, but my prediction is somewhere in the middle of the pack.
More than two years ago, Bethesda promised access to a Doom closed beta in exchange for Wolfenstein pre-orders. It was a long time back, but that beta is finally happening this weekend from March 31 through April 3. However, it's not just those Wolfenstein backers who can partake.
Bethesda recently updated the Doom multiplayer closed beta FAQ and added an interesting tidbit. The amendment reads: "Starting April 1 at 6pm (eastern), visit your local GameStop or EB Games (Canada) to receive a free Doom closed beta access code. Codes will be distributed through April 3."
It turns out that pre-ordering Wolfenstein many moons ago wasn't really all that necessary. A quick trip to the mall two years later will yield the same results. Bad news for those looking to revel in its exclusivity; but, good news for everyone else just lookin' to slay some Cyberdemons.
Did you just spend a month's rent on an Oculus Rift (less than a month's if you're in San Francisco, too)? Perhaps you'd like to pay in advance for a standalone PlayStation VR? It's "only" $400, which is definitely less money than its competitors.
However! Be mindful that you need also need a PlayStation Camera if you don't have one. Plus a lot of PS VR games seem to use PS Move controllers. While the standalone hat is available for pre-order ahead of its October launch, you might want to wait for a bundle that gets you truly VR-ready. We have a guide for that here.
You also might want to wait for Sony to announce the new, more powerful PS4 that will likely improve VR experience and could come bundled with PS VR.
All these caveats aside, if you still must pre-order a standalone PlayStation VR face mask, try Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart. It's already unavailable through Amazon at time of writing.
While we were walking the halls of Blizzard's headquarters last week, attending an Overwatch preview event, one rule was laid out for press -- "if it's on tile, you can take pictures; if you're on carpet, don't do it." As luck would have it, multiple references to Destructoid among the halls were on carpet, so I couldn't capture them to share with you all.
But there's one thing that really stood out to me that I've been thinking about for the past week -- the focus on community. Blizzard's halls are adorned with fan art, drawings (from young scrawls to professional jobs), and even tweets from fans. A lot of studios do this (ArenaNet has an entire area where employees can sign swag to give out to fans daily), but the way Blizzard did it was impressive and genuine.
The PlayStation Network is having a Metal Gear Solid series sale through April 4. It spans PSP, PS Vita, PS3, and PS4 and, well, the series' life on PlayStation. There's even Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - Ultimate Edition for $7.50. I still haven't played that game, but I hear it's amazing. Hmm.
There are classics, too. Ground Zeroes is $5 though Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain is only down to about $40. Peace Walker is $10, but you might as well get it packed in with the HD Collection for $20, unless you're looking to play on Vita (not a bad idea).
Oh and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is $10. I kind of want to play it again.
Blizzard's triple-release strategy for StarCraft II really paid off. While it seemed like a complete scam at first, the studio went all out and supported the game throughout its lifetime, and if we're lucky, for the next decade or so.
Every expansion added something new and now, we have StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops, a bite-sized DLC of sorts that takes place over multiple chapters.
Some of you are already playing Dark Souls III on Xbox One thanks to a little trick, but for the rest of us still waiting until the April 12, 2016 launch outside of Japan, this video serves as a cautionary tale.
Always double check your surroundings before gloating. Always.
From the outside, Slain! looks like a metal-as-hell take on hack-and-slash titles.
It shows well in gifs, especially. The art direction is gnarly and stands out from the technically-skilled-but-uninspired pixel artwork that has become so common among games from smaller teams. The monsters are foreboding. The world is intricate, overflowing with colorful light sources and particle effects. In short: it seems damn cool. I was eager to put my name down for the review months ago.
Too eager, it turns out. The art and animation are two of the only things this game has going for it.
Another day, another backward compatible announcement. With the impressive frequency that Microsoft's adding games to the program, it seems like maybe every new inclusion doesn't warrant its own article. But, a lot of the titles are so high-profile that there's still a community around them. People will want to know. So, here we are.
Today, Valve's Left 4 Dead 2 can be played on Xbox One through Xbox 360 emulation. The 2009 multiplayer zombie shooter still holds up plenty well, and there are still plenty of people playing it on Steam. The Xbox base can probably expect to see a jolt to its numbers now, too.
Last week, Dark Soulsand Assassin's Creed were both added to the program. Yesterday, it was Halo Wars and Soulcalibur II. If Microsoft keeps this pace -- and there's not yet any indication that it'll slow down -- expect to see more of these "what's old is new!" posts with regularity.
So, if you haven't heard, Overwatch -- which is definitely not a MOBA -- is pretty good! With a class-based system and twitchy, arena shooter gameplay, it grabbed me from day one, especially on PC.
I recently had the chance to spend an entire afternoon with the console build, and chatted with producer Jeff Kaplan about the project.
Project CARS was a hit with a lot of folks when it arrived back in May of last year, and now, it has an added bonus of VR support on PC. I spent a few hours with it recently, and I have to say, it warrants the "intense" rating it boasts on the storefront.
I didn't feel nearly as uneasy as I did with Adr1ft, but looking around while you're rocketing across a racetrack can get overwhelming at times, especially if you haven't mastered the game's mechanics and engine quite yet. It isn't nearly as cool as some of the other games that really take advantage of the VR aspect, but looking over at a car's side mirrors and then re-focusing on the road is a rush.
Project CARS is $49.99 on the Oculus VR store -- the same price as Steam, which also supports headsets. There is no word if Steam customers will obtain an Oculus Home key, though the Oculus version includes all DLC according to the game's director Stephen Viljoen. This entire system is still in the early phase of working out all of the kinks, as some developers are allowing options for Cross-Buy at launch, and some aren't.
After many, many years, we are finally just one day away from hearing Final Fantasy XV's launch date. I swear, if we get a "please understand" after all this setup and fanfare, I will lose my shit. At least one good thing has already come out of this though, as artist Yoshitaka Amano's art is adorned outside of the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium, and it looks gorgeous.
Final Fantasy XV's "Uncovered" event will take place on March 30, at 10:00PM ET live in LA -- you can also watch it via livestream. We will be on-site and provide coverage as it appears.
Back in 2014 at TGS, Arc System Works revealed Inferno Climber, which was originally slated for a PS4 release. But as of...today, the studio has re-purposed the game as a PC-only title. Now instead of a 2015 release date, the team is aiming to get the game to Steam by spring of 2016.
To celebrate this new change, Arc has provided a new teaser trailer that shows off the basic gist. No reason was given as to why the platform changed, but we've reached out for comment.
Over the course of my childhood, I basically dreamed up the concept for Mirror's Edge. But it wasn't one of those fleeting dreams where you kind of forget it the next day -- it was one where I actually got up and made that dream a reality in notebooks and planning pads. Well, a reality in my household, at least -- I never actually made that game.
Because of that passion, I'm still chasing the rush of first-person runners whenever I can get my hands on one. Windlands fits that bill to an extent, but sweet Jiminy Cricket, prepare for whiplash if you opt for the VR version!
I just got an email from Sony regarding the Doomclosed beta period, which is taking place just shy of a month before the game's final release in early May. Sony notes that the beta is operating as scheduled, and that if players want, they can preload the build tomorrow.
The beta will kick off exactly at 10:00 PM ET on March 31, and will run until April 3 at 11:59 PM ET. Like everyone else I was disappointed with Doom 3, so I'm looking forward to seeing if the current incarnation of id Software can recapture the magic.
So long as you're willing to put up with Windows 10, Killer Instinct is available right now on PC as a free download. Microsoft notes that if you're having trouble finding it on the store, you can click the link on this page to go to the listing directly. As a reminder, the game is Cross-Buy and Cross-Play with the Xbox One version. At least the new incarnation of Games for Windows Live has some advantage now.
Season 3 is also out, which brings a new host of updates and characters. Right at launch you can play as Tusk, Arbiter, Rash, and Kim Wu. Mira, Gargos, RAAM, and another character are coming with a monthly cadence.
As a warning, some users are reporting that if you already own the game on Xbox One, that you should sign into that version first to prevent the PC edition from messing with your save. We've reached out to Microsoft for comment on this matter.
Coming away from Trillion: God of Destruction, it's hard not to get the unshakeable feeling that you just had an experience unlike anything you've had before. In an era of sequels, spin-offs, spiritual successors and games that are inspired by other, more popular games; finding a game that is wholly its own is a rarity and something that should be treasured. That is, if the game is good.
After spending 20+ hours with Trillion, I'm ready to run back to the world of safe sequels, spin-offs, spiritual successors and games inspired by other games.
Nintendo backed itself into a corner with amiibo in terms of software. Now that the things are wildly popular, it's at a crossroads. Does it gate substantial content behind them and piss off casual fans who don't want to buy toys? Or only relegate them to menial unlocks, leaving prospective buyers with less of a reason to purchase them?
It's a tough choice, but more little incentives like Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge don't hurt the situation.
Today BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. and Primal Game Studio have announced that their action-packed Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) with Real-Time Strategy elements game for PC, Supernova, is now entering its open beta phase. All players are now able to jump in and command their armies in an effort to become the superior faction and ultimately control the galaxy!
After several closed beta phases and collecting player feedback and data to enhance the user experience, BNEA and Primal Game Studio have continued to evolve and grow Supernova into the ultimate MOBA that requires both strategy and skill. To celebrate the open beta, two new commanders will be joining the ranks: Zan-Kir and J.P. Zan-Kir is a master of martial arts and can unleash powerful techniques to manipulate the flow of battle while J.P. is equipped with deadly missiles, powerful lasers, trap mines and state of the art radar that will destroy everything in his path. In addition, players will also be able to enjoy new skins and improved gameplay features.
Supernova will also be seeing a new aesthetic feature called Environments, which allows players to choose the backdrop for their battle prior to entering a match. Currently, there is an arid Desert environment and a lush Jungle environment that can be selected.
In Supernova, players venture into an interstellar arena where they must fight as commanders or aliens in order to save their species from extinction. The brilliant graphics, unparalleled galactic worlds, exciting combat and the slew of characters give Supernova a refreshing take on the MOBA genre. Players also have the power to control what minions — known as forces — push down the lane towards victory, meaning the player is in total control of what they want to send crashing into the enemy.
Editor’s (DizzyPW) Note: As a site that has followed Supernova closely from the earliest alpha phases till now, we can attest to the claims above as being more than marketing fluff. This MOBA is highly underrated for the amount of innovation and high production value it brings to the genre. Now that limitations on playing are finally gone, be sure to jump in and give it a shot!
Daum Games today announced that Black Desert Online will be expanded with the huge Mediah region, tons of new quests, fierce bosses, and more as early as tomorrow, March 30. With the Mediah Expansion, players can rise to new levels of power and achieve greatness like never before.
From tranquil farmsteads to busy ports where tradesmen thrive, Mediah will enchant both newcomers and seasoned travelers. Players can access the Mediah Expansion starting tomorrow at no additional cost.
Mediah Expansion Features
World size increased by 30%
Over 1,000 new quests
Kzarka – An enormous boss that can take on hundreds of players at a time
New guild missions, including special bosses that drop formidable weapons
Crimson Battlefield – Instanced 40v40 skirmishes that players can queue for in groups of five or solo
New weapons and more powerful armor set
Craftable Alchemy Stones allow players to apply Attack, Defense, or Life bonuses to their equipment
gumi Inc. is proud to announce new Brave Frontier content for mobile role-playing game fans across the globe, starting with Colosseum Mode.
This brand new mode allows players to pit their best Brave Frontier team against other players online in asynchronous gameplay. Players will now get to assign formations on their team which help bolster a team's abilities and grant support effects, as well as earn Colosseum Battle Points to exchange for special rewards.
To celebrate the new mode, players are now able to earn double Arena Battle Points and Colosseum Battle Points for a limited time when the Colosseum launches this early April.
Brave Frontier fans will also get a chance to summon the limited edition Spring units into their party. The magical duo consisting of Light element Juno-Seto and Dark element Ensa-Taya will be available for summoning this early April.
Finally, Brave Frontier will feature Omni Evolution to cap off the month of April. Omni Evolution unleashes the true potential of existing 7-Star units. They have access to the all-new Skill Enhancement feature which grants them access to powerful Leader Skills and Brave Burst Skills via the use of Skill Points.
Heroes with Omni Evolution also have the ability to generate Cross Sparks powerups that bolster a party's stats and damage resistance, provided that the party is of the same element as the Omni Evolution hero. Omni Evolution will currently be available for Brave Frontier's 6 starter heroes: Vargas, Selena, Lance, Eze, Atro, and Magress.
To celebrate this news, there will be an Omni Login Campaign where Brave Frontier players can get up to 15 free gems and a free unit of their choice. This campaign starts from March 28th until May 6th; head to the official forums for additional details.
The Kickstarter for Legion TD 2 (LTD2), which has raised almost $60,000, ends on March 31st. The game was also successfully greenlit by the Steam community in just over a week. "We're completely blown away," said Julian 'Jules' Gari, Senior Designer of LTD2. "As a 3-man team of lifelong gamers, we're honored to have such an outpouring of support." LTD2, the first competitive tower defense for PC, is the successor to the hugely popular Warcraft III mod, Legion TD, which inspired StarCraft II's Squadron TD and Dota 2's Legion TD: Reborn. Now the creators of the original sensation are redefining the tower defense genre. Find out more at LegionTD2.com.
LTD2 takes the strategic base-building of classic tower defenses and pushes things to the next level. Instead of constructing buildings, you deploy and upgrade dynamic fighters that come to life. Rather than beat the stage or solve the puzzle once, you coordinate with teammates to defeat intelligently-adapting opponents. With a wide array of strategies, LTD2 offers a unique experience with every game. The closed beta launches with 4 playable legions (races) and over 50 unique fighters.
"You've got to think ahead. Which fighters should you deploy? How should you position them?" Your choices determine how your fighters engage and maneuver in battle," said Brent 'Lisk' Batas, Lead Designer of LTD2. "This is our opportunity to put the strategy back into real time strategy games, which we feel have become more about muscle memory and less about smart decision-making."
LTD2 is being developed by AutoAttack Games (AAG), an independent game studio led by the same team that created the original Legion TD. With deep roots in modding, AAG believes in providing content-creation tools, developer APIs, and open access to data. LTD2 will support modding and is not only a game, but also a platform for creativity. LTD2 is evolving and streamlining the custom games scene that was so loved in Warcraft III.
AAG launched a Kickstarter campaign to usher LTD2 through closed beta, which is on track to release this year. After the beta stabilizes, the developers will be adding additional content and improving and balancing the game for years to come. Check out the Kickstarter and watch the gameplay trailer at LegionTD2.com/kickstarter.
Heroes of the Storm has launched its March 29 patch, introducing Lost Cavern, Dehaka, and Hero Bans.
Lost Cavern is a one-lane team-fighting map available only in Custom Games, with limited lane transportation and healing. Read up more on that battleground here.
Dehaka, the Primal Pack Leader from the StarCraft universe, arrives with some unique abilities, including the Brushstalker movement ability and Essence collection. Find out more here or watch the spotlight here.
Hero bans are also now available in Ranked Play for Hero and Team League games, using the Mid Ban method. Details on this system, and more, can be found in the patch notes.
Heroes of the Dorm is also underway, and the final tournament will be held on April 9-10 at the CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle. Additional live event details can be found here.
If you've been following some of the League of Legends Korean play, you'd see Aurelion Sol as a jungler. But just because a professional player does something wacky, doesn't mean that regular players should be doing that. Aurelion is a solo laner, who in theory, can support since he has a stun. But he really shines in the mid or top lane position. Originally, Aurelion Sol [abbreviated Sol] was going to be a Dragon champion that was in development for YEARS. But instead of the rumored support Dragon, Riot finally scrapped the idea to settle for Sol, the Star Forger. His teaser reveals him to be smug, arrogant, and kind of an asshole. Well, he DOES create stars, and galaxies. He seems like he'd be overpowered on such a small scale. What do I think of him though? I enjoy him as a character. He's very hard to get right now since everyone wants to play (or ban!) the new champion. Would I ban him for reasons outside of being an asshole? Probably not. He has a REALLY long stun, and his E, while making him incredibly mobile in the mid to late game, has a 50s~ cooldown which basically leaves him with two ultimates and little spike damage outside of those epic moments.
It's said towers blow themselves up when in his presence.
Speaking of the downside of having "two ultimates," his actual ult feels a bit lackluster. Still if you can master the awkward feel of positioning, his sustain damage and farm is pretty wild. Sol is pretty easy to prep for, Rune/Mastery wise. He doesn't require anything fancy or complex. 12/18 Masteries, culminating in Thunderlord's Decree since it's still ludicrous. You could go Double-Edged Sword, but I'm a fan of the Thunderlord passive. As far as runes, I go with Magic Pen Reds, Health or Armor Yellows, Magic Resist Blues, and AP Quints. The penetration makes every hit matter in the early game. However, he's pretty fragile and forced into harm's way to utilize his orbiting stars, hence the Yellows being possibly health. Combine this harm's way playstyle with zero escapes, and you'd best focus your Summoner Spells on survival to stand a chance of not feeding.
He doesn't start team fights, but when he arrives he ends them.
You can build him as a glass cannon, but I personally don't recommend it. He shines brighter as a Tanky AP, such as Nunu might be built. You know what's been kind of popular lately? Frost Queen's Claim mid. I'd consider getting it on him too, to set up for big plays. My ideal set up tends to be Rod of Ages, Rylai's, Abyssal Scepter, Hourglass, Boots, Liandry's Torment. A nice mix of damage and utility, creating tons of slows, extra damage, and survivability.
His kit is pretty easy but has some glaring weaknesses. His passive [Center of the Universe] makes 3 stars hover around him constantly. They do damage based on level/AP, and if he is debilitated [RE: Can't cast spells] they disappear. They also apply Spell Affects, so on-hit Sol might be hilarious. If he's in a bush though, they do NOT become invisible too. He can't exactly be stealthy or hide. Be aware of this. They also execute minions under 25 hp, and his W [Celestial Expansion] make them use a much wider arc, but takes mana. You can toggle it on and off, and the ability increases the damage they deal. His Q [Starsurge] creates a new galaxy and fires it forward. It has a pretty meaty stun, and will keep traveling with you [whatever direction you fired it in] until you hit Q again, or it leaves your outer limit. While it's active you also get a 10% stun. This is where his combo comes from. His E [Comet of Legend] gives him something called "Escape Velocity," which stacks up to 100 while moving. He gains additional move speed if he stays traveling in the same direction. Turning consumes that move speed, as does taking damage. At 100, you can activate Escape Velocity to fly! While flying, he ignores terrain, has unobstructed sight, and also ignores unit collision. However, everyone can see him when he does it, even over walls.
They say a Teemo that fell into his orbit was, for a moment, not hated by all.
So what's the big deal? He can cast Q during it, and it grows the longer it's in flight. Taking damage while flying cancels it, but you can activate it in base, fly swiftly to the teamfight with Q in tow, stunning the entire enemy team before slapping your ult on them [Voice of Light] to slow them again and deal damage. Enemies in his Outer Limit are knocked away as well. Everything about his kit screams Arrogance. He doesn't bother to hide, or try to stealth, and he seems to be proud to let enemies know he is near, and ready to fight. Heck the fact that his preferred method of team fight decimation is to be fashionably late exemplifies his personality. You have to be aware, and in that frame of mind when playing him. While yes, he has quite a bit of damage, I'd use him more as a utility, to set up that big stun and have your other carries make the big plays. It's rough to be able to plan so far ahead that you can stun a whole team. Leave the needed fly in and knock up to Malphite or Alistar, or you'll have a frustrated Yasuo waiting all game for you to get it right. That is pretty damn demoralizing.
He is the most interesting dragon in the galaxy.
While you are spending all your time ensuring that you're being a big bad ass dragon, the enemy team will be plotting to take you out of the game early and often. Assassins, or burst champions that can all-in him [deal mortal damage in one big combo] are his bane. Once they are inside of the ring of stars, that's the end of Aurelion Sol. As far as his abilities go, I wouldn't even put a point in his E until 4 or 5. It's useful, but you won't find yourself using it often except to set up plays thanks to the ridiculous cooldown. I do love the E+Q combo, though. I haven't been able to emulate the galaxy-sized explosion that I have seen on Youtube, but I love that the skill ceiling teases such potential. He sees occasional bans in my ELO, and I don't forsee big nerfs/buffs in his future. He's interesting, fun, and offers a niche pick for summoner's to main and catch their unfamiliar foes with their pants down. But please don't emulate jungle Sol just because you saw someone else do it. Please? At least not in my ranked match. I guarantee if you're in my elo, you haven't had the necessary time with Sol to make this happen!
