Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Never stop not starving in Don't Starve Together]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/joystiq-streams-never-stop-not-starving-in-dont-starve-togethe/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/joystiq-streams-never-stop-not-starving-in-dont-starve-togethe/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/joystiq-streams-never-stop-not-starving-in-dont-starve-togethe/#comments The last time we played Don't Starve Together, everything went super well. We all survived and built happy homes in the woods, raising beefalo and generally keeping everything awesome forever all the time! No turkeys haunted our dreams and the eats were bountiful. Always bountiful.

No wait. That's not what happened. Everything was set on fire. Alexander screamed while Anthony cackled maniacally and Sinan held his face firmly in his palm. It was glory incarnate. Might as well do it again!

Starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch, we'll be streaming Don't Starve Together. Myriad members of the Joystiq crew will be hanging out, so come on down to talk with us.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM, come rain or shine. Feel free to follow us on Twitch to catch when those random other streams fire up in the wee hours.
[Images: Klei]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Never stop not starving in Don't Starve Together originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dont-starvejoystiq-streamspcTue, 27 Jan 2015 15:46:00 EST<![CDATA[For the '90s Arcade Gamer Soul: Gunsport]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/for-the-90s-arcade-gamer-soul-gunsport/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/for-the-90s-arcade-gamer-soul-gunsport/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/for-the-90s-arcade-gamer-soul-gunsport/#comments Wandering the halls of PAX South, a pattern begins to emerge: the 8-bit style resurgence has well and truly ended. While '80s nostalgia still rumbles throughout the booths of small developers, '90s style is what's playing on the screens. For newer players exhausted of blocky pixels in every other cult hit of the past five years, the chunky, dense neon of this 16/32-bit inspired games will be as welcome and vibrant as they were to players 25 years ago. To players of that era, games like Gunsport feel like home.

Continue reading For the '90s Arcade Gamer Soul: Gunsport

JoystiqFor the '90s Arcade Gamer Soul: Gunsport originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunsportmicrosoftnecrosoft-gamespax-south-2015pcplaystationps4xbox-oneSat, 24 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to make top down horror like Noct scary? Ditch zombies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-top-down-horror-like-noct-scary-ditch-zombies/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-top-down-horror-like-noct-scary-ditch-zombies/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-top-down-horror-like-noct-scary-ditch-zombies/#comments Noct, a new survival horror shooter by Chris Eskins, shouldn't be scary. Outwardly simplistic, Noct borrows the top down perspective of Devolver label-mate Hotline Miami as well 360-degree style shooting but ditches the color and detail. Dark, drab, and obscure, the black and white action is filtered through the ambient light of satellite night vision. Your blob of a character so easily killed is glimpsed through snaky sharp brambles and wandering down empty streets and detail-less warehouses. Noct should feel isolating but not scary. It's too distant, both in fidelity and in action. Yet it got me to yell, "Nope!" just like its characters do before they're run down by the blurry outline of a giant arachnid or wandering, ravenous, ill-defined bovine beast.

Continue reading How to make top down horror like Noct scary? Ditch zombies

JoystiqHow to make top down horror like Noct scary? Ditch zombies originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>c3skdevolver-digitalmacnoctpax-south-2015pcFri, 23 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Giveaway: SteelSeries Stratus XL iOS controller times 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/joystiq-giveaway-steelseries-stratus-xl-ios-controller-times-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/joystiq-giveaway-steelseries-stratus-xl-ios-controller-times-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/joystiq-giveaway-steelseries-stratus-xl-ios-controller-times-2/#comments So you're playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on your iPhone and you're thinking, "Man, it sure would be a lot easier to slice this Dark Jedi directly in their stupid cowled faces if I was using a controller." Than you're playing BioShock on your iPad and you're all, "Stupid Big Daddy wouldn't have drilled a giant hole in my abdomen if I were using a controller." The thought comes again and again while you play Limbo, XCOM, and myriad other games.

Don't worry about it! Joystiq has your back. We're giving away two, that's dos, SteelSeries Stratus XL iOS controllers. These babies work with any iOS device with a Lightning connector and running iOS 7 or higher.

Here's how to get the prizes: Just use the Rafflecopter widget below between January 23 and January 30. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email (so make double sure you use an email we can actually contact you at!) Full rules and details after the break.
SteelSeries Stratus XL iOS controller times 2
[Images: SteelSeries]

Continue reading Joystiq Giveaway: SteelSeries Stratus XL iOS controller times 2

JoystiqJoystiq Giveaway: SteelSeries Stratus XL iOS controller times 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshockgiveawayiosipadiphonemobilestar-wars-knights-of-the-old-republicsteelseriesFri, 23 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rash, Zitz, Pimple: Who's ready for new Battletoads?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/rash-zitz-pimple-whos-ready-for-new-battletoads/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/rash-zitz-pimple-whos-ready-for-new-battletoads/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/rash-zitz-pimple-whos-ready-for-new-battletoads/#comments Phil Spencer, ever the scamp, gave old school Rare fans a case of the vapors when he wore a Battletoads t-shirt during Wednesday's Windows 10 press conference. Who cares, right? Lots of people wear Battletoads t-shirts. It's what the kids wear, haute couture around the Orange Julius.

Not really, of course, but old Phil does have a habit of dropping hints at upcoming Xbox games using his wardrobe like when he sported a Crackdown t-shirt on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2013. A resurrected Rare brawler may well be in the cards if history's anything to go by.

Are you into it? It's been 21 years since the last Battletoads game even came out. Series creators Tim and Chris Stamper, founders of Rare itself, left the studio eight years ago. Then again, who doesn't love it when bipedal amphibians punch rats in the face?


JoystiqRash, Zitz, Pimple: Who's ready for new Battletoads? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BattletoadsmicrosoftpcRarexbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 14:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Discussions: Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and the deliceous typo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/joystiq-discussions-final-fantasy-type-0-hd-and-the-deliceous-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/joystiq-discussions-final-fantasy-type-0-hd-and-the-deliceous-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/joystiq-discussions-final-fantasy-type-0-hd-and-the-deliceous-t/#comments Everyone makes mistakes. Chances are that in the process of writing this I've misspelled a word, mucked up my punctuation or grammar, at least once. Language is a tricky beast, make no mistake! The beauty of publishing on the Internet, though, is that typos can be repaired the moment they're spotted. If you print something and send it out into the world, especially on a physical product that stands to sell hundreds of thousands of copies, there's no fixing that sucker. So you'd think Square-Enix's production team would at some point in the proofing process catch a juicy one like "inlcudes" on the cover of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.

On the one hand, mistakes like these indicate a level of disinterest. "Oh, who cares what the cover says! No one's going to pay attention," say the phantom production managers in the diehard fan's brain.

Than again, it's fun! I personally love a good wacky game package, though. A certain Resident Evil for Nintendo 3DS will never, ever leave my library thanks to its hilarious spine. Sometimes the flubs aren't even typos. Okami on Wii had star Amaterasu on the cover, but it also had an IGN watermark on it. Capcom didn't even use its own art to make that cover!

Do you dig having these oddities in your library? Take the poll, discuss in the comments.

[Images: Square-Enix]

JoystiqJoystiq Discussions: Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and the deliceous typo originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>final-fantasy-agito-xiiifinal-fantasy-type-0joystiq-discussionmicrosoftplaystationps4xbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: JumpJet Rex wrecks us with platforming swagger]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/joystiq-streams-jumpjet-rex-wrecks-us-with-platforming-swagger/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/joystiq-streams-jumpjet-rex-wrecks-us-with-platforming-swagger/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/16/joystiq-streams-jumpjet-rex-wrecks-us-with-platforming-swagger/#comments


Dinosaurs are inherently awesome, but history has proven that adding certain things to dinosaurs tends to make them way more awesome. Skateboards make dinosaurs more awesome, particularly when they come with a guitar. Pairing dinosaurs up with bipedal, vulpine space pilots? Super awesome. TreeFortress Games' platformer JumpJet Rex, currently in Early Access on Steam, postulates that a run-and-jump space adventure will rule provided it stars a dinosaur wearing jetpack boots. Joystiq is intrigued to see if they are correct.

Starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch, we'll be playing a heaping spoonful of JumpJet Rex. If you too love dinosaurs doing awesome things, feel free to join us.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST. We also broadcast at odd times throughout the week so follow us on Twitch to know when we go live.
[Images: TreeFortress Games]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: JumpJet Rex wrecks us with platforming swagger originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-streamspcFri, 16 Jan 2015 15:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Virtual interplanetary with Elite: Dangerous on Oculus Rift]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/joystiq-streams-virtual-interplanetary-with-elite-dangerous-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/joystiq-streams-virtual-interplanetary-with-elite-dangerous-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/joystiq-streams-virtual-interplanetary-with-elite-dangerous-on/#comments
Admit it: You want to see a grown man shake his head back and forth, talking out loud to no one, pretending to fly a spaceship. The fact that you also want to see Elite: Dangerous, the long-in-development sequel to David Braben's foundational open world space simulator, is just icing on the cake. Sure you'll get to see what it's like to duke it out in tense spaceship dogfights. But what really matters is that you'll see Xav de Matos (@Xav), bobbing his head back and forth to an invisible rhythm like he's listening to some phantom TLC album, playing the game on an Oculus Rift.

We'll be streaming Elite: Dangerous via Oculus Rift starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. Come down to the chat and ask Xav how it feels to be a totally real spaceman. Don't worry, Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello) will be on hand to make sure Xav can at least hear your questions.

If you like seeing grownups pretend to be space pilots, follow us on Twitch. This is kind of our thing. If you want to know precisely when to tune in, Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday like clockwork, but following us is the best way to know when we go live.
[Images: Frontier Developments]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Virtual interplanetary with Elite: Dangerous on Oculus Rift originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>elite-dangerousFrontier-Developmentsjoystiq-streamspcThu, 15 Jan 2015 15:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Free to be Super Mario Galaxy 2 for me and Wii U]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/joystiq-streams-free-to-be-super-mario-galaxy-2-for-me-and-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/joystiq-streams-free-to-be-super-mario-galaxy-2-for-me-and-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/joystiq-streams-free-to-be-super-mario-galaxy-2-for-me-and-wii/#comments

After more than two years of wondering when Nintendo would finally do the obvious thing, embrace modernity, and allow games for the Wii be downloaded directly from the Internet into the Wii U, it delivered. Super Mario Galaxy 2, Punch-Out!!, and Metroid Prime Trilogy are the very first Wii games downloadable from the eShop. The latter two won't be available until later this month, but since Joystiq never turns down an opportunity to explore mini-planetoids and options for force-feeding dinosaurs hot peppers, we're going to check out Super Mario Galaxy 2 on Joystiq Streams.

Our understanding is that these releases haven't been changed in any significant way, but Nintendo's digital releases always include odd quirks. For example, who expected the Virtual Console version of Metroid Fusion to include a full color reproduction of the instruction manual? We'll see what secrets may be hidden in Galaxy 2.

Tune into Joystiq.com/Twitch at 4:00PM EST to check out how the downloadable Wii games feel on the machine. Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM, but when we get the itch to stream, we do it! So follow us on Twitch to know when we go live.
[Images: Nintendo]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Free to be Super Mario Galaxy 2 for me and Wii U originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-streamsnintendoSuper-Mario-Galaxy-2wii-uWed, 14 Jan 2015 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Discussion: Will you get a New Nintendo 3DS?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/joystiq-discussion-will-you-get-a-new-nintendo-3ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/joystiq-discussion-will-you-get-a-new-nintendo-3ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/joystiq-discussion-will-you-get-a-new-nintendo-3ds/#comments
When asked during Nintendo's October 2014 investor question and answer session why the New Nintendo 3DS wouldn't release outside of Japan in time for the holidays, company president Satoru Iwata was blunt. "The overseas markets are different from the Japanese market in both their stages of popularization of Nintendo 3DS and their market characteristics," said Iwata. "Nintendo 3DS is still at an earlier stage of popularization in these two markets." In other words: We haven't sold enough of the old ones. Maybe if enough people buy the old ones for Christmas, we'll give you the fancy new jazz with its improved screen, its extra shoulder buttons, amiibo support, and that extra analog nub.

Just two weeks into 2015, Nintendo confirmed that the New Nintendo 3DS XL will come to the United States and Europe in February. It will cost a cool $199. Of course, that's if you already have an AC adapter to actually power the thing. New Nintendo 3DS XL-whether the red, black, or Majora's Mask edition-doesn't come with a power cord, which is $10 on its own. That's an expensive upgrade for a machine that Nintendo believed wasn't selling enough in the West already, and even more so for existing owners lusting after the new toy.

The upgrade is demonstrable, though. For my part, the lure of portable Xenoblade is enough to convince me to take the plunge. I love Monolith Soft RPGs, though, and their game is currently the only New 3DS exclusive announced. If it enough for you to get the New 3DS? Take the poll, discuss in the comments.



[Images: Nintendo]

JoystiqJoystiq Discussion: Will you get a New Nintendo 3DS? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsjoystiq-discussionnintendothe-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask-3dsWed, 14 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles confirmed for US release in April]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/xenoblade-chronicles-confirmed-for-us-release-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/xenoblade-chronicles-confirmed-for-us-release-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/xenoblade-chronicles-confirmed-for-us-release-in-april/#comments What a bunch of jokers! Nintendo confirmed during its January Nintendo Direct presentation that the New Nintendo 3DS port of Xenoblade is coming to the the US in April 2015. Nintendo also confirmed that it will be available on April 2 in Japan.

Announced in August, the renamed Xenoblade Chronicles will only run on the new version of Nintendo's handheld thanks to its superior specs.
[Image: Nintendo]

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles confirmed for US release in April originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsnintendonintendo-direct-january-2015xenoblade-chroniclesWed, 14 Jan 2015 09:44:00 EST<![CDATA['Project Treasure' is a free-to-play, 4-player action game for Wii U]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/project-treasure-is-a-free-to-play-4-player-action-game-for-w/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/project-treasure-is-a-free-to-play-4-player-action-game-for-w/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/project-treasure-is-a-free-to-play-4-player-action-game-for-w/#comments Katsuhiro Harada, famed lover of sunglasses and director of the Tekken series, announced a new game for Wii U from Namco Bandai. Codenamed Project Treasure, the four-player co-op game for Wii U will focus on hunting for treasure and fighting enemies. Unlike Harada's Tekken games, Project Treasure is targeted a broad audience. Harada emphasized that the Dimps-developed game is designed to be "accessible." Project Treasure will be available as an eShop download.

Joystiq'Project Treasure' is a free-to-play, 4-player action game for Wii U originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Katsuhiro-Haradanintendoproject-treasurewii-uWed, 14 Jan 2015 09:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Free-to-play Pokemon Shuffle announced for Nintendo 3DS eShop]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/free-to-play-pokemon-shuffle-announced-for-nintendo-3ds-eshop/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/free-to-play-pokemon-shuffle-announced-for-nintendo-3ds-eshop/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/free-to-play-pokemon-shuffle-announced-for-nintendo-3ds-eshop/#comments In an attempt to reignite Pokemon Puzzle League addictions around the world, Nintendo is releasing a new Pokemon puzzle game for the Nintendo 3DS. Pokemon Shuffle for Nintendo 3DS will be available to play for free by downloading it from the eShop when it releases in February.
[Image: Nintendo]

JoystiqFree-to-play Pokemon Shuffle announced for Nintendo 3DS eShop originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dseShopnintendopokemon-shuffleWed, 14 Jan 2015 09:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo announces 'The Latest in the Fire Emblem Series' for Nintendo 3DS]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/nintendo-announces-the-latest-in-the-fire-emblem-series-for-ni/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/nintendo-announces-the-latest-in-the-fire-emblem-series-for-ni/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/14/nintendo-announces-the-latest-in-the-fire-emblem-series-for-ni/#comments
Nintendo announced a new, untitled Fire Emblem for Nintendo 3DS during its Nintendo Direct January 2015 event. Developed by series stewards Intelligent Systems, it's a follow up to 2013's Fire Emblem: Awakening.

Update: We've added the game's teaser trailer (above) and a handful of screens (below).
[Image: Nintendo]

JoystiqNintendo announces 'The Latest in the Fire Emblem Series' for Nintendo 3DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsfire-emblemnintendonintendo-direct-january-2015Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: The sound of thunder in Evolve]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/joystiq-streams-the-sound-of-thunder-in-evolve/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/joystiq-streams-the-sound-of-thunder-in-evolve/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/joystiq-streams-the-sound-of-thunder-in-evolve/#comments

I'm going hunting, I'm the hunter/I'll bring back the goods/But I don't know when

No, Bjork isn't a selectable character in Turtle Rock Studio's first major multiplayer shooter since creating Left 4 Dead. Just four hunters fulfilling four distinctive roles as they bring down the most dangerous prey of all: human! Actually, in Evolve it's a human controlling a giant beast that becomes more powerful as it eats little octopus-dinosaurs. It's a whole thing. You'll see when we play it for you live.

Joystiq.com/Twitch will broadcast a solid helping of a feature-complete Evolve starting at 4:00PM EST. Come join us!

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST, but we stream all the time as we're doing today so follow us on Twitch.
[Images: 2K Games]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: The sound of thunder in Evolve originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>evolvepcFri, 09 Jan 2015 15:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Discussion: When is it time to reboot?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/joystiq-discussion-when-is-it-time-to-reboot/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/joystiq-discussion-when-is-it-time-to-reboot/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/joystiq-discussion-when-is-it-time-to-reboot/#comments Deeply excited about replaying Devil May Cry 4 and DmC: Devil May Cry on PlayStation 4, I embarked on a quest to finally fill a gaping hole in my gaming experience this week. Playing Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening for the first time elicited some distinct thoughts. First, this game lives up to its reputation. Not quite as amazing as descendants like Bayonetta 2, but its combo-driven action and melodramatic weirdness hold up marvelously.

Second: Why did Devil May Cry need a reboot at all? Make no mistake, I thought DmC was one of the best games made in 2013, but it's not like there was some complex story preventing people from getting into the series. Dante, no matter what the most vocal dissenters may say, is no more ridiculously designed in DmC than in Devil May Cry 3. He's still an absurd fop-goth prone to not wearing shirts and stabbing people. As far as I can tell, all the reboot did was alienate fans by telling them something they loved needed to change but little actually did.

Then again, some reboots just work. One of my favorite games of 2014 was Wolfenstein: The New Order, a game that found unexpectedly rich soil in a series barely on life support, sustained only on nostalgia. There's the difference, though. Wolfenstein needed to change in order to be relevant in today's gaming landscape, a very different scenario than with DmC.

When do you reboot? When a series isn't relevant? When a story becomes too dense? Never? Take the poll, discuss in the comments.
[Images: Capcom]

JoystiqJoystiq Discussion: When is it time to reboot? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dmc-devil-may-cryjoystiq-discussionmicrosoftpcplaystationps4xbox-oneFri, 09 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Who watches the Watch Dogs Wii U? You do!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/joystiq-streams-who-watches-the-watch-dogs-wii-u-you-do/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/joystiq-streams-who-watches-the-watch-dogs-wii-u-you-do/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/joystiq-streams-who-watches-the-watch-dogs-wii-u-you-do/#comments

We've been threatening to do it for almost two months. Everyone said we were just making empty threats. "Oh, Joystiq is all talk," they said, "what with their boasts about streaming odd ports of big budget duds on a peculiar Nintendo console! Why would they ever stream Watch Dogs on Wii U? Who would even watch such a thing?" Joystiq would watch such a thing. Come! Join us as we discover just how Ubisoft's hacker action game stacks up on the old GamePad.

We'll be streaming Watch Dogs for Wii U starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. Our own Xav de Matos (@Xav) will be the canary in the proverbial coal mine. Mike Suszek (@mikesuszek) will provide much needed moral support and hang out in the chat.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST. Sometimes we get squirrelly and stream stuff out of the blue, so if you want to catch us at those times make sure to follow us on Twitch.
[Images: Ubisoft, Nintendo]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Who watches the Watch Dogs Wii U? You do! originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2015 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-streamsnintendoUbisoftwatch-dogswii-uWed, 07 Jan 2015 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Badass British Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Speedrun]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/joystiq-streams-badass-british-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-speedrun/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/joystiq-streams-badass-british-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-speedrun/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/joystiq-streams-badass-british-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-speedrun/#comments

What are you looking at, you blue freak? Wagging your finger at us like you're all that. Think we're impressed that you hang out with a fox with two tails? Well... we are! That's super cool! But the fact that your eyes sort of connect into a single giant eye is gross! And why are you blue? That is not a natural color for hedgehogs, man. Get that checked out. How about we check it out for you! We'll check it out so fast, you won't even know what happened. We'll take what's arguably your most beloved game, Sonic, and we'll beat it in two hours or die trying.

Okay, fine, no one's going to die. But Sinan Kubba (@SinanKubba), Joystiq's ferocious UK editor, is still going to try and defeat Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in roughly two hours starting at 3:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST, come rain or shine, but we stream all the time. If you want to make sure you catch us when we go live, follow us on Twitch.

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Badass British Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Speedrun originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-streamsSegasonic the hedgehog 2SpeedRunTue, 06 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Discussion: How do you tackle your gaming back log?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-tackle-your-gaming-back-log/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-tackle-your-gaming-back-log/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/02/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-tackle-your-gaming-back-log/#comments January is when the sheer scale of it hits you, when you stare into the inky abyss of your Steam library and wonder: when the hell am I going to play all of these games? Every time the sale starts, the back log grows. Five measly bucks for a copy of Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition! Who cares that I'm smack dab in the middle of three different RPGs? I can't let that pass me by! So the backlog swells, piling more and more games onto the proverbial, sometimes actual, stack.

Recently I took stock of my own considerable back log, counting up all the vintage cartridges, discs, recent releases that went on sale, and downloads I'd amassed but never actually fired up to play. Turned out there were 27 games that I'd simply never turned on. In January, I'm trying to tackle them one at a time. Pokemon Y and Silent Hill: Book of Memories are first up! Once I've knocked them down, I'll move on to two more.

It's not a perfect system, though. There are plenty of ways to tackle the back log. Do you take it slow? Do you not even bother and just let the back log grow? Or do you manage to keep up, finishing everything as you go. Take the poll, discuss below.



[Images: Nintendo]

JoystiqJoystiq Discussion: How do you tackle your gaming back log? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsjoystiq-discussionmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitapokemon-x-yps4vitawii-uxbox-oneFri, 02 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Anthony's picks of 2014]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/best-of-the-rest-anthonys-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/best-of-the-rest-anthonys-picks-of-2014/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/best-of-the-rest-anthonys-picks-of-2014/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Unlike a surprising number of vocal individuals on the Internet, I happened to like Final Fantasy XIII. Its world of cruel, mercurial gods and long, fashionable coats worked for me despite some miserable pacing and some truly unlikable characters. (Why would anyone try to save Serah or help Snow? They're insufferable.) I didn't love it, though. I honestly thought that I'd finally grown out of Final Fantasy's style of drama. And then came Lightning Returns, the best game to come out of Square's internal Japanese studios since 2006.

Everything about Lightning Returns clicked for me. The weird costume design was leveraged to make a speedy, delectable battle system that rarely emphasizes level grinding over skill and strategy. Manipulating the passage of time while sticking to the game's ceaselessly diminishing clock before the world literally ends never feels cumbersome or stressful as in other time management games, it only adds to the driven feeling that fuels the story. And what a story.

Lightning Returns trades mewling melodrama for a tale about a post-death world. When everyone lives forever, when nothing changes, what matters? The wooden Lightning of past games instead becomes a powerful point-of-view character for the player, an anchor for our questions about this fantasy world works and what's at stake. Square hasn't made a game this powerful or weird in years, and part of me wishes this was the only Final Fantasy XIII in existence.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Anthony's picks of 2014

JoystiqBest of the Rest: Anthony's picks of 2014 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best-of-2014best-of-the-rest-2014joystiq-best-of-2014lightning-returns-final-fantasy-xiiimicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4recommendedsouth-park-the-stick-of-truththe-vanishing-of-ethan-carterwolfenstein-the-new-orderxboxxbox-oneThu, 01 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Top 10 of 2014: Mario Kart 8]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-mario-kart-8/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-mario-kart-8/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/01/joystiq-top-10-of-2014-mario-kart-8/#commentsATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris.

Mario Kart 8, much like its host console, made a poor first impression when it showed up in demo form back at E3 2013. In the same way that the Wii U met with equal parts confusion and indifference when it debuted - thanks to that odd controller- Mario Kart 8's anti-gravity racing felt like the most tiresome sort of tacked-on gimmick early on.

"Oh, it's Mario Kart! But super pretty! And upside down!" Great. Super. Who cares?

But also like the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 hides deep pleasures just beneath the surface. Beautiful, smart, overstuffed with rewards, and functional in ways the series has only toyed with in the past, Mario Kart 8 was a burning hot spot in Wii U's brightest year yet.

Continue reading Joystiq Top 10 of 2014: Mario Kart 8

JoystiqJoystiq Top 10 of 2014: Mario Kart 8 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best-of-2014joystiq-best-of-2014mario-kart-8nintendorecommendedwii-uThu, 01 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Co-op forever in Don't Starve Together]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/joystiq-streams-co-op-forever-in-dont-starve-together/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/joystiq-streams-co-op-forever-in-dont-starve-together/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/30/joystiq-streams-co-op-forever-in-dont-starve-together/#comments

Joystiq has issues with not starving. It all started with those accursed turkeys when Don't Starve hit PS4 in January. Things got even worse when we tackled Reign of Giants with Klei's own Seth Rosen in June. This time? This time's going to be different. We won't starve now that we're together. Stay close, dear friends, when the dark and the turkeys and the beefalos come. We'll get through this.

We're rocking an extra large stream of Don't Starve Together on Joystiq.com/Twitch starting at 2:30PM EST. The game's old hat for Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) but this will be the very first time Sinan Kubba (@SinanKubba) has played. Will Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello) finally have his revenge? Maybe!

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM but we regularly stream at odd hours, giving goodies away and being weird, so follow us on Twitch to catch us when we go live.
[Images: Klei]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Co-op forever in Don't Starve Together originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Dec 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dont-starvejoystiq-streamsklei-entertainmentpcTue, 30 Dec 2014 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Discussion: How do you like your Best of the Year list?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-like-your-best-of-the-year-list/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-like-your-best-of-the-year-list/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-discussion-how-do-you-like-your-best-of-the-year-list/#comments How do you evaluate Tetris and Metroid in the same breath? Does that even make sense? One's about manipulating space using a small collection of simple shapes while the other's about exploring an alien world as an increasingly dangerous bounty hunter. Yet they're both video games. They're electronic works of art defined by how the audience touches and prods them. Deeply different yet similar at their most basic levels.

This is the central conundrum that always arises at the end of the year. When looking back and determining what was the very best amongst 2014's video games, it's hard to compare certain works. Does a game like Assassin's Creed: Unity, made by hundreds of people, get compared to something like Shovel Knight which was made by just a handful of creators? Do you even count things like Simogo's The Sailor's Dream? It's tricky. Yet when you're talking about the very best, maybe it doesn't matter that things are so different. These are the games that excelled; end of story.

The question then: how do you like your Best of the Year? Do you like everything lumped together, a free-for-all to spotlight the things that were the greatest no matter what? Or should the Best of the Year be broken into smaller categories so as to make sure that every game is on equal footing against similar works? Take the poll, discuss in the comments.

[Images: Nintendo]

JoystiqJoystiq Discussion: How do you like your Best of the Year list? originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iosipadiphonejoystiq-discussionmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps4wii-uxbox-oneMon, 29 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Far Cry 4 for four straight hours]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-streams-far-cry-4-for-four-straight-hours/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-streams-far-cry-4-for-four-straight-hours/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/29/joystiq-streams-far-cry-4-for-four-straight-hours/#comments

There are only 2.5 days of 2014 left! How are we going to knock everything off our annual bucket list in less than 72 hours! There was so much left to do. Visiting a new country. Climbing a mountain near Everest without having to actually climb Everest. Tricking a honey badger into fighting an eagle. Jumping a jeep off of an exceptionally miffed elephant. Wait a second... we can probably knock all of these off in a single afternoon. To Far Cry 4!

Joystiq's going to live it up Kyrat style today with four hours of Far Cry 4 starting at 1:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. Tune in at the beginning to check out the very beginning of the game before we take a break and restart past the halfway mark of the campaign.

Joystiq.com/Twitch regularly broadcasts at 4:00PM EST every Tuesday and Thursday. Want to catch all our streams like this weirdo Far Cry 4 expedition? Follow us on Twitch.http://twitch.tv/joystiq
[Images: Ubisoft]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Far Cry 4 for four straight hours originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>far-cry-4joystiq-streamspcMon, 29 Dec 2014 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Console Madness: Free Sunset Overdrive Xbox One and much more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/26/console-madness-free-sunset-overdrive-xbox-one-and-much-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/26/console-madness-free-sunset-overdrive-xbox-one-and-much-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/26/console-madness-free-sunset-overdrive-xbox-one-and-much-more/#comments
Joystiq will never stop giving away consoles! NEVER! Until we run out of consoles to give away, of course. That ain't happening yet. Following up our Nintendo 3DS XL giveaway comes yet another Xbox One giveaway. This one, however, is the possibly the best of them all. We're giving away an ultra rare Sunset Overdrive Xbox One, with its fancy white case and a copy of Insomniac's game. While we only have one of these beauties to hand out, at least one runner up will receive a box of swag culled from the Joystiq offices. What's inside? You'll have to win to find out.

Here's how to get the prizes: Just use the Rafflecopter widget below between December 26 and January 2. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email. Full rules and details after the break.

Sunset Overdrive Xbox One giveaway
[Images: Microsoft/Insomniac Games]

Continue reading Console Madness: Free Sunset Overdrive Xbox One and much more

JoystiqConsole Madness: Free Sunset Overdrive Xbox One and much more originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>giveawaymicrosoftsunset-overdrivexbox-oneFri, 26 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Console Madness: Free Smash Bros 3DS XL, the rarest PS4 game, and much more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/console-madness-free-smash-bros-3ds-xl-the-rarest-ps4-game-an/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/console-madness-free-smash-bros-3ds-xl-the-rarest-ps4-game-an/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/console-madness-free-smash-bros-3ds-xl-the-rarest-ps4-game-an/#comments
So Joystiq's given away a couple of limited edition Xbox Ones, a limited edition PlayStation 4, a crazy edition of Destiny, and a whole mess of random swag. You think we're done? We're not done. Prepare for more! In the lead-up to Christmas, Joystiq is giving away a limited edition Super Smash Bros. Nintendo 3DS XL. Snazzy art plus a copy of the game pre-installed!

That's not all we're giving away, though. There's also a copy of Retro City Rampage for PlayStation 4. Recently released as a physical edition, it's the rarest PS4 game out there and already fetching serious prices on eBay. Finally, we've got an enormous box of mystery swag. What's in the box? You'll have to be one of our three winners to find out.

Here's how to get the goods: Just use the Rafflecopter widget below between December 19 and December 26. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email. Full rules and details after the break.

Free Smash Bros 3DS XL, the rarest PS4 game, and much more giveaway
[Images: Nintendo]

Continue reading Console Madness: Free Smash Bros 3DS XL, the rarest PS4 game, and much more

JoystiqConsole Madness: Free Smash Bros 3DS XL, the rarest PS4 game, and much more originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsgiveawaynintendoplaystationps4super-smash-bros-3dsFri, 19 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Halo 5 beta, live and uncut]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/joystiq-streams-halo-5-beta-live-and-uncut/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/joystiq-streams-halo-5-beta-live-and-uncut/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/joystiq-streams-halo-5-beta-live-and-uncut/#comments

Halo is on the brain this December. We're chock full of conflicting emotions about Master Chief, personable AI, and the many ancient technology entanglements they find themselves snared in. Revisiting all of Chief's tales in the Master Chief Collection reminded us just how awesome Halo campaigns can be. That said, the plague of matchmaking problems in that anthology caused some serious negative connotations to attach themselves to Halo multiplayer in our brains. What we need is a palate cleanser! A view of the future, not the past. The Halo 5: Guardians beta will be our virtual sorbet.

We're streaming Halo 5: Guardians on Joystiq.com/Twitch starting at 4:00PM EST. Iron sights? Crazy dash moves? We'll see what 343's cooked up. You can come on by and hang with us while we do it.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST, but we stream at unusual times as we're doing today, so make sure to follow us on Twitch to catch all our streams.
[Images: Microsoft]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Halo 5 beta, live and uncut originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>halo-5-guardiansjoystiq-streamsmicrosoftxbox-oneFri, 19 Dec 2014 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Discussion: Do you pre-order games?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/joystiq-discussion-do-you-pre-order-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/joystiq-discussion-do-you-pre-order-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/19/joystiq-discussion-do-you-pre-order-games/#comments Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Assassin's Creed: Unity. Driveclub. What do these games share? All of them hit consoles this fall in semi-functional states. Halo's matchmaking is still busted, Assassin's Creed is still working to iron out kinks, and Driveclub's many social features, the very things that distinguish it from other driving games, took weeks to properly work at all. As Joystiq's Richard Mitchell put it in his recent editorial, we're paying for broken games.

One reason that the big budget gaming industry is able to sell incomplete products as part of its business model is the pre-order ecosystem. The "insidious psychology" of wanting the latest thing first, as Richard puts it, is taken advantage of by the publishers producing the most expensive games in the world and people end up buying broken goods as a result. A solution to the problem: Stop pre-ordering.

Problem is, sometimes pre-ordering games is the only way to reliably get your hands on them. Limited run items like the retail PS4 version of Retro City Rampage sold out before the game was released. Obviously an international release like Assassin's Creed: Unity isn't going to suffer from the same shortage issues, but some physical releases by larger publishers are rare all the same, particularly limited editions.

The question: Do you pre-order games? Do you do it regularly or only in special circumstances? Take the poll and discuss in the comments.
[Images: Ubisoft]

JoystiqJoystiq Discussion: Do you pre-order games? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-unityjoystiq-discussionmicrosoftplaystationps4xbox-oneFri, 19 Dec 2014 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: See my KOR-FX vest, best for making games feel weird]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/joystiq-streams-see-my-kor-fx-vest-best-for-making-games-feel/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/joystiq-streams-see-my-kor-fx-vest-best-for-making-games-feel/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/joystiq-streams-see-my-kor-fx-vest-best-for-making-games-feel/#comments
See my vest/see my vest/as we strap a KOR-FX Acousto-Haptic Video Gaming Vest to our chest/Feel this peripheral/it ain't medicinal/it just makes games less ephemeral/Oh please, won't you see my vest!

Ahem.

Today on Joystiq Streams, something different! Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM) received a KOR-FX Acousto-Haptic Video Gaming Vest in the mail. Like having a sub-woofer strapped to your torso, the vest is intended to simulate the physicality of your character in a video game. This can range from the whimsical (feel the impact of landing a crazy jump in Sunset Overdrive) to the deeply macabre (feel yourself get shot in Call of Duty. Yeesh).

Starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch, Richard is going to play a variety of PlayStation 4 games using the vest. What happens when you're caught in Alien: Isolation? How about when you interrogate an Uruk in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor? We'll find out live.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST like clockwork, but if you want to catch every stream we do, vest or non-vest related, make sure to follow us on Twitch.
[Images: 20th Century Fox/KOR-FX]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: See my KOR-FX vest, best for making games feel weird originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-streamskor-fxplaystationps4Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Swifter, Not Safer: Bloodborne trades Dark Souls' creep for speed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/swifter-not-safer-bloodborne-trades-dark-souls-creep-for-spee/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/swifter-not-safer-bloodborne-trades-dark-souls-creep-for-spee/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/swifter-not-safer-bloodborne-trades-dark-souls-creep-for-spee/#comments Bloodborne bummed me right out when it was announced back in June. Gothic action RPG from From Software, Japan's premiere purveyors of supremely weird, deeply punishing action games? Should be awesome. Unlike many of the converted, though, I've never cottoned to the Dark Souls games that Bloodborne is a spiritual successor to.

Dark Souls' ethos is one I deeply respect. A game that thrusts you into a mysterious place that reveals its history through strange visuals, vicious combat, and patient explorations, the spirit of the series is deeply appealing. Feeling how that game plays, though, was an enormous turn off. The awkward, chunky pace of blocking, slowly attacking, meticulously dodging, then dying repeatedly only to try again just rubbed me wrong.

Bloodborne's promise of improved access to the series seemed like a pyrrhic victory. The emphasis on fast action rather than patient blocking and enemy study seemed great, but wouldn't that dilute the series' stern soul? Apparently not. Bloodborne is a much swifter game than Dark Souls, but it's no less dangerous. Death is still waiting behind the corners of From Software's latest dank world, but how you move around that doom is potentially more inviting to the unconverted that never quite got Dark Souls.

Continue reading Swifter, Not Safer: Bloodborne trades Dark Souls' creep for speed

JoystiqSwifter, Not Safer: Bloodborne trades Dark Souls' creep for speed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloodborneFrom-Softwareplaystationps4Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Silent night, Dying Light]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/joystiq-streams-silent-night-dying-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/joystiq-streams-silent-night-dying-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/16/joystiq-streams-silent-night-dying-light/#comments

Do not go gentle into that zombie fight/shambling corpses should burn and rave at close of day/Rage, rage against the hordes of Dying Light.

Techland has been working on the zombie apocalypse train for years now, determined to make the best possible open world overrun with stumbling undead freaks they possibly can. What started as a third Dead Island game became something else entirely when they realized just how big and parkour-ready a world they were building. When Dying Light became its own beast, though, Techland was forced to delay it nearly a full year. While the game's still not done, Joystiq does have its hands on a preview version of the game, and we're ready to rage against the dying. Or the dead, as the case may be.

Joystiq.com/Twitch is broadcasting Dying Light live at 4:00PM EST. Xav de Matos (@Xav) will be playing while Susan Arendt (@SusanArendt) and Anthony John Agnello (@AJohnAgnello) hang in the chat.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts live every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST. Starting this week, though, Joystiq will be streaming at all hours, revisiting the games of 2014. Follow us on Twitch to catch us whenever we go live.

[Images: WBIE]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Silent night, Dying Light originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Dec 2014 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dying-lightjoystiq-streamspcTue, 16 Dec 2014 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[UPDATE: Super Joystiq Podcast returns to iTunes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/update-super-joystiq-podcast-returns-to-itunes/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/update-super-joystiq-podcast-returns-to-itunes/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/15/update-super-joystiq-podcast-returns-to-itunes/#comments For many of our listeners, it might have seemed like the Joystiq Podcast flat out disappeared at the beginning of November. While we were still running episodes on Joystiq at the podcast's homepage, alongside some new radio experiments currently known as Joystiq Presents, the podcast RSS feed stopped populating iTunes. The drought is over: We're back on the iTunes air.

Here are some important facts about the podcast at the moment:

1) The podcast can be found on iTunes here. If you subscribed to the podcast before November, you may need to resubscribe.

2) The current RSS feed for the podcast can be found here.

3) If you have any issues with the podcast, please email us at podcast@joystiq.com. We'll do our best to help out.

Thanks to all of you for your patience as we got these tech issues sorted out. We really appreciate it!

JoystiqUPDATE: Super Joystiq Podcast returns to iTunes originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-podcastjoystiq-presentsMon, 15 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Console Madness Giveaway: Free PS4, Destiny Ghost Edition, much more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/console-madness-giveaway-free-ps4-destiny-ghost-edition-much/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/console-madness-giveaway-free-ps4-destiny-ghost-edition-much/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/console-madness-giveaway-free-ps4-destiny-ghost-edition-much/#comments In November, Joystiq went a little console crazy. We gave away an Xbox One Limited Edition Bundle. Then we gave away another Xbox One Limited Edition Bundle. Then we took a break to give away some sweet phones and a Witcher board game. Break's over. Now Joystiq's embarking on its biggest, craziest giveaway of the holiday season yet.

What are we giving away? First, a limited edition, white PlayStation 4 complete with a copy of Destiny. We've also got one copy of the Destiny: Ghost Edition for one lucky runner up. A third runner up will receive copies of Madden NFL 2015, NHL 2015, and The Crew for PS4. Finally, our fourth runner up will receive the great MYSTERY SWAG BOX!

Here's how to get the goods: Just use the Rafflecopter widget below between December 12 and December 19. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email. Full rules and details after the break.
Console Madness Giveaway: Free PS4, Destiny Ghost Edition, much more

[Images: Activision]

Continue reading Console Madness Giveaway: Free PS4, Destiny Ghost Edition, much more

JoystiqConsole Madness Giveaway: Free PS4, Destiny Ghost Edition, much more originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activisiondestinygiveawayplaystationps4Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Chaos Reborn, Julian Gollop Grudge Match Round 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/joystiq-streams-chaos-reborn-julian-gollop-grudge-match-round/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/joystiq-streams-chaos-reborn-julian-gollop-grudge-match-round/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/joystiq-streams-chaos-reborn-julian-gollop-grudge-match-round/#comments

Nine months have passed since X-COM creator Julian Gollop swung by Joystiq Streams to play a prototype version of Chaos Reborn, his new versus strategy game. Much has changed! For starters, the game no longer looks like a crazy Tron-ified tabletop RPG session, all black backgrounds and neon beasts. The game hit Steam Early Access this week and it looks full, with rich art and refined multiplayer action. Of course, Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) has also become a more cunning opponent in the intervening months! Time for a rematch.

Join Joystiq as Gollop and Sliwinski face off once more. We'll be streaming matches of Chaos Reborn on Joystiq.com/Twitch starting at 4:00PM EST. Come by the chat to ask Julian (@Julian_Gollop) your burning questions about the careful art of strategy game design.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST. Next week, we'll be streaming at all kinds of hours to get in our last licks on 2014's game library so follow us on Twitch to know when we'll be live.
[Images: Snapshot Games]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Chaos Reborn, Julian Gollop Grudge Match Round 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chaos-rebornjoystiq-streamspcThu, 11 Dec 2014 15:43:00 EST<![CDATA[One Final Fantasy X PS4, please! When do you re-purchase a game?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/one-final-fantasy-x-ps4-please-when-do-you-re-purchase-a-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/one-final-fantasy-x-ps4-please-when-do-you-re-purchase-a-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/11/one-final-fantasy-x-ps4-please-when-do-you-re-purchase-a-game/#comments A common lament circled around the Joystiq crew this week, echoing from staffer to staffer like a particularly winsome bird call: "Great! Now I'm going to buy Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster again!" Roughly one year after Square-Enix brought Yoshinori Kitase's freaky love-and-water-basketball story to PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, the package is making the jump to PlayStation 4. Sure it's got "system exclusive" features, but realistically this is the exact same package that came out in 2013. Excusing the thorough and comely graphical makeover, they're also pretty much the exact same games some of us already have for our perfectly functional PlayStation 2s.

This impulse is all part of the plan, of course. Game makers want games on as many platforms as possible to maximize their potential audience, but they also know that their most devoted fans will repeatedly return to the well. Square-Enix happens to be notorious for re-releasing and remaking its games - Final Fantasy IV has been re-released nine times since first coming out not counting digital re-releases of that SNES original - but they're hardly alone in the practice.

The question is: Why do we do it? Sometimes a remaster or re-release represents a significant upgrade or a move to portability, a la The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Other times, though, it's just the same game on a different machine. Let's pick this one apart together. Take our poll and discuss in the comments.
[Images: Square-Enix]

JoystiqOne Final Fantasy X PS4, please! When do you re-purchase a game? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>final-fantasy-x-x2-hd-remasterjoystiq-discussionplaystationplaystation-vitaps3ps4vitaThu, 11 Dec 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Twitch update on Xbox One: This time it's personal(ization)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/twitch-update-on-xbox-one-this-time-its-personal-ization/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/twitch-update-on-xbox-one-this-time-its-personal-ization/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/twitch-update-on-xbox-one-this-time-its-personal-ization/#comments Just in time for the flood of new Xbox One owners broadcasting throughout the holidays, Twitch has announced a plethora of new features for its streaming service on Microsoft's console. Ranging from broader archive access to adding a personal touch to your homepage, the update expands Twitch as part of the Xbox One's app ecosystem.

Most significant among the changes to Twitch on Xbox One is the addition of archived and highlighted streams. Billed as Twitch video on demand, this feature brings Xbox One Twitch viewing closer in line with the regular web browser experience, with more than just a channel's live content accessible on the app. Archived video will be added to Xbox One Twitch channels gradually, and the video on demand service will expand beyond Xbox One in 2015.

In addition to the expanded video, the update also lets you personalize the Twitch landing page so preferred channels appear first. If you happen to follow Joystiq's Twitch channel, for example, you can now pin it directly to the front of the Twitch app.

The update also includes new features that highlight Xbox One streamers specifically with filters for searching very specific aspects of current games. For example, Xbox One Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare streams can actually be searched by specifying which map you'd like to see.
[Images: Twitch/Microsoft]

JoystiqTwitch update on Xbox One: This time it's personal(ization) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsofttwitchxbox-oneTue, 09 Dec 2014 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Finding our Destiny in the Dark Below]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/joystiq-streams-finding-our-destiny-in-the-dark-below/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/joystiq-streams-finding-our-destiny-in-the-dark-below/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/09/joystiq-streams-finding-our-destiny-in-the-dark-below/#comments

How far we have come since Dinklage first found us in the wreckage of Russia! We have rolled and re-rolled our characters, we have raided with friends and unlikely allies. We have kitted ourselves out with the tightest loot there ever was, and discovered Loot Caves that passed into legend as quickly as they were discovered. The first days of Destiny are long gone. Now it's time for the Dark Below.

Join Joystiq as seasoned players Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM), Earnest Cavalli and Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) return to humanity's post-Space-Ball future to check out Destiny's first expansion. The action begins at 3:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST like clockwork, but if you want to catch every extended, unusual, or unexpected stream, make sure to follow us on Twitch.

[Images: Acitvision]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Finding our Destiny in the Dark Below originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Dec 2014 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>destinyjoystiq-streamsplaystationps4Tue, 09 Dec 2014 14:56:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Awards 2014: Hang out with Joystiq for the show [Replay]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/the-game-awards-2014-hang-out-with-joystiq-for-the-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/the-game-awards-2014-hang-out-with-joystiq-for-the-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/the-game-awards-2014-hang-out-with-joystiq-for-the-show/#comments The Game Awards 2014 madness has technically already begun. You need look no further than Street Fighter V's announcement this morning, and more game announcements and premieres are expected throughout the event this evening. We already know you're going to be following along on Twitter, but why not enjoy the pleasure of Joystiq's company as well? Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski), Jess Conditt (@JessConditt), Danny Cowan (@db_cowan) and others will be streaming commentary as the Game Awards roll on. Tune in right here or at Joystiq.com/Twitch to catch it all at 9PM ET/6PM PT.
[Images: The Game Awards]

JoystiqThe Game Awards 2014: Hang out with Joystiq for the show [Replay] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Dec 2014 23:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Fri, 05 Dec 2014 23:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Oneechanbara Z2 Chaos gets mossy, private on PS4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/joystiq-streams-oneechanbara-z-2-chaos-gets-mossy-private-on-p/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/joystiq-streams-oneechanbara-z-2-chaos-gets-mossy-private-on-p/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/joystiq-streams-oneechanbara-z-2-chaos-gets-mossy-private-on-p/#comments

PlayStation, you delightful little box, happy 20th birthday! May you live long enough for that insane old PlayStation 9 commercial to become reality. Looking back on two decades of machines, one thing rings true: PlayStation has never shied away from getting weird. From day one, PlayStations were hosting dadaist nightmares like Cosmic Race alongside mainstream bangers like Tekken. One of the most enduring founts of oddity was the D3's Simple 2000 series on Sony's consoles. To celebrate this aging milestone, we're going to treat our PlayStation 4 to some import strangeness sourced from Simple 2000: Oneechanbara Z2 Chaos. Bikinis, swords, monsters, moss; that's what we're playing.

Join us for some Oneechanbara on Joystiq.com/Twitch at 4:00PM EST. If this is the kind of thing you're looking for in a stream, then please do follow us on Twitch.

[Images: D3 Publisher]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Oneechanbara Z2 Chaos gets mossy, private on PS4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>d3joystiq-streamsoneechanbaraplaystationps4Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Giveaway: The Witcher Adventure Game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/joystiq-giveaway-the-witcher-adventure-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/joystiq-giveaway-the-witcher-adventure-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/05/joystiq-giveaway-the-witcher-adventure-game/#comments

Geralt of Rivia is awesome. His friends are awesome. Whether you've partaken of CD Projekt Red's RPG pleasure in The Witcher video games or tumbled down the rabbit hole of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels, the general awesomeness of Geralt and his pals is impossible to deny. The guy's a mutated, long-lived, magic-practicing swordsman alchemist who seems like a lothario but has a heart of gold. His best friends are a bad ass sorceress and a poet who's also a spy.

If you and your friends are planning to sit around a table playing board games, you could hardly ask for better characters to inhabit in the process. Thankfully, there's Fantasy Flight's The Witcher Adventure Game to scratch that itch.

Fantasy Flight Games, CD Projekt and Joystiq are giving away a copy of the new board game in our latest raffle! How do you get your hands on it? Just use the Rafflecopter widget below between December 5 and December 12. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email. Full rules and details after the break.

Joystiq Giveaway: The Witcher Adventure Game
[Images: Fantasy Flight Games/CD Projekt Red]

Continue reading Joystiq Giveaway: The Witcher Adventure Game

JoystiqJoystiq Giveaway: The Witcher Adventure Game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cd-projekt-redfantasy-flight-gamesgiveawaythe-witcher-adventure-gameFri, 05 Dec 2014 14:00:00 EST