Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Xbox One's Kinect discerns heartbeat and who has the controller]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-ones-kinect-discerns-heartbeat-and-who-has-the-controller/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-ones-kinect-discerns-heartbeat-and-who-has-the-controller/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-ones-kinect-discerns-heartbeat-and-who-has-the-controller/#comments The Xbox One's next-generation Kinect has a greater interest in your facial features, and is capable of discerning your identity, even if you hand off the controller.

In a brief demonstration in one of its Kinect testing rooms, Microsoft showed press how the Kinect kept track of two player profiles, each tied to a controller in use. When Player 1 and Player 2 swap controllers, the Xbox One is able to recognize which profile is the new Player 1. The Kinect also monitors the position of players, meaning it can match portions of split-screen games to the side of the screen at which that player is looking. This may also translate to fighting games, which is good news if you're the sort to get confused when your spot in the couch isn't aligned with your character.

Microsoft also demonstrated a few more tricks made possible by the new Kinect's enhanced sense of depth, its greater field of view - which does make closer gaming in smaller apartments a more feasible - its ability to see in the dark via infrared, and its flattering scrutiny of facial features. By examining your face's skin color and transparency, the Kinect and Xbox One are able to estimate your current heart rate. Whether or not someone puts that information to good use in Kinect games or fitness programs is another matter, as we've learned from Nintendo's flatlined "vitality sensor."

Valve has experimented with biometric data in games too, adjusting game difficulty, objectives and timers in response to the player's physical state. With a Kinect shipping alongside every Xbox One, and assuming the camera is relatively accurate, biometric influence over gameplay may become less esoteric in the near future.

Gallery: Xbox One (Official shots)

JoystiqXbox One's Kinect discerns heartbeat and who has the controller originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 May 2013 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biometricskinectmicrosoftxboxxbox-onexbox-revealTue, 21 May 2013 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox One can update Achievements in response to player behavior]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-can-update-achievements-in-response-to-player-behavior/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-can-update-achievements-in-response-to-player-behavior/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-can-update-achievements-in-response-to-player-behavior/#comments The Xbox One's connection to the cloud can alter a game's Achievements in response to player behavior, Microsoft has revealed at its ongoing unveiling event in Redmond. Dan Greenawalt, Creative Director at Forza developer Turn 10 Studios, cited the "I took an arrow to the knee" meme as an example of how game makers might hinge their extrinsic rewards on post-launch reactions.

The meme began with The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, in which droves of melancholic guards told the same story about an old injury.

To extrapolate from Greenawalt's comment, it seems Microsoft is keen to further distance itself from the idea of the game as a static disc. Xbox 360 games had their Achievement lists extended with significant title updates and downloadable expansions, but the Xbox One is expected to update the rewards list more fluidly. Game creators may use Achievements to encourage comical or topical behavior, or use them to educate players if they're missing certain features or secrets.

JoystiqXbox One can update Achievements in response to player behavior originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 May 2013 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementsclouddan-greenawaltkinectmicrosoftxboxxbox-livexbox-onexbox-revealTue, 21 May 2013 16:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox Reveal liveblog on Joystiq]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-reveal-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-reveal-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/xbox-reveal-live/#comments Update: We've taken our seats and are about to roll over to our Xbox Reveal liveblog.

The next Xbox is about to be unveiled in Microsoft's Redmond campus, and Joystiq will be there to scrutinize and document the whole presentation. It starts at 1PM EDT (10AM PDT, 6PM GMT), so get your glib reactionary .gifs ready before then.

Once the event starts, we'll switch this post over to liveblog mode and unleash the flood of quotes, observations and ill-advised jokes about computer chips. (Note: The presence of chips in the new Xbox is a rumor until Microsoft says otherwise.)

"Xbox, reveal!"

JoystiqXbox Reveal liveblog on Joystiq originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 May 2013 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftxboxxbox-revealTue, 21 May 2013 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Inhabit one soldier (and his dog) in Call of Duty: Ghosts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/inhabit-one-soldier-and-his-dog-in-call-of-duty-ghosts/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/inhabit-one-soldier-and-his-dog-in-call-of-duty-ghosts/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/inhabit-one-soldier-and-his-dog-in-call-of-duty-ghosts/#comments The next-generation engine debuted in Call of Duty: Ghosts will not only power the franchise's signature 60 frames-per-second gameplay, but a more coherent experience overall. According to Infinity Ward executive producer Mark Rubin, Ghosts will stick with the same protagonist and squad of soldiers throughout the game.

"If you look at Call of Duty in general, you're on the high-tech, super-powered forces. You're America, you're strong, you're Britain, Germany," Rubin told Joystiq at a recent press event in Los Angeles. "It just felt like, what if we could reverse those roles a bit, what if we had America as the underdog and not the superpower? What if we had some other countries as the big superpower and we're fighting against this more technologically superior force. And so that is really where we got: now we've got this technologically superior super force, they devastate the western world, the US, with a weapon of mass destruction of some kind - I'm not going to go into that, it will come later, and what we did is we had that event start the game, but the story picks up ten to fifteen years later and you as a soldier grew up in this new changed world."

That soldier will be a focal point for the game, Rubin said, and won't contribute to the fractured, multi-perspective narratives for which the series has drawn ire in the past. "It's not like before where you have these multiple sides and trot around. You're pretty much the same person throughout."

You'll also be accompanied by a Navy SEAL dog (not to be confused with a Moreau-style seal-dog), which can sniff out dangers and aid the team in several ways as a companion AI of sorts. As you might expect from a production of Ghosts' caliber, Infinity Ward did full motion capture on a retired SEAL dog.

Continue reading Inhabit one soldier (and his dog) in Call of Duty: Ghosts

JoystiqInhabit one soldier (and his dog) in Call of Duty: Ghosts originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 May 2013 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-duty-ghostsinfinity-wardmark-rubinmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxTue, 21 May 2013 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty: Ghosts written by 'Syriana' and 'Traffic' scribe Stephen Gaghan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/call-of-duty-ghosts-written-by-syriana-and-traffic-scribe-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/call-of-duty-ghosts-written-by-syriana-and-traffic-scribe-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/call-of-duty-ghosts-written-by-syriana-and-traffic-scribe-s/#commentsCall of Duty Ghosts written by 'Syriana' and 'Traffic' scribe Stephen Gaghan

The latest Call of Duty, dubbed Ghosts, has drafted Syriana and Traffic writer Stephen Gaghan to provide its fiction.

Games don't get more Hollywood than Call of Duty, and Activision has shown little hesitance in acquiring composers and writers from the silver screen to aid in its ever bigger and brasher efforts. Gaghan's work on Traffic, a dour crime drama, and political thriller Syriana made him a standout candidate for Ghosts. The game follows the remainder of the US military in a world scarred by a weapon of mass destruction.

According to developer Infinity Ward, Gaghan didn't swoop in and drop off a script - he requested an office, and worked from one amidst the game's single-player team all throughout the game's production. That's a sterling gesture, but I asked Call of Duty: Ghosts executive producer Mark Rubin to explain why Gaghan was deemed suitable to write for players, not viewers.

"Basically, we looked at his work - he's a great writer, no doubt about it and that's fine, there are probably lots of great writers out there," Rubin said. "So what we did is we actually got the chance to talk to him a long time before we decided to go forward with it. And we realized he was getting it. We've had writers before, and they know how to write, but they don't understand the game aspect of it.

"And I feel like with Gaghan, he really understood what we were trying to do. He asked more questions than try to sell himself, and that was, I think, a really big selling point. He was asking how things work and how we do things, and was really interested in how we craft the story, not from a writing standpoint but from the visuals and gameplay. He was really asking more questions. Although he was a gamer - he knew it from that side - he didn't know it from the dev side. He really was asking a lot of questions about the dev side, he really wanted to know more. I think that interest in what we were doing is really what drove us to him."

JoystiqCall of Duty: Ghosts written by 'Syriana' and 'Traffic' scribe Stephen Gaghan originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 May 2013 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-dutycall-of-duty-ghostse3-2013infinity-wardmicrosoftpcplaystationps3stephen-gaghanxboxTue, 21 May 2013 13:53:00 EST<![CDATA[Year Wane: The challenges facing Batman in Arkham Origins]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/batman-arkham-origins-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/batman-arkham-origins-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/batman-arkham-origins-preview/#comments
Batman: Arkham Origins follows the world's most enduring vigilante after just two years on the job. The developers at Warner Bros. Montreal, taking over from Rocksteady Studios and their critically acclaimed construction of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, want to convey a "rawer, scarier Batman." He's all growl and grimace in the cutscenes, dangling squirming henchmen from clock towers until they turn verbose, but in play his rookie temper is more difficult to detect.

The prequel is a tricky proposition, especially when it concerns history that's been dissected again and again across comics, movies and games. It's harder to conjure narrative tension while it's colored by the inevitable outcome, and that draws greater scrutiny on mechanical expansion and refinement. Why does this younger Batman make for a better Batman game?

Gallery: Batman: Arkham Origins (5/20/13)

Continue reading Year Wane: The challenges facing Batman in Arkham Origins

JoystiqYear Wane: The challenges facing Batman in Arkham Origins originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batman-arkham-originse3-2013microsoftnintendopcplaystationps3warner-bros-montrealwii-uxboxMon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Last of Us: Bricks, bottles and a few bullets]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/the-last-of-us-bricks-bottles-and-a-few-bullets/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/the-last-of-us-bricks-bottles-and-a-few-bullets/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/the-last-of-us-bricks-bottles-and-a-few-bullets/#commentsThe Last of Us preview When "survival" is trotted out as a game genre, it usually comes with implicit caveats. Developers often seem scared of the player, fearful of the controller-crushing outrage that surely results when a game constricts resources, punishes careless actions and dares to craft a deliberately unpleasant experience.

The Last of Us is a crafty, tense experience in which my attempts to attack bandits and disfigured creatures head-on usually resulted in a gruesome death. Upon starting a two-level demonstration of the game, I only had two bullets in my pistol - missing a headshot felt like a catastrophe. Surprise and caution enable success, just as cynical protagonist Joel constantly tells Ellie, a young girl who hasn't yet been turned dour by the terrible state of the world.

To grasp what's most important in The Last of Us, and what it might deem valuable in comparison to other games that blend stealth, scavenging and shooting, I asked Naughty Dog designer Ricky Cambier for some general survival strategies.

Gallery: The Last of Us (04/17/13)

Continue reading The Last of Us: Bricks, bottles and a few bullets

JoystiqThe Last of Us: Bricks, bottles and a few bullets originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationps3the-last-of-usFri, 17 May 2013 03:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Scribblenauts Unmasked amasses thousands of DC Comics characters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/scribblenauts-unmasked-amasses-thousands-of-dc-comics-characters/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/scribblenauts-unmasked-amasses-thousands-of-dc-comics-characters/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/scribblenauts-unmasked-amasses-thousands-of-dc-comics-characters/#comments
The creators of Scribblenauts have ceaselessly documented and cutely illustrated nearly everything in the known universe, so why not turn to the parallel worlds of DC Comics? Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure contains a number of heroes, villains and weirdos - that number being over 2,000.

Developer 5th Cell claims to have scrutinized every single superpower, series and universe in DC Comics history, all to serve the game's trick of summoning whatever or whoever the player commits to a magical notepad. Maxwell returns as jotting protagonist, joined this time by his twin sister Lily.

If Scribblenauts Unmasked doesn't have the best Batmans (Batmen?), it certainly has the most at 33 pairs of pointy ears in total, joined by an extravagant 130 Green Lanterns. That emerald grouping includes Mogo, a sentient planet with a lot of gravitational pull in the Green Lantern Corps.

Scribblenauts Unmasked is hinged on using adjectives and objects to complete "heroic feats," a bombastic term for puzzles procedurally generated from a dynamic list of DC characters, locations and potential tasks. Custom-built characters can also be thrown into the mix, though only DC's official figures get a written biography on the Batcomputer.

Scribblenauts Unmasked will be available on 3DS, Wii U and PC this fall.

Gallery: Scribblenauts Unmasked

JoystiqScribblenauts Unmasked amasses thousands of DC Comics characters originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3ds5th-celldc-comicsnintendopcscribblenauts-unmaskedwarner-broswii-uWed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro Last Light review: Tunnel vision]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/#comments There is so much suffocating despair in Metro: Last Light. The world is irradiated rubble, blanketed in noxious fumes and trampled by gnarled monstrosities. Humans that remain must huddle underfoot, eking out lives in Moscow's underground railways. But the worst thing, the cruelest twist, the darkest dick move of the apocalypse, is that millions die and the accordion still makes it.

If not its purpose, I have to respect the accordion's presence in Metro: Last Light. You can listen to the instrument's musical wheezing as part of a show put on in a dilapidated theater, one of several populated hubs you'll visit in your trek through the tunnels of Moscow. If you opt out of the game's scavenging and shooting for a few moments, there's an entire show to take in. It has all the awkwardness and earnestness of a production that only needs to be less bleak than its surroundings.

Last Light, much like predecessor Metro 2033, is a feat of obsessive, paradoxical world-building - you believe this as a place that has been demolished, poisoned and forced to retreat into claustrophobic hovels. There are glimmers of recuperating life in these bastions, most of all in Metro's stunning sewer-bound equivalent of Venice. The town layouts are noticeably linear, in part because there isn't much room for subterranean sprawl, and because the game spends all its money on the critical path. To explore is to linger, listen and look; and that's fine.

Gallery: Metro: Last Light (5/13/13)

Continue reading Metro Last Light review: Tunnel vision

JoystiqMetro Last Light review: Tunnel vision originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxMon, 13 May 2013 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Being a Bureau dude in XCOM Declassified]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/being-a-bureau-dude-in-xcom-declassified/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/being-a-bureau-dude-in-xcom-declassified/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/being-a-bureau-dude-in-xcom-declassified/#comments
You always remember your first alien invasion. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified puts you on the ground in 1962 as William Carter, a crucial member of what will eventually become the planet-guarding, all-caps organization known as XCOM. The game brings it own brand of agency to the revitalized strategy series, though not in the drastically simplified form you might expect from a third-person shooter.

Once Earth becomes unwilling host to "The Outsiders," a race of aliens that have enthralled other extraterrestrial creatures, Carter and a crew of two are ordered to investigate the fate of a fallen agent in New Mexico. The Outsiders have a few slaves up their sleeves, including XCOM's classic sectoids. To compensate, Carter has a dapper vest that effectively says, "Everyone, listen to me, I am going to use some tactics on these aliens."

Gallery: The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (5/10/13)

Continue reading Being a Bureau dude in XCOM Declassified

JoystiqBeing a Bureau dude in XCOM Declassified originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-games2k-marinmicrosoftpcplaystationps3the-bureau-xcom-declassifiedxboxxcomMon, 13 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Watch Dogs getting hacking feedback from security firm Kaspersky Lab]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/watch-dogs-getting-hacking-feedback-from-security-firm-kaspersky/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/watch-dogs-getting-hacking-feedback-from-security-firm-kaspersky/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/watch-dogs-getting-hacking-feedback-from-security-firm-kaspersky/#commentsWatch Dogs getting hacking feedback from security firm Kaspersky Lab Ubisoft Montreal is soliciting feedback on hacking as it is depicted in Watch Dogs, a contemporary action game in which the protagonist exploits interconnected computer networks through his smartphone. Senior Producer Dominic Guay told Joystiq about the developer's work with Kaspersky Lab, the internet security firm that recently claimed to have identified a targeted malware attack on the Android platform.

"We're working with Kaspersky Lab, a big security firm," Guay said during a San Francisco press event. "They have really hardcore experts there on hacking. We send them some of our designs and we ask them feedback on it, and it's interesting to see what gets back. Sometimes they say, 'Yeah, that's possible, but change that word,' or, 'That's not the way it works.'"

Watch Dogs isn't focused on hacking at a granular level, despite being fictionally fertile ground for the clichéd hacking minigame. Instead, it treats hacking as a shortcut to manipulating doors, cameras, cars, laptops and ATMs in a futuristic "smart city" based on Chicago. The centrally computer-controlled urban environment is a sprawling basis for the game's traversal, shooting, stealth and driving systems.

"It's not about the challenges of climbing a wall," Guay says, recalling the simplification of movement in Ubisoft Montreal's flagship series, Assassin's Creed. "It's finding the path I want to follow.

"It's not about the minigame that will let me open the door, it's the fact that I'm making a plan. I'm making a plan of how I'm going to chain hacking, shooting, traveling the city and driving to achieve an objective."

The input from Kaspersky Lab, and that from Ubisoft's own engineers, is intended to reduce instances of Hollywood hacking: the sexed-up, hyperspeed code wrangling meant to convey skilled computer use and software creation in an exciting/embarrassing way. Watch Dogs is certainly bombastic, but attempts to be more sensible than the likes of "Swordfish."

After the break: that scene where Hugh Jackman shows John Travolta where he hid the worm.

Continue reading Watch Dogs getting hacking feedback from security firm Kaspersky Lab

JoystiqWatch Dogs getting hacking feedback from security firm Kaspersky Lab originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dominic-guayhackingkaspersky-labmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3ubisoft-montrealwatch-dogswii-uxboxFri, 10 May 2013 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Watch Dogs multiplayer mode will have element of invasion]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/watch-dogs-multiplayer-mode-will-have-element-of-invasion/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/watch-dogs-multiplayer-mode-will-have-element-of-invasion/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/watch-dogs-multiplayer-mode-will-have-element-of-invasion/#commentsWatch Dogs multiplayer mode will have element of invasion The multiplayer component of Watch Dogs will have an element of player invasion, though its overall extent and direction has yet to be described by Ubisoft. Dominic Guay, Senior Producer at Ubisoft Montreal, insisted that the game can be played "completely offline if you want." (Expect to hear that protection phrase often in the wake of SimCity.)

In multiplayer, Watch Dogs will use the near-future version of Chicago just as it is in single-player. "We are not making any compromises in terms of dynamism or interactivity," Guay said at a San Francisco press event earlier this week. Connecting with other players will be seamless in the developer's attempt "to start breaching the wall in action-adventure between single- and multiplayer."

As an example of how players will commandeer elements of the city in play, Guay pointed to the E3 2012 demonstration of Watch Dogs: it concluded with another character hacking the protagonist's phone to plant a virus. In February, the game made an appearance at the PlayStation 4 unveiling event, and there the player was watched by someone who had hacked the local security cameras. Is there an apt term for someone who engages in voyeurism ... vicariously?

Guay also discussed the "mobile extension" of Watch Dogs, a companion app that's been in development for more than a year alongside the primary game. You'll be able to play some form of Watch Dogs on your smartphone, and interact with console players running around their respective cities. Doing so from the real Chicago, wearing your finest trench coat, will likely generate a cosplay singularity.

JoystiqWatch Dogs multiplayer mode will have element of invasion originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dominic-guaymicrosoftmultiplayernintendopcplaystationplaystation-4ps3ps4ubisoft-montrealwatch-dogswii-uxboxFri, 10 May 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Three points of view on Grand Theft Auto 5]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/three-points-of-view-on-grand-theft-auto-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/three-points-of-view-on-grand-theft-auto-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/three-points-of-view-on-grand-theft-auto-5/#comments Los Santos, a sub-urbane simulacrum of the auto-dependent Los Angeles, is the foundation for Rockstar North's next big heist, Grand Theft Auto 5. The studio's job is to create, not acquire: build the biggest playground yet, and fill it with more, more, more things to do.

The first thing we do is jump out of a helicopter. The mountains and snaking rivers below almost obscure the fact that there's a city just around the corner. Serenity is a rare quality in Grand Theft Auto, though I know the parachute is precursor to an inevitable descent into mayhem.

Later, protagonists Trevor, Michael and Franklin clear out an armored van in the dead of night, having blocked its route with a stolen truck. The police start arriving en masse, in waves, and Rockstar shows me the ease at which you can switch between your criminals. While Michael and wheelman Franklin are pinned down behind cover, you can leap into a manic Trevor and snipe from a distant tower.

The elaborate shootout demonstrates refinements in motion, combat and cover, Rockstar says. The driving is supposed to feel better too - another sign of the expected trajectory of improvement of the Grand Theft Auto series. Rockstar North aims to improve its monster of a game at every known level, from motion-captured walking animations and gunplay, ambiance, writing, and story-driven activities outside of the main plot. I haven't seen enough (or played any) to say how it all fits together, but there are three alterations that could put Grand Theft Auto 5 on your radar, even if, like many of Rockstar's subjects, you've been trying to elude a dour life.

Continue reading Three points of view on Grand Theft Auto 5

JoystiqThree points of view on Grand Theft Auto 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 May 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grand-theft-auto-5gta5microsoftplaystationps3rockstarrockstar-northxboxThu, 02 May 2013 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Heist resolution Grand Theft Auto 5 screenshots]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/heist-resolution-grand-theft-auto-5-screenshots/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/heist-resolution-grand-theft-auto-5-screenshots/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/heist-resolution-grand-theft-auto-5-screenshots/#comments We've posted a new set of Grand Theft Auto 5 screenshots as prelude to some preview coverage later today. This batch shows off the trio of protagonists in the midst of a heist, as well as some underwater, likely more legal R&R.

Gallery: Grand Theft Auto V (5/2/13)

JoystiqHeist resolution Grand Theft Auto 5 screenshots originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grand-theft-auto-5gta5microsoftplaystationps3rockstarrockstar-northxboxThu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Soul Sacrifice review: Escapism encapsulated]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/soul-sacrifice-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/soul-sacrifice-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/soul-sacrifice-review/#comments Soul Sacrifice is a steady ascent to superiority over your captor, a mad sorcerer named Magusar. You can provoke and challenge him from within your fetid cage at any time, but ultimate victory requires toil, repetition and mastery of the same magic that imprisons you. You'll have to play the game to get out, which makes you wonder what the real trap is.

Freedom through power is your goal in the game's fiction and function, with progression framed in a living, speaking journal covered by a contorted face. The cheeky diary, named Librom, recalls the inner turmoil and exploits of Magusar's former partner, from whom you acquire magic and memories packaged as short, perfect-for-portable quests. Discovering the author's identity and exploits is an intriguing, incremental accompaniment to your own gestation as a powerful conjurer.

Soul Sacrifice is a game you play more for the beach than for the sand. Like other sagas that spin around the aggressive acquisition of beastie bits, there is less reward in the act of fighting than the result - and in the case of bigger battles, "epicness" is often conflated with "duration." Soul Sacrifice has no pretense of exploration or towns, just a distilled drip-feed of enclosed arenas and creature extermination that enables new spells, augmented magical prowess or a greater life expectancy for the next challenge.

Gallery: Soul Sacrifice

Continue reading Soul Sacrifice review: Escapism encapsulated

JoystiqSoul Sacrifice review: Escapism encapsulated originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comceptkeiji-inafuneplaystationplaystation-vitarpgsceasoul-sacrificevitaWed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Score-based spinoff 'Strike Suit Infinity' coming on Apr. 30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/score-based-spinoff-strike-suit-infinity-coming-on-apr-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/score-based-spinoff-strike-suit-infinity-coming-on-apr-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/score-based-spinoff-strike-suit-infinity-coming-on-apr-30/#comments Born Ready Games has announced a new standalone "Strike Suit" game, coming to PC via Steam on April 30. The score-driven Strike Suit Infinity jettisons most of the objectives of the original Strike Suit Zero, save for the obvious one: shoot things in space.

Strike Suit Infinity recognizes success by placing you higher in competitive leaderboards, and hopes to augment the destruction of enemy spaceships with extrinsic rewards like points, chains, multipliers and credits to purchase reinforcements.

This $7 deal nets you an infinite number of interstellar vehicles, and the eternally relevant reminder that they, as with all things in outer space, are coming to kill you.

Gallery: Strike Suit Infinity

JoystiqScore-based spinoff 'Strike Suit Infinity' coming on Apr. 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>born-ready-gamespcrelease-dateshooterspace-simsteamstrike-suit-infinitystrike-suit-zerosurvivalTue, 23 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Evil Within protagonist makes do without 'extraordinary powers']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-evil-within-protagonist-makes-do-without-extraordinary-powe/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-evil-within-protagonist-makes-do-without-extraordinary-powe/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/the-evil-within-protagonist-makes-do-without-extraordinary-powe/#comments
The Evil Within won't empower the player beyond "appropriate" weaponry and a delicate dearth of ammunition, claims Director Shinji Mikami.

"We're not giving the player really any extraordinary powers," he told IGN, "but we don't want to go in the opposite direction and not give them any means of fighting back - that would violate the rules of survival horror. So we're looking at appropriate types of weapons with a limited amount of ammunition in order to get them through ... if they're good."

The Evil Within follows a detective named Sebastian, an unfortunate soul summoned to a distorted, labyrinthine asylum crawling with creepy things. Mikami sees the premise as a source of proper scares, and frames it in an overtly cinematic way - right down to the survival-horror game's wider aspect ratio of 2.35:1. (As with some films, this means you'll see black bars above and below the image on HDTVs, which are typically in 16:9 ratio.)

Mikami's approach is reflected, arguably to a fault, in a live-action trailer for The Evil Within. If you have trouble stomaching the more grotesque parts, just substitute the gore for gourmet foods. The gnarled corpse becomes chicken, and the final shot is spaghetti escaping confinement in a microwave.

JoystiqThe Evil Within protagonist makes do without 'extraordinary powers' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftnext-genpcplaystationps3shinji-mikamithe-evil-withinxboxMon, 22 Apr 2013 20:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Gunpoint gears up for Steam]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/gunpoint-gears-up-for-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/gunpoint-gears-up-for-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/gunpoint-gears-up-for-steam/#comments
Gunpoint, a 2D collusion of quiet intrusion, espionage and elusion, will be available for PC through Steam once it's complete. The game stands out for its romantic combination of spy and electrician, letting you divert power in devious ways between switches and several objects in the environment.

Lead designer Tom Francis has posted a new video (above) demonstrating Gunpoint's gadgets, some of which allow you to reprogram gun triggers, survive tremendous falls and scale steep surfaces.

Note on something that should have been mentioned earlier: Clicking play on the video above has likely electrocuted a stranger somewhere in the world.

JoystiqGunpoint gears up for Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunpointpcstealthsteamtom-francisMon, 22 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New 3DS Zelda falls after 'A Link to the Past']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/new-3ds-zelda-falls-after-a-link-to-the-past/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/new-3ds-zelda-falls-after-a-link-to-the-past/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/new-3ds-zelda-falls-after-a-link-to-the-past/#comments
Nintendo is still mulling over an official North American title for this holiday's new Legend of Zelda game, announced for the 3DS this morning. It shares a world and narrative continuity with A Link to the Past, the SNES adventure that has steeped in adoration since the early '90s. To simply call it "A Link to the Past 2" might invoke extraordinary scrutiny, just as it might trigger appropriate nostalgia.

"There is a '2' in the Japanese title," said Bill Trinen, Director of Product Marketing at Nintendo of America, in an interview with Joystiq. "So, yeah, I think as I described today, it's an all-new game, it is an all-new story." In his new outing, Link has the ability to flatten himself and slide across dungeon walls like a piece of living graffiti.

"From a story perspective there are connections," Trinen said, "so it does fall after A Link to the Past. And it's set in the same world, but introduces that new gameplay mechanic. So, yeah, I guess by that definition ..."

Yup, let's go with sequel. Quick, to the timeline!

JoystiqNew 3DS Zelda falls after 'A Link to the Past' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsbill-trinennintendothe-legend-of-zeldathe-legend-of-zelda-a-link-to-the-pastthe-legend-of-zelda-a-link-to-the-past-2Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Guacamelee review: Wrestlevania]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/guacamelee-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/guacamelee-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/guacamelee-review/#comments Is there anything more paltry than the video game chicken? Guacamelee lets you kick the poor featherballs, lock them in your log-like luchador arms, and pile-drive them into the ground so hard they bounce around the room. In the presence of a protagonist, the only thing worse off than a chicken is a vase.

Guacamelee doesn't have much to say about vases or any sort of pottery, but its Mexican fairytale offers some spiritual redemption for the down-trodden chicken. This overdue kindness is reflected in the game's eclucktic characters, and in the hero's typical ascent to spandex.

In Juan, you inhabit a slouching, mild-mannered man and earnest collector of wrestling paraphernalia. The villain kills him immediately. Upon his resurrection - via mystical luchador mask - a swaggering Juan learns to leap through the dual worlds of living and dead, and finds reason to punch them both.

Gallery: Guacamelee!

Continue reading Guacamelee review: Wrestlevania

JoystiqGuacamelee review: Wrestlevania originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drinkboxdrinkbox-studiosguacameleeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3vitaWed, 10 Apr 2013 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Be an old-school creep in Thief]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/be-an-old-school-creep-in-thief/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/be-an-old-school-creep-in-thief/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/be-an-old-school-creep-in-thief/#comments Eidos Montreal's next-gen take on Thief will cater those who prefer their pickpocketing to be nice, quiet and devoid of visual noise.

According to Thief's Lead Level Designer, Daniel Windfeld Schmidt, the game will feature an old-school mode of sorts. Activating it will disable elements on the heads-up display and tone down master thief Garrett's special abilities. If you want to sneak through unseen - sans notifications, contextual helpers and slow-motion swipes - this will be the way to do it.

With modern recording and social sharing capabilities, you'll even be able to prove you finished the game ... without alerting anyone.

JoystiqBe an old-school creep in Thief originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daniel-windfeld-schmidteidos-montrealpcplaystation-4ps4thief-2014thief-4Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Seen@GDC: The 'camp' poster that led a Pomeranian to PlayStation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/seen-gdc-the-camp-poster-that-led-a-pomeranian-to-playstation/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/seen-gdc-the-camp-poster-that-led-a-pomeranian-to-playstation/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/28/seen-gdc-the-camp-poster-that-led-a-pomeranian-to-playstation/#comments SeenGDC The 'camp' poster that put a pomeranian on PlayStationDuring a GDC panel covering the early formation of Tokyo Jungle, Yohei Kataoka, president of developer Crispy's Inc, shared a poster that caught his eye and - eventually - put a Pomeranian on PlayStation.

Sony's Creator Audition Mashup Project - or C.A.M.P - called on new Japanese talent to submit innovative game ideas in need of funding. In the absence of longterm financial support, and with no desire to work for someone else, Kataoka and his newly formed studio submitted several game ideas for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3. "I only created what I wanted to create from the bottom of my heart," he said. (Those ideas are worth their own story, which we'll have for you later.)

Kataoka didn't settle on his "action survival" game of Tokyo Jungle at first. In 2008 his seven-person team released MyStylist, a clothing database and style advice game for PSP. It would presumably frown upon a C.A.M.P. Elvis impersonator.

JoystiqSeen@GDC: The 'camp' poster that led a Pomeranian to PlayStation originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>campcrispys-incgdc-2013playstationpspsonytokyo-jungleyohei-kataokaThu, 28 Mar 2013 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Editorial: How the Concessions Stand in Battlefield 4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/27/editorial-how-the-concessions-stand-in-battlefield-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/27/editorial-how-the-concessions-stand-in-battlefield-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/27/editorial-how-the-concessions-stand-in-battlefield-4/#comments Editorial How the Concessions Stand in Battlefield 4EA seized an entire movie theater in San Francisco in the midst of GDC 2013 to demonstrate nearly 20 minutes of Battlefield 4, which is also a video game. The venue was large and loud enough to encapsulate the shooter's cinematic aspirations, and flaunt every extravagant detail manifested in the weapons, soldiers, lighting and urban environments - right down to the cracking, withered paint on a door. Battlefield 4 belonged on every inch of that big screen.

And that's fine. I enjoy shooters, I adore movies, and I think there's a valid convergence to be found between the two. It's rarely a shortcut for superior storytelling, but the medium is malleable and fit for many authors. Some strive for realism, others seek expression in the abstract, and some guys prefer to make a crazy game about shipping soup to other planets.

None of those, however, have claimed responsibility for a "new era of interactive entertainment." That would be Battlefield 4, according to EA Games Vice President Patrick Söderlund. "Revealing the game to you all today is a big deal for us," he said in epilogue to the game's exquisitely rendered destruction. "It signals a new era of Battlefield and, frankly, a new era of interactive entertainment."

Gallery: Battlefield 4 (Fishing in Baku)

Continue reading Editorial: How the Concessions Stand in Battlefield 4

JoystiqEditorial: How the Concessions Stand in Battlefield 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefield 4battlefield-4battlefield4diceeaelectronic-artsgdc-2013microsoftpcplaystationps3xboxWed, 27 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TMNT: Out of the Shadows, Away From the Comforter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/tmnt-out-of-the-shadows-away-from-the-comforter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/tmnt-out-of-the-shadows-away-from-the-comforter/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/tmnt-out-of-the-shadows-away-from-the-comforter/#comments You kids and your rainy rooftop anti-heroes. Back in my day, we had to make do with the Teenage Mutant 'Hero' Turtles, a tubular gang of brightly drawn crime fighters that spread dude-lingo across comics, cartoons and - if you were lucky - curtains.

In Europe and Africa we got 'hero' instead of 'ninja,' mainly to soften the violent imagery conjured by the covert assassins of feudal Japan. That's clearly the wrong message for a show hinged on the improper disposal of disgusting, mutagenic waste in a densely populated city.

The 1980s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon had its charms, more so in the dreadful puns and pizza worship than the fangless fighting. The combat was high in energy, but the turtles trounced their foes with creative knockouts and garbage can lids repurposed as offensive cymbals. The violence was masked in environmental euphemism, and that may be why it isn't explored in much depth whenever the turtles appear in a video game.

Gallery: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Continue reading TMNT: Out of the Shadows, Away From the Comforter

JoystiqTMNT: Out of the Shadows, Away From the Comforter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftpcplaystationps3psnred-flyteenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-out-of-the-shadowstmnt-out-of-the-shadowsxblaxboxFri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN Tuesday: Persona sale, Dead or Alive 5 Plus, The Walking Dead]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/psn-tuesday-persona-sale-dead-or-alive-5-plus-the-walking-dea/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/psn-tuesday-persona-sale-dead-or-alive-5-plus-the-walking-dea/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/psn-tuesday-persona-sale-dead-or-alive-5-plus-the-walking-dea/#comments This week's PlayStation Store update is notable for its substantial subtractions, particularly to the price of the Persona series. The three PSP games are each discounted by $10 or more, while the massive Persona 4 Golden for PlayStation Vita is marked down from its regular $40 to $30.

If you prefer portable pugilism to Persona's one-two punch of high-school time management and dungeon crawling, Tecmo Koei is offering a Plus-sized Vita version of Dead or Alive 5 for $40.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation 3 gets a new Atelier Totori game a Darksiders series bundle and The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct - a licensed FPS that has yet to be widely reviewed.

Correction: The Atelier Totori game, The Adventurer of Arland, is for PlayStation Vita and available in a bundle with DLC for $40.

JoystiqPSN Tuesday: Persona sale, Dead or Alive 5 Plus, The Walking Dead originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-or-alive-5-pluspersona-4-goldenplaystationplaystation-vitaps3pspsonythe-walking-dead-survival-instinctvitaTue, 19 Mar 2013 22:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fate-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fate-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fate-review/#comments If the multi-tiered title didn't make it clear, "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate" is a heavy thing. A glut of gothic gravitas manifests in a huge quest that peels out of its handheld frame, even while anchored by burly protagonists and sullen environments. It's a fine action game fueled by fervor, but in need of some finesse.

Mirror of Fate invites a fair comparison to older Castlevania games like Aria of Sorrow, which made light of a somber premise with whip-smart heroes, Michiru Yamane's upbeat score and a crisp, unfurling map of interconnected rooms. Dracula's dire abode was buoyed by brisk exploration, by coloring in each room on the diagram and expanding your navigational knowledge as you went about the business of slaying monsters. The combat found complexity in a large variety of swords, lances, axes, maces and daggers, each of which offered simple, easily decipherable changes.

This trip through the horror catalogue curtails the equipment to the chain-whip "Combat Cross," brandished by Gabriel Belmont in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, as well as a small but powerful set of exhaustible sub-weapons. There's more interest in ferocious fighting than traversal, and a far greater demand for concentration and finger gymnastics than you might expect.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight

JoystiqCastlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscastlevania-lords-of-shadowcastlevania-lords-of-shadow-2castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fatekonamimercurysteamnintendoWed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: EA asks SimCity affiliates to 'stop actively promoting the game']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/rumor-ea-asks-simcity-affiliates-to-stop-actively-promoting-th/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/rumor-ea-asks-simcity-affiliates-to-stop-actively-promoting-th/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/rumor-ea-asks-simcity-affiliates-to-stop-actively-promoting-th/#comments

JoystiqRumor: EA asks SimCity affiliates to 'stop actively promoting the game' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eamaxispcserverssimcitysimcity-2013simcity-5Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft cancels Gore Verbinski's 'Matter' for Kinect]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/microsoft-cancels-gore-verbinskis-matter-for-kinect/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/microsoft-cancels-gore-verbinskis-matter-for-kinect/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/microsoft-cancels-gore-verbinskis-matter-for-kinect/#comments
Matter, a Kinect game expected to launch on Xbox Live Arcade in 2013, has been cancelled by Microsoft. It was to be the first game developed in partnership with film director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Rango) and Blind Wink Games.

"Microsoft Studios is no longer pursuing this title," says a company representative. "We have no further details to share at this time."

Phil Spencer, Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, told Joystiq in June last year that Verbinski had pitched Matter as a means to instill and demonstrate emotion in typically motionless game players. A futuristic metal sphere, seen moving through a futuristic landscape in the game's E3 2012 trailer, represented an active control surface implemented through Kinect.

"To a lot of people who haven't played games for a long time, somebody standing completely stationary with a controller in their hands kind of seems emotionless, even though we know that we'll be sweating or twitching," Spencer said. "And [it was] his feeling, that with motion and movement, that the connection of the emotion that's happening on screen and how the player feels would be more natural."

Blind Wink, which is attached to a film production company partnered with Universal Pictures, has not responded to requests for comment.

JoystiqMicrosoft cancels Gore Verbinski's 'Matter' for Kinect originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blind-wink-gamescancelledgore-verbinskikinectmattermicrosoftxboxWed, 06 Mar 2013 17:55:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN Store update: Tomb Raider, MGR: Revengeance, Runner2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/psn-store-update-tomb-raider-mgr-revengeance-runner2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/psn-store-update-tomb-raider-mgr-revengeance-runner2/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/psn-store-update-tomb-raider-mgr-revengeance-runner2/#comments This week's PlayStation Store update is truly conducive to the reclusive, enabling downloadable versions of Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and MLB The Show 13 . There's no need to leave your cave, cut your way through other consumers and then do some kind of baseball thing.

Bit.Trip's auto-running champ, Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, is also available for $15 (or $12 on PS Plus), as is a cross-buy special edition of When Vikings Attack.

Check out the full list of updates over at PlayStation Blog.

JoystiqPSN Store update: Tomb Raider, MGR: Revengeance, Runner2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationplaystation-vitaps3pspsonytomb-raider-2011tomb-raider-2012tomb-raider-2013vitaWed, 06 Mar 2013 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag 'pushing hard' for more assassinations, less hand-holding]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-pushing-hard-for-more-assassina/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-pushing-hard-for-more-assassina/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-pushing-hard-for-more-assassina/#comments It has become necessary to ask about the prevalence of assassination in a series called Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft's massive franchise has grown to encompass different developers, protagonists, historical contexts, and design ideals. The central thrust of the hidden blade has been obscured by an ever-growing stack of systems, plots and economies, some of which suit the business of killing - and some that allow you to manufacture and sell barrels.

"Yes, we are a pirate game, and we advertise ourselves as a pirate game. It's even in our title," says Ashraf Ismail, Game Director at Ubisoft Montreal for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. "But it's an Assassin's Creed game, and this is very important, because this is how we're able to build a pirate game. We have this really solid foundation that is the core and the heart of the experience. The story is about a guy who is an assassin and the conflict he goes through to become this guy. We actually have more assassinations than AC1 had."

Following a presentation at Ubi's offices in San Francisco, Ismail explains the "older philosophy" of Assassin's Creed as an important consideration for Black Flag, even if appearances suggest otherwise. "This is something we did learn, we do listen to our fans a lot," Ismail says. "We know that in AC3 there was a lot more handholding done, and we do want to go back to an older philosophy where we just present you with a simple objective and we let you choose the gameplay you want."

Continue reading Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag 'pushing hard' for more assassinations, less hand-holding

JoystiqAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag 'pushing hard' for more assassinations, less hand-holding originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-4assassins-creed-4-black-flagmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3ubisoftUbisoft-Montrealwii-uxboxMon, 04 Mar 2013 06:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag confirmed for PS4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-confirmed-for-ps4/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-confirmed-for-ps4/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-confirmed-for-ps4/#comments As the prior week's leaks suggested, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag will boast next-generation ports ... rendered by the PlayStation 4. (Here you go.)

Speaking to Joystiq in San Francisco last month, Assassin's Creed 4 game director Ashraf Ismail said the AnvilNext engine, which powers Ubisoft's pirate game and debuted with Assassin's Creed 3 in 2012, was built for platforms beyond the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.

Ubisoft hasn't confirmed a launch date for the PS4 version yet, since the exact timing is entwined with Sony's guarded launch plans. All other versions of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (that we know of) are due on October 29 in North America.

JoystiqAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag confirmed for PS4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-4assassins-creed-4-black-flagplaystation-4ps4ubisoftubisoft-montrealMon, 04 Mar 2013 05:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag hoists new hero onto PS3, 360, Wii U, PC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-hoists-new-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-hoists-new-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/assassins-creed-4-black-flag-hoists-new-hero/#comments Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag hoists new hero onto PS3, 360, Wii U, PCUbisoft has announced Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, which introduces a new coarse heir to the century-spanning action series. As you can gather from the artwork, the sequel shifts to the Caribbean in an era of piracy and formidable pistol-to-hand ratios. The game is so far confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U, with the PS3 version including "60 minutes of exclusive gameplay."

Joystiq will have more information and opinions about Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag on Monday. We'd love it if you checked back then to learn about the game's protagonist, goals, and guiding principles.

Gallery: Assassin's Creed 4 (packshots)

JoystiqAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag hoists new hero onto PS3, 360, Wii U, PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-4assassins-creed-4-black-flagmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3ubisoftwii-uxboxThu, 28 Feb 2013 07:15:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation 2013 Event liveblog on Joystiq]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/playstation-2013-event-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/playstation-2013-event-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/playstation-2013-event-live/#comments Update: We're in our seats at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Commence the commentary!

Original:

We're carving out this spot on the internet for Joystiq's impending liveblog of Sony's PlayStation 2013 Event, which we are attending as live human beings. It starts at 6PM EST (3PM PST, 11PM GMT), so please take your seat and activate your second-screen experience before then.

Once we're ready, we'll document the event as best we can, complete with keen observations on the ambiance, humidity, odor, vegetation, precipitation and prestidigitation surrounding the Playstation powers that be. Stay tuned to this post!

JoystiqPlayStation 2013 Event liveblog on Joystiq originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>moveplaystationplaystation-2013playstation-4playstation-vitaps3ps4vitaWed, 20 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance review: It's just a flesh wound]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-review-its-just-a-flesh-wound/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-review-its-just-a-flesh-wound/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-review-its-just-a-flesh-wound/#comments Once you know what you're doing, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance goes from power fantasy to full-on power arrogance. Maniacal is the best way to play this cutting game, dashing into gunfire and shoving your sword through any obstacle, no matter its size or perceived deadliness. The supporting characters occasionally plead for planning, stealth, restraint - hesitation - but their calls come across as denial against the true nature of Revengeance. They're right in the middle of some seriously sexed up Fruit Ninja fan-fiction.

The silly portmanteau is the prelude to a starring role for Raiden, the formerly feeble stand-in for Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2. Following the events of Metal Gear Solid 4, which turned him into a twirling killing machine and redeemed him in the eyes of bros everywhere, the fair-haired cyborg works for a protection outfit called Maverick Security Consulting. Their first presidential client in Revengeance is butchered and thrown off a moving train, so I wouldn't recommend them.

After an ignominious defeat, Raiden's body is rebuilt with augmented strength, a pristine cyber-butt and a critical reliance on electrolytes, which must be absorbed from glowing enemy spines (unnaturally). It sounds gruesome, but extracting power cords in battle is a clinical process in the mind, and a brilliant hook for an action game.

Continue reading Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance review: It's just a flesh wound

JoystiqMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance review: It's just a flesh wound originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kojima-productionskonamimetal-gear-rising-revengeancemetal-gear-solid-risingmicrosoftplatinum-gamesplaystationps3xboxTue, 19 Feb 2013 04:40:00 EST<![CDATA[WSJ: New PlayStation to stream PS3 games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/15/wsj-new-playstation-to-stream-ps3-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/15/wsj-new-playstation-to-stream-ps3-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/15/wsj-new-playstation-to-stream-ps3-games/#comments The next PlayStation will be able to stream PlayStation 3 games, according to unnamed sources "familiar" with Sony's plans. The claim comes from a new report published by the Wall Street Journal, and suggests that online streaming of current PS3 games will be paired with new games sold on optical media through regular channels.

Sony's cloud service hinges on its $380 million acquisition of streaming company Gaikai, which was announced last year. If the PlayStation 4 houses architecture different enough from the PS3 to preclude effective backwards compatibility, streaming may be pitched as a solution.

Sony's official word on the matter is expected during the PlayStation event next week on February 20.

JoystiqWSJ: New PlayStation to stream PS3 games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gaikaiplaystationplaystation-4ps3ps4streamingFri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dead Space 3 review: Take down the terror, just a notch]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/dead-space-3-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/dead-space-3-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/dead-space-3-review/#comments Dead Space 3 is excellent, meaning I didn't enjoy very much of it. The torture is self-inflicted, and I only increased the severity by playing the game without company, without light and without those regular breaks they used to warn you about in the manual (ask your parents). The inclusion of co-op has made the solo stress no less potent.

I was consumed by caution, leered at every suspicious air vent (protip: they're all like that), loathed every single monster, and stomped their revolting corpses with wild catharsis and fanaticism. Isaac Clarke may be the respectable engineer-turned-hero now, but I suspect his childhood siblings cowered in the closet every time he lifted his boot and brought it down in the rhythm of temper tantrums.

All of these things, the concern over ammunition and health, the detestable creatures, the unnerving titter of what sounds like violin strings left in the rain, the creepy creaks and groans of a crappy space ship (protip: they're all like that) - all of these things make Dead Space 3 another extravagantly crafted concoction of horror, action and anxiety. So, no, it's not exactly "fun."

Gallery: Dead Space 3 (2/5/2013)

Continue reading Dead Space 3 review: Take down the terror, just a notch

JoystiqDead Space 3 review: Take down the terror, just a notch originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-space-3EAelectronic-artsmicrosoftpcplaystationps3visceral-gamesxboxTue, 05 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[(Delayed) Reaction Time: An addendum to 2012's best games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/delayed-reaction-time-an-addendum-to-2012s-best-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/delayed-reaction-time-an-addendum-to-2012s-best-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/01/delayed-reaction-time-an-addendum-to-2012s-best-games/#comments You're reading Reaction Time, a weekly column that claims to examine recent events, games and trends in the industry, but is really just looking for an excuse to use the word "zeitgeist."

Now that the Joystiq staff has recuperated from the verbal immolation and bizarre "hipster" categorization of their Game of the Year choices, I've decided to rescue and share my own runner-up list before it sinks even deeper between the couch cushions. These are all games worth playing, and I'd be irritated if I closed off my 2012 before talking about them just a little more.

(Besides, we have a guy on here who writes about games that are much older than, you know, Far Cry 3.)

Continue reading (Delayed) Reaction Time: An addendum to 2012's best games

Joystiq(Delayed) Reaction Time: An addendum to 2012's best games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidiosipadiphonemicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3reaction-timevitaxboxFri, 01 Feb 2013 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Injustice: Gods Among Us plots Superman's ascendance]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/injustice-gods-among-us-plots-supermans-ascendance/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/injustice-gods-among-us-plots-supermans-ascendance/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/injustice-gods-among-us-plots-supermans-ascendance/#comments Two men are fighting in space, as is often the case. The Earth, beautiful in blue, watches through a massive window while the two brawlers scuff and smash the sleek interior of a space station. I'm rooting for Batman, but my health bar's on the wane.

According to NetherRealms Studios Producer Hector Sanchez, this build of Injustice: Gods Among Us hasn't been tuned properly, so it's no surprise to see my masked nemesis, Bane, breaking my back over and over on difficulty spikes. To compensate I keep looking for an opportunity to activate Batman's special attack, in which he summons his hammerhead shark of a car to crush his opponent. Wondering how it gets up there - in space, at this hour - is a bit silly.

"It's a video game," says Sanchez. Everyone in the room chuckles, shaking off the perils of pondering the logistics behind a fighting game super move. That's a story on a microscopic scale compared to the one Injustice: Gods Among Us really wants to tell.

Gallery: Injustice: Gods Among Us (01/30/13)

Continue reading Injustice: Gods Among Us plots Superman's ascendance

JoystiqInjustice: Gods Among Us plots Superman's ascendance originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batmaninjustice-gods-among-usmicrosoftNetherrealm-Studiosnintendoplaystationps3supermanwii-uxboxWed, 30 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN Tuesday: Sly Cooper demo, Bayonetta, Hitman HD]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/psn-tuesday-sly-cooper-demo-bayonetta-hitman-hd/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/psn-tuesday-sly-cooper-demo-bayonetta-hitman-hd/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/psn-tuesday-sly-cooper-demo-bayonetta-hitman-hd/#comments The PlayStation Store is now host to a sliver of Sly Cooper with the Thieves in Time demo, a bout of Bayonetta's insanity and, in stark contrast to the titular witch's all-hair outfit, the Hitman Trilogy HD.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City joins the lineup of downloadable PS2 classics for $9.99, while the PlayStation Vita gains Let's Fish! Hooked On, which the PlayStation Blog describes as a "full-scale" fishing game. The temptation to riff on that dreadful/wonderful pun is too great, so we'll just end the post right here.

Aaaaaand FIN.

JoystiqPSN Tuesday: Sly Cooper demo, Bayonetta, Hitman HD originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bayonettahitman-trilogy-hdplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psn-tuesdaysly-cooper-thieves-in-timevitaTue, 29 Jan 2013 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Cave review: Seven spelunkers, none decent]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/the-cave-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/the-cave-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/the-cave-review/#comments The Cave is an adventure game, obviously. It's littered with puzzles and pieces of junk destined to become the only objects in the world worth having. The cave itself is a sentient, subterranean narrator, enveloping seven different explorers in a patchwork of dream-like environments that not only pertain to them, but contain the kind of contorted contexts in which a femur and a parrot are essential parts of progress.

Those are all signs of the classic adventure, tinged with the incongruous vending machines, gift shops and eternally stranded island hermits you expect from a Ron Gilbert game. But there's something else inside The Cave, a familiar cynicism and cleverness that gradually emerges as each spelunker hits rock bottom. These people - even the monk and the chivalrous knight - are egotistical, unpleasant kleptomaniacs, and you're one of them.

Gallery: The Cave (9/4/12)

Continue reading The Cave review: Seven spelunkers, none decent

JoystiqThe Cave review: Seven spelunkers, none decent originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurechris-remodouble-finemicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3psnron-gilbertsegasteamthe-cavewii-uxblaxboxTue, 29 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST