Posts tagged @previews 
Battleborn and the rise of the friendly shooter
"We are absolutely, deliberately targeting the idea that we want a game that people can just pick up and play," says John Mulkey, design director on Gearbox's new shooter, Battleborn (PS4, Xbox One, PC). His team's latest design, which favors collaboration, community input and a heavy focus on test...
Neverending Nightmares is horrific, repulsive and true
Caution: Some of the following content contains graphic descriptions of violent thoughts that Gilgenbach has experienced in real life. Those sensitive to such information should read with caution, and contact their nearest mental health care facilities if needed. In the US, the national suicide prev...
The slowest parts of Sonic Boom might also be the best
Poor Sonic. Ever since transitioning to 3D, our dear blue hedgehog has stumbled. His games find only so-so levels of success, and there's even a meme named after the cycle of hype and disappointment that each new title generates. And it's all because he's too fast. Focusing on speed worked in th...
Harmonix's A City Sleeps dreams of bullet hell
It quickly becomes apparent that the developers of Harmonix's A City Sleeps are hardcore arcade shoot-'em-up fans. Its screen-filling bullet patterns recall Cave games like Deathsmiles and DoDonPachi, and its multi-faceted mechanics draw inspiration from Radiant Silvergun and other highly regarde...
Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer builds on Mass Effect 3 legacy
I remember when BioWare and EA announced that Mass Effect 3 would feature a multiplayer mode. Multiplayer? In a Mass Effect game? It was blasphemy! It was sacrilege! It was ... pretty fun, actually. The squad-based third-person shooter/RPG formula used throughout the previous games in the series...
Extreme Exorcism is pixelated chaos for you and your ghostbusting friends
Extreme Exorcism begins simply. The first round of play pits players against a possessed piece of furniture in one of several spacious rooms scattered throughout a haunted mansion. The enemy is easily dispatched with one of the many randomly spawned weapons found nearby, and the round concludes w...
Heroes of the Storm gave me a green thumb (and tentacles)
Heroes of the Storm (previously known as Blizzard All-Stars, previously known as Blizzard DOTA) makes small changes to the MOBA standard of 5v5, three-lane-style gameplay that add up to create something that feels wholly fresh. The development team at Blizzard has done away with the item shop, ther...
Costume Quest 2 goes trick-or-treating with bigger worlds, goofier costumes
Double Fine's catalog is defined by eclectic variety, with its previous efforts ranging from alternate-history tower defense games to RTS-infused brawlers. To date, however, none of the studio's games has seen a sequel. What, then, made the Halloween-themed RPG Costume Quest a standout candidate fo...
Alone in the Dark: Illumination aims for November on PC
Alone in the Dark: Illumination is shooting for a November release, Pure FPS producer Stephanie Marroquin tells Joystiq. Publisher Atari confirmed the launch window goal, but adds an exact release date for the PC title has not been solidified. Alone in the Dark: Illumination is an Unreal Engine ...
Never Alone blends clever platforming with cultural insight
I like to think of Never Alone as a less depressing version of 2011's indie hit, Limbo. It features similar environment-based puzzle-platforming in an unforgiving world, but its buddy-system mechanics give an encouraging sense of optimism throughout. This isn't to say that you won't be challenge...
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Joystiq Weekly: New 3DS XL, The Talos Principle review, no more review scores and more
Posted on Jan 18th 2015 12:30PM