Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.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[RetroBlazer feels like Doom by way of Saturday morning cartoons]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/retroblazer-feels-like-doom-by-way-of-saturday-morning-cartoons/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/retroblazer-feels-like-doom-by-way-of-saturday-morning-cartoons/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/retroblazer-feels-like-doom-by-way-of-saturday-morning-cartoons/#comments Amil Parra isn't a big fan of violence. That might sound strange coming from a man designing an homage to '90s sprite-based FPS games like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, but one look at the game in motion and it becomes obvious that the inspiration Parra draws from those games is the feel, not the aesthetic.

Meet RetroBlazer: a PC game that feels like a 1994 run-and-gun shooter, but looks like something you'd catch between episodes of Biker Mice From Mars and Mighty Ducks (that's the cartoon featuring space-ducks fighting space-dinosaurs by the way, not the live-action film featuring a lawyer fighting to be a better person).

Continue reading RetroBlazer feels like Doom by way of Saturday morning cartoons

JoystiqRetroBlazer feels like Doom by way of Saturday morning cartoons originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doomhydra-game-workskickstarterpaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcretroblazerTue, 27 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[On track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-track-with-the-first-three-hours-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-track-with-the-first-three-hours-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-track-with-the-first-three-hours-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/#comments
There's an immediate intimacy to my first three or so hours with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and no, I don't mean the bare buttocks I see in one of the opening cut scenes. The third entry in CD Projekt's fantasy RPG series may offer a new open world that's umpteen times bigger than previous entries. Yet, following a story-driven tutorial, I end up losing myself to the very first landmark, the peasant village of White Orchard.

It's a small riverside muddle of hovels, taverns and fields, its warm hues belying the deeper, darker stories within. There's the impulse to call my horse and gallop towards the horizon, but I find the village's multitude of side quests as welcoming as they are distracting, and certainly meaty enough to steer me away from temptation.

Eventually I drag myself to the main quest and my first wild hunt of The Witcher 3, as I track and take on a huge, bloodthirsty griffin. But before all that, let's return to those buttocks...

Continue reading On track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

JoystiqOn track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bandai-namcocd-projektmicrosoftpcplaystationps4the-witcher-3wb-gamesxbox-oneMon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Check-in, Knock-out: More fun than jumping on hotel beds]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/check-in-knock-out-more-fun-than-jumping-on-hotel-beds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/check-in-knock-out-more-fun-than-jumping-on-hotel-beds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/check-in-knock-out-more-fun-than-jumping-on-hotel-beds/#comments

Checking into a hotel can be stressful. Even if your overnight establishment of choice doesn't lose or otherwise muck up your reservation, what if you don't have a reservation in the first place and there's no vacancy? And then, there are the hotels that force you to do battle with your fellow room-seekers, tossing exploding luggage and tearing the room apart in an effort to make them fall to their death.

What, you've never had that happen? Clearly you haven't played Check-in, Knock-out. But you should.

Continue reading Check-in, Knock-out: More fun than jumping on hotel beds

JoystiqCheck-in, Knock-out: More fun than jumping on hotel beds originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>check-in-knock-outlionade-gamespaxpax-southpax-south-2015pctinybuild-gamesSun, 25 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adventures of Pip is modern cute plus classic challenge]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/adventures-of-pip-is-modern-cute-plus-classic-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/adventures-of-pip-is-modern-cute-plus-classic-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/adventures-of-pip-is-modern-cute-plus-classic-challenge/#comments I'm calling it now: the Kickstarted Adventures of Pip from developer TicToc Games is going to win cutest game of 2015. I don't care that we're not even to the end of January; Pip is so cute that I want him in a kids' TV show. He's so heart-meltingly precious that I want plush figures and a breakfast cereal themed after him.

Pip is so gawl-darned lovable and sweet that it makes me deeply, deeply angry.

The game's charming aesthetic masks a sinister beast. For despite the playful bounce of our square-shaped hero and the bright colors that surround him, this is a world looking to commit straight-up pixelated murder.

Continue reading Adventures of Pip is modern cute plus classic challenge

JoystiqAdventures of Pip is modern cute plus classic challenge originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventures-of-pipkickstartermacmicrosoftnintendopaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcplaystationps4tictoc-gameswii-uxbox-oneSun, 25 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First-person puzzler Magnetic: Cage Closed is like Portal, cubed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/first-person-puzzler-magnetic-cage-closed-is-like-portal-cubed/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/first-person-puzzler-magnetic-cage-closed-is-like-portal-cubed/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/first-person-puzzler-magnetic-cage-closed-is-like-portal-cubed/#comments Guru Games isn't afraid of having their recently-announced game, Magnetic: Cage Closed compared to Portal. In fact, that's where it started: a school project designed as an homage to both Valve's famous, meme-producing first-person puzzler and lesser-known horror/suspense film, Cube.

Magnetic takes place in an alternate history version of the 1960s, where inmates sentenced to death can be sold for scientific testing. Such is your fate, as you are a prisoner charged with testing the D27 Magnetic Propulsion Device - or, in simpler terms, a magnet gun.

Continue reading First-person puzzler Magnetic: Cage Closed is like Portal, cubed

JoystiqFirst-person puzzler Magnetic: Cage Closed is like Portal, cubed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jan 2015 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cubeguru-gameshey-does-anyone-remember-that-movie-cubemagnetic-cage-closedmicrosoftpaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcplaystationportalps4xbox-oneSat, 24 Jan 2015 17:45:00 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[Breach and Clear: Deadline brings tactical thinking to zombie slaughter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/breach-and-clear-deadline-brings-tactical-thinking-to-zombie-sl/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/breach-and-clear-deadline-brings-tactical-thinking-to-zombie-sl/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/breach-and-clear-deadline-brings-tactical-thinking-to-zombie-sl/#comments A zombie apocalypse is no excuse for sloppy tactics. That's the thinking behind Breach and Clear: Deadline, an undead twist on the top-down strategy genre and offshoot of the iOS/Android game Breach and Clear.

In Deadline, ransacked interiors and mangled streets are home to various forms of infected; parasitic worms capable of "hyper-evolution" have invaded the soft, squishy bodies of the former humans that once lived here.

Okay, so they're not technically undead zombies, but the upside is that Mighty Rabbit is using the hyper-evolving worms as justification for a new campaign, a wide variety of enemies and a fresh gameplay experience.

Continue reading Breach and Clear: Deadline brings tactical thinking to zombie slaughter

JoystiqBreach and Clear: Deadline brings tactical thinking to zombie slaughter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breach-and-clearbreach-and-clear-deadlinedevolver-digitalgun-mediamighty-rabbit-studiospaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcFri, 23 Jan 2015 17:30:00 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[Fable just the first step in getting more Xbox One games on Windows]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/fable-just-the-first-step-in-getting-more-xbox-one-games-on-wind/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/fable-just-the-first-step-in-getting-more-xbox-one-games-on-wind/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/fable-just-the-first-step-in-getting-more-xbox-one-games-on-wind/#comments It's easy to forget the Xbox's place inside the Windows empire. The bespoke platform is hinged on games and entertainment, looming over the console world but still living in its own fiefdom under Microsoft. The Xbox 360 and Xbox One are seen as instrumental to the software giant's goals, but their reach is about a billion behind that of Windows. Microsoft wants to dismantle the barriers within itself now, unifying games, productivity and phones under the banner of Windows 10.

The Xbox One will host new universal apps - programs designed to run on both Windows devices and Xbox architecture - alongside a Windows 10 update later this year, but that's a lesser gesture compared to what Microsoft announced on Wednesday during its Windows 10 event. Even having the Xbox and its games there, on stage, represents a change in the Windows message.

Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, took that stage to announce a PC version of Fable Legends, the latest entry in developer Lionhead's long-running and lovably lighthearted fantasy role-playing series. Not only is the game coming to Windows PC players, but it's coming in a way that allows them to play and chat with Xbox One players through Xbox Live. According to Spencer, it's the first game of several first-party Xbox games coming to PC.

Continue reading Fable just the first step in getting more Xbox One games on Windows

JoystiqFable just the first step in getting more Xbox One games on Windows originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftpcrecommendedxboxxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Screamride: For those who dream of disaster]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/screamride-for-those-who-dream-of-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/screamride-for-those-who-dream-of-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/20/screamride-for-those-who-dream-of-disaster/#comments It's only fair to start this with an apology to Screamride, which joins us just as every second game gets to be called a 'roller coaster ride,' usually because it has a car chase, some explosions, and at least one scene of the protagonist going NO NO NO N- [explosion cuts off the rest, but an additional NO is strongly implied].

Screamride, in contrast, is actually about roller coasters: riding them; building tightly coiled tracks for them; destroying them in fiery catastrophe. It's so in love with pleasing disaster that it's likely to be wrongly categorized as 'cinematic action game.'

Continue reading Screamride: For those who dream of disaster

JoystiqScreamride: For those who dream of disaster originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>frontier-developmentsmicrosoftmicrosoft-studiosq1-2015recommendedxboxxbox-oneTue, 20 Jan 2015 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Barring Smash, Code Name: STEAM gets the best Amiibo support so far]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/barring-smash-code-name-steam-gets-the-best-amiibo-support-so/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/barring-smash-code-name-steam-gets-the-best-amiibo-support-so/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/barring-smash-code-name-steam-gets-the-best-amiibo-support-so/#comments
Outside of Super Smash Bros, the physical incarnations of Mario, Pikachu and other Nintendo icons don't have much to do on their plastic pedestals. While they transform into teachable, collectible opponents in Nintendo's flagship brawler, tapping an Amiibo toy into Mario Kart 8 or Hyrule Warriors is a one-step process to unlock a minor in-game item.

Nintendo has created a more substantial cameo - bordering on reverent - for the Amiibo line in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M, the oddball 3DS strategy game from developer Intelligent Systems. If you happen to own a Fire Emblem Amiibo and tap it in, warriors Marth, Ike, Robin and Lucina are summoned into Code Name's steam-powered war against aliens. They each have unique attacks, animations and can be an integral part of your strategy.

Continue reading Barring Smash, Code Name: STEAM gets the best Amiibo support so far

JoystiqBarring Smash, Code Name: STEAM gets the best Amiibo support so far originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsamiibocode-name-steamfire-emblemikeintelligent-systemslucinamarthnew-3ds-xlnintendorobinThu, 15 Jan 2015 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The timely tweaks in Majora's Mask 3D]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/the-timely-tweaks-in-majoras-mask-3d/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/the-timely-tweaks-in-majoras-mask-3d/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/15/the-timely-tweaks-in-majoras-mask-3d/#comments The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask will be nearly 15 years old by the time it returns in remastered form in February, coinciding with the launch of Nintendo's New 3DS XL. First released for the Nintendo 64, the unorthodox adventure has since steeped in praise for its strict structure and melancholy premise. Traveling back and forth through time, the hero of Majora's Mask helps the doomed inhabitants of Clock Town escape their final 72 hours, just days before they're crushed by an evil head from outer space. It's almost the saddest Star Trek episode.

Continue reading The timely tweaks in Majora's Mask 3D

JoystiqThe timely tweaks in Majora's Mask 3D originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsnintendoremakesthe-legend-of-zeldathe-legend-of-zelda-majoras-mask-3dsThu, 15 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Magicka 2: Worst. Wizards. Ever.]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/magicka-2-worst-wizards-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/magicka-2-worst-wizards-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/07/magicka-2-worst-wizards-ever/#comments The wizard is an authority of the arcane, enrobed as if to protect countless secrets and tricks from unworthy eyes. Sometimes the wizard comes with a beard, which just screams wisdom (especially when tugged hard enough), and sometimes the wizard comes with a hefty book in hand. Sorry, did you say book? Please, this is a TOME.

If the wizard demands respect, the Magicka series of video games just couldn't be bothered to give it. Cast as incompetent, catastrophically clumsy killing machines, the faceless wizards of Magicka have their hearts in the right place. It's the fireballs that are in the wrong place. Meanwhile, lightning is zapping a fellow wizard instead of a monster horde and, hey, you over there - maybe go easy on the spell that tends to immolate us all?

Continue reading Magicka 2: Worst. Wizards. Ever.

JoystiqMagicka 2: Worst. Wizards. Ever. originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>co-opmagicka-2paradox-interactivepcpieces-interactiveplaystationps4Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:00:00 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[Evolve's Wraith monster steals the show]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/evolves-wraith-monster-steals-the-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/evolves-wraith-monster-steals-the-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/18/evolves-wraith-monster-steals-the-show/#comments Fear is meant to follow in the wake of most monsters, but I've never found Evolve to be scary. It's a hunting game that puts you on edge, though leaning forward - as if to stick your head through the foliage just to glimpse the cloaked creature - is an act of determination, not angst. When you're a glorified exterminator with a big gun, joined by three others playing to win, you get camaraderie, strategy and failure divided equally. The monster (and the fifth player) is nothing to be scared of.

Continue reading Evolve's Wraith monster steals the show

JoystiqEvolve's Wraith monster steals the show originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Dec 2014 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesevolvemicrosoftpcplaystationps4turtle-rock-studioswraithxbox-oneThu, 18 Dec 2014 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[The new dance in Halo 5: Guardians]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/11/the-new-dance-in-halo-5-guardians/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/11/the-new-dance-in-halo-5-guardians/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/11/the-new-dance-in-halo-5-guardians/#comments Despite likening the beta test as "coming out of the house half dressed," 343 Industries and Microsoft will use December as a showcase for Halo 5: Guardians - at least the multiplayer part. With almost 2 years of work done and nearly another year to go before launch, Halo 5: Guardians is going to be a learning experience for just about everyone: first for seasoned Halo players coming to grips with new abilities and a far more responsive output of 60 frames per second, and then for its developers, who will have weeks of data and feedback to get Halo in suitable shape on Xbox One.

Continue reading The new dance in Halo 5: Guardians

JoystiqThe new dance in Halo 5: Guardians originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>343-industriesbetahalo-5halo-5-guardianshalo-the-master-chief-collectionmicrosoftmicrosoft-studiosxbox-oneTue, 11 Nov 2014 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Smash Bros. Amiibo figures are part trophy, part protégé]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/24/super-smash-bros-amiibo-figures-are-part-trophy-part-protege/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/24/super-smash-bros-amiibo-figures-are-part-trophy-part-protege/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/24/super-smash-bros-amiibo-figures-are-part-trophy-part-protege/#comments
Nintendo is getting into the figurine game with a lineup called "amiibo" (disregard for capitalization included). Set to cooperate with several different games, most prominently this holiday's Wii U version of Super Smash Bros., the Amiibo statues capture the company's fanciful characters in a cute, tangible form. "Capturing" might be too strong a word, though, because it implies more fiction than there really is.

Continue reading Super Smash Bros. Amiibo figures are part trophy, part protégé

JoystiqSuper Smash Bros. Amiibo figures are part trophy, part protégé originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amiibodonkey-kongnintendosuper-smash-brossuper-smash-bros-2014super-smash-bros-wii-uwii-uFri, 24 Oct 2014 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Until Dawn: Modern horror Caged on PlayStation 4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/21/until-dawn-modern-horror-caged-on-playstation-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/21/until-dawn-modern-horror-caged-on-playstation-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/21/until-dawn-modern-horror-caged-on-playstation-4/#comments

Teens go into cabin. Cabin is in the woods. Slashers are in the cabin. Seems simple, no? Until Dawn, Supermassive Games' exclusive new horror game for the PlayStation 4, is a little unclear with its intentions, though. Are the slashers within its cabin original freaks that are more than they appear to be or just impressions of the classics?

Dawn doesn't just borrow the scenery from myriad horror flicks like Evil Dead and Cabin Fever. It wears its influences and references so brazenly on its sleeve that you'd almost expect to be a post-modern genre riff a la Joss Whedon's Cabin in the Woods. The 20 minute demo Sony brought to New York this month just wasn't enough to determine what it's driving at one way or another, but Until Dawn certainly trades in some extreme situations. Whether those situations will actually be scary depends first on how the game plays out in full, and second on whether Supermassive clears up some troublesome bugs.

Continue reading Until Dawn: Modern horror Caged on PlayStation 4

JoystiqUntil Dawn: Modern horror Caged on PlayStation 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationps4supermassive-gamesuntil-dawnTue, 21 Oct 2014 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Resident Evil: Revelations 2 speaks in code, Veronica]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/resident-evil-revelations-2-speaks-in-code-veronica/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/resident-evil-revelations-2-speaks-in-code-veronica/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/resident-evil-revelations-2-speaks-in-code-veronica/#comments After firing up the brief demo of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Capcom brought to New York Comic Con, I turned around and asked producer Michiteru Okabe point blank: "How the hell does Claire Redfield seem to always find herself in this exact situation?" He just laughed. Nearly a decade and a half after waking up in the cell of an island Umbrella fortress in Resident Evil: Code Veronica, here's Claire again, waking up terribly confused about where the hell she is.

Spoiler: She's on an island and bad things are happening. Monster-y bad things. True to form, Claire looks a few years older but she's still rocking a red leather jacket and is quick with a pistol. In fairness she has a weird wrist band on rather than a collar that might explode, so it's not exactly the same. It's close enough, though, that fans still perturbed by the series' mutation into co-op action schlock in the mainline Resident Evil series will find even more to love here than in the survival horror-tinged Resident Evil: Revelations.

Continue reading Resident Evil: Revelations 2 speaks in code, Veronica

JoystiqResident Evil: Revelations 2 speaks in code, Veronica originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Capcommicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4recommendedresident-evil-revelations-2xboxxbox-oneThu, 09 Oct 2014 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The crouch that changed Assassin's Creed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/06/the-crouch-that-changed-assassins-creed/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/06/the-crouch-that-changed-assassins-creed/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/10/06/the-crouch-that-changed-assassins-creed/#comments The protagonist in Assassin's Creed Unity can crouch at will, making him something of a god-like figure in Ubisoft's ongoing rewrite of history. Arno traverses a dense and dirty recreation of 18th-century Paris, packed with jostling citizens screaming for a revolution. But as massive as the city is, with the Notre Dame de Paris looming over pockets of opulent residences and rain-slick squalor, the game's struggles happen on a small scale, crouched close to the ground.

"The engine was ... I mean, we rewrote like 6 million lines of code for this," says Alex Amancio, the creative director who speaks for the work of ten different Ubisoft studios. "It's not a joke."

Continue reading The crouch that changed Assassin's Creed

JoystiqThe crouch that changed Assassin's Creed originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-unitymicrosoftpcplaystationps4xbox-oneMon, 06 Oct 2014 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Battleborn and the rise of the friendly shooter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/17/battleborn-and-the-rise-of-the-friendly-shooter/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/17/battleborn-and-the-rise-of-the-friendly-shooter/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/17/battleborn-and-the-rise-of-the-friendly-shooter/#comments "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 testing and tuning, couldn't be more different from the cult classic he built levels for - years ago.

Just how much community input and playtesting went into No One Lives Forever anyway, I ask Mulkey. "Oh, god," he says, briefly thrust back into a previous life. "None."

Propelled chiefly by the strength of its clever vision, a game like No One Lives Forever seems to be an outlier now. It was a game made without a steady stream of analytics, feedback and pushback, though meant to be consumed more succinctly, and for what was then a much smaller audience. "A game like this, we hope, it's not just this game that hits and fades away," says Scott Kester, the man in charge of Battleborn's look. "We want this to go. We want to keep making it."

Continue reading Battleborn and the rise of the friendly shooter

JoystiqBattleborn and the rise of the friendly shooter originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Sep 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesbattlebornfpsgearboxgearbox-softwarejohn-mulkeymicrosoftmobapcplaystationps4xbox-oneWed, 17 Sep 2014 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Neverending Nightmares is horrific, repulsive and true]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/08/neverending-nightmares-is-horrific-repulsive-and-true/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/08/neverending-nightmares-is-horrific-repulsive-and-true/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/08/neverending-nightmares-is-horrific-repulsive-and-true/#commentsCaution: 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 prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255.
Neverending Nightmares is a "Trojan horse of sorts," independent developer Matt Gilgenbach told Joystiq at PAX Prime. At first glance, the game appears to be a stylized horror game full of genre tropes: creepy little girls, old dolls with dead eyes, haunting visions of gore and violence.

However, the truth is that Neverending Nightmares is actually an intensely personal exploration of Gilgenbach's own thoughts, intended to communicate the awful feelings someone with depression might experience. It has the potential to be a tool for empathy as much as it might elicit late-night scares.

Continue reading Neverending Nightmares is horrific, repulsive and true

JoystiqNeverending Nightmares is horrific, repulsive and true originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Sep 2014 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>depressionhorrorinfinitap-gamesmacmatt-gilgenbachmental-healthneverending-nightmaresouyapax-primepax-prime-2014pcMon, 08 Sep 2014 09:59:00 EST<![CDATA[The slowest parts of Sonic Boom might also be the best]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/the-slowest-parts-of-sonic-boom-might-also-be-the-best/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/the-slowest-parts-of-sonic-boom-might-also-be-the-best/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/the-slowest-parts-of-sonic-boom-might-also-be-the-best/#comments 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 the days of the Sega Genesis - days when players only had to worry about going left, right, up and down. With the addition of another dimension however, too much speed makes Sonic difficult to control. The assumption, of course, is that making Sonic slow would strip him of his defining asset.

Yet Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric developer Big Red Button Entertainment has done just that, and in an ironic twist, the slowest parts of the game may end up being the best.

Continue reading The slowest parts of Sonic Boom might also be the best

JoystiqThe slowest parts of Sonic Boom might also be the best originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>big-red-buttonnintendosegasonic-boomsonic-boom-rise-of-lyricsonic-the-hedgehogwii-uFri, 05 Sep 2014 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix's A City Sleeps dreams of bullet hell]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/harmonixs-a-city-sleeps-dreams-of-bullet-hell/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/harmonixs-a-city-sleeps-dreams-of-bullet-hell/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/harmonixs-a-city-sleeps-dreams-of-bullet-hell/#comments
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 regarded classics.

On its surface, A City Sleeps seems like a sudden and dramatic shift for Harmonix, a studio best known for creating the rhythm-driven Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. Snap on a pair of headphones, however, and you'll instantly recognize A City Sleeps as a Harmonix game. Exceptional sound design elevates A City Sleeps within its genre, and the pedigree of talent involved in its creation made it a standout at PAX Prime.

Continue reading Harmonix's A City Sleeps dreams of bullet hell

JoystiqHarmonix's A City Sleeps dreams of bullet hell originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-city-sleepsharmonixmacpaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcThu, 04 Sep 2014 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer builds on Mass Effect 3 legacy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/dragon-age-inquisition-multiplayer-builds-on-mass-effect-3-lega/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/dragon-age-inquisition-multiplayer-builds-on-mass-effect-3-lega/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/dragon-age-inquisition-multiplayer-builds-on-mass-effect-3-lega/#comments 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 was tweaked just enough that facing down increasingly-difficult waves of enemies became an addictive weekly event for me. And I know I'm not the only one.

Like its sci-fi predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third game in a traditionally single-player series and, like its predecessor, it will feature a four-player co-op mode. BioWare is no doubt hoping to once again draw players into an addictive spiral of late nights and weapon pack unlocking, and based on my experience at PAX Prime this year, they stand a good chance of succeeding.

Continue reading Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer builds on Mass Effect 3 legacy

JoystiqDragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer builds on Mass Effect 3 legacy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Sep 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredragon-agedragon-age-3dragon-age-inquisitioneaelectronic-artsmicrosoftpax-prime-2014pcplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneThu, 04 Sep 2014 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Extreme Exorcism is pixelated chaos for you and your ghostbusting friends]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/extreme-exorcism-is-pixelated-chaos-for-you-and-your-ghostbustin/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/extreme-exorcism-is-pixelated-chaos-for-you-and-your-ghostbustin/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/04/extreme-exorcism-is-pixelated-chaos-for-you-and-your-ghostbustin/#comments
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 with little fanfare.

In round 2, a ghost enters the arena. Several seconds may pass before you figure out that the phantom mirrors your movements during the previous round perfectly, replicating your jumps and attacks in a pre-programmed daze. If you can remember what route you took while you were battling the possessed furniture in round 1, your ghostly doppelganger should pose little challenge.

Round 3 begins. Your ghost from round 1 teams up with a new apparition that replicates your performance from round 2, and you must exorcise them both. Every round afterward adds another ghost to the fray, and it isn't long before you succumb to your previous expertise. This is the essence of Extreme Exorcism, a game in which you are truly your own worst enemy.

Continue reading Extreme Exorcism is pixelated chaos for you and your ghostbusting friends

JoystiqExtreme Exorcism is pixelated chaos for you and your ghostbusting friends originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Sep 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>extreme-exorcismgolden-ruby-gamespaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcThu, 04 Sep 2014 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Heroes of the Storm gave me a green thumb (and tentacles)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/03/heroes-of-the-storm-gave-me-a-green-thumb-and-tentacles/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/03/heroes-of-the-storm-gave-me-a-green-thumb-and-tentacles/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/03/heroes-of-the-storm-gave-me-a-green-thumb-and-tentacles/#comments 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, there's no gold to be farmed, characters ride mounts instead of purchasing boots, leveling up happens as a team rather than individually, neutral monsters help push a lane instead of dying when defeated, etc.

However, out of all the changes Heroes brings to the genre, I found myself most drawn to the way the game handles having multiple maps. In-game, these maps are referred to as "Battle Grounds," and though that may sound like a minor distinction intended to sell the "we're different!" angle of the game, I'm okay with changing up the nomenclature.

Continue reading Heroes of the Storm gave me a green thumb (and tentacles)

JoystiqHeroes of the Storm gave me a green thumb (and tentacles) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Sep 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-all-starsblizzard-dotaheroes-of-the-stormmobapax-prime-2014pcWed, 03 Sep 2014 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Costume Quest 2 goes trick-or-treating with bigger worlds, goofier costumes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/costume-quest-2-goes-trick-or-treating-with-bigger-worlds-goofi/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/costume-quest-2-goes-trick-or-treating-with-bigger-worlds-goofi/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/costume-quest-2-goes-trick-or-treating-with-bigger-worlds-goofi/#comments 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 for a follow-up?

Continue reading Costume Quest 2 goes trick-or-treating with bigger worlds, goofier costumes

JoystiqCostume Quest 2 goes trick-or-treating with bigger worlds, goofier costumes originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>costume-quest-2double-finemacmicrosoftmidnight-citynintendopcplaystationps3ps4steamtim-schaferwii-uxboxxbox-oneTue, 02 Sep 2014 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Alone in the Dark: Illumination aims for November on PC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/alone-in-the-dark-illumination-aims-for-november-on-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/alone-in-the-dark-illumination-aims-for-november-on-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/alone-in-the-dark-illumination-aims-for-november-on-pc/#comments 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 4-powered third-person, class-based shooter set within the universe of Atari's survival horror franchise. In a twist for the franchise, the latest game in the series focuses more on action that every before; taking its cues from horde-based survival shooters like Left 4 Dead.

Continue reading Alone in the Dark: Illumination aims for November on PC

JoystiqAlone in the Dark: Illumination aims for November on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alone-in-the-Dark-IlluminationAtarimicrosoftpcplaystationps4xboxTue, 02 Sep 2014 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Never Alone blends clever platforming with cultural insight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/never-alone-blends-clever-platforming-with-cultural-insight/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/never-alone-blends-clever-platforming-with-cultural-insight/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/never-alone-blends-clever-platforming-with-cultural-insight/#comments 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 challenged in Never Alone. You'll fail its platforming sequences frequently, and its puzzles are suitably vexing. It's a clever and solid entry in the genre, and its focus on Alaska Native culture gives it a weight and purpose beyond its inventive gameplay.

Continue reading Never Alone blends clever platforming with cultural insight

JoystiqNever Alone blends clever platforming with cultural insight originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e-line-mediamicrosoftnever-alonepaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcplaystationps4upper-one-gamesxbox-oneTue, 02 Sep 2014 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Globe-trotting with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/globe-trotting-with-geometry-wars-3-dimensions/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/globe-trotting-with-geometry-wars-3-dimensions/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/02/globe-trotting-with-geometry-wars-3-dimensions/#comments It wouldn't be fair to Lucid Games to say that Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is "just more Geometry Wars," and then leave one's impressions at that. Announced just a few weeks ago, the game literally takes the series where it has never been, primarily thanks to new three-dimensional visuals (with a pun-tastic title to match). In all honesty though, calling it "more Geometry Wars" serves as a reassurance to the twin-stick series' devotees that its fast-paced action hasn't gone anywhere.

My time with Geometry Wars 3 at PAX Prime in Seattle demonstrated that the game fits perfectly with its 2D brethren. Piloting the iconic, angular cruiser through galactic grids felt as tight as ever, while slipping past threats and rapidly firing laser-like bullets at geometric baddies is as chaotic as ever. It took a few attempts to get acquainted with the game's latest twist, though the enemy and bullet behavior is just that, a "twisted" version of the previous games.

The flat grid-like playing field fans are used to is now a sphere, tube, pill, peanut or one of numerous other shapes, depending on which of the single-player mode's 50 levels you jump into. Every element in play is stuck to the surface like Nintendo's iconic plumber in Super Mario Galaxy, but ultimately Geometry Wars 3 draws some appropriate comparisons to Super Stardust HD. Missiles rocketed past my ship and around the bend of some levels, but aiming for the more distant neon creatures never felt like a real shot in the dark, if I'm allowed to make my own puns here.

Continue reading Globe-trotting with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

JoystiqGlobe-trotting with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Sep 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Geometry-Warsgeometry-wars-3-dimensionshands-onlucid-gamesmicrosoftpaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcplaystationps3ps4recommendedSierraSierra-Entertainmenttwin-stick-shooterxboxxbox-oneTue, 02 Sep 2014 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[You only get one chance to play Upsilon Circuit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/01/you-only-get-one-chance-to-play-upsilon-circuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/01/you-only-get-one-chance-to-play-upsilon-circuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/01/you-only-get-one-chance-to-play-upsilon-circuit/#comments Upsilon Circuit is an upcoming PC game from Legend of Dungeon developers Robot Loves Kitty, but you might never get the chance to play it. In fact, only eight people will ever be playing the game simultaneously, and once one of those players dies, that's the end for them; in Upsilon Circuit, you only have one life. Ever.

Think of it like Twitch Plays Pokemon meets Diablo 3, as televised by The Running Man, playing a game of 1 vs 100. Yeah.

Continue reading You only get one chance to play Upsilon Circuit

JoystiqYou only get one chance to play Upsilon Circuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alix-stolzercalvin-gobleindiepaxpax-prime-2014pcrobot-loves-kittyupsilon-circuitMon, 01 Sep 2014 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[VR puzzler Darknet teaches players technomancy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/vr-puzzler-darknet-teaches-players-technomancy/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/vr-puzzler-darknet-teaches-players-technomancy/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/vr-puzzler-darknet-teaches-players-technomancy/#comments
E McNeill's Darknet was the winner in the open call category of the 2013 Oculus Indiecade VR Jam. It's a strategy-puzzle game designed for Oculus Rift where players explore a virtual reality computer network and use viruses, worms, exploits and other hacker tools to capture sensitive data from what may or may not be a shady megacorporation. It's practically the definition of cyberpunk, sharing much in common with one of the genre's defining novels, Neuromancer.

However, McNeill told Joystiq at PAX Prime that he doesn't particularly like Neuromancer, nor many other cyberpunk tales. "I like the idea of cyberpunk," McNeill said, expressing his feeling that many of the genre's stories - especially those featuring hacking - tend to feel empty and without substance. McNeill proposed The Matrix as an example:

"In The Matrix, [the character Cypher] says, 'All I see is blonde, brunette, redhead.' But the falling symbols don't mean anything. They're just backwards kana letters." McNeill said that Darknet is a game aimed at maintaining the sense of mystery that The Matrix's iconic green rain of characters creates, but simultaneously providing an experience where what the player sees and does "actually means something."

Continue reading VR puzzler Darknet teaches players technomancy

JoystiqVR puzzler Darknet teaches players technomancy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cyberpunkdarknete-mcneillindieoculusoculus-riftpax-prime-2014pcvirtual-realityvrSun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Spry Fox explores the joy of flight in Free-Range Dragons]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/spry-fox-explores-the-joy-of-flight-in-free-range-dragons/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/spry-fox-explores-the-joy-of-flight-in-free-range-dragons/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/spry-fox-explores-the-joy-of-flight-in-free-range-dragons/#comments
After challenging players with the uncompromising high-stakes roguelike Road Not Taken, Spry Fox is taking on more lighthearted fare with Free-Range Dragons, an action-oriented game in which players pilot flying dragons across fanciful 2D worlds.

There's a hardcore streak underneath Free-Range Dragons' cheery surface, however. Citing inspiration from Capcom's Monster Hunter series, Free-Range Dragons features high-flying battles in which you'll hunt down dangerous creatures and drag them back to your home base to recruit them. Free-Range Dragons is flexible enough to support multiple playstyles, and it's up to the player to decide how far they want to push themselves during their quest.

Continue reading Spry Fox explores the joy of flight in Free-Range Dragons

JoystiqSpry Fox explores the joy of flight in Free-Range Dragons originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Aug 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>free-range-dragonshands-onpaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcspry-foxSun, 31 Aug 2014 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Meat Boy Forever trims fat, cooks up 'huge' challenge]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/super-meat-boy-forever-trims-fat-cooks-up-huge-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/super-meat-boy-forever-trims-fat-cooks-up-huge-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/super-meat-boy-forever-trims-fat-cooks-up-huge-challenge/#comments Super Meat Boy Forever is as much a game as it is a meat grinder. It's "impossible," but only in the sense that it's similar to The Impossible Game, Grip Games' 2011 auto-running platformer that placed an emphasis on blazing hard difficulty. Super Meat Boy Forever dumps a similar formula into Team Meat's universe, and it's optimized for touch-based controls. "The goal is, this is going to be a Meat Boy that you play everywhere," Team Meat's Tommy Refenes told Joystiq at PAX Prime.

We took a moment to play both the tablet and PC versions of the game at the event, which both relied on two physical (or touch-based) buttons. While Meat Boy never stopped sprinting through the boldly-outlined demo level, he happily jumped, slid and fell to the Earth at a rapid pace on command. Leaping across broad gaps and jumping from wall to wall, our Meat Boy dodged spinning saw blades just like he did in the original, making the experience feel immediately at home with pared-down controls, particularly on a mobile device.

Continue reading Super Meat Boy Forever trims fat, cooks up 'huge' challenge

JoystiqSuper Meat Boy Forever trims fat, cooks up 'huge' challenge originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Aug 2014 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidhands-oniosipadiphonemobilepaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcrecommendedsuper-meat-boy-foreverteam-meattommy-refenesSun, 31 Aug 2014 14:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Pillars of Eternity and the dangers of fantasy pest control]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/pillars-of-eternity-and-the-dangers-of-fantasy-pest-control/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/pillars-of-eternity-and-the-dangers-of-fantasy-pest-control/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/pillars-of-eternity-and-the-dangers-of-fantasy-pest-control/#comments "Streamlined" is a buzzword you hear often when talking to developers about games. "Simplified" is almost as common. The unspoken implication behind these descriptors is that complexity and time-consuming mechanics are a thing of the past. If that's true, Pillars of Eternity is a time machine.

Developed by Obsidian and designed to evoke the look and feel of the Infinity Engine games - Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale - Pillars of Eternity is as old-school as a roleplaying game can get without turning into a text adventure or a dice-rolling tabletop quest. There is nothing simple or streamlined about Pillars, and therein lies the appeal.

Continue reading Pillars of Eternity and the dangers of fantasy pest control

JoystiqPillars of Eternity and the dangers of fantasy pest control originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Aug 2014 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macobsidianObsidian-EntertainmentParadox-Interactivepax-prime-2014pcpillars-of-eternityproject-eternitySun, 31 Aug 2014 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare's Shadow Realms is 4-on-1, action-RPG mayhem]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/biowares-shadow-realms-is-4-on-1-action-rpg-mayhem/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/biowares-shadow-realms-is-4-on-1-action-rpg-mayhem/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/31/biowares-shadow-realms-is-4-on-1-action-rpg-mayhem/#comments "We're focused on delivering the unexpected," Shadow Realms Senior Producer Dallas Dickinson said during a demonstration event at PAX Prime this weekend. After seeing the game in action, "unexpected" doesn't even begin to describe the chaos that will soon be unleashed by a developer rooted in deliberately paced single-player RPGs.

BioWare's Shadow Realms is a 4-versus-1 competitive multiplayer game that aims to capture the unpredictable nature of a dungeon master directing a tabletop game. The result is a deft mixture of Left 4 Dead and Tecmo's Deception series, challenging a party of players to navigate deadly dungeons overseen by a sadistic and omnipresent human opponent.

Continue reading BioWare's Shadow Realms is 4-on-1, action-RPG mayhem

JoystiqBioWare's Shadow Realms is 4-on-1, action-RPG mayhem originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Aug 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarehands-onpaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcshadow-realmsSun, 31 Aug 2014 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Motiga's Gigantic makes a big first impression]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/30/motigas-gigantic-makes-a-big-first-impression/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/30/motigas-gigantic-makes-a-big-first-impression/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/30/motigas-gigantic-makes-a-big-first-impression/#comments In Motiga's Gigantic, a team of five players choose unique champions who must work together to effectively control a map and slaughter their enemies - another team of five players - with the ultimate goal of destroying the opposing team's Guardian, a valuable asset that lies in wait at the opposite end of the map.

On paper, it sounds like yet another MOBA, the rapidly-expanding genre pioneered by games like League of Legends and Dota 2. In practice however, while the game's DNA is undeniably colored by the m-word genre, you'd be doing the game a ... well, gigantic disservice to think of it as another imitator.

Continue reading Motiga's Gigantic makes a big first impression

JoystiqMotiga's Gigantic makes a big first impression originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Aug 2014 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>giganticmobamotigapaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcSat, 30 Aug 2014 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't Starve Together is for people who 'just want to watch their friends burn']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/30/dont-starve-together-is-for-people-who-just-want-to-watch-thei/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/30/dont-starve-together-is-for-people-who-just-want-to-watch-thei/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/30/dont-starve-together-is-for-people-who-just-want-to-watch-thei/#comments Klei's cooperative Don't Starve expansion, Don't Starve Together, has the potential to bring you and your friends closer than ever before. That's when they'll least expect an axe in the face.

Don't Starve Together is unique in that it encourages both cooperative and competitive play. Plopped down in the middle of the unforgiving wilderness, up to four players team up to build a camp, hunt wildlife and eke out a meager existence, strengthened by their bonds of friendship.

The core Don't Starve experience can be much more forgiving, for instance, when you assign one friend to craft survival supplies while another goes and chops firewood. If you ran into any opposition alone and unprepared, you'd be in serious trouble, but with an armed buddy watching your back (and reviving you when you're overwhelmed), being stranded in the wilderness isn't so bad after all.

If one of your teammates decides to choose the pyromaniac character class, though, you could be in for a world of hurt.

Continue reading Don't Starve Together is for people who 'just want to watch their friends burn'

JoystiqDon't Starve Together is for people who 'just want to watch their friends burn' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Aug 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dont-starvedont-starve-togetherklei-entertainmentmultiplayerpaxpax-primepax-prime-2014pcSat, 30 Aug 2014 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hitman: Sniper evolves the downloadable pre-order bonus for mobile]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/29/hitman-sniper-evolves-the-downloadable-pre-order-bonus-for-mobi/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/29/hitman-sniper-evolves-the-downloadable-pre-order-bonus-for-mobi/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/29/hitman-sniper-evolves-the-downloadable-pre-order-bonus-for-mobi/#comments Hitman: Sniper may carry a similar name as the Absolution pre-order bonus mini-game 'Hitman: Sniper Challenge' released in 2012, but the mobile and tablet device-exclusive is a new experience.

In the game first announced at E3 2014, players return to the scene of the crime as Agent 47 - the killer for hire anti-hero from the Hitman series. Players take up a perch and rid the world of 47's targets from afar. Though the game focuses on long-range sniping, earning a high score borrows from the tenets that make the main series a success. Even from a mile away and with a rifle, stealth and being creative are paramount.

Continue reading Hitman: Sniper evolves the downloadable pre-order bonus for mobile

JoystiqHitman: Sniper evolves the downloadable pre-order bonus for mobile originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Aug 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidHitman-SniperiosipadiphonemobilePAX-2014PAX-Prime-2014Square-EnixSquare-Enix-MontrealFri, 29 Aug 2014 21:00:00 EST