Saturday, May 11, 2013

News::Looking Forward to Plants vs. Zombies 2: Its About Time

The staff of Gamer Horizon is really looking forward to Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time, and taking a look back at the original game, it's easy to see why.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252081/looking-forward-to-plants-vs-zombies-2-its-about-time

News::Game Buzz | Episode 31 - Devil's Dance

Dealspwn writes: This week's Game Buzz kicks off with a look at Disney farming out the Star Wars licence to EA, and the hopes and fears that come with such an arrangement; we take a look at the Precursor Games crowdfunding push, and assess the messy tangle that has been the Silicon Knights saga; once again we find ourselves chatting about the Wii U, only it's not us ragging on Nintendo's machine this week, it's Avalanche; we touch upon the recent re-departure of Patrice Desilets from Ubisoft; and we look at the recent handbags between Activision and ShopTo.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252660/game-buzz-episode-31-devils-dance

News::Zuzuhakte! Defiance Picked Up for Second Season and Other Defiant News | DigitalNoob

Ahiha [Thank you] viewers, for helping Defiance be a zuzuhakte [survivor] and get the numbers it needed to receive the greenlight for season two! But that's not all. Consider this a wrapup of all the Defiance news thats fit to print. Or type, as it were.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252651/zuzuhakte-defiance-picked-up-for-second-season-and-other-defiant-news-digitalnoob

News::The Art Of Watch Dogs | Animation Lead Lars Bonde On Bringing Watch Dogs To Life

Dealspwn writes: Science and art collide when making videogames, and Watch_Dogs will need to lock both down in order to fulfil its ambitious remit. Creating a living, breathing, simulated city full of believable people is no mean feat, especially when it's home to versatile mechanics and sophisticated AI designed to react realistically to everyday situations. Not to mention a vengeful hacker who can cause massive devastation with a single tap of a touchscreen. So after sitting down with Lead Game Designer Danny Belanger, I naturally jumped at the chance to talk to cinematic animation lead Lars Bonde about the artistic challenges Watch_Dogs poses, motion capture, his influences and what the next generation promises beyond shinier graphics.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252649/the-art-of-watch-dogs-animation-lead-lars-bonde-on-bringing-watch-dogs-to-life

News::Top Warcraft Guild Disbands, Blaming the Raiding Community

News::Contest: Are YOU the Internet's Next Top Streamer?

Dtoid is partnering with our friends at Elgato to give away three of their badass Game Capture HD game recorders! Valued at $179 each, these devices allow you to capture gameplay and live-stream at 1080p from your Xbox 360, PS3, or PC.


To win one of these beauties, you need to make the case for why you have what it takes to be The Internet's Next Top Streamer! Write an essay in our community blogs, record a video of yourself gaming with your shoddy little webcam, or do something completely off the wall to show us why we should help make your dreams come true. The choice is yours! The only requirement is that you do something to demonstrate your winning personality.


So what do you say? Think you've got the skills to rub elbows with the big boys like those at Dtoid TV? Now's your chance. Once you've figured out your entry, just post a link to it in the comments below. You have until Friday, May 17 at 11:59 PM Pacific to make your submission, and the contest is open WORLDWIDE! Good luck, everyone!


(Don't want to leave it up to chance? Click here to buy a Game Capture HD right now.)


Contest: Are YOU the Internet's Next Top Streamer? screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/contest-are-you-the-internet-s-next-top-streamer--252274.phtml

News::Age of Wushu Review: A Phenomenal Open World MMO | Unigamesity

Age of Wushu (AoW) may resemble just another martial arts MMO but its not exactly as it appears to be. The long forgotten Ming Dynasty of China has been brought to life through an extraordinary world filled with intense action and adventure. But if battling human opponents is a strong point in this MMO, questing, farming and exploring the realm are definitely not as exciting as you would hope.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252642/age-of-wushu-review-a-phenomenal-open-world-mmo-unigamesity

News::Star Trek: The Video Game Review | The Gamers' Temple

The Gamers' Temple: "Even if you view it as a gaming exercise in Mystery Science Theatre 3000, it is still infuriating to the point that making fun of it loses its charm. I know there is a contingent of Trekkies out there that will buy anything with Star Trek emblazoned on it, and that's fine; buy it, put it on your display shelf and never, ever play it."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252635/star-trek-the-video-game-review-the-gamers-temple

News::Sacred Citadel Review | Machinima

Machinima: "Sacred Citadel is a fine hack n slash side-scroller, and its even better with friends."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252633/sacred-citadel-review-machinima

News::Indie Fighter Air Dash Online Inspired By Super Smash Bros. Melee

Independent developer JV5 games are working on Air Dash Online, a platform fighter inspired by Super Smash Bros. Melee and traditional fighting games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252530/indie-fighter-air-dash-online-inspired-by-super-smash-bros-melee

News::Spellirium Preview [NoobFeed]

Callum Rakestraw from NoobFeed takes on Spellirium. Crossword puzzles and point-and-click adventure collide in the latest from Untold Entertainment. The game doesnt have a release date yet, but rest assured that well be keeps our eyes and ears open.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252500/spellirium-preview-noobfeed

News::Nvidia's Ira FaceWork Tech Demo Is Now Available

DSOGaming writes: "Splendid news for all Nvidia users, as the green company has made its amazing FaceWork Tech Demo available to the public. Nvidia users can download and play with this interactive demo to see Ira immersed in three different lighting environments."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252596/nvidias-ira-facework-tech-demo-is-now-available

News::Neverwinter Preview | GameTrailers

GameTrailers: "What should you expect from the new free-to-play Dungeons and Dragons MMO? We raided the Neverwinter beta to find out what sort of beast this is."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252454/neverwinter-preview-gametrailers

News::Tomasz Gop, creator of The Witcher and CI Games to show new RPG title at E3 2013

G4MERS: "CI Games at E3 2013 will show a new Tomasz Gop (creator of The Witcher) game, which of course is an RPG for next-gens, as well a hands-on presentation of an action sci-fi FPS game - Alien Rage, known previously as an Alien Fear."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252525/tomasz-gop-creator-of-the-witcher-and-ci-games-to-show-new-rpg-title-at-e3-2013

News::Next-Gen: Should we still have Season Passes?

Season Passes are a statement of intent from developers to gamers. They are a financial contract put in place to progress a game; continuing to produce content post launch. However, things dont always go to plan, and as a result of that important questions must be asked. Such as, are they really the most attractive and effective model to promote DLC purchases? Are gamers really getting value for money? And perhaps the most important of them all, should they make it to next gen?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251942/next-gen-should-we-still-have-season-passes

News::Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Coming to PC and PS3 in Summer

Dealspwn writes: The much-delayed Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn is set for a summer release according to the game's Executive Producer, Naoki Yoshida, "The whole team has been working at full throttle to ensure the game will be ready for a summer release," and "It won't be long before you can mark your calenders and begin the final countdown." This summer release includes both the PC and the PS3 versions, which is surprising considering the original FFXIV (which crashed and burned horribly) never even made it to Sony's console. In all honesty, I thought this new and improved version would skip the PS3 and head to the PS4.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252584/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-coming-to-pc-and-ps3-in-summer

News::Review: Toki Tori 2 | oprainfall

oprainfall writes: "Before embarking on this review I had never played a Toki Tori game. This seems to be a recurring thing for me. Id heard of the series, but beyond the name and the fact that the games involve a yellow bird, I really didnt know anything. During my playthrough of the game, I pieced together that its an atypical platformer with diabolical puzzle elements. The reason I say its an atypical platformer is because theres no jumping. Its not a straight up puzzle game either, though. Toki Tori 2 is some divine combination of the two, or perhaps its the devilish spawn of the two. It really depends on how you feel about thinking and puzzles."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252523/review-toki-tori-2-oprainfall

News::Iron Sky Invasion video review - tongue in cheek space battling - CramG

A look at Topware Interactives Iron Sky Invasion video game which is based on the comedy space movie Iron Sky.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252585/iron-sky-invasion-video-review-tongue-in-cheek-space-battling-cramg

News::Assassins Creed 4 Must Take Risks To Remain Relevant

Gi - Assassins Creed 4 is at high risk of fatiguing the popular franchise. Since 2009, Ubisoft has released a new Assassins Creed game every year with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. Despite steady improvements to the graphics, mission structure, multiplayer and overall amount of content, the series still hasnt had a considerable jump in gameplay as seen from the first Assassins Creed to the second.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252572/assassins-creed-4-must-take-risks-to-remain-relevant

News::Gi - The Sims 3: Island Paradise Preview

Gi - The Sims 3: Island Paradise is the newest expansion pack for The Sims 3. Despite recently announcing The Sims 4 is releasing in 2014, EA is not quite done with The Sims 3. Just when gamers thought they had explored every possibility with their Sims, EA unveiled details for the most in-depth Sims 3 adventure yet.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252573/gi-the-sims-3-island-paradise-preview

News::StarDrive Review - VGU

VGU writes - "StarDrive is a 4X, action strategy game for PC, developed by Zero Sum Games and published by Iceberg Interactive. Before the review, a brief lesson in 4X gaming. For the uninitiated, 4X stands for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate (it should probably be called a 4E game, but sadly E isnt as cool as X). The basic idea is to build an empire from nothing until you rule the Earth, the solar system or the whole damn galaxy. As genres go, its pretty niche, with the Civilization games standing out as the only mainstream titles in its arsenal."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252602/stardrive-review-vgu

News::How EA Can Bring Balance to the Force

EA's got exclusive rights to develop games in the Star Wars universe.Why not go back to the sorts of games that made the franchise a gaming juggernaut a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? It's time for the return of Knights of the Old Republic and Rogue Squadron.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252614/how-ea-can-bring-balance-to-the-force

News::48 Awesome Games Made in 48 Hours

Game Nacho: "If you didnt know the Ludum Dare 26 competition concluded recently. In this competition game developers from all over the world create a game from scratch in 48 hours. The theme chosen for this competition was Minimalism. After playing over 200 of the 2347 entries I can say that these games are nothing short of awesome."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252406/48-awesome-games-made-in-48-hours

News::Kingston HyperX 10th Anniversary Series RAM review | Gaming Capacity

We take a look at the HyperX 10th Anniversary Edition RAM module, the 4GB to be precise. Kingston as a company have always been reliable and one of the most common brands of RAM to find in any custom setup and with these modules its not surprising why. You can get these DDR3 modules in sizes from 4GB to 32GB, 2 or 4 module kits and a range of frequencies from 1600MHz to 2400MHz. With the price range spanning from £30 to £249, they are a good choice over the competition in the same price range.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252029/kingston-hyperx-10th-anniversary-series-ram-review-gaming-capacity

News::Team Behind The Incredible Machine Announce 'Contraption Maker' - Ziip.com

The Incredible Machine is back! Rejoice!Solve puzzles involving ridiculous chain reactions full of hamster motors, trampolines, alligators, cats, and so much more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251806/team-behind-the-incredible-machine-announce-contraption-maker-ziip-com

News::weeaboos with a podcast ep. 59: I Cant Live, If Living is Without You

WWC: "On this weeks episode - We have special guest Casey Scheld, Community Manager for social network and game tracking service Raptr. We learn about how the service got started, his role on the site, as well as some of his favorite games and anime. Afterwards, we talk about the games weve been playing this week including Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and Deadly Premonition: The Directors Cut. We also discuss Aku no Hana and the manga Koe no Katachi. Finally, we wrap up with some notable news like the reveal of Shadow of the Eternals, Microsoft's leaked memo refuting always-online for the next Xbox, and Patrice Desilets being fired from Ubisoft."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252404/weeaboos-with-a-podcast-ep-59-i-cant-live-if-living-is-without-you

News::Talking with Divekick creator, Keits

Original-Gamer.com: "What started off as a joke has now become the best two button fighting game ever. Adam Keits Hearts spends some time to talk about how Divekick came to be, the process of releasing an indie game, and his upcoming tournament, the Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 9."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252397/talking-with-divekick-creator-keits

News::100% Hidden Objects Review | Casual Game Guides

Hidden object purists will love 100% Hidden Objects, as it does away with anything so mundane as a story or plot. There are no puzzles either to get in the away. Enjoy 80 scenes of good old fashioned hidden object excitement paired with challenging achievements and powerful and unique boosts to add to the fun!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252155/100-hidden-objects-review-casual-game-guides

News::GRID 2 Preview I Expansive

Its been a long time since the original GRID hit home consoles way back in 2008. At the time, the original GRID was revolutionary it was the first racer to really combine the look and handling of a sim with the customization and track style of an arcade racer. Its pioneering introduction of the flashback rewind feature has now become a staple of racing games like Forza, and in a world where racing games were dominated by the polar opposites of Project Gotham and Gran Turismo, it really was a breath of fresh air to play a racer that found such a good middle ground between the two.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252391/grid-2-preview-i-expansive

News::Dear EA, please let John Carpenter make the Dead Space movie he so clearly wants to

John Carpenter, the man who brought us the horror classic The Thing and 80s action badassery with Escape From New York, has revealed his love of the Dead Space gaming franchise, and (excitingly) his desire to turn the games into a movie.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251104/dear-ea-please-let-john-carpenter-make-the-dead-space-movie-he-so-clearly-wants-to

News::New League of Legends Champion Revealed as Aatrox, the Darkin Blade

Aatrox, the Darkin Blade is the newest champion to be revealed by Riot Games for League of Legends. The champion was initially teased on the forums by Ezreal who revealed some afrtifacts from around Runeterra. Now that the champion has been revealed, players can look forward to picking up this demonic looking force.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251827/new-league-of-legends-champion-revealed-as-aatrox-the-darkin-blade

News::In the Driver's Seat: Oculus Rift for Racing Games?

Driving sim Euro Truck Simulator 2 gets the Oculus Rift treatment. "Looking around the cabin freely is incredible, it almost feels like being in there." What does this spell for racing games?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251370/in-the-drivers-seat-oculus-rift-for-racing-games

News::Scrolls Is Getting Closer To Beta Also Has A New Logo

Scrolls is a strategy role-playing game that is independently developed by Mojang. It combines elements from trading card games and traditional board games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251162/scrolls-is-getting-closer-to-beta-also-has-a-new-logo

News::Dispatches From Northwatch - Part 17: Solstheim Secrets II: Spider Crafting

Extremely explosive spiders...What more could you want?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252357/dispatches-from-northwatch-part-17-solstheim-secrets-ii-spider-crafting

News::Podcast 125- BioSpoilers- Gods Among Us »Paranerds

This week on the Paranerds Podcast, the two speak about Jurassic Park: The Game, BioShock: Infinite, Final Fantasy VII, Gotham City Imposters, Black Ops 2 and Kevin speaks a little about Iron Man 3, they also go over new releases and News (See below). The two then invite Serge on to speak about his review of Injustice: Gods Among Us and then the two speak about BioShock: Infinites ending, this time with spoilers and a huge warning before segment three. If you havent completed BioShock: Infinite, stay away from the last segment (plenty of time to skip). You can hear it HERE OR Follow Us:Twitter|Facebook|Raptr Subscribe to the Podcast on: iTunes|Stitcher Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Mail: Kevin and/or Rooster NEWS Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Pre-Order Details Dead Space 3 Officially Failed 13-Year-old Boy, admits to trying to rape/shot mom over video game GTA IV Back To The Future MOD Call of Duty Ghosts Release Date PlayStation Network Adds Indie Game...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252385/podcast-125-biospoilers-gods-among-us-paranerds

News::BioShock Infinite PC stuttering bug still not fixed, six weeks after release

Its been just over six weeks since BioShock Infinite was released on the PC, but if youre one of the people whos run into the strange stuttering/framerate lag bug youve probably held off on playing it. A seventeen page thread on 2Ks support forums details the various woes of the bug, along with confirmation that it occurs on a wide range of PC hardware.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252374/bioshock-infinite-pc-stuttering-bug-still-not-fixed-six-weeks-after-release

News::GTA IV - Yet Another Custom iCEnhancer 2.1 Video

DSOGaming writes: "Our reader 'Justin Salih' has shared with us yet another GTA IV video with his custom iCEnhancer 2.1 settings. As Justin told us, he further tweaked some settings and decided to upload a new video, showcasing those subtle changes."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252553/gta-iv-yet-another-custom-icenhancer-2-1-video

News::Destructoid- Preview: Anno Online

DT:Simulation fans have had quite a storied history of games to choose from. While the genre may seem homogenized to outside viewers, sim-nuts can't get enough of the technical nuances of each title, and although they may look similar, it's one of the most varied genres out there



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252383/destructoid-preview-anno-online

News::SMITE Tournament Series Begins, $2000 in Prizing Every Week, NA/EU Split

Hi-Rez Studios is expanding involvement in the SMITE eSports and competition scene. Hi-Rez is now hosting separate North American and European tournaments every weekend, with $1000 in weekly prizing for each region. Teams are able to register for a single region and compete weekly against the best teams on regional servers.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252333/smite-tournament-series-begins-2000-in-prizing-every-week-na-eu-split

News::The Deck System of Wargame: AirLand Battle

Learn all about the deck system from the upcoming title Wargame: AirLand Battle.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252281/the-deck-system-of-wargame-airland-battle

News::TinyKeep A Unique, Brilliant Looking Dungeon Crawler on Kickstarter

oprainfall writes: "I would like to introduce you to a nifty looking Kickstarter called TinyKeep. Envisioned and created primarily by Phi Dinh, this game is a 3D randomly generated dungeon crawler in the vein of such classics as Baldurs Gate and Hero Quest. Whats instantly impressive about it is the fact that the proof of concept demo was created for the game in just about 2 months, all in Phis free time. You read that right. One guy did the whole demo, which you can see on the Kickstarter page. This demo illustrated the core concepts of the game, such as the randomly spawned dungeons and the incredible sounding enemy AI."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252521/tinykeep-a-unique-brilliant-looking-dungeon-crawler-on-kickstarter

News::Hands-on with Lost Planet 3s First Chapter [Capsule Computers]

Zac Elawar from Capsule Computers wrote: "Lost Planet 3 wasnt really on my radar before yesterday. I enjoyed the first, but never played the second. So its an understatement to say I was very pleasantly surprised by this game when I got my chance to go hands-on with its first chapter about an hour of gameplay. I have been hearing/reading the same trepidation from others, but hopefully I can accurately communicate what about Lost Planet 3 deserves your attention, and what may, nay should, change your minds. It is a prequel for those who are still unclear about its place in the series. This was a recent Xbox 360 build."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252548/hands-on-with-lost-planet-3-s-first-chapter-capsule-computers

News::Second Metro: Last Light Review Score Revealed

OPM also praised the game by saying a powerful atmospheric ghost story.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252512/second-metro-last-light-review-score-revealed

News::New Arkham Origins Collectibles Coming Soon

Plus, Wonder Woman with a chainsaw! (For some reason.)



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252405/new-arkham-origins-collectibles-coming-soon

News::Capcom Detail Their Online And DLC Plans For The Next Few Years

Capcoms major strategies going forward involve two main initiativesto manage their console games business more efficiently and to strengthen their online games business.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252520/capcom-detail-their-online-and-dlc-plans-for-the-next-few-years

News::The Best Of Kotaku, The Week of May 6th

News::Still Playing: Tomb Raider


Echoing another icon of British pop culture, Little Britain’s Andy Pipkin, my first – and recurring – thought leaping and bounding through Crystal Dynamics’ latest Tomb Raider was: “I don’t like it.” I didn’t like the plot contrivances, the noise and relentless assault of the elements and the enemies. More than anything I didn’t like the faux-realism. There are only so many times I can see Lara clutch a gaping wound after escaping death in a way only Ryu Hayabusa could pull off that my bullshit-detector rings deafeningly loud. Lara’s feats of strength and stamina in Tomb Raider’s campaign at times make the Angelina Jolie films look like Nanook Of The North or the original game look like a survival simulator. Yes, even with that big block-headed T-Rex on your tail.


This new Tomb Raider is gorgeous, a technical triumph no doubt, but on my maiden playthrough the sweeping, lens-flared vistas and jaw-dropping scenic reveals felt hampered by visual indicators and pop-ups telling me all about the gamification of what I was doing. XP rewards, unlockable galleries, new base camps and item upgrades… so much information when the game-world was trying to tell me its own nuanced story of twisted history and torturous terrain. And as I breezed through the shootouts I yearned for the original Tomb Raider and its sequel, with their unforgiving jumps and geometry that harked back to Jordan Mechner’s original Prince Of Persia and where the body-count wasn’t so… Schwarzenegger.


I also yearned for the quietude of Core’s originals which, for me, were games of solitary exploration, so subtle and plodding that the audio cues to mark an achievement would send shivers down the spine where this new incarnation sent reverberations down the speakers with its Hans Zimmer-inspired drums and strums. For me Lara’s adventures – yes, even those rather joyless, pad-smashing jaunts through Angel Of Darkness – were action adventure titles with an emphasis on physical athletic challenge and button-press timing. This new vision, in its main story mode, strongly skews the balance towards action and ante-upping set-pieces and the ‘new’ button-press timing is all about the QTE window.



So why am I still playing Tomb Raider?


Because it gets better, much better, when the shooting and shouting stops and you revisit Yamatai having cleared the campaign objectives. It’s a new place, free of the fog of war, for you to uncover missed artefacts and raid secret tombs. It’s a place of wonder, bewilderment, gory memories and of a most poignant paradox for a game about literal and meta-game resurrection: it’s old but also new, like Lara herself. Perhaps this was the developer’s intention all along: to build into players a ‘memory’ with a rapid-fire succession of set-pieces and near-death experiences. Delivering enough action and pulse-pounding chases to fill an entire lifetime (or ten) and then send you back to that very location free from the man-made dangers – of both plot and machineguns – to revel in the pure, simulated nature. If I’m right on this reading, then Tomb Raider isn’t an over-active, over-eager action game; it’s a REKAL Incorporated-style shot of deranged, hyperactive nostalgia to be slowly, strangely digested as you’re plunged back into the depths of the world for a second time.


Creeping through the undergrowth without concern for crazed, cussing henchmen is a revelation. The physics of the game, free from the restraints of gravity-defying set-pieces, feel fresh, more real and regal as you traverse the map seeking out tombs and treasures. This is as close to open-world Tomb Raider as you could hope for, delivering on the illusion proffered by the originals; the illusion of being both lost and in control, free but also bound by the rules and limits of a solidly designed set of mechanics and a finely crafted world. Free from the narrative, the tone of Tomb Raider is vastly altered, too. The atmosphere is conjured by the gameworld, the crooked mountain peaks and swelling ocean tides, that were crying for attention behind all that stat-tracking and itemisation info before. The world, not the writers, begins to speak. Gone are the game’s aspirations to follow the filmic tones of its inspirations – which breathlessly and astonishingly manage to take in everything from The Descent to The Poseidon Adventure, Apocalypse Now to First Blood – and here is the real story: one of a strong, lone hunter in the wild, quietly discovering the ancient secrets of a past more descriptive and fleshed-out than her own.



I’ve always found a beautiful irony in Tomb Raider’s ability to delve into pseudo-complex ancient narratives while withholding that of its own star, and now Lara’s first true story has been told, her relatively blank canvas and stare animated, there’s no going back.


Personally, I would have savoured the opportunity to play the game like this from the start, to dive cold into this new, uncharted world without the travails of the campaign and the pre-history of the character etched on my subconscious. The developer has offered two unique experiences in Tomb Raider, catering to two tastes – the linear action crowd and the more exploratory, investigative mind – but one takes a definite, chronological preference over the other in the new Tomb Raider package. My joy at what’s tucked away inside its latest achievement is outweighed only by my concern that others, with a memory of Lara similar to my own, might miss out on this alternative, more spiritually faithful take on Lara’s legacy rather than have Crystal Dynamics remember it for you, wholesale.


The post Still Playing: Tomb Raider appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/still-playing-tomb-raider/

News::Pulling The Plug On Generation Zero

"First Drop is no longer affiliated with the Pokemon Generation 0 fan project and TBC. Heres why." IMO: You should not be spending donation money geared towards game development for food, alcohol, or RENT



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1251751/pulling-the-plug-on-generation-zero

News::ADG Exclusive: Going Deep With GIG-IT, Facebooks And Musics Biggest Game Ever

ADG goes deep with GIG-IT and tells about his conversation with the CEO behind the game John Acunto. Impressions, Trailer, and Screenshots are included.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1252090/adg-exclusive-going-deep-with-gig-it-facebooks-and-musics-biggest-game-ever

News::Jack Lumber Video Review| Indie Luchador

Trevor did a video review of Jack Lumber from OwlChemy Labs. Check out what he thought!



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