Saturday, July 27, 2013

News::The evolution from the XCOM FPS to The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

GamesRadar - When XCOM was revealed in 2010, it had more in common with BioShock than it did with 1994's UFO Defense. The moody first-person shooter was being made by 2K Marin--the developer behind BioShock 2--and tasked players with investigating a strange alien threat invading rural America in the 1950s. But after its reveal, the developers went silent for a year... until showing it off again as a hybrid first/third-person shooter. Just as before, the reveal was followed by silence, and speculation that the "XCOM shooter" was secretly cancelled.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320535/the-evolution-from-the-xcom-fps-to-the-bureau-xcom-declassified

News::Gathering Magic: An Interview With Aaron Forsythe

NZ Gamer - Magic: The Gathering, the granddaddy of all collectible card games, first debuted in 1993. Surviving twenty years in the gaming industry is no mean feat; being stronger today than it ever has been before is just plain showing off. Modern Magic players have more options than ever before, too, with loads of ways to play the venerable title, including - of course - videogames (the most recent, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014, is rather good, in case you missed our review.)



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320553/gathering-magic-an-interview-with-aaron-forsythe

News::Indie Game Insider | Shadowrun Returns Review

Harebrained Schemes releases the first million dollar Kickstarter game in existence and marks the return of a classic franchise.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320670/indie-game-insider-shadowrun-returns-review

News::Battlefield 4 to support custom emblems on vehicles?

According to alpha image leaks, Battlefield 4 players will be able to use custom platoon emblems on tanks and other vehicles.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320224/battlefield-4-to-support-custom-emblems-on-vehicles

News::Perpetual Geek Machine 100

Perpetual Geek Machine Podcast just launched it's 100th episode. On it they talk about Pacific Rim, Magic Online, Love Letter, Project X Zone, BioShock Infinite, and Animal Crossing. 5hit combo is top 5 game shows of all time!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320078/perpetual-geek-machine-100

News::Phil Fish has meltdown on Twitter, rashly cancels FEZ II

[Note: Fish has protected his tweets. To view them, you must be following him on Twitter. I have included images of the sourced tweets.]


Phil Fish, developer of FEZ , has had yet another colossal meltdown today on Twitter, this time in response to the "Annoyed Gamer." On a recent episode of GameTrailers' Invisible Walls, Marcus "Annoyed Gamer" Beer goes off on Phil Fish and Jon Blow about not giving quotes to GameInformer about the potential (at the time) news that the Xbox One will allow indies to self-publish. Mr. Fish, after seeing this today, went off on Mr. Beer and even told him to kill himself. This eventually led to Phil Fish cancelling the recently-announced FEZ II . The official Polytron Twitter account also made the announcement.


Fish did say that he was waiting on the news to be official before saying anything, as Microsoft had not yet officially said anything on the matter. To me, this just seems like two guys being complete jerks to each other for no real reason. Beer is unnecessarily harsh on Phil Fish and Jon Blow, immaturely calling them "hipsters" in an attempt to demean them.


As a big fan of the first FEZ, I really hope that Phil Fish collects himself and revives the project somewhere down the line. It's clear that he is emotionally unstable in some way and really needs to sit and reflect before moving on with his professional career. He mentions that he doesn't think Marcus knows "how much this shit hurts," yet throws similar mean-spirited remarks back at him. Maybe they both need to think before they speak, a lesson that most teenagers often hear from their teachers and parents.


@Polytron [Twitter]


Phil Fish has meltdown on Twitter, rashly cancels FEZ II screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/phil-fish-has-meltdown-on-twitter-rashly-cancels-fez-ii-258869.phtml

News::Friday Night Rant: Get This Stuff Out Of My Games

New console generations open up new ways of thinking about gaming, or least they should. Not everything changes as much as we would like it to sometimes. The current generation gave us a pretty solid graphical leap, not instantly but over time. Artificial intelligence advanced as well, so much so that developers got a little bit out of control with their addition of AI partners in my opinion. Still though, you cant dismiss how much trickier some of the enemies have gotten. You can add physics and storytelling to that list as well. A few stubborn issues are still hanging around bothering me though. Here are a few of the things that need to go away, be re-imagined, or significantly updated.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320617/friday-night-rant-get-this-stuff-out-of-my-games

News::Dota 2: 5 Tips to Improve

So, Dota 2 officially left beta a few weeks back which means that now everyone can give it a try since its free to play on Steam. All the reviews were mostly very positive about the game (even our own review, which you should read!), but all said the same thing: its very difficult to get into and understand what to do. Being an experienced Dota 2 player, here are my top 10 tips to helping you improve and enjoy the game more!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320635/dota-2-5-tips-to-improve

News::The Gun Show - Grappling Hook from Just Cause 2 Multiplayer

GameSpot - The Gun Show kicks off its Weapon of the Week series with Just Cause 2's grappling hook.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320599/the-gun-show-grappling-hook-from-just-cause-2-multiplayer

News::Metro: Last Light Faction Pack DLC Review - JPS

"The reaction of Metro: Last Lights ending was mixed; some were pleased while others were disappointed. For those who enjoyed and were satisfied with the ending and are looking for more enthralling adventures within the Metro, 4A Games has planned to release four downloadable content that further expands the story within Last Light. Sure, Artyom might not be the star in the planned DLC but the lore of the game has a lot of interesting factions and characters that can continue it. The first of the four DLC that 4A Games released for Metro: Last Light is the Faction Pack DLC where it includes three mini-campaigns. The main question is, is it comparable to the games main campaign?"- JPS



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320630/metro-last-light-faction-pack-dlc-review-jps

News::Random Runner Race The Sun Offers Beta Access

Gamesta has more indie news to report. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, endless runner Race The Sun now offers a lucky few access to a public Beta, though spots are limited.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320543/random-runner-race-the-sun-offers-beta-access

News::Phil Fish Locks Twitter Account, Fez II "Cancelled"

After years of saying things that have gotten him in heat, Fish has locked his twitter account. But not before sharing one last tweet. "Fez II is canceled."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320645/phil-fish-locks-twitter-account-fez-ii-cancelled

News::Medieval Horror DLC Review- XCLANN

Xclann wrote-"Medieval Horror is the third DLC to hit the Xbox Marketplace for Painkiller Hell & Damnation, having reviewed the first two, The Clock Strikes Meat Night and Full Metal Rocket, we now get our meat hooks into this multiplayer focused DLC. Painkiller Hell & Damnation has been a favourite shooter of PC gamers for a few years now, but finally we console gamers get the chance to obliterate the hordes of hell as Daniel. It is one of the fastest online multiplayer games you can get for the console, with frame rates that put all others to shame and if you havent tried it yet, well what are you waiting for!. Medieval Horror brings together some remastered maps, along with one totally new one called, Inhumator. The 3 maps remastered in HD, that up until now were only available on the PC are Psycho, Illuminati and Chaos, all of which have been fan favourites for gamers on the PC."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320615/medieval-horror-dlc-review-xclann

News::Yay! Yuji Naka's Rodea the Sky Soldier still exists!


Oh, wow! Never thought I'd hear about this guy again! What a pleasant surprise!


About two and a half years back, Yuji Naka's Prope studio announced a new Wii / 3DS title called Rodea the Sky Soldier , which looked like a much more action-oriented NiGHTS into Dreams. The title sounded promising enough that I named it one of my most anticipated games of 2012, but unfortunately, publisher Kadokawa Shoten decided to sit on the completed Wii version and offer no further details on the state of the 3DS version.


In a recent interview with 4Gamer, Kadokawa president Yoshimi Yasuda revealed that the game is still coming and that the reason for the silence was simply a lack of media interest (Hey! I was interested!). Since the Wii version relies heavily on the Wii Remote, the past year or so has been spent working with the 3DS to figure out a sensible control scheme. The 3DS build is currently 70% complete, and more information will arrive in the near future.


I'm super stoked that Rodea wasn't scrapped, though I wonder what Prope and Kadokawa plan on doing with the Wii version. Perhaps they'll use the knowledge gleaned from their 3DS experience towards a Wii U up-port, which will of course still allow the option to use the Wii Remote as originally intended. I don't care what they decide on; I just want this game.


Rodea the Sky Soldier Still Coming to Wii, 3DS [Nintendo World Report via 4Gamer]


Yay! Yuji Naka's Rodea the Sky Soldier still exists! screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/yay-yuji-naka-s-rodea-the-sky-soldier-still-exists--258864.phtml

News::Check Out Final Fantasy XIVs Models Square Enix Doesnt Want You to See Just Yet

A golden rule in MMORPGs is that if your file structure is simple enough and you leave something that isnt implemented in your game in those files, someone will data mine it and show it to the world, no question asked. That seems to happen often with Square Enixs MMOs. It happened with Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV, and now its happening with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborns Beta.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320628/check-out-final-fantasy-xivs-models-square-enix-doesnt-want-you-to-see-just-yet

News::Download Rockman Xover's free but hilariously short OST

I think I've said all that really needs to be said about Capcom's free-to-play abomination that is Rockman Xover. But in all fairness, I have not personally played the game and thus can't judge the accuracy of others' damning impressions... yet. Capcom is still tooling around with the idea of a localized release, so maybe I'll get that opportunity one day.


While those chuckle monkeys get that business sorted, you can download Xover's soundtrack from the Capcom sound team page complete free of charge. Composed by Masahiro Aoki, member of the in-house Capcom band ROCK-MEN, the music departs from the series' usual electronica styles and enters full hard rock territory with wailing guitars that wouldn't feel out of place in Guilty Gear. It's surprisingly not complete doo-doo, and the main theme is quite catchy.


On the downside, it's only six tracks long. One track was added to the game along with the fan-created Arcade Man boss, and another is a piano / violin arrangement of the main theme. In other words, the game only had four songs initially. That's kind of pathetic, but whatevs. To download the individual tracks, visit here and click on the song titles under the "REVIEW" section.


Rockman Xover Original Soundtrack [Capcom via Nubuwo]


Download Rockman Xover's free but hilariously short OST screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/download-rockman-xover-s-free-but-hilariously-short-ost-258863.phtml

News::Softpedia- The Night of the Rabbit Review

SP:The Night of the Rabbit is a treat for fans of the adventure genre as long as they manage to invest some of their own feelings and memories into Jerrys story and the game offers around 12 hours of play that can lead to some interesting revelations.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320565/softpedia-the-night-of-the-rabbit-review

News::The Navy's Found a Use for Kinect: Stop Sexual Assault

News::Next Generation AMD Ruby Tech Demo Crafted With CryEngine 3.5 Features Detailed

The latest AMD Ruby Tech demo is in the works and recently was showcased by AMD at their ChinaJoy 2013 Exhibition Booth. The work on Ruby was started by ATi (now known as AMD) in 2003 as an aim to showcase innovative capabilities of the latest graphic cards at that time. Its 2013 now and AMD have crafted yet again another Ruby Tech demo with the power of CryEngine 3. The new SSDO (Screen Space Directional Occlusion ) technology provides smooth contact shadows and is more physically correct and enhanced than the SSAO method. SSDO also helps in eliminating self-shadowing issues and improves global lightning quality. All these technologies showcased by AMD were rendered off a single Radeon HD 7970 showing the optimizations AMD has made being EAs hardware partner. It should be noted that AMD provides exclusive optimization for Radeon cards with Frostbite 3 powered games such as the upcoming Battlefield 4 and it could also provide better optimizations with CryEngine 3 developed games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320582/next-generation-amd-ruby-tech-demo-crafted-with-cryengine-3-5-features-detailed

News::Ars Technica | Hands-on with the Leap Motion Controller: Cool, but frustrating as hell

Ars Technica: "I've spent about two days with the Leap Motion Controller, a Kinect-like PC accessory that uses infrared sensors to translate the motions of your hands into input for applications. The device I received is one I pre-ordered more than a year ago; I've been anxiously awaiting its arrival ever since I saw the first video of the device in action."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320596/ars-technica-hands-on-with-the-leap-motion-controller-cool-but-frustrating-as-hell

News::Laikes PC Download Deals 7/27/2013

Jamie Laike of Capsule Computers writes: The best deal is Tomb Raider at Greenman Gaming. GMG is running a Square Enix Sale weekend and a Rewards weekend that provides instant cashback or store credit for many titles. What does this mean for you, frugal gamer? Tomb Raider is priced at $12.49 USD, a 75% savings, plus an additional $1.50 cash back instantly, or $2.50 in store credit. If you opt for store credit, Tomb Raider technically is $10.00. At that price, there is literally no reason not to buy the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320570/laikes-pc-download-deals-7-27-2013

News::Nightfire being remade in Source Engine

2002s James Bond 007: Nightfire, while not as popular or highly regarded as Goldeneye, was something of a cult favourite due to the extremely fun split-screen multiplayer. Therefore, fans of the game will be pleased to know that there is a fan-made remake in the works. Called Nightfire: Source, the remake will implement the original game into the Source Engine. The game in its current state is available for download, although not in some regions (including the UK apparently).



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320580/nightfire-being-remade-in-source-engine

News::Scoop: So, Should Microsoft/Sony Be Embarrassed?

IGN - Valve's Steam Trading Cards seem to be making the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 look bad.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320575/scoop-so-should-microsoft-sony-be-embarrassed

News::Corsual's Age of Wulin Kung-Fu Tournament

Corsual's EXP writes: "Following an entire week of Age of Wulin LiveGuides on Corsual, we celebrate the conclusion of this epic adventure in sandbox gaming with an official Corsual Kung-Fu Tournament. After some amazing battles, Scholar Goldy and Emei Lichtspiel battle it out in the finals with Goldy taking the win and earning 2 free Corsual Coins. Afterwards, we brawl for a bit, set up a bonus tourney, and finish the show with another Corsual Coins Friday giveaway: this week, 3x monthly VIP passes go up for grabs, compliments of Webzen. Though there are many contenders, viewers Zuleyus, Rockapanter and DarkSoulvamp take the wins. Watch the VOD here for some of the coolest combat Age of Wulin has to offer:"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1319990/corsuals-age-of-wulin-kung-fu-tournament

News::F1 2013 Hotlap Hungary Gameplay Trailer

VVV: "In honor of the confirmed release date and this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, a new on-board hotlap gameplay video has been released showing Toro RossoFerraris Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo taking on the tight twisty turns and steep inclines of the Hungaroring circuit As is always the case with these videos, former formula one driver Anthony Davidson, who was also hired by Codemasters as F1 2013's Technical is on-hand to narrate the action, giving his words of wisdom on how to tackle the track proficiently and find the optimum racing lines to maintain your speed."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320209/f1-2013-hotlap-hungary-gameplay-trailer

News::The 80s Strike Back: The Complete Story Behind Blood Dragon

Game Informer: "Nostalgia is a valuable currency in the video game industry. Nintendos biggest titles stick to decades-old formulas, and the indie scene is overflowing with pixelated throwbacks. Earlier this year, Ubisoft took a different approach to the 80s homage with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. The standalone digital title combines the eras iron-studded, fluorescent action films with Far Cry 3s superb gameplay. Blood Dragon stands as an anomaly, both in terms of its aesthetic and marketing strategy. This is the story of how it all came together under the guidance of Ubisofts passionate 1980s savant, Dean Evans. Its also the story of how Aliens: Colonial Marines nearly turned Michael Biehn, voice of Rex Colt, off from working in video games entirely, and how Hobo with a Shotgun director Jason Eisener helped inspire Ubisofts experiment."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320250/the-80s-strike-back-the-complete-story-behind-blood-dragon

News::Play as Howard the Duck in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

Gaming Trend editor Stefan Alexander writes: "Is there anybody who wont be in Lego Marvel Superheroes? With over 100 playable characters, the TT Games title slated for release in October is enlisting even the most obscure members of the Marvel universe. Which is great, cause now we finally get a chance to play as the cigar-chomping, taxi-driving, and wisecracking Howard the Duck."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320268/play-as-howard-the-duck-in-lego-marvel-super-heroes

News::Humble Bundle - Positech Games

So a new Humble Bundle weekly offer has come out into the open and it comes in the shape of some interesting and unique games from Positech Games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320219/humble-bundle-positech-games

News::Mojangs Next Game: Less Minecraft, More Magic: The Gathering

Swedish game developer Mojang has sold 20 million copies of Minecraft in the four years since the games debut, making its first title a worldwide sensation. And for its next trick, the company is offering a collectible card game?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320016/mojangs-next-game-less-minecraft-more-magic-the-gathering

News::Music in Video Games A Love Affair

"My dad was very musically inclined and I believe music is in my blood and so is gaming. I was very young when I realized that video game music wasnt just a series of bleeps and bloops, it was magical! Zelda, Mario, Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior are just some of the many console games that introduced me to the realm of video game music. On the PC side there were games like DOOM, Dark Legions and 7th guest that all had a haunting ambiance. However, Final Fantasy is my all time favorite overall. Nobuo Uematsus scores are simply legendary! Black Mages FTW!!!" - Samson Lancaster of Str N Gaming



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320027/music-in-video-games-a-love-affair

News::Games Gone By: The Incredible Machine

Kelly from SA Gaming Portal features The Incredible Machine in Games Gone By, a weekly site feature that explores older games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1319953/games-gone-by-the-incredible-machine

News::The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Coming In Q2 2014 At The Earliest

DSOGaming writes: "We know that a lot of PC (and console) gamers are eager to get their hands on the third - and last part for Geralt - part of the 'The Witcher' series. And despite the fact that CD Projekt RED has not revealed any ETA as of yet, we do know today that the game will not be coming in the first quarter of 2014."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320520/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-coming-in-q2-2014-at-the-earliest

News::Classic Theft Auto Part 1: A Look At What "Made" GTA3

CGUK: "Within hours of ambulating Liberty City's law-sparse walkways, Claude returns to his ways of old as he enters a never-ending game of paid employment in which he performs bedraggled tasks for Liberty City's morally corrupt individuals. Ranging from the empiric "Leone family" mob boss, Salvatore Leone to the auto-finatic, 8-Ball, the people Claude meets are weird and wonderful for the variety in both personality and background was undeniably rich."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320478/classic-theft-auto-part-1-a-look-at-what-made-gta3

News::Saints Row IV Exclusive Interview with the Voice Actor Arif S Kinchen

Sentral Gamer interviews the voice actor Arif S Kinchen who has appeared in several big games and get his thoughts on the games and next generation consoles



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320484/saints-row-iv-exclusive-interview-with-the-voice-actor-arif-s-kinchen

News::The Inquisitor:The Plague Review - GamesReviews

From GamesReviews: "Nicolas Eymerich, the main character of The Inquisitor, is not a nice man. While the likes of Guybrush Threepwood and Eric Idles Rincewind kept us playing with their fish-out-of-water optimism, Nicolas has already seen it all. He probably yelled at it as well. He does a lot of that. Hes a very angry man. And while I cant help but think that the developers hoped his anger and intelligence might inspire players to love the darkness in the same way as House, the character is underutilized and underdeveloped. "



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320510/the-inquisitor-the-plague-review-gamesreviews

News::Ubisoft Brings Duel Of Champions To Meltdown London

Ubisoft hosting tournament play of the Might and Magic online card game at London bar on the 28th July



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320481/ubisoft-brings-duel-of-champions-to-meltdown-london

News::Assassins's Creed IV: Black Flag San Diego Comic Con Panel video

To go along with the recently-released video from SDCC, here's the panel featuring voice actor Matt Ryan, the lead actor for Edward Kenway



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320319/assassinss-creed-iv-black-flag-san-diego-comic-con-panel-video

News::Indie Pleas: Indie game crowd funding roundup for July 26, 2013

indiePub has published its weekly look at new and notable crowd funding efforts by indie game developers. This weeks Indie Pleas include: Candle, an adventure game using light as a mechanic; Chroma Squad, where you manage your own Sentai TV show; Insignificant, an open-world RPG in your own backyard; Collateral, a cyberpunk vehicular combat game; and 7 Days to Die, a zombie survival game with voxel graphics.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320238/indie-pleas-indie-game-crowd-funding-roundup-for-july-26-2013

News::RePlayed: Rayman Origins

GodisaGeek: "Everything about Rayman Origins is designed to appeal to the excitable child within all of us. Whether youre a gamer old enough to remember 1995s original, or, like me, someone who managed to miss every iteration of the franchise until this one, Origins will make you smile. Its not about being flash or expensive, its about having a good time and surely that should appeal to everyone."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320488/replayed-rayman-origins

News::Chinese army-designed video game lets players fight Japan for the Diaoyu Islands

In the latest passive-aggressive escalation of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Island dispute, a Chinese computer game originally designed to train soldiers has added a level that lets players reclaim and defend the vacant but heavily disputed islands between China and Japan.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320378/chinese-army-designed-video-game-lets-players-fight-japan-for-the-diaoyu-islands

News::Explore Tranquil Fields in Journey-like Indie Game Walk

In this beautiful, peaceful game thats immediately reminiscent of games like Journey and Flower, you must explore the gorgeous tranquil fields in search of the strange black sphere that floats somewhere in the area.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320397/explore-tranquil-fields-in-journey-like-indie-game-walk

News::Still Playing: Animal Crossing: New Leaf


If people play games primarily for wish fulfilment, then Animal Crossing is a peculiar phenomenon indeed. While most social sim games prefer to gloss over the unpleasant realities of capitalism, Nintendo’s azure-skied spin on the genre positively wallows in it.


Despite its fa̤ade of sunstreaked meadows and endless oceans, you see, your new life in Animal Crossing is doomed to be a banal one Рone of crippling obligation and perpetual graft.


From the moment you arrive in Helmouth (or whatever your village might be called), it’s made explicitly clear that you can expect no freebies from the state. Kafkaesque bureaucratic hoops have to be jumped through before you get so much as a tent to sleep in; from there on in you’re tethered to a succession of stifling mortgages, each one seemingly further out of reach than the last.


Such is the weight of your debt that you begin to see your idyllic village through green-tinted spectacles. Fruit trees are cultivated not for beauty but for financial gain – at one point I created a ghetto forest of exotic fruit trees in a godforsaken corner of Helmouth, purely to make it more convenient to strangle the life out of them and turn a quick profit.


Once a financial goal is in sight, any lingering trace of social responsibility inside you dies. Butterflies are plucked from the sky and rivers husked of life, just so you can sell them for cold, hard cash. Similarly, birthday presents are returned to the Re-tail shop, tags still intact, for pitiful returns. To succeed in Animal Crossing: New Leaf is to know the price of everything and the value of nothing. You’ll gladly pave paradise to put up a polka-dot lamp.


Even your positioning as mayor – New Leaf’s signature twist – amounts to little more than justified subjection. Those familiar with the series already know all too well that you are not the equal of anthropomorphic neighbours. Rather, your relationship with them is a sort of cordial parasitism, not unlike an owner and their pet cat.



While they mill around aimlessly in their perfectly co-ordinated houses, it’s up to you to keep society ticking over by plucking weeds, ferrying notes from one villager to another and delivering fruit and fresh fish to their doorstep. Fail in your obligations and your neighbours slyly lambaste you for your lack of attentiveness.


It’s human nature to covet your neighbour’s house and Animal Crossing taps into it in spectacularly subtle fashion. While you toil in the field getting stung by scorpions for pennies just so you can afford to buy some ill-matching furniture, it’s impossible not to look on enviously at Pecan the Layabout Squirrel, chilling out in her paid-for flat with its lavish regal furnishings. And guess who has to foot the bill for the town’s new fountain. You, the bell toiler, or the freeloading koala who lives next door?


These are just some of the many ways in which Animal Crossing’s cartoonish take on capitalism succeeds in condensing all the insecurities and anxieties that come from living in a materialistic society into a neat, cartidge-shaped package. Animal Crossing isn’t so much a release from real life as much as it is a simulacra of it.


So why, then, can’t I – and so many others – stop playing it? According to my 3DS chart screen, I’ve voluntarily clocked over 50 hours into what is – when you break it down into its component parts – effectively a second job. I’m not alone. Every lunchtime the Edge offices are a blaze of excitement as various work colleagues fire up their consoles to compare Stalk Market prices – but when I ask them why, they too trip over their tongues. It’s not a love that can be explained; it just is.


So what is that intangible that keeps us plugging away at this loveless land? I’d like to say it’s the charm – which is a quality Animal Crossing has in abundance – but witticisms from jock hawks only go so far.



No, on reflection, I think it’s this: Animal Crossing: New Leaf goes to great lengths to give us a childish slant on an adult world, but it makes one very important distinction – in Animal Crossing, there is always hope.


Since prices are fixed, no interest is charged and no heavies turn up at your door if you skip a payment, you can measure your debt going down in gradual but steady increments, apple by apple, shaken tree by shaken tree. While the myriad complexities of the real world mean destitution is never more than a few missed payments away, here in Helmouth, Cooltown or anywhere you are the master of your own fate. Your finances and your lifestyle are yours to control, and you can be assured that your graft will be rewarded in time.


There’s a tipping point in Animal Crossing where you realise your investments have made you independently wealthy; this happens to all players so long as they put their nose to the grindstone for long enough. Real life rarely honours that guarantee.


And that’s why Animal Crossing: New Leaf is my game of the year. Not because it replicates the ugliness that blights the beauty of life, but because it finds beauty in the ugliness of life.


The post Still Playing: Animal Crossing: New Leaf appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/still-playing-animal-crossing-new-leaf/

News::Plants Vs. Zombies 2: Its About Time review full bloom | Metro

Metro: "A great sequel to what is still probably the best Tower Defense game around, and a shining example of how to do free-to-play properly."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320437/plants-vs-zombies-2-its-about-time-review-full-bloom-metro

News::The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Hands On | Machinima

Machinima: "2K Marin managed to find a sweet spot in giving the player control of co-op AI without the convenience of stopping the game flow."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320438/the-bureau-xcom-declassified-hands-on-machinima

News::MMO racing takes a turn for the better: enter The Crew | Gaming Trend

Gaming Trend: "'Next-gen' implies several things, one that it is only available on the newest consoles being released. This is often where next-gen definition ends historically new consoles have games that arent going to be pushing the new hardware as developers get comfortable programing for the platform. The 'next-gen' that interests us, then, is when a game or technology leverages the new hardware that simply isnt possible on the existing consoles, and pushes past our current expectations. While the game was on display to the open showroom floor, it felt like getting into the private hands-on preview of The Crew was like making into some exclusive club."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320440/mmo-racing-takes-a-turn-for-the-better-enter-the-crew-gaming-trend

News::Watch the Fingers of a Korean Starcraft II Champion Literally Fly on Keyboard and Mouse

Want to see what you need to accomplish to become a world-level pro Starcraft II player? You just have to be able to play Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D minor on your keyboard like it was an organ. Actually, you need to be faster than that.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320460/watch-the-fingers-of-a-korean-starcraft-ii-champion-literally-fly-on-keyboard-and-mouse

News::First gameplay revealed for Klei Entertainment's Incognita alongside new information

First off, the game is turn based tactical espionage game with procedurally generated environments. It is by Klei Entertainment, who made Don't Starve and Mark of the Ninja, and it takes after Mark of the Ninja with its stealth focus. It has a pre-order/early access beta coming in a month or two, which will be similar to Don't Starve beta. Your agents, which you can have up to six of during a mission, can collect a limited amount of CPUs as you move through a level and you use those for hacking cameras or safes. Hacking cameras will let you view that area for a turn, while hacking safes will make it so that your units can access them quicker, which in turn gives you loot of some kind. Throughout the stream it looked like Incognita might have no story, or a light one like Dont Starve, but James Lance addressed that by saying that there is a, procedurally generated atmospheric linear story that will unveil as you progress through a game that gradually gets larger and more d...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320396/first-gameplay-revealed-for-klei-entertainments-incognita-alongside-new-information

News::Dominic Monaghan is an agent for The Bureau


The live-action trailers for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified just keep on coming. This time instead of creepy clown shows, we've got Dominic Monaghan of LOST and The Lord of the Rings fame, as Agent Enis Cole, chasing an unseen foe around a field at twilight. He's got the upper hand -- or does he? I like how these trailers have had this understated menacing vibe, usually coming from foes unseen or obscured.


When we last saw Agent Cole he was faced with the decision of hitting the booze or maybe taking more drastic action with his service revolver. Submitted for a community vote, the booze won with 51% of the votes. After tragic events, it's unclear whether he'll continue with the Bureau but it looks like his tale won't have a happy end.


[Thanks, Harrison]


Dominic Monaghan is an agent for The Bureau screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/dominic-monaghan-is-an-agent-for-the-bureau-258838.phtml

News::New Items In League of Legends

In a upcoming patch for league of legends they will be getting rid of a great item, Runic Bulwark and splitting it into two different items that will takes its place.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320409/new-items-in-league-of-legends

News::Neil Gaiman to Write Video Game

Neil Gaiman announces he will be writing the game Wayward Manor. DM Agony fanboys out and talks about his love for the author and excitement for the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1320456/neil-gaiman-to-write-video-game