Thursday, October 10, 2013

News::Pixel Boy: Why Zoe Hawkins fell in love

Zoe had an unexpected love affair at rAge. She knew there would be some cool games available, but Pixel Boy seriously impressed her Zoe had such a fun time playing, and she is not the only one. Beyond the game, she really enjoyed chatting to the guys behind its creation, and learning about how the game came into being.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371157/pixel-boy-why-zoe-hawkins-fell-in-love

News::Early Access Impressions from War of the Vikings | Analog Addiction

Analog Addiction writes: "When I first witnessed the unforgiving nature of War of the Roses, I instantly got hooked. It looked like that kind of game which actually rewards you for taking your time to understand its brutal mechanics (brutal, as in a positive manner). Unfortunately, I never did get the chance to play it. Now though, developer Fatshark is taking the franchise further, by introducing us to War of the Roses spiritual sequel, War of the Vikings. Today, me (Vlad Pintea) and Ryan Livingstone are here to tell you all you need to know about our WotVs early access impressions."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371201/early-access-impressions-from-war-of-the-vikings-analog-addiction

News::Fighting Internal Foes In XCOM: Enemy Within | TSA

TSA - "With XCOM: Enemy Withins announcement, Firaxis came out and talked about mech suits, genetic modifications and other changes to the XCOM formula, but I was still somewhat confused by the games title. The enemy threat was still very much external, with the alien forces souped up and enhanced to match your own, and the changes to your team seemed very much like enhancements rather than internal threats."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371216/fighting-internal-foes-in-xcom-enemy-within-tsa

News::Edge- Card Hunter review

Edge:Dorky, lovable and deep, Card Hunter has an earnest love for its subject matter. Whether its in the little exclamations of Adventure! and A-ha! from its dungeon master, Gary, the complex systems that make up its turn-based, card collection design, or in its descriptions of caverns and sorcerers towers, this is a game thats built on Dungeons & Dragons foundations and isnt afraid to show it.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371171/edge-card-hunter-review

News::RockPaperShotgun- Knock Knock Review

RPS:Knock, Knock is a difficult and annoying game to explain or describe, and thats a wonderful thing to be able to say. It does not meet with any genre conventions, at least not in a way that really makes sense or offers easy shorthand. Its awkward and brilliant, like sitting down in the cinema to watch something difficult and Modern. While its a 2D, side-scrolling game, it doesnt do much that other side-scrolling games do.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371190/rockpapershotgun-knock-knock-review

News::Skyrim's Water To Be Overhauled By ENBSeries Creator

DSOGaming writes: "ENBSeries creator, Boris Vorontsov, has released a new video for Skyrim, showcasing some new water effects that will most probably be supported in his upcoming ENBSeries mod for Bethesda's RPG."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371203/skyrims-water-to-be-overhauled-by-enbseries-creator

News::War of the Vikings Hands-On Preview | GodisaGeek

GodisaGeek: "Fatshark and Paradox Interactive are back with another War of game, this time pitting the Saxons against the mighty Norsemen. War of the Vikings retains much of what made the previous outing (War of the Roses) successful, but this time around has a far less pansy name. The online multiplayer brawler is currently in alpha, and is set for release early next year. That said, it is surprisingly polished for a game in such an early stage, so it does inspire confidence that the finished product will be up to scratch. This limited preview code contains 2 maps (a forest area and a village) and 1 game mode; a straight up team deathmatch."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371211/war-of-the-vikings-hands-on-preview-godisageek

News::Exploring War Thunder's Freedom Of The Skies | TSA

War Thunder is one of the several day one free-to-play titles which is heading to the PlayStation 4, an MMO flight simulator set across a wide period of history, with World War 2 a clear touchstone to the games combat.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371215/exploring-war-thunders-freedom-of-the-skies-tsa

News::eGamer Podcast 52: The rAge 2013 Afterparty

Recorded 08 October, 2013, this is episode 52 of the eGamer podcast. Topics discussed include rAge 2013 (obviously), Beyond: Two Souls review scores and splitting games into parts and selling them separately. Shownotes are through the link.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371164/egamer-podcast-52-the-rage-2013-afterparty

News::Icarus Online New Trailer Released

Yesterday, WeMade Entertainment released a new short trailer for Icarus Online. This Korean MMORPG has been in the making for the past several years and is now preparing to exit the Closed Beta Tests.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371156/icarus-online-new-trailer-released

News::Iwata Asks explains the meaning behind Pokemon 'X and Y'

In what is one of the greatest Q&A series on the web, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has interviewed Game Freak in his latest edition of "Iwata Asks," and uncovers a number of cool facts about the Pokemon franchise in the process. Most notably, he delves into why the newest iterations of the series are called X & Y with Game Freak Director Junichi Masuda.


Explaining the meaning behind the pair of games, Masuda states, "The X and Y represent the X axis and the Y axis. The world holds people with all sorts of ways of thinking, and you can get a sense that they exist in different dimensions. But if you think of them as people who think on the X axis and people who think on the Y axis-horizontal and vertical axes-then they intersect somewhere."


He then goes on a more existential tangent, saying, 'We may think differently, but we all live on the same planet, so everyone eats, sleeps and goes about their business day after day just like everyone else." Whoa, man. You thought X and Y referred to the X and Y chromosomes? Well you just had your mind blown.


There are a bunch of other great tidbits in the interview as well, like why Game Freak stopped using colors, and what went into a few of the design choices for the game.


Pokemon X and Y [Iwata Asks]


Iwata Asks explains the meaning behind Pokemon 'X and Y' screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/iwata-asks-explains-the-meaning-behind-pokemon-x-and-y--263343.phtml

News::Dark Souls II Hands On Preview | StickTwiddlers

Dark Souls II is as brutal, relentless and unforgiving as its predecessors, so why are gamers so attracted to the series?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371180/dark-souls-ii-hands-on-preview-sticktwiddlers

News::Review: F1 2013 I PushStartPlay

Codemasters F1 series returns for its latest instalment with F1 2013. This is a game not necessarily for racing enthusiasts, but this is the game for the F1 enthusiast. This is the most authentic game not only in its genre, but one of the most authentic games on the market. Lets find out why.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371178/review-f1-2013-i-pushstartplay

News::Alien Rage Review - The Digital Fix

Rage! Rage!! Raaaaaage. The aliens rage that is, at you destroying their nice Prometheum plant (its a power source freeing humanity from the shackles of finite resources, geddit?). Or perhaps its the protagonists, who cracks wise and screams in a manly fashion when youre running and gunning. Hes MAD AS HELL at those aliens! They forcibly captured our giant mining complex and if we cant have it, no-one can. So were gonna BLOW IT ALL TO HELL. You can easily imagine him naming and cleaning his guns, like the eponymous Heavy of Team Fortress 2 fame. There are many like it but this one is mine. That more or less sums up Alien Rage - a big, dumb shooter with a few quirks and not much behind the eyes. Often hard, sometimes pretty, and generally unstable.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371114/alien-rage-review-the-digital-fix

News::SpellForce 2 - Demons Of The Past pushed to 2014

Due to additional features in the multiplayer department to ensure a fully formed gaming experience, Nordic Games has announced it will now release SpellForce 2 Demons Of The Past in 2014. Check the new information and release date.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371147/spellforce-2-demons-of-the-past-pushed-to-2014

News::Interview with Danny Belanger. Chicago was the only city for Watch Dogs.

Honestly, Zoe was confused about the choice of Chicago for Watch Dogs when she first heard about it. Isn't it one of those fly over cities? However, the more she heard and saw from Watch Dogs, the more the choice made perfect sense.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371172/interview-with-danny-belanger-chicago-was-the-only-city-for-watch-dogs

News::6 things Lazygamer wants from Sleeping Dogs: Triad Wars

Tuesday, Lazygamer learned that United Front Games and Square Enix were teaming up again to bring everyone more games set within the Sleeping Dogs universe. As huge fans of Sleeping Dogs, the prospect alone has Lazygamer rather excited. Heres a list of 6 things Lazygamer wants to see in Triad Wars.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371146/6-things-lazygamer-wants-from-sleeping-dogs-triad-wars

News::GamerZines | Wolfenstein: The New Order - Hands-On: "A Shooter with a Soul"

GamerZines writes: Make no mistake about it, in the first-person shooter stakes, Wolfenstein: The New Order is as brave as they come. For all intents and purposes, MachineGames could have very easily phoned in this sequel/reboot which once again pits unstoppable soldier B.J. Blazkowicz against the followers of the Third Reich, but instead the Swedish studio has put their own spin on things by getting rid of the slapstick silliness of pop cultures favourite bad guy and has instead emulated their most sinister intents.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371096/gamerzines-wolfenstein-the-new-order-hands-on-a-shooter-with-a-soul

News::MSI Announces New AMD Radeon R9 and R7 Graphics Cards

Hardwarezone: MSI recently announced the existence of its take on AMD's R9 and R7 200 series cards in the HAWK, GAMING and CLASSIC categories.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371068/msi-announces-new-amd-radeon-r9-and-r7-graphics-cards

News::NYCC 2013 - Blizzard Entertainment Book Signing Schedule

Blizzard Entertainment lead publishing Micky Neilson, Joseph Lacroix and Doug A. Gregory will sign copies of the Insight Editions Diablo III: Book of Tyrael this Saturday. The book contains story elements from the upcoming Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Micky Neilson will sign copies of World of Warcraft: Vol'jin, Shadows of the Horde later at the Simon & Schuster booth.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371059/nycc-2013-blizzard-entertainment-book-signing-schedule

News::Unhack Hands-On Preview | Capsule Computers

Luke Halliday writes: "EB Expo 2013 was home to a plethora of indie games, but one stood out among the crop. At the Eternal Pain indie booth was a game from developer Invert Mouse titled Unhack Invert Mouse were demoing a new version of the game at the booth and I found myself thoroughly impressed by what I happened to see with the game. While it appears at first glance to be a simple puzzle game, it is actually a relatively complex game in a number of ways."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371140/unhack-hands-on-preview-capsule-computers

News::Dave Cox Explains Why Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Is Not Releasing On Next Gen Consoles

GB: "We recently got in touch with Dave Cox who is the head of UK Studio at Konami Digital Entertainment and producer of the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series to talk all about the next and the final entry in the series."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371088/dave-cox-explains-why-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-is-not-releasing-on-next-gen-consoles

News::Nizulo News Weekly - Battlefield 4 Beta, GTA Offline and R.I.P Tom Clancy

In this episode of Nizulo News Weekly, Rich Bloomfield tackles the Battlefield 4 beta, the hurdles of GTA Online and the passing of legendary author Tom Clancy.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371091/nizulo-news-weekly-battlefield-4-beta-gta-offline-and-r-i-p-tom-clancy

News::Adventure Time gets more friends to explore dungeons with


The upcoming Adventure Time game, Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW , got a new trailer showing off its hub world from where you can boost stats and purchase things, as well as listen to the fully voiced show characters, like Lady Rainicorn, who provide these services. I just want to talk to Choose Goose forever.


Also shown off in the video are new additions to the playable roster: Flame Princess, Ice King, and Lumpy Space Princess. These three join previously announced Finn, Jake, Marceline, and Cinnamon Bun. Now I have to decide between Marceline, Jake, and Flame Princess. Hmm.


The game, which tasks you with crawling through Princess Bubblegum's secret dungeon (because I don't know!) comes out this fall on PC, PS3, 360, Wii U, and 3DS. It's also looking like it will be darn good and considerably different than the last Adventure Time game. So, come on, tell your friends. It's adventure time.


Adventure Time gets more friends to explore dungeons with screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/adventure-time-gets-more-friends-to-explore-dungeons-with-263320.phtml

News::NBA 2K14 Review - JumpToGamer

JumpToGamer: After years of huge success and being the lone ruler of the basketball game landscape, NBA 2K is finally starting to stumble. And by that I mean Madden Syndrome is starting to set in. Which, of course, means the series is starting to be just more of the same year after year with nothing more than marginal improvements. It has never been more obvious than with this current-generation version of NBA 2K14 which is honestly one of the laziest efforts Ive seen on a video game in quite some time.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371137/nba-2k14-review-jumptogamer

News::Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 - Review | Progress Bar

While the Fox engine sure makes things look very pretty, does that mean that everything melds into a enjoyable soccer game? This is our review of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371127/pro-evolution-soccer-2014-review-progress-bar

News::Battlefield 4 Beta On PC Gets Second Patch, Fixes Crash and Performance Issues, Changelog Revealed

DICE has just released a brand new patch update for Battlefield 4 PC beta. The update weighs around 54 MB in size.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371126/battlefield-4-beta-on-pc-gets-second-patch-fixes-crash-and-performance-issues-changelog-revealed

News::Valve confirms: Steam Machines will have AMD hardware as well

Forbes "In a statement to Forbes, a Valve representative has confirmed that AMD graphics hardware will be included in commercially available Steam Machines next year. The more interesting story, however, is why Valve needed to confirm this in the first place."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371118/valve-confirms-steam-machines-will-have-amd-hardware-as-well

News::In Verbis Virtus lets you yell to cast magic


In Verbis Virtus was amidst a batch of games green lit on Steam this summer. It's still being worked on, however. Developer Indomitus Games recently announced that a Mac version is in development as well. Of course, going a long way towards the game's actual release would be the success of its currently running IndieGoGo campaign.


If you're not sold on the novelty of doing magic purely through vocal commands, you can test the demo out for yourself. It seems to work rather nicely. Resting on that big contingent, this project, which has a rather nice, unique look to it already, could end up a rather cool thing. Immersion and all that.


Did the trailer sell you, or are you still hesitant to do battle and solve puzzles through voice commands?


In Verbis Virtus lets you yell to cast magic screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/in-verbis-virtus-lets-you-yell-to-cast-magic-263317.phtml

News::Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is dated for Japan.

News::SWTOR Space Combat, TESO, Tactical Intervention and more. | The Daily XP October 9th

Your Daily MMO and MMORPG News for Wednesday October 9th. Today Bethany discusses The Elder Scrolls Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Age of Wushu and Tactical Intervention.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1370933/swtor-space-combat-teso-tactical-intervention-and-more-the-daily-xp-october-9th

News::Oculus Rift: Open Your Eyes And Let Them See The Future | AnalogAddiction

Analog Addiction writes, "If you have not used it, the Oculus Rift could look like a gimmick. The idea of wearing a strange looking device on your face when playing games sounds really funny, and the revolutionary way it promises to change gaming seems far fetched. At least, thats what I thought."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371120/oculus-rift-open-your-eyes-and-let-them-see-the-future-analogaddiction

News::Star Wars: The Old Republic Galactic Starfighter first screenshots

SWTOR: Galactic Starfighter DLC - here are the first gameplay screens



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1370898/star-wars-the-old-republic-galactic-starfighter-first-screenshots

News::Burger King Has a "Black Ninja" Burger in Japan. No, Really.

News::Thiefs New Gameplay Video Shows Off the Three Mechanics: Infiltrating, Stealing, and Escaping

Thiefs new gameplay video shows off Garretts old hideout because he has been in this city before. It also showcases some of the games mechanics as well as your objective in the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1370770/thiefs-new-gameplay-video-shows-off-the-three-mechanics-infiltrating-stealing-and-escaping

News::GlaDOS kills everyone in this live-action Portal short


Is GlaDOS killing everyone really a spoiler?


Anyway, this live action Portal short is fairly well done. Some nice lighting. A scientist gets exaggeratedly bumped into so he can spill papers off a walkway so the floating papers can be shot from underneath all art-like. It all checks out. Little portal use, though.


GlaDOS kills everyone in this live-action Portal short screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/glados-kills-everyone-in-this-live-action-portal-short-263329.phtml

News::Escape Goat Now On Steam and 20% off

Puzzle platformer has found its way on steam and is 20% off.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371073/escape-goat-now-on-steam-and-20-off

News::Montague's Mount looks good and spooky


Every October-ish I invariably go back and watch some greats -- catch The Thing, and so on -- before feeling like I've long since exhausted the reserve of good horror movies. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. There are plenty of horror games I haven't played, after all. That and foreign horror films.


Montague's Mount , released today (PC, Mac, Linux) on GOG ($10) and GetGames ($9), looks like it could fill that spooky Halloween hole.



The mixture of cold Atlantic water and coarse sand in your mouth brings you back from unconsciousness. Surrounded by the wreckage of a boat’s hull, you can only draw one conclusion: your vessel has been torn apart by the submerged rocks. The secrets of the island must be uncovered if you are ever going to find a way to escape. Where is everyone; is the island really uninhabited; what is lurking within the isolated caves; and what is that building on top of Montague’s Mount?



I want to know! If I'm not too yellow to find out. Scary games scare me, actually. You up for it? Montague's Mount is also up on Steam Greenlight if that's more your speed, but you'll need to vote for it if you want it to be made available there. Or else you'll be haunted, I bet.


Montague's Mount looks good and spooky screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/montague-s-mount-looks-good-and-spooky-263316.phtml

News::Potential 'Diablo III: Reaper of Souls' Collector's Edition

8CN: In recent news, Blizzard has been asking players a couple questions regarding the upcoming Diablo III expansion, Reaper of Souls. Through a survey, they've been gaging interest in a special edition package.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371028/potential-diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls-collectors-edition

News::OS X version of Tomb Raider due 2013

Lara Croft is headed to greener pastures. Well, more Apple-y pastures anyway, with this year's Tomb Raider making its way to Mac OSX "before the end of the year".



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1370958/os-x-version-of-tomb-raider-due-2013

News::Battlefield 4 Beta: Obliteration mode now live

DICE added a new game mode for the public beta called the "Obliteration mode" in addition to the existing modes, Conquest and Domination. As usual the setting will take place on the Siege of Shanghai, a thrilling bomb planting and defusing combat between the China and the U.S. armed forces.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371071/battlefield-4-beta-obliteration-mode-now-live

News::Fans are hard-up for more Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded

Replay Games finally gave into the fan frenzy and agreed to put Larry in their hands with a boxed version. Earlier this year, Replay released the game online to great acclaim, but for some reason, adventure game lovers cant really enjoy a game unless theyre holding a cardboard box.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371079/fans-are-hard-up-for-more-leisure-suit-larry-reloaded

News::Interview with the Creators of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

Alex Layton of SpawnFirst interviews Neocore Games, the creators of the action-RPG, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371064/interview-with-the-creators-of-the-incredible-adventures-of-van-helsing

News::The Real Reason They Made Changes To Wind Waker

News::Train Simulator 2014 Review (PopBucket)

PopBucket writes: Even for train enthusiasts, this simply isnt worth the time and the huge amount of money warranted to make this even close to a full package; avoid!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371063/train-simulator-2014-review-popbucket

News::Namco hates you: Tales of Hearts R is on iOS in Japan

I don't want to break your Tales of Hearts, Tales fans, but I guess it builds character.


Tales of Hearts was a DS game that never got localized. It's supposed to be quite good. Namco polished the game, added a new character, new story events, and full voice acting for Tales of Hearts R , which came to the Vita earlier this year. In Japan, anyways.


That same upgraded release has now been made available on iOS in Japan, Gematsu reports: "The 1.56 gigabyte game costs a launch celebratory price of 1,800 yen until October 15, when it will jump back to 3,800 yen."


Sorry. But, hey, you've been meaning to learn Japanese for a while, right?


Tales of Hearts R comes to iOS [Gematsu]


Namco hates you: Tales of Hearts R is on iOS in Japan screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/namco-hates-you-tales-of-hearts-r-is-on-ios-in-japan-263314.phtml

News::Toronto Thumbs Review: Payday 2

From the Review (by Jorge Figueiredo): "Who hasnt watched movies like Oceans 11 or The Italian Job without wondering what it would be like to orchestrate and carry out a major heist? The idea of having a team of specialists who work like clockwork together to perform nefarious deed resulting in massive profits definitely tickles the fancy of many slaves of the corporate world, dreaming of an early, effort-free retirement plan. Overkill Softwares Payday 2 attempts to help gamers act out this fantasy without actually getting them arrested. While fun, the game fell a little short of my expectations due to unforseen circumstances; but its definitely something that you will want to try out if you have a chance if only for the adrenalin rush."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371030/toronto-thumbs-review-payday-2

News::Interview: Respawn Wants to Remain Indie, Not Looking to be Bought - AusGamers

AusGamers had a chance to sit down with Respawn's Abbie Heppe to discuss Titanfall, life at Respawn, indie versus Triple-A and much more. One of the topics broached was whether or not Respawn would remain an indie developer after Titanfall, especially with so much interest in the title and developer. "Were not looking to get bought any time soon," asserted Respawn community manager Abbie Heppe to AusGamers. "Its so a part of who we are. I think, if anything, with the history of the studio and what were doing, I dont foresee us being bought any time in the near future. "Im sure theres a bunch of indie developers out there cringing right now, going theyre not really indie, but were not owned, which is not the same; I get it. I always feel weird about saying "indie" too, because we have a publisher -- although indie games also often have publishers -- but because were higher budget, it seems weird to say that were indie. But we are." Read the full interview...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371057/interview-respawn-wants-to-remain-indie-not-looking-to-be-bought-ausgamers

News::Respawn Entertainments Abbie Heppe on Titanfall

Nicholas Simonovski of Stevivor.com -- "While attending the EB Games Expo last week, we had the opportunity to sit down with Abbie Heppe, Community Manager at Respawn Entertainment (above left), to discuss the upcoming Titanfall. Below we discuss some of the new features of the game, including the new wall-running mechanics and how the multiplayer campaign caters to those gamers who typically have been into single-player only."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371031/respawn-entertainments-abbie-heppe-on-titanfall

News::Michael Myers - Halloween free survival horror fan game

Fan game Halloween is free for Windows and Mac, made by Pig Farmer Games. It resembles the aesthetics of PSX, 32-bit era graphics and stubborn controls/camera angles, too.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1371051/michael-myers-halloween-free-survival-horror-fan-game